Let Them Eat Cow Dung! Putrajaya Isn't Listening!

From Malaysiakini Letters "We are tired, Putrajaya. Get it?" Jayenjr Sep 24, 10 1:53pm:

I refer to the article If it's a problem, don't recognise it. Somebody had to state the obvious on the latest Idris Jala show, and I think Kee Thuan Chye did a good job at that. There was a time - not too long ago - when fancy PowerPoint presentations would mesmerise and sell but no longer these days, though.

For all the GTP, ETP, KPI, SRI show etc, I want to ask the PM and Idris Jala one thing:- why is it that my ringgit continues to shrink these days? Just listen to the hordes of young couples who struggle to afford a decent landed property in Klang Valley. In agreeing with Kee's perspective, I would like to borrow if I may, from the words of a lady who told off President Barrack Obama a few days ago, that she was tired of him, and apply it in within our local context:

Many of us are either middle class Malaysians or those who live below the poverty line. And quite frankly, we are tired. We are tired of being told to support this government when clearly it has been corrupt for the past 30 years and blew away at least US$100 billion of our money through wastage and corruption.

And we are tired of fancy presentations which continue to ignore this bane, and instead assumes that we are naïve enough to buy into a let-us-hold-our-hands kumbayah session, and, voila!, our problems will disappear. We are tired of being told that we are '1Malaysia' when in reality we are anything but '1Malaysia'.

It definitely is '2Malaysia' out there. We are tired of watching photo-op moments splashed out on the front pages of mainstream media, trying to get us to believe that this is '1Malaysia'. We are tired and disappointed of paying tax ringgit earned from our hard labor only to be told that our children can't get scholarships or places in universities, whilst we have to endure ministers who build mansions and enjoy expense paid luxury trips to wherever they fancy, with our money.

We are tired when relevant authorities continue to ignore what is so obvious – whether they ignore investigating a minister who is able to afford a mansion or why a young man who is about to get married supposedly commits suicide. We are tired that taxes and rates we pay do not guarantee our personal safety and security, and instead we have to fork out extra ringgit to put alarms, grills, and security guards.

We are tired because of the never-ending indecisiveness of our government leaders whilst they ask us to continue tolerating their lip service on 'improving things'. We are tired at being told to 'adjust' our lifestyles or that we would be bankrupt if we don't, whilst the same government continues to pussyfoot where it concerns lopsided privatization contracts or crony enrichment deals. We are tired of being passed around from one department to another just so that we can mercifully get approval for our business license. We are tired at the numerous barriers we have to put up with when conducting our businesses.

We are tired of having our religious freedom curbed and double standards practiced by immature individuals who are clearly doing it to score political mileage. We are tired of being reminded of May 13 time and again, when in all truthfulness - with our present day reality - we are just trying to make ends meet. We are tired of having to pay tolls at jam - clogged highways. We are tired of a public transport system that is so muddled up, they might as well give us bullock carts to ride.

We are tired of racist bigots that hide behind their so-called nationalistic masks. And we are tired of their continued tolerance from a government that wants us to believe we are '1Malaysia' instead. We are tired when real perpetrators such as cow-head protestors get sympathy from ministers who are supposed to be impartial and defend the defenceless.

We are tired of having politicians who run our country as though it is their birthright, when in truth, most of our present administration wouldn't cut it in any developed country. We are tired of seeing deadwood politicians still having a job and then condescend on us as though we owe it to them.

We are tired of being treated like naïve children in an age where the breathless pace of change and technology has enabled us to be well informed. We are tired of hearing of the various programs from our government about transformation when, quite frankly, we do not see or feel any tangible transformation, in spite of a new man being at the helm for more than a year.

We are tired of being taken for granted time and again, as though we do not have our breaking point. Putrajaya, we are tired. Are you one day going to say to us, like Marie Antoinette, 'Let them eat cake'?

Taib Mahmud - Racun Masyarakat Sarawak

This trying to be clever Political Secretary to the Thief Minister of Sarawak probably didn't realise that everything he wrote in his "tinjauan" below applies to his boss and his minions! Read it and ponder, Sarawakians!

The steps recommended by Robert Laing Anyie to be taken by his boss and all such other persons are especially relevant.

Can We Believe Azmin's Promises?

From Malaysiakini "Zaid won't be left out, promises Azmin", with commentary by Sarawak Headhunter in red.

PKR "newbie" Zaid Ibrahim is assured of a place in the party regardless of the outcome of the party elections this November, declared his deputy presidential rival Azmin Ali.

How magnanimous, yet how hypocritical. Having sabotaged Zaid in Hulu Selangor, whacked him inside out in the run-up to the party elections, using dirty tactics reminiscent of UMNO, he now expects us to believe that he will be generous in victory. What power would he have as Deputy President to make such a promise any way, unless the President and the General Head of the party were mere puppets of his?

 

In part one of an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, Azmin (left) said that the party will always have space for every member, including Zaid.

Really? Those who have been on the receiving end of party intrigues engineered by the so-called "loyal" ex-UMNO/BN and ABIM factions in PKR would say otherwise. 

"I have great respect for Zaid. He has strength that will help the party, and I believe that if I am accepted as deputy president, Zaid will get an important role to continue to help consolidate and prepare the party for the next general elections... this is not a political pronouncement, but my commitment to work with Zaid and other colleagues," he said.

If only he really meant what he says. All his recent pronouncements indicate otherwise and have shown just how much "respect" he has for Zaid.

He makes a political pronouncement and says it is not one. Does he know what he is talking about or is he just trying to portray a (false) sense of sincerity.

Azmin, who has so far secured nominations as number two from 43 out of 80 party divisions that have so far held their annual general meetings, stressed that winning posts in the November party elections is not the be all and end all in PKR, with the winners' responsibilities going far beyond sitting in a high chair.

If this was true, then why has he and his group of supporters (mostly wannabe re-appointed MPs and State Assemblymen who depend on his and Anwar's decisions whether they will be re-appointed or not) gone to the extent of an all-out war against Zaid?

He repeatedly emphasised the importance of loyalty to the party, forged in the political fires that have moulded what he considered upstanding characters such as outgoing deputy president Syed Husin Ali, as a key quality for a leader to take charge of the 12-year-old political outfit.

Is he trying to say that Zaid, being a relative new-comer in PKR, is not loyal to the party, a traitor even? Is this why he has sponsored the blog antizaid.wordpress.com, to "save" the party from Zaid the "outsider"? One wonders really whether the party needs saving from Zaid or from Azmin himself. 

In an apparent swipe at Zaid (right), he pointed out that members who hopped on the PKR bandwagon post-March 2008 have the responsibility to fully understand the struggles and aspirations of the party, particularly the core objectives outlined by party advisor Anwar Ibrahim during the Permatang Pauh declaration on Sept 12, 1998.

Does he really think that Zaid is unaware of or doesn't understand the "struggles and aspirations" of the party and its "core objectives"? Does Azmin himself understand them or is he merely paying lip-service to them in his over-ambitious grab for this top post?

Didn't he and Anwar not understand the struggles and aspirations of UMNO and its key objectives when they were in UMNO? Or were they not also fooled by UMNO like the rest of us?

Well Azmin, we, like Zaid, certainly know what PKR is all about, but it's people like you within PKR we are not so sure about.

If he was really for "Reformasi", why is he not showing it in his attitude, speeches and pronouncements? Or is "Reformasi" only just another stepping-stone to fulfill his own personal agenda? Will the whole 400,000 membership of PKR be taken in by Azmin's hypocrisy and insincerity? The whole of Malaysia hopes not, and Sarawak doesn't count on being taken in by it.

Azmin, who is currently party vice-president, said this is important in view of allegations by a certain group of "new members" in the party that president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is a "puppet president" and that Azmin himself had ordered his agents to pay off bloggers to disparage Zaid, among others.

Wan Azizah has never really been a "politician" as such and has always been or allowed herself to be a puppet president from the time when Chandra Muzaffar, the Deputy President, ran (or mis-ran) the party, not her. This is a fact.

And now Azmin is trying to do the same thing, or is it Anwar using Azmin to do the same thing to create another buffer between himself and the other members of PKR? Divide and rule is an old tactic of all political masters.

Is Azmin a political master or a tool who now wants to collect on his reward for loyalty to Anwar (rather than the party)?

Is PKR greater than Anwar (and Azmin) or will PKR allow itself to be dominated by Anwar (and Azmin)? Only its own members can decide.

Zaid, who joined PKR about a year after quitting his post as minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of law and getting sacked from Umno in 2008, had said in his blog last week that Wan Azizah was merely a "puppet president" as the real power lay with her husband, Anwar, as the party's de-facto chief.

He apparently changed his tune a few days later, putting up another post in his blog declaring his undivided loyalty to Wan Azizah (right) should he win the deputy presidential race.

Zaid however continued to wag his finger at Anwar, claiming that Wan Azizah's position as president is continuously undermined by her husband's de-facto position, arguing that it disrespects the party constitution and will reflect badly on the party.

Confusing, isn't it Zaid? But that's the way it is. You were right the first time - Anwar is the real power in the party, not the President. The Deputy President is the one next in line, not the President!

THAT is why they are so desperate to keep Zaid out of the equation, so as not to let an "outsider" they don't or cannot control to upset this cosy arrangement.

Zaid's no fool either and he shouldn't ignore the fact that Anwar is the de-facto "President" of the party and will need a Deputy President whom he and the other members can depend on to run the party. Zaid should put himself forward as that man and make himself more reliable than Azmin, who will merely be a yes-man.

'PKR not a lab rat'

Azmin showed some annoyance with Zaid's contention that Anwar being de-facto chief demeans Wan Azizah's presidency, and defended the decision to create the post for Anwar as a collective decision by members during the last party elections in Kemaman, Terengganu in 2007.

He added that PKR never makes unilateral decision as it practices a culture of muafakat or cooperation, taking into account every possible view before a decision is made on consensus.

"I wish to remind all candidates that the culture we have in Keadilan was built over 12 years. We have our own culture, new politics, a new approach that is clean and democratic.

Why is it that this so-called "clean and democratic" approach seems to be missing from Azmin's own campaign?

Instead of trying to influence the members through unfair, unethical and downright dirty tactics and means, why not just let them decide in the true spirit of consensus and democracy?

"We did not build this culture through experimentation, we developed our own culture in the last decade through the conscience of the majority.

"We can't have people coming in yesterday and suddenly decide to revamp (the party), start experimenting... you will destroy the party. Keadilan is not a lab rat," Azmin said.

Neither is Malaysia. Isn't this the typical UMNO argument? 

"We can't have people coming in yesterday and suddenly decide to revamp (the country), start experimenting... you will destroy the nation. Malaysia is not a lab rat". Najib will be delighted to latch on to that one.

Will experimenting with Zaid destroy the party? Sarawak Headhunter doesn't think so. It will probably make the party stronger and enhance its appeal to the electorate. Zaid is not a rival to Anwar, even if that is how Azmin wants to portray it.

Rather than undermining the way the party currently works, he said it is more meaningful to beef up the party's strengths and improve on its weaknesses to face the challenges to come, the most pressing being the next general elections.

This is where Zaid is needed more than Azmin.

And it is here that Azmin believes he can help the party should he be elected as deputy president, with his manifesto to set the "Reformasi Agenda to Putrajaya".

Zaid can probably do this better.

Three focus areas

Azmin's manifesto, which he expects to release within the next two weeks, will be based on three key aspects - reinvigorating members' ideals in the party struggle, party loyalty and unity, and tightening up the party's administration and inner workings.

He stressed that it is important to build on the three aspects in tandem if the party is to move forward, but placed particular emphasis on the first aspect as the main driver for the party's growth.

"It is important for members to hold on to ideals... politics without ideals will only remain as an undertaking of low morals and an uncharismatic profession," he said.

Talk is cheap. We have yet to see any of Azmin's much-vaunted "ideals" at work, and where is the charisma? Let's not talk about the morality of the attacks against Zaid.

Azmin however played down talk of his taking the lead in the deputy presidential race, saying that the high number of nominations he received is not necessarily reflective of support at the grassroots level.

Let's hope the grassroots of PKR have the collective wisdom to make the right decision.

He nevertheless welcomed the open declaration of support given to him by groups of PKR parliamentarians and state assemblypersons, saying that there is nothing wrong for them to do so in a democratic (election?)

Yes, good tactic that one, entirely orchestrated of course, in the hope that Zaid would believe that it was futile to contest - a lesser opponent than Zaid would probably have given up.

Taking the example of United States president Barack Obama (left), Azmin pointed out that the then presidential candidate received numerous open declarations of support from artists, business owners and community leaders, and believes it is a healthy practice as it encourages party members to keep things above board.

Obama now are we? That could make Anwar nervous! Azmin is deliberately ignoring the fact that an open nation-wide Presidential election is completely different from a closed party election, even one in which all members are voting. In principle of course it is a good practice, but not where it is used as part of a dirty campaign, which is what Azmin's campaign is.

The more the merrier

When asked what he thought of the possibility of more candidates widening the field in the party's deputy presidential race, Azmin said it would be a strong indication that PKR is on the right track in promoting democracy within the party.

He's actually quite nervous about this but he's not going to show it is he? He's probably more worried about Khalid Ibrahim becoming a candidate rather than Zaid Ibrahim (since Zaid has said he would not contest if Khalid becomes a candidate).

"At one time, there was hardly any interest from members to hold party posts, what more the rakyat to join Keadilan. Today, we have up to eight-way contests happening... I see this as a positive, but I must remind candidates to uphold their ethics," he said.

Like Azmin himself of course. What were his ethics again?

Azmin noted that should there be any more candidates offering themselves as PKR's number two, he expects Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim (right) and Perak PKR chief Mustafa Kamil Ayup to be among them as he believes they are both experienced and capable enough.

Good to split the votes in Azmin's favour of course.

He however sidestepped a question on how he rates his chances, emphasising that it is all left in the hands of the grassroots members.

"I'm very thankful for the support I've been given. It is very encouraging but I will not be complacent or take the easy way. I will present my 'report card' to the grassroots and explain my manifesto to them as I believe the members should make an informed decision when they make their choice.

"I just hope that when they make their choice, it is based on the work record of the candidate and that they heed our senior leader Syed Husin Ali's advice to choose leaders who are loyal and have been tested," he said.

Loyal to whom or to what - the person or the party or the principles (of reform)? Tested by what? Is Zaid not loyal? Has Zaid not been tested? Let's put them both to the test! 

Members of PKR, decide wisely!

For Sarawakian and Sabahan members, you have no choice but to vote for Zaid. 

What Did Azmin Ali Mean?

This is what Azmin Ali tweeted recently:

"Prinsip Pakatan Rakyat di Sabah ialah muafakat dalam persoalan dasar dan diberikan autonomi untuk majukan Negeri Sabah." #fb 8:32 PM Sep 15th via ÜberTwitter

Translation: "Pakatan Rakyat's principles in Sabah is consensus in questions of policy and (given) autonomy to develop Sabah".

While we can appreciate that it is not possible to explain much on Twitter, some times tweets like this can give away much about what a person is thinking and what his mentality and personality are like. At the same time, does it reflect the real thinking of PKR and its leadership, particularly that of its Ketua Umum, Generalissimo Anwar Ibrahim?

Did Azmin Ali give the game away? What did he really mean by this tweet?

This tweet by no less a person who is Vice President and wannabe Deputy President of PKR is particularly condescending as it is misleading and insincere. It betrays his real thoughts about Sabah (and by extension Sarawak). One can only hope that this does not reflect the real thinking of PKR's leadership, with regard to Sarawak and Sabah, although there have been many instances that give rise to reasonable doubt.

In this instance, it would appear that to Azmin Ali, Sabahans are given autonomy only to develop Sabah as a basic principle of Pakatan Rakyat. What kind of autonomy and what kind of consensus is that? Is it any different from the "autonomy" and "consensus" now "enjoyed" under the BN regime?

Is it the same as the "full autonomy to manage itself within Malaysia" promised by Anwar in Sabah recently, as reported by Free Malaysia Today "Sabah promised autonomy under Pakatan rule"? What does this itself mean as well? Is it just an empty promise, given the degree of interference by Anwar and Azmin seen in the affairs of PKR Sabah?

The situation is made even worse when another tweet by no less a person than PKR's Director of Communications, Nik Nazmi, lumps Sarawakians and Sabahans into the category of "Lain-lain":

"fakta: keahlian KEADILAN 50% Melayu, 23% India, 12% China, 15% Lain2. Parti benar2 lambangkan Malaysia" about 7 hours ago via TweetDeck.

Miscommunication? Unlikely. Again it seems to betray the fact that the Malayans will never really give Sarawak and Sabah their due. They will just take for granted that Sarawak and Sabah like being categorised as "Lain-lain". In any case, why this fixation still with race?

Apart from the fact also that this Nik Nazmi seems to be more the official spokesman for Azmin Ali than Director of Communications of PKR. Is he also the guy behind antizaid.wordpress.com?

Game's up, guys! Don't play games with Sarawak and Sabah - together they constitute the doorway to Putrajaya.

Malayan Lies & Deception

From The People's Parliament "A national history founded on lies?":

March 20, 2010

We were all taught in school that on 16th September, 1963, the Federation of Malaysia, comprising fourteen states, eleven in Peninsula Malaysia or what was previously the Federation of Malaya, two from Borneo, being Sabah and Sarawak, and the island state of Singapore, was formed.

Two years later, in 1965, the island of Singapore was expelled from the federation.

Leaving thirteen states to make up that new federation.

So we were taught in school.

I found out differently this last weekend during the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia forums in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

I found out that the agreement attained leading up to the formation of the Federation of Malaysia envisaged that the Federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore were to be equal partners in this newly founded federation.

And not that Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore were to become the 12th, 13th and 14th states in the existing Federation of Malaya, now to be callled Malaysia, being equal to the 1st to the 11th states comprised therein.

And yet, this is what we were taught in school.

I got the quote below from the “Memorandum on the Fate of Sabah in the Malaysian Federation”, delivered at the House of Commons, London, on 9th March, 2010.

“The granting of self-government too would enable Sabah to stand on its own feet as equal with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore“ – Tunku Abdul Rahman, quoted in the Sabah Times, Jesselton, on 30th August, 1963.

Our history books in school gave a completely different picture.

Still quoting from that Memorandum :

“Today, more than forty six years after independence, the people of Sabah are asking what happened to these rosy pronouncements and assurances. In fact the Sabahans have always been seriously clarification as to why Sabah is now functioning as if it is only a colony of Kuala Lumpur…the reality today is that Sabah has become the 12th state of Malaya. Federal government leaders, dominated by Malayans, today can arbitrarily change, at their whims and fancies, whatever they wish to suit their needs and convenience. They even ignored the Twenty Points and the Malaysia Agreement and made it sensitive to even talk about them”.

Yet we were taught otherwise in school.

Have we been lied to all these years?

Is the history of this nation taught to us thus far, like the present PM’s 1Malaysia, a sham?

Have our brothers and sisters in Sabah and Sarawak been long cheated and denied that which is due them?

To the Sarawak Headhunter and many other Sarawakians today, the answer is very obvious.
 

The Malayan Colonialists Are Still Conning Sarawak & Sabah

From uppercaise "A political sop from neo-colonial masters":
21 October 2009

by uppercaise

After almost half a century, the Federation of Malaya grudgingly accorded official recognition this week to the State of Sabah and the State of Sarawak as being equal partners in forming the federation of Malaysia.

The post-colonial history of Borneo just lurched foward an inch.

To add insult to injury, the NST (the voice of the post-colonial master) patronisingly described the declaration of a federal public holiday for Malaysia Day on Sept 16 as the blooming of a 46-year love story — the implication being that we were never married, we were just fooling around you know. It ignores the long bitterness felt in Borneo towards this slight, and ignores the fact that not only did the three partners get into bed with each other, they have official papers declaring their union.

OTHER VIEWS A waste of 46 precious years
It is a pity that in such an important historical turning point, we did not make good use of the historical opportunity to create a truly great Malaysia. Instead, we have wasted the precious 46 years.

It has been 46 years but there is still an invisible wall between the people from the Peninsular and Sabah and Sarawak. We seem to be so close, yet so far.
Malaysia Day | My Sinchew
Is Malaysia 46 or 52?
The Nut Graph | Malaysia Day

The NST also, quite condescendingly, treats the matter as nothing more than an electoral ploy to fend off oppositionist sentiments. It is not surprising that no mention was made of Lim Kit Siang’s statement a year ago on 31 August 2008, calling for the exact same thing: public holidays and recognition of two national days, Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day.

If the effusive over-the-top coverage in the major newspapers was anything to go by, Malayan Malay condescension towards fellow Malaysians in Borneo will take a long time dying. The words of the 1Najib, the federal prime minister, reveal how strongly held is a sense of Malayan Malay political superiority.

He told Dewan Rakyat today that the formation of Malaysia as an independent and sovereign country was an important chapter in the nation’s history. [Bernama, in Business Times]

And the NST’s front page lead story would have had the words an important milestone in the history of the nation but these were excised before publication.

In the history of which nation? There was no political entity as “Malaysia”, let alone a nation, until 16 Sept 1963. But the 1Najib himself, in his own words in his 1Malaysia blog last month, shows unequivocally he believes this distorted version of history:

On this day (16 September) forty-six years ago, Malaysia welcomed Sabah and Sarawak as states… I was only 10 years old when my father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, witnessed the historic proclamation of Sabah’s independence in 1963, but I remember how proud he was… Sabah and Sarawak occupy a special place in my heart because of that history.
1Malaysia.com.my

How special can they be if on the one hand he says they achieved independence and on the other hand says they were welcomed into an already existing Malaysia? The 1Najib clearly still believes that Malaya absorbed Sabah and Sarawak and gave itself a new name.

That is exactly why for 46 years east Malaysians have taken exception, when the formation of Malaysia — with their consent — is viewed as merely another event in the continuum of Malay political history.

No less an eminence than Prof Shad Faruqi believes so too. Writing in the Sun in 2006, he said:

Last Saturday was Malaysia Day. Forty-three years ago on Sept 16, 1963, the Federation of Malaya was transformed into the Federation of Malaysia.

He discusses a constitutional suit brought by the Kelantan state government and goes on to say:

And so, the Federation of Malaya expanded to 14 states. A new name (Malaysia) was emblazoned on the political firmament.

Malaysia Day remembered

New members admitted. Change of name. You have been assimilated. Case closed. (Or was he merely pandering to the orthodoxy of that prehistoric time before 1Malaysia?)

That argument ignores the real political wrangling at the time, and the opposition of Borneo politicians to domination by Malayans, their proposal that Malaysia be called a confederation, that they be recognised as self-governing territories and that the Malaysia Agreement of 9 July 1963 was made between the Federation of Malaya, the United Kingdom, the colonies of North Borneo and Sarawak and the State of Singapore.

It was agreed that there shall be federated the States of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore with the Federation of Malaya … and that the Federation shall thereafter be called “Malaysia”.

Up to the 1980s, Sabah and Sarawak took out newspaper supplements in the Malayan newspapers every Sept 16 to celebrate “Independence within Malaysia” and Sabah and Sarawak have continued to maintain a state public holiday on Sept 16.

But the purple prose of the NST’s adulation of the 1Najib reveals that the declaration of the federal holiday is nothing more than a sop towards restless eastern voters by Malayans scrambling to keep federal political power in their hands.

Were he still alive the fiery Indonesian leader Soekarno, who waged war against Malaysia on grounds of neo-colonialism, might feel vindicated. But he failed to pin down the neo-colonialist and imperialistic impulse behind federation as stemming from the nationalism of Malay political leaders revelling in having taken over political authority from Britain. We are the masters now was the unspoken rallying cry, for where London once called the shots in Malaya and Borneo, now Kuala Lumpur would. We are the masters now.

Independence as self-governing territories was what they in Borneo had sought and gained, by retaining most legislative powers including finance and immigration, except foreign affairs and defence, an arrangement similar to other self-governing territories (such as Hong Kong). Their own Cabinets, their own Ministries. Their heads of government were to be titled Prime Ministers, too. But that was negotiated away to being Chief Ministers instead (and reinforcing the false notion of being merely two of 14 states).

There exist a separate High Court of Malaya and a High Court of Borneo, for those reasons, and admittance to the Bar of Malaya does not entitle one to practise without being admitted to the Bar there — just other lawyers must do in other self-governing common law jurisdictions, as, say, between the State of New York, and the State of California.

And as for the two territories retaining powers over immigration — nationals of China, too, must submit to the immigration authority of the self-governing semi-independent territory of Hong Kong.

These powers, inherent to the sense of nationhood of the two states, were fundamental to the formation of Malaysia. But they are pooh-poohed — “these blockades” the NST calls them — as impediments to Malaysian nationalism.

Can the peoples of the eastern territories rise to a Malaysian consciousness when they are reminded in that very manner that for half a century they have been subject to Malayan hegemony in a neo-colonial arrangement?

The 1Najib’s own words show that nothing has changed except for an extra federal public holiday.

© 2009 uppercaise

It Is Too Late!

From Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia,"Can We Start Over? Or is all lost?":

THE nation called ‘Malaysia’ became a reality on 16th September, 1963 but for 46 years its birth was celebrated on 31st August, a date memorable to the Peninsula but without any meaning whatsoever for Sabah and Sarawak. How did that happen? I was in Form 4 in 1963 and not at all politically conscious. What I understood at that time about the steps leading to the formation of Malaysia came not from reading the newspaper (my favourite page was the comics) but from listening to adult conversations - Brunei first planning to come in but then opting out, Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak willing to go the distance, Cobbold Commission, referendum etc. From all the talk around me, I learnt that the Tunku was pursuing and pushing for all brokering to be settled, so that this ‘new’ nation Malaysia could be born on 31st August too. But it was not to be. Disagreements brought delays and the Tunku’s dream was fulfilled only 16 days later. Much as I dearly love the Tunku and always will, I question why no recognition was given to 16th September during his tenure. Only this year, 47 years later, are we collectively as a nation giving that date its due prominence in history. Looking back, in a sense Malaysia never had a chance to live and take its baby steps. There was no 1st Anniversary, no 2nd, no 3rd …. But anniversaries are just a once-a-year thing. Worse than the date distortion is Malaysia’s being robbed of her destiny as a nation embracing a diversity of people and cultures. We could have been a showcase to the world of what decency and love are about. But we are not. You see, love means relationship and being decent means being fair. That would have meant reaching out across the seas to our brothers and sisters in Sabah and Sarawak in true friendship, giving without expecting returns, defending their rights and homeland because it is the right thing do, especially for family. But we did not. We never took the trouble to reach out and touch the hearts of Sabah and Sarawak. We treated them merely as curious touristy places and never felt their heartbeat, never knew their disappointments, never recognised the betrayal they suffered, never heeded the lonely cries for help. Any wonder then that our country has a fragmented soul? Any wonder then that we have never truly been one in heart and spirit? And we stayed so blinded, so wrapped up in our own needs and wants that we never knew the concept ‘Malaysia’ had taken on a distorted form and that agreements had not been honoured. We stayed that way until now – 47 years on. Here we are, finally realising the horror contained in those years, outraged at the plunder and for the first time determined to make amends. Sabah and Sarawak, much as the mainstream media may lie to you, we the ordinary rakyat here in the Peninsula are not celebrating Hari Malaysia in the sense of accomplishment and achievement. There is nothing to shout about. And much to be ashamed of. What we will be doing on the night of 15th September and on 16th September is confirm once again the greed and corruption of leaders from here and the complicity of the leaders over there that led to the plunder of wealth both where you are and here, the deprivation of your rights and ours, and the untold suffering everywhere. You have been duped and so have we. These will be days of sobriety and for the voice of justice. These will be days when we see the betrayal in all its ugliness and acknowledge that a colonial master emerged in our midst who is of us and far, far worse than the British who left. These must be days for reflection and repentance for we too, all of us over here and all of you where you are, have been guilty of letting this happen - by our very silence, because of our fear. The important question is: Is all lost? No. Why not? Because, for the first time, we have decided collectively to recognize nationhood on its true date of birth. And because we have begun the steps to live the truth, the lie and all it stands for will be displaced and so too all men whose tongues are forked. There is an ongoing cleansing of this nation that the government is too blind to recognise. Its misdeeds of the past, so long hidden, are being uncovered time and again against its will. For me, justice will prevail because the misdeeds could still be hidden but they aren’t any longer. There is a passing of the old and we need to leave the past behind to move ahead. But how? We, the rakyat, must learn to trust one another again and to reach out and help. Not easy when so many hurts abound? Yes, but the choice is ours to take the risk. It makes us vulnerable. Yes, but someone once said that if you want something you have never had before, you must do something you have never done before. We over here want the best for you. So on behalf of the thousands over here, I ask for your forgiveness. I ask that you forgive us our negligence of you, our never really embracing you as family, our keeping quiet as political leaders violated your trust and robbed you of your inheritance, your rights and your riches. On behalf of the Peninsula, I ask for forgiveness and hope you will forgive because that very act of forgiveness on your part will give you peace and set you free to live again in the fullness for which you came into being. So let the healing begin. Much love, Farida Jivamala Ibrahim

It is too late! Sarawak now wants its independence back and it will have it!

A Hari Raya Message For Taib

A Raya Message to Taib

Dear Taib,

Time flies fast. I sent a Raya message last year to you. It’s Raya again. You well?

It is a little malu to see a great man hanging in the air like a monkey – can’t go up (to become Governor) and can’t come down (to enjoy your the rakyat's money).

For the remaining days on earth, you should follow this wise advice, Taib!

1. Pray 20 times a day, 5 to do your duty as a good Muslim, 15 times as repentance to pay for the sins you have committed and all the wrongs and bad deeds you did in the past 30 years to the people of Sarawak. This is your first step to your eternal redemption.

2. Do not consult or even talk to your bomohs any more. Your bomohs, such as Ahmad Suut…Remember, these bomohs are the ones who prevented you from becoming Governor (because as a TRUE Muslim, it is very, very wrong to consult bomohs). By consulting and taking advice from bomohs everyday, you have not been a good and true Muslim, and therefore, you can’t be Sarawak’s Governor, because the Governor is also the Head of Muslims of Sarawak. If not for the bomohs, you could have been appointed Governor by now and be known as Tun Pehin…already. And, that poor Abang Louis at 92 is still working!!! Remember, remember this, very carefully.

3. In a few weeks or a few months time, it will be State Elections again and you will be 30 years in Sarawak politics (god willing!). As orang tua, you must always smile, be gentle and talk softly.

4. Plan your strategy carefully. Win your election and then bring Suleiman to live in Canada, the place you love so much (nice clean cool air) and or the US where you bought a mansion for US$1.00 only from Samling. Remember the time when we had haze in Kuching, it was Canada which cured your asthma, it was the clean air of Canada which saved you. Leave Sarawak to the Sarawakians. Just give the Chief Ministership to anyone of the many other capable young people in Sarawak (contrary to your belief, there are actually aplenty!). Afterall, we are living in a democratic country, are we not? The minority follows the majority. Furthermore, do you really think Suleiman is a good Chief Minister material? What happens if he start slapping our YB Fatimah (the one and only lady Minister)?

5. Dissolve CMS, Zecon, Naim, Titanium, etc etc, and start giving projects, big and small, to other companies in Sarawak. Make every body happy, not just some people around you happy. Let every contract be open tender allowing people to compete.

6. Remember the saying? Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. That means you have to give back the wealth of the people of Sarawak to the people of Sarawak. Return all your ill-gotten money to the people of Sarawak immediately. You can start by giving back people’s money and not just have open house at the BCCK, giving free makan to people but paid by using people’s money (worst still, giving the catering amounting to millions to your sister).

7. From now on, eat slowly and in very small quantity. Remember the pipework in your body is not that clean and healthy anymore. According to my doctor friend, Stage 1, 2, 3…Colon cancer finishes at Stage 4 – game over!!

8. From now on until election, do not get angry with Georgie. He is not serious in leading SUPP to pull out from BN Sarawak. As someone sharing the same grandson, you should know that! He is just play-acting, sort of wayang kulit.You know, Georgie being Georgie, as soon as he has female companionship, he is like a poodle. In fact, don’t get angry with anybody. When you get angry, your blood pressure shoots up. That’s not good for an orang tua, who has had heart bypass some more in the past.

9. Always use your car whenever you go, especially during election. Don’t travel by copters. You know the records of Hornbil Airways… Oh, before I forget, don’t travel to Switzerland so much, the last time I heard, Kuching now has very good dentists, though there are also a lot of foot-massage parlours. You know frequent travel by air at your age is not very good.

10. Finally when you talk, don’t shout. People heard you shouting again recently. But I know that Najib is bothering you nowadays and giving you stress, and you shout every day. … Shouting will bring up your blood pressure. Remember that Najib is just a joker. He wants to find a girl friend for you, he wants you to enjoy life, he wants you to retire…What a joker! Does he not know you still have a lot of “preparations” to do before retirement? Who is he to ask an orang tua like you to retire, huh? Kurang ajar punya budak! Haiya, just ignore him. Look after your own health. Take good care of yourself. Enjoy your remaining days and be a very good orang tua!!

Selamat Hari Raya.

Your true friend,

Kuching Kia.