Perkasa: The Last Bastion for the Malay Masses

According to Wikipedia, racism is the belief that the genetic factors which constitute race are a primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Racism’s effects are called “racial discrimination”.

Lately in Malaysia, Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia or Perkasa, a non-governmental organization that was formed by Pasir Mas MP Ibrahim Ali has been greatly criticized for being too racist. This made me wonder, if Perkasa is racist, how about other race-based NGOs such as Suqiu, Dong Zhong and Hindraf?

I met Ibrahim last month and he told me that the major objectives for establishing Perkasa is to protect the Article 153 of the Malaysian’s Constitution and to defend the rights of Bumiputra from being eroded by certain quarters. According to Ibrahim, non-Malays in Malaysia now have dared to question the rights of the Malays and Bumiputras that Perkasa is fighting and defending for.

Now, my question is does that makes Perkasa an ultra-racist organization? Based on my observation, it seems like nowadays when you talk about Malay, you will be label as racist. But when non-Malay talk about their races, they will not be label as racist. Even right now when I’m writing this article I’m afraid of people will describe me as racist. That’s the fact that the Malays are currently facing.

Take Hindraf as an example. They are fighting for the fate of the Indian community in Malaysia, but they were never labelled as racist. Same goes for Dong Zhong. They fight for education for the Chinese community and people also did not label them as racist. But why Perkasa, an organization that defends the right of Malay and Bumiputra, is described as racist?

I would like to stress here that Perkasa also fight for the Bumiputeras. It means that Perkasa not only championing the Malays and Islam as Bumiputras incudes Iban, Bajau, Kadazan and other indigenous races and not all of them are Muslims. This is the misconception about Perkasa that needs to be clarified.

Here is another example. The Democratic Action Party (DAP), a party which had never changed their leader since more than 40 years ago has a leader who is increasingly being exposed as a racist and a hate-monger. I’m not trying to make allegations here. This is based from my observation. I would like to ask if DAP had ever in their political history fought for the rights of other races? From what I can see, the reason for DAP’s growing popularity among the Chinese community is because they are consistent in fighting for the Chinese rights.

For example, when PAS upheld its determined intention to establish Malaysia as an Islamic nation, DAP was consistent with their principle to oppose it and threatened to leave the Opposition coalition which resulted in Pakatan’s biggest lost while Umno-BN were celebrating their biggest victory in history. Only after PAS decided to cancel its ‘Negara Islam’ fight did DAP join Pakatan again.

One more thing that I see is the anti-Malay and anti-Islam sentiments are being widely spread in the internet right now. Namewee is one of the examples. He is a rapper that use the internet to spread the anti-Malay and anti-Islam sentiments, yet the Chinese community sees him as a hero. Then when the Malay express anger towards the rapper’s songs, the facts were spun and the Malays who were angry were made to be seen as racists while the main cause for it is Namewee.

What I can say here is that the anti-Malays are a much smarter propagandist. They have the ability to spin facts which could benefit them and spread it not only to their followers but many Malays as well. This is something that is really unhealthy.

Perkasa have been isolated as an extremist and racist organization. Even the media refers to Perkasa as a “right-wing”, ultra-Malay and “radical” organization. This gives the public impressions of an intolerant hate group bent on harassing and bullying non-Malays in this country. Is that a price that one has to receive if one is fight for the Malay and Bumiputra interests? We will be called an extremist, a right-wing group and radical just because we want to stand up and preserve our rights? Well if it is so, then too bad.

I don’t understand how the DAP, PKR, PAS, MCA, Gerakan and non-Malay NGOs could define Perkasa as an extremist or racist group when its sole purpose is just to uphold the Constitution, not more than that. It seems to me is that Perkasa has become a new target from the anti-Malay as they are the only organization left that is truly fighting for the rights of the Malays and Bumiputras. As for Umno? Honestly speaking, I can’t see everyone in Umno is sincere in fighting for the right of the Malays. Only a small number of leaders in Umno are true to this cause. PAS? With their inconsistent principles they will only harm the Malays. PKR? With the moral crisis of their leader, it will also worsen the position of the Malays.

Hence the intense heat on Perkasa. Like it or not, Perkasa has emerged as the last bastion for the Malay masses as their home gets trampled and hollowed out by others right from under the noses of a fang-less Umno.

Will Pakatan Rakyat Collapse Without Anwar?

The formation of Pakatan Rakyat as a three-party coalition opposition pact has unmistakably made a huge impact on Malaysian political climate. The presence of a strong rival would always have a positive bearing in politics as it would compel the ruling government to be on their toes and perform better for the people. Since their takeover of five (now four) states, the new coalition has somewhat proved themselves to be a force to be reckoned with but it would not have been possible without PKR and its de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.




CONFLICTS IN PAKATAN

It goes without saying that PKR is the glue between Pas and DAP – two parties with long history yet both are poles apart when it comes to political ideology and cause. It is no secret that there are divided interests among the Pakatan parties. Conflicts will always be there between these two parties and many, especially Umno, deem Pakatan would easily collapse without Anwar (pic) and PKR in the picture. Anwar, however, as he has being saying in his speeches, believes that Umno is under the wrong impression as he is confident Pakatan will continue to grow in strength even if he is re-imprisoned for his second sodomy charge.


PAS vs DAP

It is clear that DAP plays a huge role in contributing to the Pakatan’s stability. This is proven by the 2004 General Election results where we saw the then prime minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi celebrating Barisan Nasional’s (BN) biggest win. During that time, DAP was did not agree with Pas’ agenda of forming an Islamic state and decided to remove itself from the coalition only to rejoin after Pas decided to change their struggle from ‘Negara Islam’ to ‘Negara Kebajikan’. As a result of DAP’s return to the pact, Pak Lah went from hero to zero when in the historic March 2008 General Election when BN suffered their most severe loss up to date. The sizable gains accomplished by Pakatan surprised not only the people and BN but also the opposition themselves.

However, the ‘tsunami’ general election outcome will not see the end to the conflict between Pas and DAP. Following the last election, there was a delay in forming the Selangor state government due to the disagreements and the infighting over who should be the Deputy Mentri Besar. Amid the commotion, PAS’ Hassan Ali secretly engaged in negotiations with the former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khir Toyo to explore the possibility of PAS forming an alliance with Umno to jointly rule the state. Unfortunately they could not come to an agreement because both Hassan and Khir wanted to be Mentri Besar and none would back down in favour of the other.

Besides that, Selangor PAS also urged the state government to sack DAP’s Ronnie Liu and ban the sale of beer in Muslim majority areas. Hassan claimed that Liu has interfered in the local authorities operation. According to Hassan, Liu has ordered the Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam (MBSA) to return the beers they had seized from a retail store in Section 8 Shah Alam and apologise to the retailer involved. The fact that PAS is a minor player in the Selangor state government with only eight seats has forced Hassan Ali to apologise for his action.





Conflict within PAS: Traditionalists vs Modern Moderates

PAS has rebranded themselves with a more progressive and moderate Islamic political party thanks to the emergence of a new collection of leaders that carries these positive image. With the new-fangled scenario comes a split within the party where in one camp there is the traditionalist ulama types by the likes of party president Datuk Seri Haji Hadi Awang and another camp made up of the moderate-professionals in the forms of Husam Musa, Dr. Dzulkifli and Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad.

The presence of the new moderate types in PAS has created a positive new dimension in the party’s struggle and made certain it remained relevant in current mainstream politics. Though these non-traditionalist figures proved to be an asset to PAS, especially in its quest to attract more non-Muslim supporters, unfortunately, they too are dependent on Anwar, a concern that doesn’t sit that well their traditionalist counterpart.

Regardless of which camp each PAS members belong to what’s of utmost importance than ever is their sincerity in their struggle for the party. So far, the traditional lot appear to be more sincere and polished in championing the party’s cause. What’s the most apparent difference though is that they are also not easily influenced by Anwar’s rhetoric. But the traditionalists also have their own shortcomings. Most see them as too conservative and this can have negative effects when it comes to countering modern-day issues. The new-age bunch tends to be more tolerant and in tune with modern situations and have a better knack at facilitating contemporary problems.

To them, the traditionalists have trouble relating to current challenges while the old schools would think that their new counterparts are too caught up with the poison of modern thinking. PAS is a sound party and would be a formidable force capable of overshadowing PKR and DAP once the two factions within it find a common ground and a way to work together effectively as one. They can’t afford to be messing around while the next the general election is approaching.


PKR vs PKR

PKR has established itself as a people-friendly party since its inception in 2003 but it has its own share of dilemmas. More recently, a group of 15 PKR MPs close to party vice president Azmin Ali teamed-up to oust Tan Sri Khalid Ibrah`im as Selangor Mentri Besar. Azmin who is Gombak MP and Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman started the “attack” when he tendered his resignation as director of the Selangor State Development Corporation, supposedly over the appointment of Khalid’s new political secretary Faekah Husin.

Previously, Anwar also had a hand in causing a conflict with PKR. He has already missed several deadlines he himself set for the transfer of power in Putrajaya. The most remembered one was in September 16, 2008 where he claimed that 30 BNMPs will join the Pakatan coalition which never happened. His failure to meet his own deadline for the transition of power has tarnished his credibility among the public and perhaps party members as well. The new promise of forming the government has not generated the same sort of anticipation or excitement as before. As a result, Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim has decided to quit from PKR and became an Independent because he felt cheated by Anwar.

The conflict within PKR has caused four of its MP, Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim, Mohsin Fadzli, Tan Tee Beng and Wee Choo Keong to quit the party. They claimed that many decisions made by PKR leadership were influenced by ‘Little Napoleons’. These four plus one sacked MP Zulkifli Noordin then formed the ‘Konsensus Bebas’ declaring ‘war’ on Anwar.


CANDIDATES TO REPLACE ANWAR

A replacement would soon be in order if Anwar was to end up in jail again. There are three strong candidates to be the leader and unifying factor between PAS and DAP: Azmin Ali, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Khalid Ibrahim.


Azmin Ali

Singapore-born Azmin Ali started his career in politics at age 23 as a special officer to Anwar who was then Minister of Education. He was promoted as Anwar’s private secretary and remained under the latter the latter ever since (until Anwar became Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister).

The 46-year old is now a vice president of the party since its inception in 2001 and also Gombak MP and Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman. The one who fancies himself as Anwar’s golden boy happens to be one of the founding members of Parti Keadilan Nasional (PKN) in 1998 which entered the 1999 General Elections amid the public outrage over Anwar’s earliest big scandal.

Azmin makes one of the most eligible candidates to replace Anwar simply because he is the latter’s most reliable and loyal follower. He has been with Anwar for more than 20 years. The close relationship between the two and Anwar’s enemies had used it against them. One-time close friend of Anwar, Datuk K.S. Nalla-Karupan had claimed that is a ‘secret’ as to why Azmin is so special to Anwar. He gave Anwar or his wife the chance to spill the beans or otherwise he will.

“One day I will come out and explain why Azmin receives special treatment from Anwar. What Azmin has sacrificed for Anwar, nobody will in that way. Ask Anwar. I will not comment further.” Said Nalla a few months back.

If Anwar wants to ensure that his agenda in PKR still continues while he is out of action, Azmin would be the most suitable person to make sure it happens. Azmin’s high posts, loyalty, and the support he receives from other leaders in PKR over these years makes him more than a valid candidate but his readiness to be Anwar’s puppet steps up his chances by far. With Azmin at the helm, Anwar don’t have to worry too much about PKR changing against the latter’s will.


Khalid Ibrahim

The current Mentri Besar of Selangor and Treasurer-General of Parti Keadilan Rakyat is a former CEO of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) so he knows more than a thing or two about finance and economics. His other posts include MP for Bandar Tun Razak and assemblyman for Ijok. The 14th Selangor MB happens to be the first MB who is not from Umno.

Many has said that Khalid is not a natural politician but, at the same time, admit that he is a good economist. His trouble with getting the Selangor sand-theft problem would also be an issue of concern but there are still decent reasons to why he is one of the most suitable politicians to take over PKR as well as Pakatan’s leadership.

We all he is know his capacity as an economist so we can’t deny his role in managing PKR’s finance matters. When PKR only had one seat in Parliament (Permatang Pauh), Khalid under his capacity as the treasurer was the one who supported PKR’s operation. He had relinquished his treasurer’s post when he became MB.

Khalid also has the ‘Little Napoleons’ behind him. Elizabeth Wong, Tian Chua, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and Nurul Izzah were all said to be backing him despite an attempt to bring his down by Azmin and his supporters. However, there is a risk of PKR being hijacked by these young and eager leaders for their own agenda once they have the power. It’s just a possibility.


Zaid Ibrahim

Zaid is a highly respected lawyer who was appointed by former premier Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department to attempt to clean out Malaysia’s scandal-wrecked judiciary. As an Umno cabinet official, Zaid outraged former prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad by saying the government should apologise for firing the Lord President of the Supreme Court, Tun Salleh Abbas in 1988.

He also criticised the arrests of Teresa Kok, Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Tan Hoon Cheng under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 2008. He was forced to resign for that and left the party soon after. Not long after that he joined PKR he was elected to be the candidate for the Hulu Selangor by-election which was won by P Kamalanathan from MIC by a 1,725 margin.


BEST OF THE BEST

Many may disagree but it should be fair to have a PKR leader to be the head of Pakatan. This is simply because PKR is the unifying factor of Pakatan that would ensure the coalition is stable. To be honest I could not see any potential candidates from PAS or DAP. Lim Guan Eng may have certain capabilities but I don’t think he has enough calibre to lead the opposition pact.

Of the three listed, Zaid is perhaps the opposition’s best hope to lead if Anwar is convicted. Zaid is also, in many ways, different from any other leader in PR including Anwar himself. His proactive actions of forfeiting his ministerial post to say what he believes in is commendable, even noble by today’s standard to say the very least.

Many people, especially fence-sitters, tend to have concerns over the likelihood of a new PKR-led government, if it ever was to see the light of day, would only replay how Umno-BN has been running the show for the last 50-something years with its rampant corruption, empty promises as such. The Selangor state government’s promise of an election to select officers in city council that has not taken place to this day would be an example. The public can’t be blamed entirely for having a leaning towards this notion as quite a number of big league PKR leaders came from BN and Umno. Zaid would be one though there’s still reason to believe that he is of different breed, the one whose actions speak louder than words.

Azmin has the capacity, perhaps, to lead PKR as he would be considered more powerful and has more influence within PKR but the one to replace Anwar as the Pakatan leader would still be Zaid. Azmin still don’t have what it takes to lead Pakatan and make sure it’s all good between PAS and DAP. As for Khalid, he still has a lot to prove as a politician and his credibility will all depend on how he overcomes the sand-theft issue in the state he is governing. As it stands, Zaid is the only PKR leader besides Anwar who has held a cabinet post so he would be the one to be chosen to inherit Anwar’s legacy and, perhaps, make it his own.

Malaysians But Can’t Speak Malay – Shame on You!

by Syed Zahar
taken from www.malaysiandigest.com

Reading the news recently on certain residents of this country that’s been giving the enumerators a hard time as they were not able to converse in the national language reminded me of my own frustrating encounters with those from this small section of society. There were a few occasions, during those times I spent at the outskirts, where I tried to converse with these people only to be snubbed just because the persons I were inquiring from didn’t know how to speak Malay and English. It just baffles me that these persons have been living in this country for all their lives yet they don’t know (or refuse to know) how to use their national language.

In all those three or four occasions, the peoples I was trying to talk to were over 50 or 60-years of age so they have no excuse for not knowing Bahasa Melayu especially after living in a multi-racial Asian country for more than half a century. Let me point out that this is nothing like the situation in the US where the immigrants from Central America and the Caribbean speaks mostly Spanish as these are first generation immigrants. In our case, these people are more than third or fourth generation immigrants – I mean, what’s up? My 90-year old grandma can speak Hokkien, Cantonese as well as the standard Malay and English and she didn’t even finish school let alone hold a degree. On top of that, she’s a second generation Indonesian immigrant.

To me, it’s not so much a matter of learning deficiency that I’m so wound up about but rather the can’t-be-bothered attitude of this so-called non-Malay speaking faction. It’s funny because all this time everyone was made to think that it was the Malays that are complacent and the ones widely practices the ‘tidak apa’,’ ‘rilek la’ attitude. It’s also funny this exact attitude that’s been stereotyped on the Malays actually caught on to the very people who are racist against the Malays – just like how some British observers stereotype of Malays as lazy caught on.

I actually talked about this issue with my Chinese-Malaysian friend who is currently working in a law firm in Singapore (where Malay is the national language that’s not spoken widely) and he agree that it’s more of an attitude problem than anything else. He said that it may be that such crude behaviour has more of a political than a racial motivation behind it as in them having the mentality of: ‘You’re Malay so you’re Umno – the (so-called) oppressor of the minority’. And like me and the rest of Malaysia, he finds it hard to believe that there are actually some Malaysians who don’t know at least a bit of Malay in this country. We also concurred that, whether politically motivated or otherwise, this sort of attitude is plain unpleasant and unwelcomed both ways.

We are at the 53rd year anniversary of our independence and if there are still people who think they are too good for the rest of us who are of different skin colours and ethnic backgrounds so as to snub us and our respective languages and cultures maybe they should go back to the 19th century where they belong. After all, why should we welcome those who are unwelcoming?

Who Says Youths Are Not Interested in Politics?

It goes without saying that Malaysian political landscape has seen a significant change following the 2008 General Election (GE). Positive values have arisen and this has attracted the public, especially young people, to be involved in determining a fresh political direction for this country. With that, we can no longer claim that today’s young generation have no interest in politics. And I, for one, as a youth belonging to the ‘Gen-Y’ group, happen to believe Malaysians of my generation are more interested and in tune with the local political developments than ever before.




Are Undergrads Immature?


Former UiTM vice-chancellor, Tan Sri Prof Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah once said, to my disappointment, that undergraduates in Malaysia are not mature enough to be involved in politics. I would like to ask him what would be his definition of mature. For me, his statement is totally insulting towards the ability of university students in this country. If it really is so, it means that he as an academician has failed in developing quality young generation that will inherit this nation.

In the last cabinet session, the issue to permit university students to be involved in politics has been discussed. However, the result outcome was disappointing not only to me, but also, I can assure, many of my undergraduate contemporaries. As it stands, students are prohibited to be involved in politics and, to me, it seems like political leaders are seeking to preserve and are content with this so-called status quo. Does this mean even the lawmakers agree that students are not mature enough? If it so, it is such a shame.

Since the early 70s, students in Malaysia have been betrayed as they have been denied the rights to mature ideologically like those before that period. This is due to the introduction of the Universities and College Universities Act (AUKU) in 1971. I won’t get into AUKU since it has been debated many times but I would describe it as a ‘demon’ that has been haunting students since it was created.




Common Stereotypes towards University Students



What I would rather get into is the prevailing perception of ‘senior adults’ on undergraduates. For me, the older adults’ (those ..above 30 years old) view towards university students need to be rectified. For one, they seem to see us university students as a group of society that needs to be constrained from many things. Not only are students not allowed to get involved in politics; they also need to get the approval from the administration to hold events, speakers must be approved by the administration first and many more things. Everything is set as if we are inept and incapable of making decisions for ourselves.

What infuriates me even more is certain, no, MANY adults complain that university students nowadays are overly pampered and spoilt. Besides that, they also claim that the quality of these days’ fresh grads is less than satisfactory. I would like to ask those people who made that statement, who is to blame if their claims are true? Is it right to put all the blame entirely on the students? I would declare right here, right now that, if this is so, those making this judgements are irresponsible and inconsiderate. These people just know to complain but we never see any solutions from them. Either that or they have a populist agenda that would benefit none other than themselves.




The Myth of Youths Uninterested in Politics


With the existence of AUKU, it is unfair to say that young generation have never been interested in politics. The truth is many of us are interested in politics but we are prohibited to actively get involved in it. I’ve met the Perkasa president, Datuk Ibrahim Ali several days ago and he kindly shared with me his experience when he was a student in ITM. According to him, his student days had played a big role in the development of this country as they were free to express their ideas. He told me, if there is anything that they did not agree with they will talk and discuss about it openly. In fact, they also handled demonstrations to protest about certain issues.

“Today the thrill is no more. If students want to hold a talk session, they need to get permission from the administration. This person can (give talk), this person cannot. There are restrictions. I agree with the idea of demolishing AUKU,” said Ibrahim during our recent meeting.




Students Shut Out by AUKU



For the next GE, it is estimated that almost seven million young voters will determine the outcome of the elections whether it is in favor of the government or opposition. It means that their votes are very important. Both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat must tackle this group of people if they want to make sure that they will be in power. As of presently, I strongly believe that Pakatan is leading in tackling young voters.

If BN want to woo the young generation, they must provide the latter with more opportunities. Nowadays, there is no way of guaranteeing that if the father supports BN, his children will also vote for BN. It is becoming apparent that the younger generations these days tend to be non-partisans. Also, the party who give more opportunities to young leaders will get the support from the youths.

What I’m trying to say on behalf of other university students like me is that we only appear to be the least bit interested in politics because our hands are tied by the dubious AUKU. Our lawmakers have taken away our rights and freedom to be active in politics which they had when they were students in this so-called democratic country. It is just sad and unfair that the law implemented to prohibit students from taking part in politics was created by the exact people who enjoyed the freedom to speak their minds and take part in the development of this country.

Battle for PKR Deputy Post: The Backbiting Begins

The election process in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) this time is slightly different compared with the party’s previous election following the amendments in the party’s constitution last year which also saw revisions in its election regulations.

The remodelled constitution allows all party members to vote for divisional leaders as well as the 25 members of the central leadership council including the president, deputy president and four vice-presidents posts. The new ordinance makes this election interesting because all positions except that of the president (currently held by Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) will be contested. The one that steals most attention would be the contest for the deputy PKR president position which is expected to be a three-way battle between Azmin Ali, Dato’ Zaid Ibrahim and Mustapa Kamil Ayub.

There are some other members that’s been said to be interested in the deputy post after Dr Syed Husin Ali announced his decision to make way to younger leaders though Azmin, Zaid and Mustapa are undoubtedly the most popular and expected to receive top nominations from the party.

So far things have not been so harmonious in PKR’s internal affairs leading to the election for the No 2 post. The recent conducts of supporters of two particular candidates contesting for the post may just be a preamble to more ruthlessness to come.


The Backbiting Begins

Zaid who is PKR Supreme Council Member had earlier expressed his concerns over transparency particularly on the election committee. His fear is reasonable as a significant number of PKR members came from Umno. This is most probably because he himself had firsthand exposure to the manipulations in elections during his stints in Umno and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

He also has indicated in his blog that certain forces were at work to undermine him and drew comparison of his situation with what happened to the late Umno stalwart Tun Ghafar Baba in the past. Zaid recalled when he joined PKR a year ago he was hailed as a hero but now he was being branded as an Umno agent on a mission to destroy the party.

“My loyalty has been questioned, but loyalty to whom? Perhaps, I am not loyal to the party’s cause or to the highest leadership, I don’t know. Perhaps these MPs will come forward and explain why my nomination will not be supported at their press conferences to show support for the great Anwar-Azmin combination,” said Zaid in his blog.

He also revealed that his rivals had paid a popular blogger to tarnish his name. “The blogger was asked to write that I will pay RM20,000 to the branch that nominates me, and that I was tasked by Daim Zainuddin (former finance minister) to destroy PKR,” he said.

If his allegation is true, it will surely give a very bad impact to PKR. My question is why have these members resolved to committing such scrupulous tactics towards Zaid? Why are people who are believed to be supporters of Azmin going all out to declare their endorsements for him while chastening Zaid? With the integrity Zaid had shown by giving up his minister post for a noble cause in 2008 – the year he was named among one of the most generous and interesting philanthropists in Asia by Forbes magazine – make Zaid one of PKR’s most valuable asset? As a party that claims to be more open, transparent, honest and democratic than Umno, these sort of rival-bashing and character assassination are simply unacceptable.


Cracks in PKR?

Also the open statements by several PKR MPs and senators expressing support for Azmin for the deputy post should not have happened. These endorsements done publicly are irrational as it could be perceived as escalating cracks within PKR. Issuing these statements actually reveals the existence of a powerful political group within PKR. It also shows malevolence in the contenders, namely Azmin, in his over-ambitiousness to dominate the party leadership at all cause, even at the expense of the party’s image. Maybe the claims by former members Wee Choo Keong and Zulkifli Noordin that there are “Little Napoleons” in PKR that contributed to their conflicts with the party are actually true.

Besides that, Zaid was also attacked on moral issues. In a letter addressed to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, 32 reasons were cited ranging from moral grounds to why Zaid is not a suitable candidate for leadership. The letter accused Zaid of being involved in money politics during his stint in Umno and branded the former Umno MP and senator as “kaki botol” (alcoholic) and gambler. It also accused him of not having any religious foundation and that he was once sued by PAS over a hudud law issue. Apart from this, the letter also called him a liar and described him as a vengeful person. If that’s not enough, it also said that Zaid is liberal in his views and lacked the Malay spirit. Should he be picked, the letter warned, it would be a personal victory for Zaid and not a victory for the people.

This made me to ask another question: If Zaid is that bad of a leader (and man), why did PKR accept him in the first place?

I still remember when PKR supremo Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had described Zaid’s entry into PKR as a positive development which would provide a boost for the party. During the early days a PKR member, he was indeed hailed as a hero. But now, everything has changed just because he declared to contest the Party’s No 2 post.


Divided into Three

In general, we can see that there are three camps that exists within PKR all competing for control. The first group is former Umno members that are supporters of Azmin. The second camp is made up of the liberal and leftist group represented by Zaid and Tian Chua, while the third one are majority Malay Muslims represented by Mustaffa Kamil Ayub.

Zaid’s camp seems to consist of influential politicians of respectable calibre who fit to take on the PKR’s struggle and continue doing just that without Anwar in the picture. These are the members who have what it takes to make PKR a truly liberal and multiracial party. This obviously has caused uneasiness among Anwar’s golden boy Azmin and his supporters as the growing influence and popularity of Zaid and his backers would thwart the Gombak MP’s ambition to occupy senior positions in the party.

Whatever it is, I think Azmin and his supporters made a big booboo for all the smearing tactics against Zaid. Same goes for the declaration of endorsement by Azmin’s supporters’ as these actions would only expound Azmin’s greed and lust for party position. After all, many of us know that Azmin only managed to climb up the ranks faster than anyone else because he’s got something on Anwar.


Who is Anwar’s Family Supporting?

The special relationship between Anwar and Azmin is no secret. Azmin may be described as Anwar’s most loyal follower as he has been with Anwar for more than 20 years. If Anwar wants to ensure that his agenda in PKR still continues while he is out of action, Azmin would be the most suitable person to make sure it would be in place. Azmin’s high posts, loyalty and the support he receives from other leaders in PKR over these years makes him more than a valid candidate but his readiness to be Anwar’s puppet steps up his chances by far. With Azmin at the helm, Anwar don’t have to worry too much about PKR changing against the latter’s will.

However, the close relationship between the two is also used by Anwar’s enemies against him. One-time close friend of Anwar, Datuk K.S. Nalla-Karupan had claimed that is a ‘secret’ as to why Azmin is so special to Anwar. He had given Anwar or his wife Wan Azizah chance to spill the beans or otherwise he would, though, so far, nothing had been revealed by any parties. So, if Azmin managed to defeat Zaid, it is not possible if this reproach would be used against Anwar and his golden boy by PKR’s enemies in the next General Election.

Meanwhile, Anwar’s daughter the Lembah Pantai MP, Nurul Izzah has already publicly shown her inclinations towards Zaid. Observers find this rather interesting as Nurul Izzah is not in line with her dad. There are also speculations that there is something not right about Nurul Izzah not backing Azmin. This has strengthened Nalla-Karupan’s statement about the ‘secret’ between Azmin and Anwar.

In the meantime, PKR president Wan Azizah herself had shown indications that she does not favour Azmin as her deputy. We shall have to wait until October to find out who among the three, or rather two, candidates will come out as champion in the battle for supremacy in the party.

Jangan Lupa Sejarah - Dilema Melayu

Pribumi Malaysia, terutamanya orang Melayu ketika ini sedang dilanda dilema politik dan ekonomi yang jika tidak dibendung mampu memberi kesan yang sangat perit untuk diterima. Hakikat fenomena ini tidak boleh kita nafikan. Terdapat pelbagai faktor-faktor penyebabnya yang sudah, sedang atau akan berlaku di depan mata kita. Kesannya sedang kita rasakan samada kita sedari ataupun tidak.

Implikasi daripada dilema ini semakin mencabar dan jika kita tidak atau gagal menanganinya boleh menyebabkan maruah kita sebagai orang Melayu yang sering menjaja frasa “ketuanan Melayu” tergadai. Tidak mustahil satu hari nanti tanah air kita yang suatu ketika dahulu digelar Persekutuan Tanah Melayu akan ditadbir atau dalam erti lain menjadi milik bangsa lain.



Bukan mahu bersifat perkauman atau sebagainya, tapi seperti mana yang dapat kita lihat kuasa Melayu dalam pemerintahan Malaysia kini semakin hari kelihatan seolah-olah kian terhakis. Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12 pada tahun 2008 adalah manifestasinya.

Sebagai contoh, pada hujung tahun 2008, kewibawaan UMNO selaku teras kepada Barisan Nasional telah dipersendakan oleh beberapa parti komponen BN sendiri. Kontroversi mengenai ketuanan Melayu dan asal-usul Melayu yang dicetuskan oleh MCA dan Gerakan pada Disember 2008 adalah bukti kepada fenomena ini.

Selain itu, UMNO yang merupakan parti dominan orang melayu pula dilihat semakin mengalami krisis kepercayaan yang teruk. Sebagai contoh, UMNO yang merupakan parti terbesar yang mewakili orang Melayu telah dilanda krisis kredibiliti dan dicemari amalan rasuah politik yang serius. Tindakan disiplin kepada beberapa calon jawatan utama UMNO dalam pemilihan parti berkenaan pada Mac 2009 yang lalu adalah buktinya.

Fenomena ini bukan hanya melanda UMNO sahaja. Parti-parti Melayu alternatif, khususnya Pas juga berada dalam keadaan yang dipertikaikan. Sikap, gelagat, kenyataan serta tindakan sesetengah pemimpin serta penyokong Pas baru-baru ini menjadikan persepsi ini lebih berasas.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) selaku parti pelbagai etnik yang majoriti pemimpinnya adalah Melayu, kini seakan-akan mempertaruhkan nasib dan masa depan bangsa Melayu kepada segolongan pemimpin politik bukan Melayu, semata-mata kerana pemimpin besar parti berkenaan dikatakan terlalu ghairah untuk berkuasa. Krisis moral pemimpin tertentu dalam PKR kini menjadikan parti itu lebih gawat.

Dewasa ini juga dapat diperhatikan hak-hak serta keistimewaan orang Melayu dan Bumiputera dalam perdagangan, perniagaan dan pendidikan diungkit-ungkit oleh segolongan bukan Melayu. Desakan terhadap kuota biasiswa pelajar Melayu dan Bumiputera, serta kritikan mereka terhadap kuota 30 peratus dalam ekonomi negara yang dikhaskan kepada orang Melayu dan Bumiputera adalah contoh mengenainya.

Jika dirujuk kepada kamus Dewan Bahasa ataupun Perlembagaan Persekutuan, orang Melayu adalah didefinisikan sebagai pribumi Malaysia yang bertutur dalam bahasa Melayu, beragama Islam dan menjalani tradisi dan adat-istiadat Melayu manakala orang Cina dan orang India yang kini jadi rakyat Malaysia, asal usulnya adalah daripada tanah besar China dan India. Nenek moyang mereka telah dibawa masuk ke Tanah Melayu secara besar-besaran oleh penjajah British mulai tahun 1871.

Inilah bezanya orang Melayu dengan keturunan Cina dan India di negara ini. Orang Melayu adalah pribumi yang sememangnya berasal daripada negara ini. Oleh sebab itulah orang yang paling berkuasa ataupun ketua negara bagi Malaysia adalah orang Melayu, iaitu Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Oleh sebab itu juga agama rasmi kita adalah Agama Islam. Namun begitu agama lain tidak dihalang daripada dianuti ataupun diamalkan oleh penduduk negara ini. Selain itu,bahasa kebangsaan Malaysia adalah Bahasa Melayu berdasarkan kepada alasan yang telah diberikan. Oleh sebab itu juga, walaupun Perlembagaan Persekutuan memaktubkan soal-soal equality kepada semua rakyat Malaysia, orang Melayu dan Bumiputera tetap menerima hak dan keistimewaan menerusi Artikel 153 dalam Perlembagaan yang sama.

Berdasarkan semua ini, orang Melayu dan Bumiputera mestilah pertahankan keistimewaan ini. Kita wajar bersuara dengan tegas, kita adalah pribumi Malaysia. Pertelingkahan sesama kita haruslah dielakkan demi memastikan bangsa kita tidak lagi dipijak. Kita mestilah bersatu dalam menghadapi pelbagai permasalahan yang sedang melanda bangsa kita. Jangan sekali-kali kita lupa kepada sejarah di mana bangsa kita yang suatu ketika dahulu merupakan salah satu bangsa yang berjaya telah dijajah selama beratus tahun disebabkan kealpaan serta budaya mementingkan diri sendiri mereka. Kita selaku generasi yang berwawasan haruslah memastikan kejayaan bangsa kita dalam mengharungi era yang semakin mencabar ini.

New Chapter

blog ni aku buat sebagai medan untuk aku luahkan apa yang aku rase berdasarkan pengamatan aku tentang perkara yg berlaku di keliling aku...blog yg lame aku rse da bercelaru contentnya...tp aku x berniat nak delete blog lame cuz ade content2 yg bg sentimental value kat aku...so aku decide yg blog bru ini untuk aku conteng dgn tulisan2 yg ala2 berat while blog lame utk aku conteng dgn bda2 mengarut yg selalu meliar di kepala otak ku ini...harapnya aku mampu bergelar blogger poyo sepoyo-poyonya...thanks...