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...