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Release Hindraf 5, RPK and all ISA detainees by Deepavali – or leave Barisan Nasional

With the approach of their respective party conferences and elections, It is common nowadays to read of the fierce speeches and statements by leaders and ministers of MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and other Barisan Nasional component parties, undertaking to learn from the mistakes of the past and pledging to stop being puppets or parrots of UMNO “Big Brother” and to speak up for the basic rights and interests of the people.

All these are political “sharp practices” – as the leaders and Ministers from MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and other BN component parties are equally guilty as their Umno counterparts for the worsening multiple crisis of confidence in the past seven months because of their failure to insist on government reforms after the March 8 political tsunami.

Seven full months have passed since the March general elections – and it is not only the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and UMNO which have nothing to show, the MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and other BN component parties have also nothing to show in terms of long-needed reforms.

What is worse, things have gone from bad to worse as could be seen by the worsening multiple crisis of confidence, whether political, economic, educational, institutional, anti-corruption or nation-building.

In the last seven months, nation-building suffered a major setback when Umno leaders took communalism to a new height in drumming up slogans on “ketuanan Melayu” when all Malaysians should be focusing on “ketuanan rakat Malaysia” after more than half-a-century of nation-building.

UMNO Bukit Bendera division chief Ahmad Ismail’s “Chinese are penumpang” was the last straw, furnishing another completely unacceptable example of first-generation or second-generation locally-born “bumiputras” questioning the loyalty and patriotism of sixth or seven-generation locally-born “non-bumiputras”! Continue reading “Release Hindraf 5, RPK and all ISA detainees by Deepavali – or leave Barisan Nasional”

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Abdullah’s Pivotal “Non-Decision”

by M. Bakri Musa

There are three possible decisions that Abdullah Badawi could make on or by October 9, 2008, ahead of his party’s divisional meetings. One, he could bravely declare that he will defend his post; two, announce his resignation; and three, waffle and leave it up in the air, effectively a “non-decision.”

This third option would be more in character with him. Throughout his tenure Abdullah has shown a singular inability to make even the simplest decisions. He would defer them until the last minute when the decision would be forced upon him, as the other choices would have been effectively taken away by changed circumstances.

With the third choice, Abdullah, with advice from his “bright” advisors, would of course frame or “spin” it not as a “non-decision;” rather he would dress it up in a language more in tune with our culture. He would for example “leave his fate to Allah,” or for his “party members to decide.” This would also be a classic Abdullah’s non-decision and “flip-flop!”

This option is also nothing more than a diluted form or an attempt for a more acceptable and less confrontational version of the first choice. Former Tun Mahathir, who knows a bit more about Abdullah, had predicted that Abdullah would not give up his position. Mahathir would be wrong if he were to think that Abdullah would boldly declare his intentions to stay on, that is, go with the first option. Continue reading “Abdullah’s Pivotal “Non-Decision””

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RPK sedition trial begins in PJ

In Petaling Jaya sessions court now where the celebrated RPK sedition trial has just started.

Big crowd of RPK supporters and well-wishers including household names in Malaysian blogosphere like Haris Ibrahim, Zorro and delCapo in court but space too limited to accommodate even a substantial number of people who had to overflow outside.

RPK in the dock looks his devilishly irreverent best ready to take on the powers-that-be although he has just become a freshie Internal Security Act detainee.

Let all bloggers and Malaysians concerned about human rights and Internet freedom come to PJ court to support RPK.

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Five to contest UMNO Deputy President post – Abdullah no more in political radar of Umno leaders

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has still four days to go before Oct. 9 to announce his Hamlet decision of “To Do Or Not To Do” – “To Defend Or Not To Defend the Umno President (and Prime Minister’s) Post”.

However, the declaration by five Umno leaders, led by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam, of their decision or interest to contest for the Umno Deputy President’s post before it falls vacant is very eloquent testimony that Abdullah has ceased to exist in their political radar well before his Oct. 9 announcement.

Clearly, Abdullah has already been ousted from the mainstream Umno currents and relegated to the periphery of Umno politics although he is still incumbent Umno President and Prime Minister. How fast the powerful have fallen!

But will Abdullah drop a bombshell of a surprise in his “before Oct. 9” announcement – as former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad seems to think, when he said today that he does not believe that Abdullah intends to announce his departure before the start of Umno divisional meetings on Oct 9. Continue reading “Five to contest UMNO Deputy President post – Abdullah no more in political radar of Umno leaders”