by Farish A. Noor
With the High Court deciding that Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was and is, after all, the rightful Chief Minister of Perak we seem to have returned to square one all over again. Obviously it is too soon to tell whether the imbroglio in Perak will now wind down to a stagnant non-issue, or whether the Barisan Nasional will not allow the matter to rest and take the issue to the Federal Court next. Perakians – like most Malaysians – are a trifle tired of the ongoing drama but at the same time no-one can afford to relent at this stage due to the stakes in the contest.
To underscore this fact, one simply has to take a peek at the video clips that are on the internet at the moment and witness the unseemly spectacle of Speaker Sivakumar being unceremoniously manhandled and dragged out of the State Assembly. No, my friends, this was not a scene from ‘The Last King of Scotland’, the film about the brutal dictatorship of Idi Amin Dada that brought Uganda to the level of primordial violent madness. This was closer to home, happening right here in Malaysia, ‘Truly Asia’…
But this historian would like to record a few little milestones that were passed along the way over the past three months for posterity’s sake, so that Malaysians – and Malaysian politicians in particular – will not forget those moments of discursive slippage and rhetorical hyperbole that we are wont to dismiss as flashes in the pan. The danger that we face now is that our country is reeling through a roller-coaster ride of ridiculous outrages of such frequency that we are liable to forget the occasional bout of madness that may in the long run come back to haunt us.
For a start, let us remember that when the crisis in Perak began to rear its ugly head, there were some bold but not too beautiful young politicians who were wont to rally their followers with cries of treason and betrayal. We should not forget the role played by some politicians like Khairy Jamaluddin who galvanised his followers with talk of betrayal of tradition and with loaded questions like ‘In the past what did we do to traitors’ (To which the crowd answered ‘kill, kill, kill’…)
Three months have passed and we are all in need of a massive dose of panadol by this stage, but please – for history and posterity’s sake, let us commit this fact to memory: That some politicians were seen publicly denouncing the Chief Minister of Perak and were present at public rallies where the cry of death and violence were publicly uttered. Historians, take note – and file under the category ‘For Future Reference’.
Then there was the spectacle where an assembly had to be held outside the State Assembly itself, and after which the tree under which the meeting had gathered was also implicated by default in the legal controversy itself. Perhaps for the first time in living memory, the flora and fauna of Malaysia was seen and cast as active characters in the political drama of Malaysia, and taken to book as well. Historians, take note and file under the category ‘Strange but True’.
Then came the allegation that magic spells and magicians have been drawn into the fray and that the political stalemate in Perak was to be decided via means akin to the hocus-pocus we have come to expect from the ‘Star Wars’ saga, what with the Force thrown in (and Im not referring to the riot police) as well. Historians, take note and file under the category ‘Unclassifiable/Bizarre’.
The High Court’s decision, however, now means that Nizar was after all the rightful Chief Minister all along, which begs the question: what, then, was the mess of the last three months all about? As we were made to watch this toxic soap opera unfold before our eyes, Malaysians were reduced to the status of passive observers to a comedy of errors that could have been resolved from the outset had there been an agreement to have fresh state-level elections to decide on the membership and composition of the State Assembly. Again it has to be stated (historians take note) that the Pakatan Rakyat went as far as signalling their readiness to accept the results of a fresh (and open, honest and transparent) state-level election, even if it meant getting a reduced majority or losing that majority in the end.
This historian is running out of paper and patience while recording the goings-on in Perak and the rest of Malaysia, and yet the task of the historian is to remind us of such human comedy and error lest they repeat themselves again in the near future. While one is tentative thankful to the High Court for taking the bold stand that it took, one is nonetheless angered by the sheer beligerence, high-handedness and contempt for public opinion of those who felt that this graceless power-grab could have been enacted in full public view in the first place. Congratulations are due to the High Court and Chief Minister Nizar (and not to mention Speaker Sivakumar, whose coolness under pressure will earn him a cameo appearance in the nation’s history books for sure), but let us return to the original demand that was articulated three months ago: Let the People of Perak decide once and fall all, decisively – for it is they and only they who can resolve this crisis with any popular legitimacy. Let the people of Perak decide, call for state elections now!
“Let the people of Perak decide, call for election now!”…sums up all.
Over to you..UMNO wise guys.
But my personal feelings UMNO knows …to agree on a State election ..they will loose big……for vast majority voters in Perak are sick of their double standards and bullying tactics.
Nizar is rushing to get Sultan acceptance ..he is the rightful CM and he will naturally call for State election.
The UMNO unlawful CM need to consult Najib.
Najib is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea…announced UMNO should work closely with PR in Perak.This came AFTER he knew the court verdict……so much for his sincerity.
Meanwhile UMNO calling for an Emergency meeting…more or less to vote against the court verdict.
UMNO is now at the receiving end will do exactly what they keep accusing PR guys not to do.
So much for Malaysian low class politics by UMNO.
Emergency meeting needs days notice.
Sultan also in oversea. Raja Muda usually takes over and have the power over Perak.
Will it be like father..like son ..or he dare to have a mind of his own to now be lawful….as his father is so inclined to lawfulness or will there be a touch of politics…to again show to Malaysian citizens?
I am sick and tired of these twists and turns. I am 100% sure…if Perak citizens are consulted…overwhelming majority will favour State election.
How to have “1 Malaysia” when Najib cannot have “1 Perak”??
I simply cannot comprehend how UMNO PMs keep misleading Malaysians…unless it is a clear sign…Najib knows….UMNO is finished…putting out so many side shows…just coming into power few weeks ago.
His desperate moves are so clear and totally irresponsible.
But then UMNO is used to dictate terms to Malaysians.
Go taste the “Guided Democracy” by weird racialists.
bijan still has one card left to play—selective emergency rule in the states bn fail to rule. Reminder: Indira Gandhi tried that in India and her congress party was wiped out in the next elections
It’s admirable that the Perak MB, Speaker,his exco and the Assembly members stood their ground as one solid unit throughout the crisis. These are no ordinary men and women and they truly deserve our respect and admiration.
Despite all the intimidation by BN, the police, MACC, EC, the legal adviser, the state secretary and even the Ipoh judicial commissioner, they held their head high.
I believe Perak will be in good responsible hands for a long time to come and the state will proper.
Greetings!
I just love to see the fiasco happened in Perak State meeting again and again, isn’t this awesome and classified as a world record.
I wonder why the perakian elected the \Jelapang\?what are the measurements or standard of candidate being chosen from the party.
Now, with the high court decision, I shall prepare to pack and ready to go back for a vote for the fresh state election. Yes, that’s we all (Perakian) hope for…
Last but not least, I solute you – comrade for the Pakatan.
Justice will prevail..It obviously means that there is still justice and democratic in Malaysia.. The writer is right that the BN will not give up..Only by dissolving the state govt which is by having election can end this all for once….God Bless PR :)
Nizar, you are the hero not just for Perak and it will be very soon will be our NEW MALAYSIA’s Prime Minister.
We are all with you and we will donate money, if needed.
We paid tax but we have never get a chance to go to any “WONDERLAND” before. BN has gone with not only his family members but the maids as well. How lucky these maids. We wonder is there any vacancy for perhaps Driver or Gardener or Guard so that we can go to the “WonderLand”
Do people really believe that the Sultan of Perak has any other choice but to dissolve the Perak Assembly? Its not a matter of privillege anymore. If the Sultan don’t dissolve the Assembly the saga would drag on forever and would not end even with a favourable decision of the Appeal Court which could be dragged on forever.
Perak state election will happen and PR will win big but what happens after that?
Najib is in trouble and he knows it if you saw his face yesterday. While he is in no danger of being toppled within UMNO, his troubles are piling up and it is going to get worst maybe even a lot worst. The RAHMAN prophecy is looking a real possibility.
After Perak big win, there is PKFZ, Sarawak state election, troubles in Terengganu, in MCA and MIC&PPP, even Pahang looks problematic. He is not kidding that Sabah is UMNO’s deposit and he may have to cash it in. The natives wills start to get restless and it can only be more troubles down the road for Najib..
Najib was reported as saying: “Keep calm, dont get over excited. We will solve the problem.”
Do mark his words and his declared intention to “solve the problem.”
There is no problem here. It is just a legal issue which the high court has resolved in pakatan’s favour. Of course the issue and the decision incidentally are inconvenient to him and umno, politically. But I thought the law is the law. What is lawful will be lawful and what is not lawful will remain unlawful. There is no room for solving “the problem” really. The only solution (legal solution) is to put right what was wrong or to avoid doing what is illegal. I dont know what (other_ solutions he has in mind when he uttered those words. “Kau tim” the appeal judge?
I hope he sees the sense in not prolonging his own suffering. Umno will suffer too. So will perak and the whole nation. Such acts would not be consistent with the natural desire of a true leader – to care for the nation and her people and to resign and accept failure of responsibility when he is no longer able to do so.
So Najib pls set aside will ya.
In the UK, the MPs’ expenses scandal has resulted in the government apologising to the public. In Bolehland, billions and billions of taxpayers’ money has gone down the drain – and the government simply denies it ever happened with the help of the mainstream press.
In Bolehland, the Police are so efficient, they detained 11 people in connection with the theft of Ong Ta Kut’s briefcase. Unfortunately they are not so efficient when it comes to handling snatch thefts or murders. Why should this be so ? Someone’s briefcase is more important than the lives of the rakyat ?
Then you have an idiot like rockybru – who has landed the plum job as editor of the Malay Mail – who writes in his blog that the decision by Justice Abd Aziz is a clear signal that the alternative press is wrong about the independence of the judiciary. What do these clowns take us for ?
What will Najib do next ? Put all the Perak state exco under ISA ? Unleash Putera UMNO and their mat rempits to create chaos in Perak and then justify emergency rule ?
Nizar, you are the hero not just for Perak and it will be very soon will be our NEW MALAYSIA’s Prime Minister.- Thinking Two
Nizar really a hero? Or is he a worst traitor of his own people? All in all, he failed to defend the interest of his own people . Only on the surface was he the mentri besar, but the office was actually run by the DAP, he was and will be DAP’s puppet……More unfair policies would be implemented pretty soon….. Let’s just wait and see who is right
Doggie’s tail is between legs.
Re-election is the last word in their vocab.
Why BN so scared?
Solve it once and for all, wow wow.
Get it very clear.
Najib is not elected by people as PM.
UMNO CM in Perak…not elected by people.
So much on present democracy by UMNO today.
PR elected parliamentarians in Perak are much to be admired to fulfill their obligations to voters.
Not one day…they forgot to speak for the voters.
All are painted as unlawful and trouble causers.
Judgment day arrived!!
Who is lawful ad unlawful now??
Of course…UMNO politics is world famous.
These clowns will never feel shameful nor any regrets.
It’s money matters and avoiding being charged for corruptions..one by one..if UMNO looses 13th GE.
Do or die ..is their mission..a truly noble and compulsory promise to one’s party.
But their do or die is to avoid court cases on corruptions and even murders.
it is 100% for personal and not for Malaysians.
Now go and conclude…do or die by PR…..are they for avoiding jail sentences??…or for people.
It is my mission to write simple and educate young voters to think clearly for themselves…….and not simply believe what I say or believe too.
cintanegera is such a racialist…..putting out a message..fit for jungle people to comprehend.
Pakatan just be more careful from now!!!
BN could just declare Emergency, this is the only one bullet left.
All those who was involved in the violent takeover of the Perak State Govt must be held accountable for their actions. Their bid tentamounts to sedition and embarassment for Malaysia. What happened is was a coup, using policemen to violate the sanctity of the House.
Will Zambry now be jailed? What about Ganesan? What about the rest of the BN goons who behaved like samsengs in the House…trying to remove the legitimate speaker? If Najib wants to be the PM for the people, he MUST be seen to be doing his job!
“What will Najib do next?”
Whatever he will do, let’s take stock of C4 inventory in the military bases, just in case….
There is no point make noisy now.
The more important thing first is to get PERAK ASSEMBLY DISSOLVE as soon as possible.
Do not let anyone trick you of offering delay you.
Get PERAK ASSEMEBLY DISSOLVE as soon as possible.
Yes..Godfather..Rocky is a great disappointment.
In the past…he was exposing UMNO’s faults..under Abdullah Badawi.
Now he carry balls of Najib.
Yes….Rocky at age 60 now…is showing his true colour.
I am not surprised..as I said few years ago…most political bloggers are like prostitutes and can be bought.
Hope young readers can differentiate..politician blog…like LKS..Anwar…non government bloggers….like Amin Iskandar and Susan Loone…and the many pro party bloggers..for or against.
I noticed the old buggers.all above 60 years of age..are the cunning low class political bloggers…out for sale.
Rocky is always Mahathir’s admirer and a racialist..which we all ignored because we pitied him..for being hurled to a court case…by S.Times.
I for one…went all out to support him and Jeff Ooi.
Rocky is trying to outdo RPK…to be o the side of Najib.
The double headed snake have finally showed his true colour.
The saddest part is….he was my friend and I respected him alot.
He can go to hell..and I am posting in his blog…of which many messages were not approved.
Never mind….I will do my part to expose him….for the sake of young readers…to think for themselves.
Rocky thinks he is a film star and can lure voters to believe in him.
A dreamer and a braggart Muslim…..TRUTHS will bury him alive!!
1. Formula 1 = ended half way.
2. Summit in Thailand = postponed indefinitely.
3. Perak Crisis = in red.
RAHMAN is for real.
///We should not forget the role played by some politicians like Khairy Jamaluddin who galvanised his followers with talk of betrayal of tradition and with loaded questions like ‘In the past what did we do to traitors’ (To which the crowd answered ‘kill, kill, kill’…)///–Noor
In the past where superstition was the way of life, the emperors claimed themselves to be the sons of heaven. Heaven could be larger than God, and so they were at par with God.
Religious practitioners believe in God, however the word is spelt. But there are cunning politicians who created semi-God for the followers to submit with absolute obedience while they themselves make use of the semi-God to satisfy their objectives.
Constitutional monarch has the right to do things rightly or wrongly. Those that were upheld by court would be considered right, and those rejected by court would be wrong. But whatever that is done, the monarch has no responsibility for wrong doing. In a sense the role of a judge and a constitutional monarch has something in common. The decision of a judge can be overturned by a superior court, and the judge has no responsibility for the decision. It was not difficult to be a good judge, if one has the aptitude for it. 1970 margie
God is Great! If the sultan agreed to a snap election in Perak, we will see the 3 low beings… a high class ‘P’ and two corrupted China doll lovers, (who were tha catalyst of this Perak impasse) be wiped out completely from the face of Malaysian politics.
It is also timely for the royal house to reflect on the wishes of the rakyat… with this fair judgement to reinstate Nizar the rightful MB,
the royalty has very little choice.
Long live the legitimate Pakatan state government under MB YB Datuk Seri Mohd. Nizar Jamaluddin and his exco members!
Pakatan will undoubtedly win the next round handsomely if new fresh state election is called.
monsterball:
Yes, I predicted in Rocky’s blog that Najib will offer Rocky a plum job at NSTP – and now he has got a job as chief editor of the MM. At the time he denied that he would return to the mainstream press, but I guess the lure of money and fame just can’t be resisted. The MM is finished, and not even Rocky can resurrect the tabloid. Najib also knows this, but in his mind, it is far better to get Rocky to be on his side than to be against him.
Since we know that Rocky is nothing more than a prostitute, we can still continue to use him for a fee !
Now the Court of Appeals has agreed to hear Pangkor Pele’s appeal against the decision by Justice Abd Aziz not to grant him a stay of execution – at 11.30 a.m. today ! Wow, what an efficient judiciary to be able to constitute a sitting at such short notice !
Godfather, how do you think Malaysia earned the name of “MALAYSIA BOLEH!”
To a scum like cintanegara, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”.
To him the ugly corruption of UMNOgoons is the beauty he sees in Blackie zombie.
RAHMAN prophecy is for true.
Onn Jaafar created UMNO, his son Hussein built it stronger, his grandson Kerismudin is destroying it.
Razak reinvented BN, his son Najiss is going to tear it into pieces….
The two cousins have one common appearance, a typical \yi sai zhou\ that spend all thier ancestors’ fortune.
Near prophecy : ANWAR – Anwar, Nizar…. more to come
Localgrad, Finish Your Sentence please……
Near prophecy : ANWAR – Anwar, Nizar…. more to come
More to come = LGE, Gobind Singh, Po Kuan, LGE’s son etc…..
Am I right to say DAP is eyeing for the PM post?
stupid cintanegara:
Can’t you tell that I am eyeing the PM’s post ? And I am my father’s son.
BN have no guts for an re-election. We will all see the “Three Stooges” who quit and support BN lose heavily in the re-election or probably BN will not even nominate them.
Long Live PR
This Cintanegara is nothing more than a low-life who could well be turn himself into a cyber terrorist, a provocateur with a twisted view of the world. This guy is shameless to the highest degree. Scumbags don’t come any better than him.
cintanegara dia tu cintan mee la, worse than maggie mee.
his brain is severly infected by BTN virus, his brain is inuandated by viruses and he is trying to find his way out by spreading his virus.
but use one la, brother cintan mee, we all here are vaccinated!
my advice to u, BALIK KAMPUNG TANAM JAGUNG, that is also if u r able to differenciate which land is more fertile.
On 12 May 2009 at 09:18.49, cintanegara said:
Nizar really a hero? Or is he a worst traitor of his own people? All in all, he failed to defend the interest of his own people . Only on the surface was he the mentri besar, but the office was actually run by the DAP, he was and will be DAP’s puppet……More unfair policies would be implemented pretty soon….. Let’s just wait and see who is right
Yes, UMNO’s BN propaganda has influenced your thoughts.
Traitor to Perakians?
But we can’t deny that it’s the majority of Perakians at Bukit Gantang who elected him to become their MP.
Of course, they would not have voted for a traitor or even a puppet.
Unfair policies?
Most likely unfair to the UMNOputras…
Yes, let’s just wait & see…
On 12 May 2009 at 11:59.55, cintanegara said:
Am I right to say DAP is eyeing for the PM post?
Actually, virtually everyone is eyeing the highest executive public office in the land…
Dear cintanegara and ekans, I beg to differ.Presently the opposition especially the DAP,I think is not interested in the PM post.What dap is keen is to see democracy returns to perakians.If this wish becomes a reality,dap next hope is democracy for the whole nation.This is what most important to dap,not pm post. I sincerely think brother yb Lim Kit Siang is not interesting in the pm post and not me either. Hey ekans,if you have ambition for the pm post, we wish you all the best.
monsterball
Why are you so annoyed at older bloggers?
I happen to be in that category!
Then you have an idiot like rockybru – who has landed the plum job as editor of the Malay Mail – who writes in his blog that the decision by Justice Abd Aziz is a clear signal that the alternative press is wrong about the independence of the judiciary. What do these clowns take us for ? godfather
Didn’t i tell you everyone ultimately is a prostitute in three piece suit. The only difference is some are more “high” class than others.
It is not just rockybru, the Wannabe here is also alike, sometimes we call him QC and he really believes he is.
Hj Angus, Please ignore this fellow. He is just a odd ball that can’t even roll properly.
…an odd ball….
Am I right to say DAP is eyeing for the PM post? was it benci negara?
Yes DAP is. Didn’t your “taiko” say One Malaysia. Yes, female, non Muslim and non Malay all can become PM. After LGE is Theresa Kok (that is provided she is still awake after her ISA. May be she has earned enough social/goodwill capital to last her life time and therefore doesn’t have to work every hard anymore).
On 13/5/2009 at 00:28.50, frankyapp said:
Dear cintanegara and ekans, I beg to differ.Presently the opposition especially the DAP,I think is not interested in the PM post.What dap is keen is to see democracy returns to perakians.If this wish becomes a reality,dap next hope is democracy for the whole nation.This is what most important to dap,not pm post. I sincerely think brother yb Lim Kit Siang is not interesting in the pm post and not me either. Hey ekans,if you have ambition for the pm post, we wish you all the best.
Dear frankyapp,
Actually, my comment to cintanegara was intended to be metaphorical.
Yes, I do know of the Democratic Action Party’s wish to see proper democracy restored and returned into the hands of the people.