by Tunku Abdul Aziz
Malaysian Insider
14.5.09
The last three months have seen a flurry of activity on the Perak political front. All of this was without any doubt occasioned by Najib’s blatantly cynical, barefaced manipulation of human greed. Najib is no novice when it comes to money matters. He succeeded spectacularly in seducing the three most unremarkable and positively unpleasant Pakatan Rakyat characters to declare themselves independent supporters of the Barisan Nasional.
They have, as to be expected, denied most vehemently that they had succumbed to any such unworthy and degrading temptation as money. Conventional wisdom, on the other hand, says that Malaysian politicians will only transfer their party allegiance for cash, and not principle. I leave you to draw your own conclusion in this particular case.
Najib’s single act of subterfuge has been remarkable for the damage, and repercussions, to the Malaysian body politic, quite apart from damaging further his own already seriously bruised reputation. If he thought what he had done was an example of cutting edge political sophistication, I suggest he should think again. He has by his reckless adventure only succeeded in portraying himself as nothing more than a common garden variety, and not the statesman that we thought he would become given his father’s honoured place in our history and his family credentials.
In the event, he seems to me to be no better than Mahathir, the rough neck street fighter. What a bad start for someone who begins his premiership on a discordant note, encumbered with enormous baggage to boot: any chance of redeeming himself has gone down the Sungai Perak, baggage and all. However, all is not lost. If he has any sense of self-worth, justice and integrity, he should take immediate steps to untangle the political mess he created. My father’s injunction to me as a very playful boy was, “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
It is still relevant and appropriate advice, in my view, to give particularly to Najib who desires so devoutly to be loved and embraced as a people’s prime minister. He should practise what he is preaching so fervently about the importance of “feeling the pulse” of the people. If his close advisers are not telling him what really is going on in the towns and cities, big and small, as well as in the poor and neglected villages and hamlets up and down the country, then let me tell him some inconvenient truths about Perak that he might not particularly want to hear.
The people of Perak and, by extension, the overwhelming majority of the people of this country, want to see an immediate end to the unseemly and totally disgraceful and disgusting display of political opportunism by the UMNO-BN axis that has dragged the much loved Sultan of Perak into political controversy that could have been avoided in the first place. His Royal Highness could have been spared the indignity of being reviled and ridiculed if Najib had thought more carefully about the fallout from his politically immature act.
As a responsible “people’s prime minister”, he has a duty to the people and the Sultan of Perak to return some semblance of order to their State which has since become the butt of some very unkind jokes. Najib does, of course, recognise that what the people want is for the State Assembly to be dissolved so that fresh elections may be held. He is on record as admitting this as a way out of the current impasse, but claims that it is really up to the Sultan to decide.
We naturally respect his concern not to be seen to interfere with royal prerogatives. However, we wish he would stop playing poker and drop the hypocrisy because the reality is that he exercises considerable influence in matters of state, and he jolly well knows it.
The Perak crisis is pregnant with potential for mischief making, and you do not have to be the director of the special branch to know that unless something was put right quickly, the seething public anger could be exploited by enemies of state to the detriment of our nascent democracy, peace and security. Najib must finish the dirty job he started by going back to the people. His Royal Highness the Sultan will not stand in the way of a just and popular solution. This is the only way to stop the rot that has already paralysed the government of Perak. Another day’s delay to dissolve the State Assembly is another opportunity lost to return Perak to political sanity. Najib cannot just sit tight and look the other way hoping the crisis he fomented would just blow away.
The choice for the prime minister is a simple one: either elect to conduct himself like a common, opportunistic politician and face the dire consequences of his perfidious behaviour or a statesman who is concerned more with nation building on a lasting basis than opting for short term political gains that may well turn out to be illusory. His 1 Malaysia, already riddled with contradictions and inconsistencies, will not amount to anything if the Perak crisis remains stuck in limbo. The ball is in his court.
uncle Kit,
i m getting bored with Tunku Aziz still early morning ,can u get some one else , i prefer Monsterball anytime…..
If our PM believes and fears God, he wouldn’t have done what he had done and yet put on a straight face without an iota of remorse.
Period.
There is nothing to discuss between pkr and bn because like
Criminals/robbers after committed robberies/hijacked the Police must arrest them to face justice.
It is not right the Police go to dicuss with criminals/robbers get involve a part of committed robberies/hijacked. Right?
THE PERAK ASSEMBLY MUST DISSOLVE.
IT IS THE DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY FOR THE PEOPLE.
WE MUST NOT ALLOW ILLEGAL POWER GRAB AGAINST VOTER WILLS.
Honorable? Honorable men don’t indulge in and share cheap Mongolian sluts with other men.
I would settle for him NOT being foolish and some real backbone. BN cannot win this now or 3 years from now. Its simple numbers and the realities going forward.
The best BN can hope for is to lose a bit less in 3 years instead of the total destruction it will be now. But what does that achieve for anyone including BN?
If BN lose totally in Perak, it adds the case for BN to reform fast and quickly. THAT IS GOOD FOR BN in the long run. If Najib mean to reform BN, he must apologise and make the case that it underlies the urgency to reform and move to a real 1Malaysia not the public relation stunt he originally conceived it to be. 3 years from now, BN will be in great position to win back votes.
If BN holds to power in Perak now, 3 years from now, we are back to arguing whether reform has taken place or not, what 1Malaysia really means. It does only to confirm that Najib will be more divisive for this country than ever. The only standard raised will be the ‘divide and conquer’ rule.
This is an opportunity to be decisive about the future direction of this country and those that refuse to participate in it, which is what BN is trying to do in Perak, are just putting their heads in the sands. Najib is just one of those putting his head in the sand because he is exposed to not be up to the intellectual challenge of the leadership required for the time. I mean, crying the other guy is not fair to you when you have had a silver spoon in your mouth all your life AND every advantage on your side (the civil service, the judges, the police) is NOT the standard of leadership required for the challenges of today and the future!!!!
Its times like these that men are exposed for who they are. Are they make of sterner stuff or they are emotionally stunted but look like men only?
What balls have this ‘people friendly PM’? He is nothing, except fortunate, to have come from a political priveleged family. A man with a closet full of skeletons will not be expected to do the right thing. Dream on!!
Having a eununch Admiral chengho to be the spokeperson for C4, we are not spared with more rubbish and UMNO d#ng!
By passing the ball, first to the Sultan, then to Zombie, Najis is trying to evade responsibility as PM and head of government! Since when the Sultan or the MB has greater power than the PM in deciding whether to hold state elections or not!!! I wonder what excuse he is going to give at the end of the day for delaying state elections in Perak!
I guess all those in BN and those associated with BN has one thing in common – deny all facts! Look at the Katak Hee, she is a typical example. Despite being caught on video, she had the guts to tell the whole world that what she was holding was a “hotel key chain”, then she turned around and tell people that it was a “pendrive” and finally, she admitted that it was a “pepper spray” but said that she had picked it up somewhere and it does not belong to her! What nonsense is she trying to do to fool the people of Perak and the whole of Malaysia? How can her words be trusted anymore!
Yes his idea of trying to shield the Sultan and also deflect blame from BN is pathetic. No one is buying that idea and maybe even UMNO members are questioning his “sophisticated” thinking.
http://malaysiawatch4.blogspot.com/2009/05/malaysiakini-and-common-folks-response.html
He claims himself to be the “people’s prime minister”. Meaning to say the previous 5 PMs were not. Eat your hearts out, Mamak and Dolah!
How can you expect an dishonorable person to “do the honorable thing?”
ktteokt says;
What nonsense is she trying to do to fool the people of Perak and the whole of Malaysia? How can her words be trusted anymore!
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You better believe it. This high class bi3ch has a special charm, she got the sultan to believe her!
Mahathir has already made it clear: No snap polls in Perak.
Do you think Najib the errand boy will dare to call fresh elections after Mahathir has already stated his stand publicly? No. He would not dare anger the old dinosaur.
So we can be very sure of this fact already: by hook or by crook there will be no fresh elections in Perak.
Therefore, let BN wrestle control of Perak through the courts and set up an illegitimate government. DAP should not let itself be trapped into any partnership/coalition with UMNO.
DAP should never tarnish its reputation to co-operate with robbers just so it can have positions in the state government.
DAP should make it’s stand clear. UMNO wants Perak. They can get it through the courts, or through the people. No backroom negotiations and secret alliances.
Najib has stated on several occasions that he has gone down to the streets to meet with the rakyat. But he has done this only in ‘safe’ areas. Maybe he should go down to the streets in Perak to meet the rakyat there.
But he needs to do this without his PDRM goons turning up to intimidate the people or his bootlickers orchestrating the whole shennanigan as a sideshow, filling the streets with paid BN supporters, for the MSM to front-page.
He needs to honestly face the rakyat and accept the criticisms levelled at him. Then, he will know what the REAL feeling is in the ground, nationwide. Today, almost everyone, friends and strangers, that one chances to speak with about Najib has NOTHING GOOD to say about him. Expletives gush out.
He LOST the minds of the RAKYAT with all the undeclared baggage he dragged with him into office. The baggage is still there. He has now LOST the hearts of the RAKYAT with his recent performance on Perak.
HE IS A TOTAL LOSS!
Time for Malaysia and Malaysians to cut losses!
Najib doing right things…he will be in jail.
i m getting bored with Tunku Aziz still early morning ,can u get some one else , i prefer Monsterball anytime…..” – Chengho
Can you stop posting?
chengho, be careful what you’re asking. I have to first caution you that the name monsterball itself is terrifying, not to mention the after-effect you will be getting: you won’t be able to walk straight after the experience. Don’t complain that I haven’t warned you.
i m getting bored with Tunku Aziz still early morning ,can u get some one else… – chengho
For me, it is OK. It is late at night. Tunku Aziz is a welcome.
Remember the world is round and remember TIME ZONES.
YB Lim,
Here’s something I find amused for a little laugh..Someone forwarded it to me awhile ago..
Human = eat + sleep + work + enjoy
Pigs = eat + sleep
Hence, Human = Pigs + work + enjoy
if, Human – enjoy = Pigs + work
in other words,
Human that don’t know how to enjoy = pigs that work
Men = eat + sleep + earn money
Pigs = eat + sleep
Hence, Men = Pigs + earn money
if Men – earn money = Pigs
in other words,
Men that don’t earn money = Pigs
Women = eat + sleep + spend
Pigs = eat + sleep
Hence, Women = Pigs + spend
if, Women – spend = Pigs
In other words,
Women that don’t spend = Pigs
Summary:
Men earn money not to let women become pigs!
Women spend not to let men become pigs!
Men + Women = 2 Pigs
Wish all the pigs happy forever.
Hope this cheer up a little…
Sorry YB,
I’m suppose to blog the jokes to the “English can be fun” page…