There is another reason why the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should seek a motion of confidence when Parliament reconvenes on June 15 to secure a clear-cut mandate to establish credibility, integrity and legitimacy of his premiership.
This is to secure parliamentary sanction for his “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” slogan.
Najib said yesterday that the 1Malaysia concept does not deviate from the essence of the Federal Constitution, express or implied.
He said it is not a new concept or formula and that its ultimate objective is national unity, which was the primary vision of previous administrators translated into various forms over the last five decades.
But is Najib prepared to ascertain why his 1Malaysia concept had generated so much division and discord among Malaysians, which was not the case with, for instance, the Bangsa Malaysia concept introduced by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad when proclaiming the Vision 2020 in 1991?
In fact, the very need for Najib to come up with a 1Malaysia slogan is eloquent testimony of the failure of Malaysian nation-building efforts in the past five decades to create one united Malaysian nation.
What is tragic is that Najib’s first two months as Prime Minister had been overwhelmed by examples of the lack of 1Malaysia mentality, mindset and commitment not only by the Barisan Nasional government but also by the key national institutions in our society, whether the civil service, Parliament, judiciary, police, mass media, etc.
Malaysians are asking, for instance, how with Najib as Prime Minister, there could be 1Malaysia when he is chiefly responsible why there is no 1Perak!
Another example of the lack of 1Malaysia mentality, mindset and commitment is provided by Najib’s recent visit to China, where he acknowledged the loyalty of the Malaysian Chinese and their “great” contribution to the country’s economic development. Najib expressed appreciation of the loyalty of the Malaysian Chinese as illustrated in badminton competitions between Malaysia and China, where Malaysian Chinese will support the national team.
But Najib’s acknowledgement of the loyalty of the Malaysian Chinese to the country was not reported in the Bahasa Malaysia mainstream media.
What is worse, we see UMNO-owned Mingguan Malaysia trying to fuel racial discord by referring to non-Malays as “kaum pendatang” or immigrants, which has been slammed not only by DAP National Publicity Secretary and MP for PJ Utara, Tony Pua, but also provoked the ire of MIC President, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu who has called on the police to institute sedition charges against Awang Selamat for the “racial slur” against the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia which is totally against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept.
But Awang Selamat and Mingguan Malaysia remain unrepentant and recalcitrant, coming out with another provocative, insensitive and offensive sequel today, entitled “Sampai bila kemurahan hati Melayu?”.
If the Chinese press had carried a piece “Sampai bila kemurahan hati orang Cina?” or the Tamil press carried “Sampai bila kemurahan hati orang India?”, would the writers, editors and publishers be immune from instant police visits and actions under the Printing Presses and Publications Act, the Sedition Act or even the Internal Security Act?
What is clear however is the shocking absence of a 1Malaysia mentality, mindset and commitment, which appears to be quite prevalent among the movers and shakers in the corridors of federal power.
Eyebrows all round were raised when it was announced that the Biro Tatanegara (National Civics Bureau) will organise courses and seminars to explain 1Malaysia for the people to understand Najib’s concept – for the end product is definitely not 1Malaysia but “No 1Malaysia”!
In fact, if Najib is serious about 1Malaysia, the first thing he should do is to close down BTN, notorious for spreading communal poison and national divisiveness, as illustrated in the following letter-to-the-editor in Star a fortnight ago, which is quite a typical complaint:
Friday May 22, 2009
AS parents we are glad that our grown up children attend the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) course, which is compulsory for government servants. They are all mature professionals.
But what angers me is that, instead of talking integrity, unity and harmony among the various races, participants are taught about disunity and racial hatred. Is this what our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib wants for 1MALAYSIA?
Throughout the five days of the course, participants are repeatedly told not to question Malay rights and so on. The course coordinators keep talking about social contracts and telling non-Malays not to question Malay rights and so on.
Many participants, including my Malay friends, are upset.
Are we still living in a primitive age? If the BTN course is to be conducted in this manner, it is better to abolish it or let it concentrate on only one ethnic group.
The course is not bringing unity but only arousing anger and hatred.
As it is handled by the Prime Minister’s office, please do not say that they do not know what is going on.
DISAPPOINTED,
Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
This is why the first item of business when Parliament reconvenes after Najib’s takeover as Prime Minister is a confidence motion not only to provide credibility, integrity and legitimacy for his premiership but to provide parliamentary endorsement for his motto of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now”.
He’s thinking: “Why should limpeh seek a motion of confidence when limpeh has the army, police, judiciary, btn, civil service, royalty and all on limpeh’s side? Limpeh is not like Gordon Brown whose ministers deserts him by the hour.”
What is 1Malaysia? Just another rhetorical gimmick to comouflage some hidden agenda of UMNO.
Malaysia O Malaysia, land of glory
land where multiracial people live
We like to con ourselves that we r a model multiracial nation
Yet in truth we r a racist nation
Still dividing people based on the past
Children n children n children of once upon a time pendatang
Still branded as pendatang n subjected to discrimination
Yes, in truth we r a racist nation
Not accepting the present and
not looking forward, positively n boldly to the future
Many countries in the world are more n truly multiracial
and they gladly and openly accept the fact
and capitalise on their diversity
Flowers of all hues, sizes, n scents bloom n blossom
Go listen to this song and its lyrics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ3J6J8y1i0&NR=1
I am – You are – we are Australians – The Seekers
Don’t you wish we Malaysians have a similar song
for us all Malaysians to sing openly and proudly
about our past, present, and future?
Rather than wallowing in, day in day out,
the quicksand n cesspool of Umno’s ketuanan Melayu
When Najib does not want to settle the Perak issue, do you think he will want a confidence motion in Parliament? We have to resign to our fates.
The MB by the court might win (as BeEnd are claiming “the people are moving back to them” already), if there is a fresh election in Perak but Najib does not want to take the so-called calculated risk. By the way, where is the written judgement from the Court of Appeals since 3.30pm on 22 May 2009.
Brother Kit Siang, Najib will just brush it aside by saying, “I did not hear you as I am deaf. I did not read your blog as I have no time for it.” Ong Ta Kut will apply the same tactics. Brother Kit Siang, Najib will put you up in a 2 stars hotel when Parliament reconvenes, if you keep on pestering him and Ong Ta Kut.
///But is Najib prepared to ascertain why his 1Malaysia concept had generated so much division and discord among Malaysians, which was not the case with, for instance, the Bangsa Malaysia concept introduced by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad when proclaiming the Vision 2020 in 1991?///– Kit
Vision 2020 to declare all Malaysian Bangsa Malaysia in year 2020 was proclaimed in 1991 by TDM because he wanted to justify that it takes time for Malaysians to be treated equally as one people, when Malaysians should have been one since 1957. Indeed it is because people should be treated as one that article 153 was considered important to provide special assistance to Malays so that the so-called less advanced community could catch up with the others, to be on level playing field. That was euphemistically said to be providing special privilege to Malays, to boost their ego. It should be recalled that the late Tun Ismail was mindful of this and he said the Malays, out of pride would voluntarily give up Article 153 when they had no more requirement of it.
The question of requirement has been dealt by UMNO in two-prong approach. UMNO lies with statistics to make the target 30% unattainable statistically. It claims that Article 153 was provided because of history, and ketuanan Melayu is to preserve the position of monarchy, and since the Rulers are Malays, so by association, they should be accorded special rights.
Bangsa Malaysia if recognised would demand that the government treat all Malaysians equally, without distinction based on the ethnic group at birth. (Some were able to change after birth, like TDM through Mamakism.) Najib would not want to honour Bangsa Malaysia proclamation which comes on a specific date, the year 2020. He introduces 1 Malaysia to make it a long term objective. It is the same method UMNO used on implementing policies through NEP. A specific twenty years term for NEP was mentioned, but UMNO chose to extend it based on statistics which it manipulates at its whims and fancy. To call Malaysians Bangsa Malaysia in 2020 would force Najib to comply, which he has no intention to do so. His 1Malaysia slogan would have other target objectives as 2020 draws near, and he would promise to have it attained by 2057. That was the date AAB was willing to forgo NEP.
UMNO realise that people are aware that they lie, and they did not bother to hide this fact; that shows their arrogance. Penanti results did not return 100 voters and so was not meaningful to najib.
Najib will not bother to test his 100% vote of confidence in the parliament. He is in control, and he can do what he pleases. He was even willing to show that Bolehland is a police state. He does not care for nicety, or the dignity of his position, even in international arena where he was willing to give lame justification to prove that Atlantuja Shaariibuu was not his girlfriend. Some may term this as elephant-skin, to him might is right, and in the police state he cares only that his orders get carried out. He might wish to dare Malaysians to become Chin Peng for all he cares.
It is inconceivable that the BTN is teaching the attendees those ketuanan Umno ideologies !
The continual publication of imflamatory articles by Utusan Malaysia must be based on the assumption by its editors that they are immune to the rule of law ?
As far as I know, the Prime Minister for all Malaysian was chosen by maybe a couple of Malaysians only – Mahathir and …. Badawi?
Were all Malaysians were asked to vote to decide whether Najib is our great leader? Heck, even the BN coalition parties were not consulted though they would have just meekly said, “yes and on with THE train.”
As I see it, let’s do the Perak and Malaysia GE again so that we can decide if Najib has the majority of the voters, phantom or real, behind him and his political coalition.
“But Najib’s acknowledgement of the loyalty of the Malaysian Chinese to the country was not reported in the Bahasa Malaysia mainstream media.”
— this has been going on for years.
back in the 1980’s when your truly was sitting for SPM and on advise of his teacher, read Utusan Malaysia in addition to the normal diet of Star and Sin Chew. I noted the gulf in content, intellectualism, fairness, logic, intelligence between the English & Chinese papers vs Utusan.
if this kind of Awang Selamat poison circulating around for decades, one wonders what harm could have been inflicted on piece loving Malay readers
mind you, after 3 days of Awang’s crap, I switched to the cheesy Bacaria (love story and all) and romped home with an ace in BM.
Imagine if what Najib said in China was printed side by side with Awang’s hate message, dedicated Utusan readers who have instant short circuit of their minute grey matter so how can Najib do this to his voters’ bank?
“Were all Malaysians were asked to vote to decide whether Najib is our great leader?”
which rock did you crawl from under?? we never voted for prime minister. we vote for the party and the party’s leader automatically becomes prime minister. so if a nut happens to lead the party, it would take another nut to vote for the party.
He will succumb under the weight of rejection by the bloggers community alone.
Long life to LKS blog and RPK of MT
It will be interesting to watch how he face journalist during his next visit to France and other European countries.
If he got balls, he should visit Mongolia.
Visit Mongolia?…lol
When UMNO should remove Article 153 in 1972, it introduced NEP in 1970 and made Article 153 untouchable.
When UMNO should end NEP in 1991, it proclaimed Bangsa Malaysia in 2020, while keeping NEP.
Approaching 2020, Najib declares the 1Malaysia concept, but he warned that there should be no ‘extreme demand’. He considered a request for equal treatment an extreme demand. Clearly he did not think that Article 153 which provided a 15-year window for helping Malays would still be needed in 2020, 63 years after independence.
It is clear that UMNO has no intention to do away with policies that would continue to divide the people. UMNO is tempting PAS to share power again. If only the opportunists in PAS cross over, then PAS would become stronger. If however PAS is absorbed, then Malaysia might be on a cross-road, either leading to more racist Islamic state, or moving entirely away from race, when the enlightened Malays have chosen to take a stand.
PAS should actually talk to UMNO sooner rather than later.
This is a golden opportunity for PAS to bargain with UMNO, and to save the nation from going to the dogs (like what TDM said).
1. Demand that the post of PM be given permanently to PAS
2. Introduce hudud law and prosecute all the corrupt leaders, starting with TDM, NTR, Diam, Semi-value, AP Queen, and the musang from Sabah.