As they say, politicians are like nappies – they should be changed often and for the same reasons. Yesterday, the people of Sibu made history when they elected DAP and rejected BN.
Days earlier, at Rejang Park, the prime minister convinced me that BN does not have the interests of the people of Sibu at heart.
1. He said: “I don’t have to come here…..to Rejang Park……This is not the place for a prime minister to come.”
2. He insulted the intelligence of the people by making deals in exchange for public service.
3. He lowered the tone of his speech by saying “Bull Shine”. Is vulgar slang accepted speech by a prime minister?
Without the involvement of money politics, DAP’s majority could easily have been in the thousands rather than just 398 votes.
Nevertheless, this win has caused a tiny seismic shift in the Malaysian political landscape. Once again, politics has become interesting and dare I say it, fun too?
DAP’s victory is well-deserved but it must be under no illusion, for if the electoral dice had fallen differently, politics in Sarawak and Malaysia would have been business as usual.
Was there one single factor for the swing away from BN? Or was it a combination of factors? There was more money available last week than at any single time over the past 47 years. Was it divine intervention, in retribution for the PM’s fleeting visit to the Tua Pek Kong temple?
During this campaign, only a person with a heart of stone would not have been troubled by the poverty that sits uncomfortably beside the wealth in Sarawak. The state is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Why then is a sizeable portion of its people living in shanty towns devoid of running water and electricity?
My single defining reason to tick the box for DAP, had I been a voter, would have been Najib Abdul Razak’s speech at Rejang Park.
Who could forget that ‘speech’? Some people have called it ‘You help me, I help you’ talk. Those present witnessed the display of arrogance of condescension; how he talked down to people; and disgracefully made the public gesture of money in exchange for votes.
He showed us how NOT to demean people and thus get the backs up of those whom we wish to help us. Surprisingly, Najib overlooked how the Internet beamed his unflattering comments worldwide.
Najib also showed the political elite how NOT to treat the electorate or to make empty promises. To a lesser extent, it revealed how his spin doctors, who stage-managed his campaigns, failed to register the suffering of the Sibu people.
The PM joked about solving the flooding, saying: “Can we have deal or not? Can we have an understanding or not? You help me, I help you. It is quite simple.”
I recall how a policeman once stopped me for apparently going through a red light, even though I had not. He also used similar phrases like, “We got deal or not? We have understanding, yes? I can help you. Easy-lah.” These phrases sound very familiar don’t they?
Needs long neglected
Najib told the crowd he would have a cheque ready to help solve the flooding, only if Robert Lau Jr was elected. He wasn’t aware of the actual cost for the flood defences, but guessed it to be RM3 million.
He insulted the intelligence of the crowd by believing they could be easily seduced. Equally, Lau’s credibility was given little value. If he (Lau) had any pride, he would have been angered that his selection as candidate was not because of integrity, hard work and public service, but only because Najib was feeling generous.
Sibu’s flooding problem is not new and it is impossible to imagine there were never discussions about this at cabinet meetings – RM 3 million or even RM5 million is a fraction of the total cost.
The whole scenario is reminiscent of an auction with shouts of ‘lelong! lelong!’. Have we stooped as low as this?
Then came the shock declaration: “’I don’t have to come here…..to Rejang Park……This is not the place for a prime minister to come.”
I am sorry, Mr Prime Minister but your statements have done you and BN untold damage. What sort of place is suitable for a PM then? We are sorry if Rejang Park is not as luxurious or exclusive as Belgravia in London or the White House, which you visited last month, in Washington DC.
Rejang Park is often flooded, but it is still home to thousands. They live, work and play here. And for the past 47 years, the government has neglected to serve them.
When the PM told us about the security concerns of his visit, he said: “My security boys say there are back alleys…..”
Yes. Sibu is infamous for its gangs. Civil law and order is included in the long list of Sibu’s problems. If the PM was advised to stay away, then it speaks volumes about the law and governance of the place.
Stupefying effect
People will recall how when Princess Diana died, the British premier – then Tony Blair – captured the mood of the nation’s grief and called her the “People’s Princess”.
When Najib amused us with his visits to the Sibu pasar, the people thought he was “really friendly”. He used the term “People’s Prime Minister”. I am sorry, but three trips to Sibu’s pasar does not make him the “People’s Prime Minister”. If only it were that simple.
He then said that his government would “fight for the people”. So, why does it hold the people to ransom? Sibu’s problems include flooding, lack of basic infrastructure, land issues, poverty and economic malaise. Offers of help should not come with a proviso. That is not responsible government. That only creates mistrust in an already maligned political system.
The PM claimed that “people come first” and “people really matter”. However, these ideals are not addressed in Sibu. Withholding peoples’ rights does not win the battle for hearts and minds.
The repeated use of “I never fail to deliver my promises…we honour our commitment” throughout the speech has the same stupefying effect as someone saying, ‘I never tell a lie’ or ‘Honestly speaking’. The opposite effect is achieved.
Body language relays important signals. The regularity with which the PM wiped his mouth with his handkerchief during the speech is disturbing. What is his subconscious trying to wipe off his lips?
Now that the electorate has shown BN the door, what lies ahead for the people of Sibu?
Will Najib’s compassion shine through? Will he solve the flooding and other problems in a calculated move to win back the trust of Sarawakians for the upcoming state elections?
Or will he punish Sibu and cancel the cheques for the schools and leave the people to drown their sorrows, in the floods that wreck their lives?
If he does that, the state elections and GE-13 would create another massive tidal bore, just like the ones the Sungei Rejang – and now Sibu – is famous for.
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In ‘real–speak’, this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.
Yes I agree that the speech was a DISGRACE for the office of the Prime Minister. Sounded more like a man selling snake oil!
As for the frequent wiping of the lips, here is a list of possible causes:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/excessive-saliva/MY01012/DSECTION=causes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwNLT428PqU&feature=player_embedded
National shame! Circulate it
Do we have a TRANSCRIPT of this shameless crook? Translate it 2 different languages
He showed us he is a worst case politician with NO INTEGRITY – so proud of his criminal bribing track record in HS n was replicating it in Sibu (sweating, kept wiping his lips)
Furthermore, he INSULTED Sibuans: “This is not the place for a prime minister to come.” As if Sibu is hell
Sh!t! Where does NR hide then? Saiful’s rectum?
“Can we have deal or not? Can we have an understanding or not? You help me, I help you. It is quite simple.”
“Kita ada deal atau tidak?”
Remember d above when we deal with polis, civil servants, examiners, bankers, immigration officers, custom officers, ….. etc
This is what M’sians learn fr NR, d corrupt PM
Forget the analysis and whys. Its already clear Najib has no clue how to move UMNO/BN forward. The issue really is can UMNO/BN hold together if things do not move forward?. Classically speaking feudal systems are not designed to hold together if they don’t grow. They don’t deal well with stagnation because they are typically overeliant on brute unsophisticated ways to enforce discipline and loyalty.
But UMNO/BN is actually quite a sophisticated system. Other than money and power (more accurately abuse of power), UMNO’s race and religo platform actually enforces quite a bit of discipline and loyalty. BN loyalty are enforced largely by largesse which we are seeing is breaking up from the ground up. However if UMNO rely on its race and religo platform too much to hold within its own fort, BN will break apart.
The more interesting speculation is what if Najib continue resist relying on the race-religo platform? How much can he do it without having the right swing against him? The right is led by his deputy who understand that a fight at the top will lead the end of UMNO/BN. His control over the right is pretty strong. So its a question of how strong his control over the excesses of the right.
What is needed is to weaken Muhiyiddin control over the right of UMNO. Like it or not that is what is going to take to really make a change. Dirty politics. If the right get out of hand, its what will break everything up and lead to needed change.
That is Satu B’u’y-Election. You can use money, threatening people, saying bull shitttt
Did anyone catch the hand phone signal of the chief of the Election Commission? Can we verify his records of that evening?
That is Satu B’u’y-Election. You can use money, threatening people, saying bull shtttt
Did anyone catch the hand phone signal of the chief of the Election Commission? Can we verify his records of that evening?
Fifty over years of utter neglect for West Malaysia and forty over years of equally utter neglect for East Malaysia!!!
Both East and West Malaysia have vast natural resources, and yet there are still lots of poor people in both sectors!
In addition, the people, especially in West Malaysia, have to pay through the nose for whatever facilities they use, to the privatised crony business community!
Judging from the action of those in the Federal government, one can see that they don’t give a damn what Malaysians, or even the whole world think of them!
They do what they want! This doesn’t bode well for the country – shades of Myanmar and Zimbabwe come to mind. Countries where the government do what they want. To hell with the people!
These governments will insist on staying in power – come what may!
Mariam is correct.This Rejang Park is not a place for Malaysian PM.Where do you think is a right place for him?Kajang or Sungai Buloh prison?Murderer and corrupted politician belongs to the prison.That’s it.
Najib’s speech at Rejang Park was most disgraceful, vulgar, intimidating and condescending! With that, he woke up Sarawakians.
He obviously failed miserably and has joined the ranks of Mamakutty – most hated PMs this country ever had! Finish-lah for BN/umno! Tell me is this ‘Divine intervention’?
Subjectiveness aside, objectiveness is more relevant. Yes. For a Prime Minister, everything must be of high standard. Standard is subjective because it is what each individual expects. You can bull shine your standards and others can compare, just like the KPI. Others who experience the actual situation themselves. Not others who read the figures and think figures determine all. This town or this country is what you make of it all this while. Today happens because of yesterday. Today will birth tomorrow. True. There are a lot of bull shine going on. People prefer to have one in power who knows what is going on. Therefore all potential leaders should mingle around so that it is easier for the people to choose. If people never see you and never know you, it is only natural people would not choose you. Be seen in order to be elected. People are familiar with both Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew and MP YB Mr Wong Ho Leng. Because of this, people matters. They matter a lot because they decide the destiny of all the politicians. If you look at the organization chart, there is this invisible link. The people are above the politicians. Above the people is God. Barring a politician from the dewan is like saying you do not want to listen to the people because the politician is the mouthpiece of the people.
“…….that BN does not have the interests of the people of Sibu at heart.
1. He said: “I don’t have to come here…..to Rejang Park……This is not the place for a prime minister to come.”
2. He insulted the intelligence of the people by making deals in exchange for public service.
3. He lowered the tone of his speech by saying “Bull Shine”. Is vulgar slang accepted speech by a prime minister?….”
The signs are very clear:
1. The man is cracking up, under tremendous stress and strain. He faces hidden enemies everywhere who wishes only for his downfall soon and he’s fighting for his survival.
2. It reveals his inner self. He has regressed to being the big bully and thug typical of some schoolboys from schools in the UK. He shows bravado but is really scared stiff of being discovered as a mere wimp.
3. He wipes his as…sorry mouth every so often because he was foaming, as some mad animals do. Maybe he ate too many Sarawak “chillies” and was feeling “hot” and this caused him to tokkok. Maybe it is just some common Putrajaya pox.
4. He knows Sibu is a make or break situation for him. Looks like a “break” which will now snowball into an avalanche. His days are numbered. Sibu is his Waterloo. The Sabahans especially have taken a good look and are sounding the war drums of discontent and getting ideas. Can Sarawakians under the white-haired Rajah be far behind?
Did you not see Muhyiddin jetting off in defeat well before the election results were announced? And BN officials and staff deserting their fort at the same time?
Sibu is Normandy. D-Day has come. The Borneo states will be liberated.
This is excellent article, Mariam Mokhtar!!
PM speech in Sibu!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwNLT428PqU&feature=player_embedded
It is outrageous, man! It is a kind of watching that hog groans greedily! Most of them are tired of watching this so-called our Bolehland PM?! Piss off! The spoken language, in terms of words, sentences and etc, are not par at PMship levels! The body language is jerky with ass-wiping every second after blah out one sentence or statement! Does he contracting “Foot-And-Mouth” disease or what else? Why continuously wiping his salivary ass? Most of them never see a leader delivering speech with continuous ass-wiping, could this be the very first time!?
Honestly, he is the PM of the UMNOPutras ONLY! Certainly NOT the PM of all Malaysians!!! He is unqualified in many categories & ways! ONLY good in briberies and cock sucking!
Simply, for PMship, our Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is 100% better than him in many ways… Voting PR is “Vote for a Change” in Malaysia……
First thing first.
1. Sibu was BN seat. What did they do about the flood then? They did nothing. It’s really NONSENSE to come around promising to solve it in return for the votes. Who will not spit at him? The vote was given earlier. Mind you, even they put money to solve the flood problem it will still remain. Most of the money will end up in someone’s pocket.
2. They should be solving peoples problem EVERYDAY not on buy-election days.
3. Najib should be charged for breaking the Election Act.
4. After this anyone can write anything about this Sibu buy-election.
Wot? Does it mean umno now cannot play money politics during by-elections and general elections?
Whoooa. Imagine that. Just wot would umno do for its election campaign now? Tell people that umno is good?
Hah. Looks like we will have a charging bull without horns. Or will we see a big man without testerone as a consequence of GM, like errr, chengho? More than that actually. I believe. It will be more like a big man on crutches and with depleted testerone.
Najib can only stay with the stick and carrot approach to remain in power. Bribe the voters, and if that doesn’t work, threaten and intimidate them. If that doesn’t work again, then redraw the electoral boundaries. How about throwing in a few more boxes of postal votes ?
He may need Roastporkyma to campaign for him, no?
being aged, does not shown a person maturity!
he acted more like a child rather than an adult.
in the first place, majority malaysian did not elect him to become one, except by his own party people!
The law is a joke in Malaysia. Not only are some people (read BN people) above the law, some people have the unjust system heaped on to them (the opposition and Kugan, Teoh Beng Hock, Amirul etc.) while actually a lot of people in between actually buy their way out of due justice and cause injustice.
If the opposition committed the same sin as Bung Mocktar, you can bet that the fine would be more than RM2,000. Be a BN politician and you can indulge in all the perversion in the world and get slapped on the wrist for it..
B4 every EPL match in pubs n teh tarik stores all over Malaysia, the ‘U rub-rub me, I rub-rub U, U syiok me, I syiok U; jom, deal?‘ Youtube video must b shown as a thriller 2 educate our young soccer fans!
NTR has offended Tua Pek Kong and he will suffer bad luck and misfortune for the rest of his life.
1. He will soon lose his premiership
2. Roast Kacang Mah will run away
Roast Kacang Mah?
You mean Loh See Mah (Foochow name) the fatso with the big wig who calls herself da first lady?
Recent polls show that only 30% of Chinese voters support BN. These are the ones who still crawl under the table, surviving on the crumbs left by umno.
This comes as no surprise, because history has shown that there were Chinese in China, Malaya and elsewhere who supported the Japanese occupation of their countries
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/opinion/comment/5748-chinese-to-bn-we-are-not-concubines
I think PM Najib making deal with the voters saying “I help you and you help me ” is disgusting and should never be emulated especially in politic. Why should the rakyat want to accept deal with its own elected prime minister ? It’s the PM’s responsibility and duty to deliver all goodies to the people. If he could not,either he resigns or the voters kick him out in the next poll. If Najib wants to make deal,he should go into business.
Its getting late. Still no cheque.
BN man talk with forked-tongue.
That’s what he told Rosmah, I help you & you help me, together we conquer and be richer.
Everyone who viewed the video knows Najib is totally insincere..and take our money to buy a deal to benefit himself..at Rajang Park.
His speech is not an election speech.
It is to prove how powerful he is.
Anyone believe only UMNO B can manage the country and without them….no more money for Rajang Park residents or for whole of Malaysia Malaysians..is an idiot if the highest order.
Do not be fooled that the money offered…only available to UMNO B only.
Money is for anyone who governs the country…and it is time we throw these arrogant and corrupted lot out.
MCQ, pick d best choice 2 fill in d blanks
Dis is what he told Lohsi Mah:
I _uck you & you _uck me
A. b B. d
C. f D. m
E. p F. s
G. t H. y
This was most shameful political speech in the world. I just could not believe how can a politician give such kind of deal. It is pure corrupted to the core. He has lost his mind and I believe he has the reason to do so in order to cling to power at all costs.
Most shameful and disgraceful. How can we expect him to face the world
A typical “King with his New Robe” episode!!
Not only exposing the Emptyness of a so called PM but also telling WHY the Administration are only Shells but not performing.
People’s hard earned money to be used only for BUYING votes and not to go for where it should long to be used??
HE & THE GOVERNMENT HAD OWED THE PEOPLE FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS.
But, he looks like that People owe him a great DEAL!!
Spoiled by the Political Parties,
Spoiled by the Parliament
Spoiled by the Constitution!!
Spoiled by the King??
Dare to say his is the PM for the People??
Dare to be paid when he has no way to be seen performing??
That’s why Judges dare to get paid talking of Justice but bully!!
Police out of Code of Practice and bully!
MACC deaf and blind on Corruption!
Lawyers dare to bully clients with Police/KUP/AG/PCB silent!!
They have Turned this Country into Bully-land!!
Will UMNO/BN think deeply why this man should be the PM?
He is challenging the wisdom and patience of UNMO/BN as well?
Can you imagine David Cameron or Gordon Brown saying ‘Do we have a deal or not’ to the British electorate last week?
I can see the comical side of it but then on reflection this is really hurtful and sad. Just what have they done to our beautiful beloved Malaysia? 52 years of corrupt government and they (UMNO) is killing the country. It’s just like cancer tunnelling and eating away from within until there is nothing left but a husk.
Now that as more and more rakyat are aware of the country’s situation and they own rights and power they could wield, these clowns still does not want to give up. They are still clinging to whatever means to stay on and this means anything goes as subtly demonstrated by Najib in Sibu and Hulu Selangor.
My God this can only happen in Bolehland. Wonder what Obama think and said to himself after finishing ‘THE SUMMIT’ with Najib? Does he say ‘ Mmmm not a bad fellow, quite worthy and intelligent.’? Or he says ‘What a smuck, an idiotic clown in a suit. But hey for 80 million ringgit what is a few minutes of my time.’
The next and future generations of Malaysian, they are the one to pay the price if she could be save in time. There are so many national institutions that have been corrupted and wasted as they are nothing but mere catspaws of Umno. Working towards a truly democratic Malaysian Malaysia, the future generations will have to dismantle and rebuilt these once noblely conceived institutions.
Thank you for DAP, PKR, PAS and others of PR. You are the people that will safe our Motherland and for that we the rakyat will be grateful.
Just simply amazing!! You vote for us, we will solve your flood problem, deal or no deal?
What is this? we pay taxes so that they can get this kind of problem solved. Now we have to make a deal so that they will only do their job? The voters think, you get your bloody job done, and we will see if we vote for you.