Saturday, December 11, 2010
Wong Choon Mei
Malaysia Chronicle
Pakatan Rakyat leaders did not discuss the issue of who would be the Deputy Prime Minister if they won the next general election but they agreed that the decision would be based on the federal constitution – an outcome that will surely be cheered by the non-Malays in the country who have long aspired for political equality.
“The issue (of who will become the next DPM) was not discussed at the leadership council meeting,but we did decide that it will be based on the constitution,” DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang told a press conference.
Kit Siang is the frontrunner among the non-Malay Pakatan leaders believed to be capable of helming this post and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim himself has said there was no reason why Kit Siang or any other capable non-Malay could not assume such a post.
Nonetheless, such a ‘liberal’ view has been siezed on by the Umno-BN media and played up to arouse the maximum resentment from the Malay community while casting doubt that such an aspiration could really become reality amongst the non-Malays.
Apart from PKR and DAP, the Islamic-based PAS has also been targeted with insinuations that if it allowed a non-Malay to become DPM, then it was selling out on Malay rights.
“There is no need to get excited over this because, have we won the general election yet,” PAS president Hadi Awang, who was also present, told reporters. “The right choice will be made at the right time.”
Among those who have tried to belittle Pakatan’s vision of racial equality include MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong, who instead of supporting such a move has been trying his best to whittle down Kit Siang by implying the DAP leader was only having a pipe dream.
“It is sad that the MCA leaders’ grasp of the constitution and political principles are so shallow,” Kit Siang had responded earlier.
MCA members have no principles in life.
Still living in the old UMNO Govt…..and more so now….as MCA was thrown out by voters at 12th GE…co-operating with new UMNO B…and they must sharpen their art to be better shoe shine boys to Najib…their Savior and Lord.
The MCA of today…shame the Chinese community since Ling Liong Sik era up to now…serving the Devils…and supporting to be second class citizens.
Talk of MCA…makes Malaysian Chinese sick to the stomach…but keep talking we must…since Najib brought back all voted out to be in his cabinet.
It is interesting that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) says the position of DPM “would be based on the federal constitution” when the constitution says nothing about the post of DPM!
Unless PR means, and is taken to mean:-
1. the DPM’s post infers in fact the eligibility to the PM’s post for if the PM resigns halfway like TDM, DPM Pak Lah took over as PM or if Pak Lah resigned also mid term DPM Najib took over!
2. That 1. above is the correct inference is based on the fact that when one uses constitution as benchmark, it has to be the PM’s post because the constitution makes NO reference to the non-existent post of DPM but only that of the PM based, according to the constitution, on Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s judgment of who is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)!
3. if commanding “the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)” were the only constitutional benchmark, which PR says is its position, then it further infers that PAS’s position articulated by Nik Aziz – that the PM is expected to be a muslim – is not on all fours with the PR’s position since the Constitution does not qualify eligibility to PM’s post by religion, or for that matter race.
By reason of 3. above, no wonder PAS president Hadi Awang is not so excited when he was reported to have said: “There is no need to get excited over this because, have we won the general election yet? The right choice will be made at the right time.” (It does not take a rocket scientist to predict that PAS does not agree with the principle of leadership being severed from factor of Islamic faith).
Hadi is however right if he were to imply that (barring the most exceptional circumstances) the prospect of non Muslim non Malay holding PM’s position is (in realistic and practical terms at least within foreseeable future) extremely remote unlss all following 4 conditions are met (a) PR coalition wins electoral power by overwhelming majority and (b) that person to be given PM’s post has the support of the majority of the winning coalition and (c) the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s also adjudges him one who is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat) and (d) PR’s pact amongst all 3 component parties – that major decisions like PM’s or DPM’s post has to be unanimous requiring all 3’s agreement and not just 2 majority against 1 – does not pose an obstacle.
MCA might as well pack up and run pornographic film lah.Learn from ur porn king all the uu..aa..uu..aa action..First get the voting among urself and see who is on top of who and make an orgy entertainment.Not bad though.
PR’s defacto leader Anwar might try hard to push divisive issues under the carpet (by saying that the PR convention/leadership council was no place to bring up the matter) but for so long as PAS is component party, the scenario of a non Muslim in leadership position is simply not on – and will never be on, if PAS could prevent it.
For PAS will never abandon its objective to pursue for an Islamic theocratic state.
Although it avoids the mention of such an Islamic State – being anathema to supporters of other component parties and mainstream Malaysia – its consistent policy objective is to establish such a state, the sooner the better, and if necessary, by fait accompli in “stages”.
“Islam is not just a religion but also a way of life, and it encompasses all aspects of daily life,” said Hadi in an exclusive interview with The Malaysian Insider.
Per MalaysianInsider report of Dec 11th PAS has renewed its push for an Islamic state with hudud law to be implemented in “stages” if it wins the next polls.
“PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had admitted the concept had yet to gain significant traction among even PR component parties, but claimed that opposition towards the idea was only because there was a lack of ‘understanding’ about the concept. The veteran leader told The Malaysian Insider recently that the Islamist party would focus on introducing such laws in PAS-governed states like Kelantan and Kedah first, to allow Malaysians to ‘evaluate’ the merits of Islamic and hudud law” – the report said.
“He had said that the federalism model practised by Malaysia would enable PAS to slowly enforce relevant Islamic and hudud laws in states which were currently under PAS.”
(So what PAS is saying is that in pursuing its agenda of hudud ala Islamic state, it is also abiding and following the constitution, and it is consistent with the constitution that hudud laws are implemented in certain states!)
The way people interpret, reading into things or rather skew the interpretation of laws and constitution to suit the agendas of accommodating hudud laws, it also implies that if and when PAS agrees with PKR / DAP that appointment of DPM or PM follows the constitution, it does not mean that PAS’s idea of our constitution is necessarily similar to that of PKR’s or DAP’s or that PAS agrees DPM or PM’s position may be held by a Non Muslim.
Anwar may want to concentrate on matters of common ground between all 3 component parties for election but realistically how long can matters of differences be shelved under the carpet?
If there were no agreement on common logo for PR would there be for a weightier issue of who (DPM or PM) holds position next in line after Anwar?
In one sentence,there is no more ideal time to be ignorant and complacent about our current country’s situation.PR is the only change we can hope for after suffering from BN ruling of more than 5 decades without hope at all.No other choice!
Digressing.
This is reported by Sydney Morning [Herald Philip Dorling and Nick McKenzie] December 12, 2010 under caption “Big fat red faces for Singapore leaders” based on cables, leaked exclusively to The Sun-Herald by WikiLeaks on what some of Singapore’s highest ranking officials [Singapore’s Foreign Affairs chiefs Peter Ho, Bilahari Kausikan and Prof Tommy Koh] said to US officials.
“MALAYSIA’S “dangerous” decline is fuelled by incompetent politicians, Thailand is dogged by corruption and a “very erratic” crown prince, Japan is a “big fat loser” and India is ”stupid”.
“The, detail separate meetings between senior US officials and The trio, who at the time of the 2008 and 2009 cables occupied some of the most senior positions in the foreign ministry, all give US officials damning assessments of Malaysia. According to one cable detailing a meeting in September 2008, Mr Kausikan told US Deputy Secretary of Defence for East Asia David Sedney there was a “distinct possibility of racial conflict” which could see ethnic Chinese “flee” Malaysia and “overwhelm” Singapore…Mr Ho’s assessment of Malaysia in March that year, given to another US official, is also unflattering and includes claims that former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad had been “throwing stones” at his replacement, Abdullah Badawi…”
In his September meeting with Mr Sedney, Mr Kausikan savaged Thailand’s political elite, labelling Thaksin Shinawatra as “corrupt” along with “everyone else, including the opposition”. Mr Kausikan was also critical of Mr Thaksin’s relationship with the Thai crown prince, saying he “made a mistake in pursuing a relationship with the crown prince by paying off the crown prince’s gambling debts”. In a September 2009 meeting, Mr Koh savaged Japan and India, describing Japan as ”the big fat loser” in the context of improving ties between China and ASEAN, a cable says, adding: “He was equally merciless towards India, describing his ‘stupid Indian friends’ as ‘half in, half out’ of ASEAN.”
Link to Sydney Morning Herald:
http://www.smh.com.au/world/big-fat-red-faces-for-singapore-leaders-20101211-18teg.html?from=smh_sb
If true, luckily when referring to incompetent politicians, the S’pore officials didn’t specify anything about Malaysian Opposition parties or their leaders!
///Wee Ka Siong, who instead of supporting such a move has been trying his best to whittle down Kit Siang by implying the DAP leader was only having a pipe dream.///
How can the country progress under the leadership of Wee Ka Siong who is scared of becoming the DPM?
Wee Ka Siong seems to have a lot of self-created worries instead of trusting the Constitution that non-Malay can become DPM.
ah chua: lajib ah, mata sepet like wa can become dpm or not?
najib: muhiddin, boleh create satu lagi dpm bagi kat sepet ni tak? anjing ini tak henti henti menyalak ni.
m’din: EH! aku ni sudah dpm? nak lagi satu dpm?
najib: aiseh! tak’pa lah. title-nya dpm tapi kalau baca betui betui, makna-nya DePookeyMak.
m’din:hihihi! OK la. kita bagi kat sepet chua DPM-DePookeyMak….hehehe..
najib:ooyyy, chua. COME! SIT! Ini DPM engkau.
chua: telimakasih, belibu-libu telimakasih, ampun tuanku. woof..woof..
najib&m’din: hihihi…lucu betui anjing ni.
This wikiLeak (expose of gossips at highest diplomatic & international level as compared to RPK’s MalaysiaToday, on national level) will change the entire nature of politics and have the severest reprcussions… A lot of people are shivering under the ICT glare of transparency!
Ooops from what purports to be the site from The Sydney Morning Herald today Sunday Dec 12, 2010 :
http://www.smh.com.au/world/caught-in-political-sex-trap-20101211-18tee.html
Wee Ka Siang pretends to be working for Chinese interest by becoming member of MCA, an organization created to serve Chinese interests, as MCA wants Chinese in the country to believe it. By seizing at the opportunity of Nik Aziz’s comment Wee gleefully hoped that LKS would never make it to be DPM. He showed clearly then that he was not happy that Chinese interest would be served, albeit through a party which he did not belong. Wee will have to tell us whether he was more interested to have MCA remaining a subservient party to UMNO for MCA President will never be able to make it to the position of DPM or would he rather see that there is equality of races in Malaysia when Chinese who are capable to serve any position would be appointed based on ability, and Chinese would not be denied the opportunity to serve the nation because of race. Wee has shown that he is just an opportunist who was happy to exploit the situation just because PAS leaders showed the inclination to be another UMNO Malays. If Wee wanted to serve Chinese interest he should have been the first to point out that the constitution forbids no race from assuming the position of PM and with that he should have worked towards having MCA President appointed as DPM. But MCA has been given position of lesser importance over time, that aspiration of becoming DPM will not enter their wildest dream. Nothing is more grievous than having lost hope and MCA has changed the hope of working for Chinese to enriching the leaders themselves. Perhaps they have been influenced by UMNO that they too are working for Chinese because they consider themselves so belong. But the Chinese considered them Malays or even mamaks depending on the race of the PM of the day.
///In his September meeting with Mr Sedney, Mr Kausikan savaged Thailand’s political elite, labelling Thaksin Shinawatra as “corrupt” along with “everyone else, including the opposition”. Mr Kausikan was also critical of Mr Thaksin’s relationship with the Thai crown prince, saying he “made a mistake in pursuing a relationship with the crown prince by paying off the crown prince’s gambling debts”.///
Well we heard similar stories about state governments settling debts of important persons in this country. That is considered wrong in Thailand, but here the disease had run so deep that there needs no specific mention. Malaysian leaders are incompetent and that is why they had to resort to race and religion to remain in power. They use lesson 101, the crudest method to divert attention.
Choice of PM will be based on the choice of the people. To go for Race, Religion or Capable.
The Traditional had gone after the first two! Whether to continue will be in the hand of God to ask People to use their Wisdom!!
Walk d talk lah, PR! All Malaysians r born equal n can hold top positions
WikiLeaks: “D Australians said dat Singapore’s intelligence services & Lee KY have told Australia’s Office of National Assessments in their exchanges dat opposition leader Anwar ‘did indeed commit d acts 4 which he is currently indicted’.”
We want WikiLeaks 2 release d foto of NR & Altantunya
The constitution says nothing of the DPM. The DPM is likely to be PM so this is saying to stay silent on the subject of of the PM post for now which is the political smart thing to do. ITS NOT AN ISSUE and IF BN had kept the promise of the original National Front and Alliance for the last 40 years, it would actually be something we celebrate and be proud of today.
The fact is a very large number of Malaysian think its probably not an issue and at the very least can be so is a testament to US, the rakyat, the Malay sense of fairness considering what has been done over the last 40 years.
The fact there is still significant people who think that its an issue is an unfortunate, NOT really a problem we cannot overcome IF we do not succumb to victim mentality.
“There is no need to get excited over this because, have we won the general election yet,” PAS president Hadi Awang, who was also present, told reporters. “The right choice will be made at the right time.”
Wow, Hadi Awang must have had the prescience to know what WikiLeaks would leak (now disclosed in The MalaysianInsider & RPK’s MalaysiaToday – and tomorrow mainstream media front page).
On fallouts/political repercussions: It must necessary mean the issue of whether DPM as stated by Anwar could be a Chinese based on Constitution will become irrelevant as the very question whether PR can even now win the general election (with Anwar/PKR leading the show), as highlighted by Hadi, becomes moot, unless as he would soon spin, he leads the show to bring the country nearer to the Almighty’s state, a situation whereby the DAP itself may have to part ways and perhaps join up with 3rd Force if there’s one. RPK’s Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement will be given a boost!
It may mean M’ysian govt can drop the charges against Anwar as WikiLeaks has done and will do a better job than the AG, himself facing accusations! What the govt of M’ysia says has less credibility than what statesman Lee Kuan Yew says.
It may mean an immediate GE soon as BN sets in to leverage – watch the mainstream media spin on this.Spin there must necessarily be because leverage is “limited”.
If the BN govt is going to leverage on what WikiLeaks leaked, then it must be on a “whole” and Not Selective basis. One can’t say that a certain part of what WikiLeaks leaked about Anwar is true and the other part about a deliberate entrapment “set up” job by the powers-that-be is not true! If one were guilty of that alleged against him, then the other is guilty of deliberately setting a trap!
The fact is if WikiLeaks were of any credibility, it has by one stroke, discredited the leading politicians on both side of the Malaysian political divide!
WikiLeaks has given and will give people around the world an unprecedented insight into the shenanigans, peccadilloes and hypocrisy of politicians, as a class, world over. It will revolutionise politics and demystify politicians. More than ever people will come to grip with the old aphorism that politics is an art of deception! Reverbrations from its disclosures will rock many parts of the world. Hilary Clinton has said “ its war on the world” when its actually war on the politicians of whatever political affiliation and persuasion world over. People will come to distrust more and consider many of them as charlatans and dream spinners. In this region at least the unity of ASEAN governments will be strained when leaders know what the other gossiped about them behind their back. In Malaysia, politics will also reconfigure.
(Moderator please delete my earlier comment under moderation).
NR: Opposition can’t emulate BN’s record
Thank God/Allah, even NR realises dat PR will NOT b as racist, inefficient n corrupt as BN
Dat’s what d voters want
Aiyah, what Sg leaders said abt Malaysia, incompetent politicians, n MMK (in WikiLeaks) – common knowledge lah, lots of similar comments in LKS’s Blog
What Singaporean leaders think about Bolehland, we all know. We don’t need them to tell us that the country is in decline after 22 years of gross abuse by Mamakthir. We don’t need them to tell us that the country is going bankrupt at the rate these goons are pillaging and are announcing “negotiated” projects left, right and centre. Question is this: Aside from those who are well read, well connected, well rounded, how do we pass the message along that if we can get rid of the present den of thieves, the country still has a chance ?
“One can’t say that a certain part of what WikiLeaks leaked about Anwar is true and the other part about a deliberate entrapment “set up” job by the powers-that-be is not true! If one were guilty of that alleged against him, then the other is guilty of deliberately setting a trap!” Jeffrey
Wanna bet on this, counselor ? Bolehland will deny all notion of entrapment, and will justify the ongoing prosecution of Anwar. Ask the guy squatting under the rambutan tree.
Why wasn’t there any expose on Anwar as a spy for the CIA and his links to members of the previous US administration ? Wasn’t this something that UMNO, especially Mamakthir, wanted us to believe ?
Mamakthir would explain WikiLeaks expose in the cables what leaders/govt officials of countries allied to US gossip and give in put to CIA/US state Department for its formulation of US policies. The US itself will not divulge in its exchange in these cables its own foreign spies as it would affect US’ national security. So WikiLeak could not find anything in the cables. It has not hacked into Pentagon’s confidntial files on US spies and foreign agents – yet.
About 994 secret cables from Kuala Lumpur are not yet but expected to be published by Wikileaks. A lot of fellas are going to have sleepless nights from now on, with political careers on the line and some cases public demand for investigation and prosecution.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim used Twitter today to dismiss a revelation by WikiLeaks that Australian intelligence believes he engaged in sodomy, claiming the source was Malaysia’s Special Branch police (SB) – The MalaysianInsider 12 Dec.
Wa like that SB should explain to govt why it also provided information of incompetent Malaysian leaders engaged in his entrapment/set up !
Wikileaks has been used like double agent. So, the stories are at best gossips.
lim kit siang will be a better DPM than Muhydin who will be remembered for calling PERC report “rubbish”
why worry if a non malay is a chinese? the PM will be a malay should PR take over
simple, no contest
I’d like to think that Wikileaks has something on Altantuya and ARB. And perhaps beyond. Now that will be interesting.
Why bother a Malay or non-Malay as PM or DPM?
—
White Cat or Black Cat, any Cat that catches Mouses!! — Chinese Leader – Deng Xiao Ping Said
—-
Do we have one?
Or we have only Cats that sleep with Rats?
Why are we still talking about race based politic where we concern about what race to to the PM and DPM? OMG!
I have spoken to a lot of my Malay Bro and Sis, they simply think that the best qualify person should be the PM or DPM or whatsoever.
Come on, we come a long way from 8/3/2008, and are we going backward?
I don’t belief what I heard when one Indian based party start calling for an Indian DPM and Chinese based party call for Chinese DPM.. Iban DPM? Kayan DPM, Bidayu DPM? Orang Asli DPM?
Unbelievable!
Regards
ShiokGuy
A Chinese DPM?
What’s next…PM or Emperor?