By Mariam Mokhtar | Jul 25, 11
Malaysiakini
The rakyat is angry with all politicians, not just BN or the opposition.
We have had 54 years of Umno/BN rule and have things really got any better? The rich appear to get richer, whilst the numbers who make up the poor, are increasing.
The old class system was royalty versus the serfs. Then it was the colonialists against the Malayans. Now it looks like it is the Umnoputras versus the rest.
The Umnoputras are the new elite. Even royalty depends on the largesse of those who lead Umno/BN to get funding from the civil list.
When it suits them, BN will use emotional blackmail on the Malays to say that their heartland and their birthright is being threatened.
The British left us with a country that had enormous potential. Malaya had an abundance of wealth, from tin to timber, minerals to mining.
Singapore was only a trading port for all of Malaya’s riches. Look at Singapore now.
Malaya was rich in natural resources and it was these riches that helped fund the British war effort in the First World War. However, one untapped resource then as it is now, are its people – the Malaysians – Orang Asli, Malays, Chinese, Indians, the East Malaysians, Eurasians and all the rest.
Over the years, all these people contributed towards the success that we now see in the country. It is not BN or Umno or the Opposition who are responsible. It is the hard work and fortitude of those Malaysians who love their country.
However, the Umnoputras are the new royalty and they are siphoning away riches that should be shared with the rest of the rakyat. They take but they never give. They forget that all Malaysians deserve the same considerations and protections as other individuals working in the country.
Prime minister Najib Abdul Razak (right) was not elected to the post. He leads the country by default. He has shown very little ability to govern or to engage with the rakyat.
He only pays lip service to his speech to delegates of the 65th United Nations General Assembly; he said that extremists should not be allowed. At home, Malay extremists were permitted to express their insensitive racist and religious views without being punished.
Tighten belts
His administration tells us to tighten our belts but it appears he does not have to heed his own advice. He freely uses taxpayers’ money on his personal comfort. How does he have the gall to spend RM63 million on renovations on Seri Perdana when some people do not have a decent roof over their heads?
Taxpayers’ money is also used to fund his expenses abroad. One trip to the US was combined with his daughter’s graduation ceremony. Another trip to Kazakhstan with a large entourage of officials coincided with his daughter’s engagement ceremony. Quite a few regarded it as morally wrong.
When Najib’s wife, the self-styled “First Lady”, appeared in the New York Times centre-fold, the rakyat was irked further when it was alleged that US$4 million had been spent on this self-publicity drive.
Perhaps Najib is not at all bothered about emptying the public purse. In comparison, if we owed a government department one ringgit, we would be hounded like criminals.
Najib and his administration are devoid of morality. He need not go on about the opposition and their spending when people who have been found practising money politics to head government institutions.
How can he claim that other Muslim nations should follow Malaysia’s lead, because Malaysia’s system of governance is based on moderate Islam and has worked?
What about corruption, the abuse of power, the use of racial or religious sentiments to divide the public and the lack of credibility of the country’s institutions?
Why can Najib not make decisions which will lead to monumental improvements in democracy in Malaysia?
Instead he wants to build monuments to his vanity like the proposed 100-storey Warisan Merdeka. These are mere phallic symbols for Umno/BN.
Intolerance increasing
In Najib’s Malaysia, levels of aggression and intolerance by some Malays towards non-Malays or non-Muslims have increased. Malays who make racial and religious slurs go unchecked, despite Najib’s promises to eradicate extremism.
Bersih, which called for free and fair elections, has been outlawed by Najib. Is he not interested in clean elections? Does he not wish to prove that Umno has won every election by fair means? Why is he afraid of free and fair elections?
Why is he afraid of allowing international observers to oversee the elections? Surely, international observers would scotch all of the opposition’s claims that Umno tampers with the election results.
On the other hand, the recent deportation of French lawyer, William Bourdon, can only mean one thing. There is something to hide.
Bourdon, who is representing local NGO Suaram, believes that details of beneficiaries and kickbacks from the RM7.3 billion Scorpene submarine deal will be revealed when the matter is raised in an ongoing French corruption trial against defence giant DCNS.
If all is above board the parties involved would surely want to clear their name. Or even prove that the Scorpene scandal has nothing to do with them.
The shame is that other Umno/BN members are aware of the truth and that Najib is an incapable leader. However, these people are not willing to help the country because they only want to save themselves. Perhaps, they are themselves implicated or maybe they fear for their own safety.
But we, the rakyat, are telling Najib that it is time he went.
If he is still unconvinced that he is not the man for the job (of leading the country), he should have known by now, that being PM is a poisoned chalice.
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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.
When you have a lot to do with “tan”s like Kazakhstan, Vincent Tan, Al-tan-tuya, then you should be afraid of your own shadow.
Mariam Mokhtar have said it all.
Najib was never elected…but appointed by his party.
Since the day he was..so call…PM…he has never stop trying to fool Malaysians …fishing for votes.
That’s all he has been doing…with his low class..sweet talks…hollow slogans…. threats…..provocations..and his famous flip flopping style…making him the biggest liar ..so call PM of Malaysia.
Without Rosmah…he can do nothing.
Its a lot simpler. Ask Tony Pua – RM13.5billion of defense contract that is worth less than 1/3. Delay it and billions will be gone..
Wow, a very well written article!
Is the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka project still alive?
If yes, it needs to be shot down immediately once PR takes over Putrajaya!
BTW, was it center page in New York Times? I thought it was in a much smaller paper called New York Post to fool Malaysians?
Belakang masuk what, can 1, even UmnoBputras hope dat very soon he kicks d bucket just like his old man did while in ofis, then his FLOM will takeover his constituency, a big fat chance 2 b elected as an MP
Yes, he’ll have 2 go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smlaq1ezQRM
Why only Najib? He is but the head worm. The whole BN must go. After tolerating them for 50years, it is time for a change.
We must change the tenant at Putrajaya
It is best Najib stays till the next GE.That will be a pretty good bet that he will be a huge liability to Umno as once they perceived Anwar to be to PR.This will be a politicians dream come truth.In other words Umno will be handing Putrajaya to PR on a diamond platter.
Unbelievable!!
Najib speech for his “Raise the flag campaign” at K.L. Sentral accused Oppositions brain washing Malaysian minds.
What a good adopted son to Mahathir…….he is.
malaysians should fly the national flag for 6 weeks to show that we are united—– Why only 6 weeks and not 6 months, jibby?
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/the-chameleon-pm-othman-wahab/
Najib is on his way out.He has already decided to hand over his powers to his successor.He knows that all his effort to unite the people had failed.He cannot succeed because he did not earn the position of the PM.He carried the murder of Atanayu on his back.He made a mistake by appointing his cousin as the home minister.He did not read the change of the political situation.He thought being the son of a Prime Minister he is popular.All these thinking worked till Mahathir’s era.After that the true feeling of the people came out.At one time the police were feared.Now we know they are servants of the people to take care of the people.People have realised that when they voted it is no more for the politician to make money and the rakyat to fall on their legs to get things done.Malaysia had changed and the people had changed well.Even the royalty is watched.At one time showing the backside to a royalty is not allowed.Some have got slapped or even shot.All these changes were in history but it was not glorified.The French chopped the royalty and brought about the people power. In India the royalty were cooly sent out. Even in UK the royalty does not enjoy the same respect as before. They are kept there in case the government collapses during a war when politics will be shelved.We see changes everywhere but the stupid leaders and UMNO politicians thought Malaysian people are more like slaves.They will vote for them forever.It is not the case.In the next election UMNO/BN will be wiped out and people will see a change of government which will be free of corruption and fair to all the races.Najib and his family might go overseas to seek asylum but will be brought back to face trial for abuse of power ,corruption and manipulating the judiciary.We will see real Democracy grow which will be the making of modern Malaysia.This is the truth which is now a dream but will be real after the next election.
It is not Najib is not smart or doesn’t have the mandate to govern.He is a seasoned politician who likes to play it safe.Just like Barrack Obama,always looking at the polls before they act.This time not only that Najib cannot act,he cannot even moved to.Becaused he has his bolas squezzed by the 3 M’s.
3M…Make More Money.
3M…Many Mad Monkies.
Squezzed by ….Magnificent Mighty Malaysians!!!
And mighty Malaysians say…”Let there be TRUTHS exposed”…and so it does and it was good.
Tis the morning of the first day…and God only knows how many more days we need to work to get rid of the Devil.
Never mind …..how long.
Getting rid of the Devil is a mission we are fortunate to be part of it.
Najib is not the right person for the PM job. He is no different from Pak Lah, who promised a lot but failed to deliver.
What is worse, the country’s democratization process has suffered a setback under Najib’s leadership.
I said it many times before – Najib leads 6 rows from the front. He is not a natural born leader, so he won’t lead from the front row. In Malay culture, if the boss leads 6 rows from the front, nobody in the party can be ahead of him, so they are all massed behind the 6th row. Of course they don’t know what’s going beyond the 6 rows in front of them. Ibrahim Ali is in the front row, but he has impaired vision, and anything that comes in front of him is an enemy, and when he shouts, all those behind him, including Najib, gets confused.
That’s the modern day UMNO for you.
“Huh? I must go ah? Ok lor. Go Go lor.”
There goes jib and fat mama ros in their 14billion ringgit gold and platinum lined gift yatch.
///But we, the rakyat, are telling Najib that it is time he went///-Mariam Mokhtar. Like drngsc commented, “he is but the head worm – the whole BN must go”! Actually it is political culture of neo-feudalism of which the BN has nurtured over 50 years to anchor its power that creates problem for the country. So even if after BN is gone and Opposition takes over, if the latter perpetuates this kind of culture, the opposition too must go. This kind of political culture claims on one hand primacy of Asian values that places importance on authoritarian government being protector of people in exchange for blind loyalty. It always prioritizes the community whom the govt claims to represents its best interests over the individual’s interest and civil rights.
Here Mahathir admin defined Asian values as being identified with that of the majority race (feudalism, Islam, and adat (traditional customs) underpinning our etnic/communal based politics & Ketuanan. In S’pore LKY speaks of Asian values identified with Confucius. The difference between the two is that in our case it has led to polarization of the races. Also when elites are authoritarian it leads to corruption as in our case and arrogance of power in both cases. (In S’pore last election Hsien Loong had to apologise even if S’pore is by comparative standards outstanding for governance). The common thread of such political culture of neo-feudalism is both has a disdain for western style individualism that emphasizes on civil liberties of the individual, accountability of government as an entity in service of and not lord over the rakyat….It is a perfect milieu for elites in power to do (aggrandize themselves) as they wish -as lord over serfs- without accountability. Such a culture works where people are simple minded and relatively not educated. Now people are more educated and believe that those elected to power are trustees for people (beneficiaries)’ interest. No more Lord and Serfs per Feudal culture.
We are talking of more and more young voters better educated with access to internet. One can’t even control their thought through a manacled press. It is due to changes wrought by Internet ICT (face book Youtube, I-Pad etc), social media – eg CNN, Al Jazeera . Political elites wishing to preserve their exalted positions and vested interest forget that their constituencies are maturing and fail to adapt to meet changing competencies and expectations. Younger voters are more concerned with governance issues and one can’t pull wool over their eyes by harping on Race/Religion Communal Issues appealing to their primordial instincts and nothing of their intellect! Frightened those in power use old tried methods to repress. This cannot work as what the so called Arab Spring shows. The younger people accelerate the maturing process to politics and more and more of them will vote. So if not enough of them this coming GE to form the critical mass to usher the unadapting incumbent out, it will then be the next GE after then. It’s an inevitable process. It’s not a question of if you are out – its only when!
In yesterday Nanyang paper, Mathathir’s birthday without Najib and just Vincent Tan on his right and Muhiddin on his left.
Ha Ha. Rahman theory!!!!!
Our Deputy Higher Minister Saifuddin correctly said in recent Bersih forum the intensity of young voters with current governance issues is like a speeding train. “You have to know how to respond if you want to be the one driving the train otherwise you are left a passenger. And if you are late in responding you will be left behind on the platform…” The worst case scenario are people who still cannot see the train coming and they will be run over. Well Saifuddin you should convince your other UMNO warlords. The bungled response by UMNO in handling Bersih challenge is illustrative of this. The right PM will be the one who could tap these impulses and flow with them to lead in the journey to a more matured democracy. Even if Najib on APCO advice understands this, he can’t move as many of those around him are frightened fellas in dark ages resorting to TDM’s methods and using the opposite of his vision as justification to substitute/replace him.
There is no if….buts and why.
He must go…because he is not wanted…so simple.
People Power will see to that…with no fear for all his threats and jargons.
Gam gam gam.So simple as like that also don’t know 1 meh.Haiya..
At last Najib realizes that the harm of the descendant of Calicut Indian is never ending. It is better late than never to dissociate from the worst opportunistic racist.
///He only pays lip service to his speech to delegates of the 65th United Nations General Assembly; he said that extremists should not be allowed. At home, Malay extremists were permitted to express their insensitive racist and religious views without being punished.///–Mariam Mokhtar
Najib tried to give the impression that he knew what is right, but he was not able to do the right thing. That alone shows that he is not fit to be PM.