Forgive and forget, the Umno Way

— Gomen Man
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 04, 2012

MARCH 4 — This is the Umno way: Forget all debts and don’t bring up mistakes. And this enlightening statement is coming from Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the then-agriculture minister who approved the now-infamous National Feedlot Centre project.

This is a most self-serving and irresponsible statement, not to mention dangerous.

Is this what we are supposed to teach our children? Just say sorry and all will be forgiven. There is no need to show remorse, make restitution or pay a price for breaking the law.

How about the common Malaysian? Just say sorry and there will be no need to be punished for cheating, theft, robbery, murder, criminal breach of trust, etc.

Muhyiddin’s statement is very much in keeping with the ridiculous stuff that we keep having to put up with. Don’t bring up my past transgressions even though I have not owned up to it because it is in the past. Continue reading “Forgive and forget, the Umno Way”

Najib mohon maaf

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 04, 2012

4 MAC — Sedikit komen keatas mohon maaf oleh Najib Razak.

Tugas dan misi rakyat semua ialah membantu Najib membuktikan kejujuran permohonan maafnya. Cara yang terbaik membantu PM Najib ialah memastikan dia menjadi ketua pembangkang dalam Parlimen yang akan datang.

Kenapa? Dengan cara yang demikian, pengucapan mohon maaf akan menjadi perbuatan dan perlaksanaan.

Ini bukan isu sombong. Kalau sombong, kita boleh melupakan dengan senang orang yang sombong. Ini isu kerajaan yang korap dan lemah. Ini isu sebuah kerajaan yang setelah 50 tahun lebih memerintah, masih gagal meningkatkan kesejahteraan rakyat Bumiputera.

Ini isu kerajaan yang kleptokratik, yang membenarkan pimpinan politik kerajaan dan pentadbir kerajaan menyalah guna kuasa untuk mendapat sumber kekayaan. “Kleptocracy” ialah kerajaan oleh pencuri untuk pencuri. Continue reading “Najib mohon maaf”

Siblings of the same calling

Mohamad Tajuddin Md Rasdi |Feb 28, 2012
Malaysiakini

I wish to comment on Dr Hasan Ali’s concern over the alleged attempts of Christian missionaries in converting Muslims. He has alluded to the presence of the men-in-white who are secretly doing Christian ‘dakwah’.

I have known Hassan Ali for a long time and my respect for him was to the extent that I had prayed he would be one of Malaysia’s prime ministers.

I had entrusted my children’s religious and moral training to his ‘summer camp’ programme and I deeply respect him as a man who embodies much of the character of the Prophet.

Needless to say I had wished that I would have had half of his knowlege and perhaps ‘iman’ before I leave this world.

I do not wish to deal with allegations of him coverting the chief ministership of Selangor and that his latest ‘revelation of these Christian men-in-white affair is a tool to put him in the limelight and find favours with leaders of his own racist mindset.

In this essay I wish to put across three important points concerning this matter. My first point is that I find his allegation has little credibility.

My second point is that if Muslims were to have been converted to Christianity, why blame Christians and not our way of interpreting and teaching Islam?

My final point is that, I believe that all religions are like siblings in a family and that I have found great faith in delving into how each and every religion attempts to give solace to man concerning the right way to find happiness in this world and the next. Continue reading “Siblings of the same calling”

‘Umno’s 2004 landslide victory a curse’

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | March 4, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

Former Umno assemblyman Mohd Ariff Sabri discovered that much of Daim’s ‘prophecies’ remain relevant.

COMMENT

This article is based on a 45-minute conversation I had with former economic advisor Tun Daim Zainuddin way back in early 2009.

However, I must say this. I did not take notes while we were talking as I wanted to savour the fullness of our conversation.

But as soon as I got back, I quickly wrote notes in my own little red book on what transpired. There was never a doubt in my mind that we would be talking with candour.

I would later discover, this larger than life figure possesses a rapier sharp mind. But most of all I would be disarmed by his willingness to speak easy.

It was obvious Daim was not restrained nor constrained. And our conversation touched a range of issues. Continue reading “‘Umno’s 2004 landslide victory a curse’”

Has Najib issued a “blank cheque” apology, signifying nothing as to enable all the past BN mistakes of abuses of power, corruption and lack of accountability to be repeated in even worse magnitude?

Yesterday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak extended an apology to the people on behalf of the Barisan Nasional for the coalition’s mistakes in the last general election, which cost it several electoral seats and states including Kedah.

Najib said:

“I apologise for our mistakes prior to the 2008 general election. If we made mistakes in the past and the voters rejected us, we accept it.

“On behalf of BN, I apologise. We have learnt from our mistakes, and we aim and promise the people that we will make amends and bring them to greater heights.”

I was immediately asked on the twitter: “accept or not” and my reply was: “Yes, should accept if Najib’s apology for BN’s past mistakes genuine. Is it genuine or just election gimmicry?”

I scoured the news reports to be able to say that Najib’s apology should be accepted in good faith as he has identified and owned up to the BN’s past mistakes for which he and the present BN would make amends, but unfortunately, there is nothing whatsoever to come to such a conclusion.

In fact, one should ask whether Najib has issued a “blank cheque” apology, signifying nothing as to enable all the past BN mistakes of abuses of power, corruption and lack of accountability to be repeated in even worse magnitude? Continue reading “Has Najib issued a “blank cheque” apology, signifying nothing as to enable all the past BN mistakes of abuses of power, corruption and lack of accountability to be repeated in even worse magnitude?”

You call this an apology?

– Othman Wahab
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 03, 2012

MARCH 3 – I am stumped, I really am. Why can’t people really mean it when they say they apologise and say sorry. There should not be any qualifications or buts.

There must be sincerity. And I think that critical ingredient was missing today when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told a gathering in Kedah that he would like to apologise for Barisan Nasional’s (BN) mistakes in 2008 which resulted in the coalition losing its two-thirds majority.

He then said that the BN would work hard to rectify its mistakes. But the “mistakes” according to Najib were made several years ago so why weren’t the mistakes rectified after all BN controls Putrajaya and all the purse strings and everything else.

So why weren’t the “mistakes” rectified. Najib has been PM since 2009 so he can’t blame Abdullah Badawi. Continue reading “You call this an apology?”