Book Review: Beyond the Veneer: Malaysia’s Struggle For Dignity and Direction
(Ioannis Gatsiounis : Monsoon Books, Singapore. 2008 : 273 pages Indexed : US $15.95)
By: Bakri Musa
Soon after Abdullah Badawi led his Barisan Nasional coalition to a landslide electoral victory in 2004, I wrote a blistering critique of his leadership. He had hoodwinked voters, I wrote, with his slick “feel good” campaign, and that sooner or later Malaysians would see through his emptiness. I had the piece previewed by my friend and frequent collaborator Din Merican. He suggested that I hold back and instead give Abdullah a chance. I did.
Little did I know that at about the same time (October 2004) an American journalist in Malaysia, Ioannis Gatsiounis, had written for Asia Times an essay titled, “Abdullah’s Honeymoon is Over in Malaysia.” Although more restrained in tone, nonetheless as judged by the title, he revealed a similar lack of enthusiasm for Abdullah as a leader. His “soft but firm” leadership, Gatsiounis wrote, “has shown … to be more soft than firm.”
That kind of perceptiveness is rare for a foreign observer, or a local one for that matter. Today, as judged by the current headlines, Gatsiounis’s judgment of Abdullah has become the common wisdom.
Such insights and perceptiveness do not come easily or quickly, even for the most astute of observers. Gatsiounis has been reporting from and on Southeast Asia since 2000, beginning first in Jakarta and later in Kuala Lumpur where he now resides. This gives him an intimate knowledge of Malaysia and a nuanced understanding of its racial dynamics and political tensions. He is not easily persuaded by smooth official press releases or slick PR gimmicks.
This volume, Beyond the Veneer: Malaysia’s Struggle For Dignity and Direction, contains his 42 essays written from about 2003 onwards. There are three commentaries on the recent “most crucial general elections in the country’s 50-year history,” one written just before the elections, and two, right afterwards.
“The Malaysian government’s authoritarian instincts,” Gatsiounis wrote in his first post-election essay (“A New Democratic Era in Malaysia”) “were finally checked by democracy at Saturday’s highly anticipated elections.”
Noting the immediate fractiousness among the opposition parties on power sharing, Gatsiounis observed (“The Malaysian Race Card”) that the “Chinese and Indians have become more vocal in opposing discriminatory policies, but they have given little indication that if they were granted greater equality they would rise above their own clannish tendencies.” As I said, Gatsiounis is a perceptive observer.
No Christaine Amanpour-type of Journalism
Today because of budgetary restraints, American media are cutting back on their foreign news operations, relying instead on what I would call the Christiane Amanpour-type of coverage. Fly in your celebrity journalist, interview the top local honchos, pick some cute quotes from the “man on the street,” choose some recognizable backdrops (which in Malaysia would be the Petronas Twin Towers), and then file your brief three-minute report that would appear just before the toothpaste commercial in the evening news.
Thus it is not surprising that Americans are poorly informed on matters beyond their borders. Such ignorance would ultimately percolate up to the leaders and policymakers. The results, as can be seen in Iraq and Afghanistan, can be devastating both to the natives as well as their “saviors.”
Thanks to the Internet, I have read many of Gatsiounis’s commentaries that have appeared in such publications as the International Herald Tribune, Newsweek, Washington Times as well as Asia Times. Let me assure readers that his reporting is the very antithesis of CNN’s Amanpour.
His is more along the Independent’s (Britain) seasoned Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk. Had Tony Blair listened to Fisk’s wisdom, he would probably still be Prime Minister today. More importantly, he would have spared himself, as well as those British soldiers in Iraq, much grief.
Malaysia is, as evidenced by the observations in this book as well as explicitly stated in the introduction, “trying to run the rat race of globalization on one good leg.” That is the leg Malaysia shows to the cameras, the gleaming Petronas Towers and the ribbon of smooth highways. The other, the bad leg that is severely handicapping the country, is the rampant corruption, deepening rich-poor divide, deteriorating institutions, and the increasingly dangerous polarization of race relations. To Gatsiounis, Malaysia has all but ensured that its “diversity is a weakness and not a strength.” I could not agree more.
There are no interviews of the powerful in this volume except for one longer than usual essay (“Malaysia’s Leader-in-Waiting”) based on a 40-minute interview with Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, a man very much in the news today, but for all the wrong reasons.
Gatsiounis observed that while Najib Razak “displayed a firm understanding of the kind of world Malaysia is entering and the attributes it would need … to be competitive, … he has also been a staunch defender of UMNO’s status quo … which has hindered Malaysia’s competitiveness and social harmony.”
I would say that Najib, like all UMNO leaders including supposedly better educated younger ones like Khairy Jamaluddin, are not so much defenders of UMNO culture rather that they are trapped by it, unable to escape its suffocating clutches. Their collective response to the March 8 electoral thumping for example, was not to seek changes but rather more of the same. To me, UMNO’s implosion is inevitable, and soon.
Instead of interviewing the powerful, Gatsiounis relies on his own observations. According to official accounts on the massive public Bersih rally calling for clean elections, the shopkeepers were fed up with the demonstrators who had disrupted businesses. In actual fact, as reported by Gatsiounis (“Opposition Steals a March in Malaysia”), those shopkeepers welcomed the increase in foot traffic. Their businesses were rudely interrupted only when the police came rushing in wildly brandishing their truncheons and firing their water cannons.
With such critical and penetrating reporting, I am surprised that Gatsiounis is not on the radar screen of the Home Ministry. One reason could be that those officials think that he writes primarily for foreigners. Those bureaucrats could not be more wrong. Through the Internet, Gatsiounis commands a sizable local audience, as evidenced by the praises on the book cover by such local luminaries as Ramon Navaratnam, Khoo Kay Peng and Ibrahim Suffian.
I asked Gatsiounis whether he felt intimidated by the authorities. Much to my surprise – and relief! – he answered no, although obviously he is aware of the realities. He however, wisely avoids flouting those restraints.
Malaysian journalists and writers regularly blame the myriad of restrictive rules for their timidity. They have to exercise self-censorship to survive, they claim. It is more an excuse. As Gatsiounis has shown, one can still be true to one’s professional ideals even under such trying circumstances. In truth, Malaysian journalists and pundits grovel to the powerful less for self preservation and more for ingratiation.
A challenge in publishing a collection of essays is organization, whether to arrange them thematically (as this one) or chronologically. The disadvantage of the latter would be that readers would have to jump from one topic to another. A combination would be better. On a section about Abdullah for example, arrange the essays chronologically. After all, a highly critical commentary on his leadership written in 2008, when Abdullah had clearly and fully exposed his incompetence, would not have the same impact as one penned earlier.
A further modification would be to have as a footnote at the bottom of the title page the date when the essay was written, instead of at the end. That would save readers from having to flip through the pages to the end of the article to find out when it was written.
With the current headlines filled with sordid details of the sexual escapades (real and imagined) of the politically powerful, and of police reports and sworn affidavits submitted and then retracted by those whose wish to ingratiate themselves to the powerful, we are again being reminded of the pitiful lack of solid reporting and penetrating analyses in the Malaysian media. By publishing this volume, Gatsiounis extends his reach among Malaysians, making them (hopefully) better informed. More importantly, this book also reminds Malaysians of what they miss in their daily news and information staple.
Dear YB Lim,
The YB for Malaysian.
Hey Abdullah Badawi,
Akan tiba masanya nanti,
Kehampaan rakyat tak dapat dibendungi
Rakyat bangkit menentang bapak menteri,
Tanpa mengira siang atau malam hari,
Segala halangan akan ditempohi,
Biar terluka atau tubuh dicalari,
Walau benteng batu yang memagari,
Rakyat kan tetap bangkit bangun berlari,
Tangan rakyat boleh kau gari,
Waima darah menitis ke bumi,
Kami kan bangkit menendang menerajangi,
Segala pengkhianatan yang kau dalangi,
Perundangan telah kau cerobohi.
http://www.kerajaanrakyat.com/
Malaysian reporting standards had been much compromised by the fear of being under the radar screen of powers-that-be. It is not so much due to the lack of imagination or superb ability as one would have been led to believe.
Local writers are fed up with the parochial and intimidating stance taken by administrators and interests groups regarding sharp comments and analyses. That alone discouraged meaningful discourses and deliberation. It makes no sense to be able to see and report on something truthful, hence making it useful for follow-up action and thought, to later find oneself being hauled up for questioning, and be gagged, and maybe threatened.
Perhaps Ioannis Gatsiounis has the privilege of being a foreigner. Malaysians view outsiders differently from locals. For the same criticism of any local issue, I am sure he would be judged differently from any local writer, which unfortunately also depends very much on his/ her ethnicity.
One must remember that Malaysians are from different ethnic background, and that matters a lot. For example non-Malays are not supposed to comment on things Malay. Mr Ioannis, and, perhaps, Mr. Bakri Musa should know that. The racial sentiment and undercurrent here are strong, even though many would like to think otherwise.
There are unwritten and silent “orders” and “commands” to watch one’s words and mouth. Malaysians, especially the more critical ones, know better the boundary and limit to keep to. They are restrained by “unseen hands”.
Racial polarisation especially among the political, business and academic sectors in Malaysia is at its worst. The “supremacy” of a particular segment of Malaysian society exerts a lot of negative and unhealthy “culturisation” ( if there is such a word, if no,t I would like to coin it here) of the local social milieu.
The impact is beyond what one can sense and see. One has to be in the position to truly and actually feel it. Perhaps even Mr. Bakri Musa has not fathomed the actual depth of the non-Malays’ predicament.
Unless and until Malaysians and Malaysia are truly ready for open discussions and dialogues, one cannot expect any genuine critique of issues pertaining to realities in Malaysia.
After reading the comments by Condoleezza Rice, former Canadian prime minister Paul Martin, ex-World Bank chief James Wolfensohn, and Michel Camdessus, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, on the country’s judicial system, government’s handling of rule of law and rights of the individual, I think Malaysia’s goal of achieving First World status by 2020 remains a illusive dream – unless there is a change of federal government.
“They” don’t care if the country goes to the dogs, so long as “they” achieve the goal of taking as much as “they” can from the country’s coffers. Even when a country goes bankrupt there are spoils to be had. Classic examples are Zimbabwe and the Philippines. Politicians still fight tooth and nail for scraps.
I am rather grateful that the BN does not pursue libel cases with such vigour as our southern neighbours nor does it put impossible obstacles for people to contest in elections or set up political parties. However, BN knows all too well that the writing is on the wall and it’s future is numbered if it continues down the path of self-deceit and thinking everything is ok. What we are seeing today are desperate attempts by an incompetent administration to cling on to power. The alternative though does not provide any glimmer of confidence either. I think the problem is inherent with Malaysian policits of late that there do not seem to be worthy leaders and visionaries any more.
I am waiting for tempreture to rise .With the UMNO , MIC , MCA election which is just round the corner.No matter who wins the political scenario is going to change.
Pak lah is going all out to see that nobody challenge him.By announcing his plan. I wonder weather KU LI will still go for the number one post.
There are some very good UMNO GRASS ROOT leaders who will be able to bring UMNO back to its earlier glory days .But the old guards who still pratice Money politics refuse to give way.
By this alone UMNO days are numbered.
I am rather grateful that the BN does not pursue libel cases with such vigour as our southern neighbours….” zak_haamaad.
If by that you mean Naj*ib and Rosmah by not suing RPK for civil defamation (and have recently left it to the AG to charge him with criminal defamation, working in tandem with the police to intimidate and threaten him) should be commended for exercising restraint and a high regard for freedom of speech, then it is nobody’s mistake but yours for failing to see the wood from the trees.
Such political naiveté is not uncommon among some who claim they are not UMNO sympathizers.
Why pursue libel cases, just C4 it’s common, or wrap them away! Remember Bala?
It is not something new to refer to the reality in Malaysia as being “Third World” in standing. Many writers who have an interest in Malaysia would have come to similar conclusions. It is not due to the lack of patriotism and fondness of condemning the nation that they are being critical of the reality; instead it is for the love and concern for the country that compel them to do so.
To be fair, our country has produced many talents throughout her 50 years of independence. Malaysia’s and Malaysians’ contributions to the progress and development of the world are well documented and recognised. No one can deny that. And that itself is “First World” stuff.
Whilst we should be proud of those achievements, there are also a lot of issues which had been neglected and left unattended to for far too long which eroded the situation in the country to a dangerously precarious condition. Hence the “Third World” tag.
How do we fare in comparison to the First World nations in terms of physical, cultural, educational, human and general development?
Much is left to be desired indeed.
. Take the education policy and teaching in schools for example:
While there is no firm and convincing direction as to where it is headed, there are also too many unproductive, confusing and conflicting ideas and inputs which lead the education policy being hijacked and ineffective.
There are disagreements and disputes even on a basic decision such as on the language to be used to teach critical subjects like mathematics and sciences. Nationalist and apologist of everything Bahasa Malaysia, defend their views, rightly or misleadingly, even though the importance and relevance of English as the medium of instruction has been proven the world over.
A half-hearted approach definitely affects the standard of teaching and learning of maths and science, to the detriment of students. The government has to be firm in its stand in carrying out policies which are benefiting students and country. Flip-flopping does not help the cause of education.
The general standard of teaching is observed to have deteriorated
over the years in schools. Perhaps the quality of teachers is in question?
. Governance and Policies
The government has to be fair and seen to be fair to all peoples of the country. There cannot be two sets of policies for the rakyat. One for Malay and one for the others.
It would be read as being racist and prejudiced in the eyes of those being sidelined. And they cannot be blamed for holding on to such views. The message is written in the results of the March 2008 General Election.
There are numerous other contentious issues which had been widely debated over the media. The government must treat them with urgency and rectify what need to be.
All the above indeed had a role in portraying the “Third World” reality in Malaysia.
I once read an article. It said whether a country could become a developed one, that depended very much on its governance and policies. GDP per capita and technological achievements only took second place. If that is the yardstick to gauge whether a country is developed then Malaysia has failed miserably.
undergrad2 Says:
>> If by that you mean Naj*ib and Rosmah by not suing…
No, that is NOT want I ‘mean’ – You should broaden your restricted horizon and not read between the lines. Malaysia has a far more open society than S’pore in terms of journalistic freedoms and the government does not pursue every slander and defamation with a legal writ.
Credit must be given where it is due, whether that comes from the current government or the opposition. Having a blind partisanship or aligning oneself to any individual or party is detrimental for pluralism. Surely this is what you want isn’t it? Your posts are full of laughable ironies.
zak_hammaad Says:I think the problem is inherent with Malaysian policits of late that there do not seem to be worthy leaders and visionaries any more.
You have right observation but poor discerning power. How can we have worthy leaders and visionaries when top leadership positions in this country are essentially chosen from a subset. If in case you think Mahathir is visionary, let me tell you that he was and is a gutter third world tribal leader who destroyed institutions that money can not buy.
limkamput, my point exactly… Instead of paying lip-service for ‘change’; tell me what YOU have done on grassroot level in your locality to initiate change for the betterment of Malaysia? I would like to see what practical solutions you propose. I don’t care what you think about Tun, to me and many others he remains the best PM Malaysia has had. No one is perfect and some mistakes are unforgiveable, but his rights vs wrongs are apparent for any impartial person. Unless of course, you are one who has been adversely affected by his policies.
zak_hammaad Says: Malaysia has a far more open society than S’pore in terms of journalistic freedoms and the government does not pursue every slander and defamation with a legal writ.
Again poor discerning power. You can’t differentiate between substance and form. Has it ever occurred to you that there is a possibility that journalistic freedom was deliberately granted to confuse and divide the people. When push come to shove, do you think Malaysia will give you more freedom than Singapore? Over my dead body. Do you genuinely believe that the government will not sue if there is a clear case to pursue. I will never agree that the Malaysian government is more benevolent than Singapore. Only the naive and those who suffered from years of indoctrination will come to this view.
Someone claimed that we have a more open society than Singapore, and yet with the clowns at the top of the pile, we are the laughing stock of the world.
Consider this: Mohd Said buys 14 Mercs for his exco, citing high maintenance costs for the Perdanas. Mohd Said even quoted ridiculous figures in excess of six digits for maintenance over 4 years, and was quoted as being prepared to show the maintenance invoices to back up his claim. Najis then came out and said the government should buy local. Mohd Said has a meeting with Sleepy Head who then announced that the cabinet has decided to let the Trengganu state government proceed with the Mercs, but only if they were used to ferry guests. So now the state exco has to buy 14 new Perdanas.
[I absolutely love the Sleepy Head’s rationale: “If we ask them to sell the Mercs now, they would incur a loss.” That’s economics 101 from the Minister of Finance.]
Covering up one mistake with another mistake appears to be the forte of UMNO. Would we see the itemised maintenance expenses as promised by Mohd Said ? Don’t bet on it. Are we sure there’s more openness in Bolehland compared to Singapore ? Openness to make promises, but no openness in keeping the promises ?
zak_hammaad,
You see, i can discern exactly who you think is your greatest leader. Despite trying to preempt it, you still want to promote that tribal leader. Sure, may be he has done great things for you, after all he is also the father of corruption and rent seeking culture in this country.
One more thing, why must i account to you what i have done or did not do? Have you done anything? I wish to think that I have done more than you can imagine. In right time may be i will show you.
Dear Bakri Musa,
Hi there. I have been reading your articles and they are very insightful.
I’d like to pose a question on the fredom of press as practiced in Malaysia. Why are Malaysians restricted from writing freely in the press. You had mentioned about the reluctance of Malaysian journalists to speak their mind and hence the truth.
You wrote, ” Malaysian journalists and writers regularly blame the myriad of restrictive rules for their timidity. They have to exercise self-censorship to survive, they claim. It is more an excuse. As Gatsiounis has shown, one can still be true to one’s professional ideals even under such trying circumstances”.
If you are a journalist in Malaysia, what would you do? How would you combat the restrictive rules imposed not on journalists, but on the local newspapers themselves. For the longest time, I used to hear rumours that the Cheif Editors of our Star and NST are appointed by the Prime Minister or the government. Is this true?
I have been asking this question in this blog but no one seems to give me a safisfactory answer.
Is the book by Ioannis sold in Malaysia? If it’s not sold in Malaysia, I guess Ioannis’s reporting lacks the final push to get it sold in Malaysia. Whats the use of writing an important book about Malaysian issues when it is not sold in Malaysia to be bought and read by people in Malaysia?
May justice and truth set us free.
God bless.
Anba
I think it is such bickering which is happening in the posts which is robbing Malaysia of talents which could otherwise be more productively used in making more insightful observations and studies into the happenings in and around the country.
No wonder outsiders like Mr Ioannis Gatsiounis has taken over the role of doing the correct observation and reporting, which in Bakri Musa’s words, “..extends his reach among Malaysians, making them (hopefully) better informed. More importantly, this book also reminds Malaysians of what they miss in their daily news and information staple.”
Bakri Musa further notes that:
“Noting the immediate fractiousness among the opposition parties on power sharing, Gatsiounis observed (“The Malaysian Race Card”) that the “Chinese and Indians have become more vocal in opposing discriminatory policies, but they have given little indication that if they were granted greater equality they would rise above their own clannish tendencies.” As I said, Gatsiounis is a perceptive observer.”
We have to rise above all the shortcomings in order to be what we wanted others to be…
Zak said:
“Unless of course, you are one who has been adversely affected by his policies.”
That mamak affected ALL Malaysians in more adverse ways that anyone else that we know, including the present Sleepy Head.
Godfather,
Now Mohd Said said perhaps ACA should investigate the monsoon cup, crystal mosque and theme park etc. Beautiful right. They are just fighting for money. You dig up on Proton Perdana, they dig up on monsson cup. You see, no body cares anymore. This is like the dying days of a Chinese dynasty. The people in positions will take as much as possible and run for their life. No body cares anymore. We are on our own, pal.
Anba:
What a question to ask if the Chief Editors of the mainstream press are appointed by the Prime Minister. It’s the same as asking if the head of the ACA, the AG, the IGP, and all the key Federal Court appointments are made by the Prime Minister.
Limkamput:
The game today is called “grabbing each other by the balls”. You can bet that nobody is going to squeeze very hard.
I think Bakri Musa overlooked the role Malaysian newspapers in stifling debate and free flow of information. Let me share with you one strategy the Malaysian newspapers use to protect vested interest groups.
First, the newspaper will let you air your views on some issues of public importance in their letter columns. After that, they will publish the views of the vested interest groups to counter your arguments. Now, if you write a rejoinder, the newspaper will not publish it anymore. The newspapers just want the vested interest groups to have the last say so that whatever arguments will stay with the unsuspecting minds. This is how they influence public opinion in this country.
We are envious of Singapore’s success, and rightly so, don’t we?
Although Singapore seems to rule with an iron hand, it is done with much wisdom and intelligence. The fact that so many foreigners are flocking to that island state speaks volume for Singapore.
There must be something there which we do not yet have, which makes Singapore so singularly outstanding and vibrant.
I wish I could say the same for our country Malaysia.
Not that I am supporter or fan of Singapore. One just cannot ignore that they are indeed commendable and formidable. An island with no resources to fall back on, they have managed to overcome so many obstacles to stand out among the First World nations in so many aspects.
We should learn from those who done well.
that mamak should be in jail for all the indiscretions, mistakes and crimes he committed during his 22 years of dictatorship. how can anyone look up to him as a role model. if you take the restriction that the pm can only be a malay away, i am sure we can find not only many visionary leaders but also of integrity and honesty and incorruptability.
limkamput, again you discern all you like, you ain’t going to be out of a job as a propagandist that’s for sure. You have again swept the core message of my post under the carpet… Let me repeat: “Instead of paying lip-service for ‘change’; tell me what YOU have done on grassroot level in your locality to initiate change for the betterment of Malaysia? I would like to see what practical solutions you propose.”
It is easy point fingers at others and gloat and rile, but the acid test comes when you provide an better model of governing that is accepted by all Malaysians. This in fact is a misnomer because you can never please all of the people all of the time.
Is it not true that DAP are fighting for a secular Malaysia? If it is, then you should know by now that secularism can not co-exist with Islam on par. Social justice is not about imposing our values on each other, it is firstly about respect and appreciation of the differences and working to find a common ground to come together as Malaysians.
We can not come together under one religion or culture or language, therefore we must try much harder to be accommodating of each others needs. Being 62%+ Muslim, surely you should acknowledge that (logically) the need for Muslim Malaysians will be greater IN RATIO to the needs of the non-Muslim minorities?
And because this blog is anti-establishment in essence, this should be more of an incentive for you to list your proposals and right or the wrongs you think you have been subjected to!
Hi ZAK,
God made everyone the SAME.
RICH,POOR,FAT,THIN,MALAY,CHINESE AND INDIAN.
I look at everyone the SAME that what I was taught in my believe
We have this thing call KETUANAN MELAYU, MALAY UNITY.
All these are RACIAL segregation.
One more point. NUMBER only count on POLITICS. So that why we have so many INDONESIAN here to make the no.
You coconut head, secularism is inclusive. Islamic state is exclusive. You got it? If you can not understand, let me know. I may elaborate (depending on mood) for you. I prefer going to sleep now than debating with you.
May be Undergrad2 can answer on behalf. We work on shift and it is his shift now.
LOL.
I cannot do a better job than you, Sir. Keep up the good work. I’m rooting for you in this slugging match!
Maybe Kathy can take turns?
I urge you, limkamput, not to go to sleep now because you may end up arguing in your sleep and that could be bad for your ‘ol lady!
zak_hammaad
in my opinion, when you say singapore rules with an iron hand you’re pushing it. the city state is exceedingly transparent in everything it does, hence enjoying the utter confidence from the global community in every aspect. being a “fine” country is a satirical play by the uninformed, and frankly, who’s complaining but the ones who wish themselves to be like singaporeans. note i didn’t say to be singaporeans because i love my country and i’m a die-hard malaysian fan, even if my club has pigeonholed itself into much derision and ridicule. singapore ingests foreign talent to a degree it’s phenomenal. the no. 1 cancer authority at harvard chose the biopolis over top notch institutions in the u.s. and everywhere else, and a dozen research luminaries followed suit. its own brain power defects at a lowest rate compared to any other country. isn’t it sad malaysia loses the smartest and brightest non-malays every year due to its own tomfoolery?
no political aspirations stand a chance against the pap, but singapore’s mix of tight political control, economic success, and social stability is trademark. again, who’s complaining?
malaysia, on the other hand, does a little of everything, but sucks at everything. be it media clamp down, fringe commentaries, foreign commentaries, umno is incapable of doing a good job. how many brains does it take to frame a person of sodomy and successfully charge him to oblivion? yes, yes, i’m postulating here, but how glaringly exposed is the inaptness of the judicial, law enforcement, forensic, and leadership makeup.
and you think tdm is the best pm malaysia has had. that i think i yield. but how low are you setting your bar? have you seen the list by another blogger outlining the indescribable screw ups during tdm’s reign? oh, my, goodness.
undergrad2 Says:
If by that you mean Naj*ib and Rosmah by not suing…”
———————————-x
“No, that is NOT want I ‘mean’ : zak_hammaad
Limkamput has just e-mailed me and he wants to know what is your GPA because he says his is 4.0 and what is your GMAT and especially what is your GRE verbal score – so the debate could continue on the same level and no one has an unfair advantage over the other. Right now he feels he has an unfair advantage over you. He says you’d have to sit for your TOEFL again.
It is not fair, he says, to have a debate and get the other party to foam at the mouth as a result of intellectual constipation.
“”Malaysia has a far more open society than S’pore in terms of journalistic freedoms and the government does not pursue every slander and defamation with a legal writ.” zak_hammaad
Why are you having an argument with yourself??
zak_hammaad,
“..need for Muslim Malaysians will be greater IN RATIO..”
need to what?
if University of Fairplay has 100 slots for 10A students, and there are 62 malay 10A students, your ratio thingy totally holds up.
is there 62 malay 10As in every 100 10As in this country?? nuff said.
“”Malaysia has a far more open society than S’pore in terms of journalistic freedoms and the government does not pursue every slander and defamation with a legal writ.” zak_hammaad
….and instrumental in your pursuit of that view is supposedly the resort by Naj^b and Rosmah to non-legal and extra-legal means of settling their scores with the likes of RPK who has been accused of defaming them.
ooops omit ‘supposedly’
“I don’t care what you think about Tun, to me and many others he remains the best PM Malaysia has had. No one is perfect and some mistakes are unforgiveable…” zak_hammaad
…and this comes from someone who earlier commented that leadership is “something that is earned through righteousness – untainted by scandals etc.
“Being 62+ Muslim, surely you should acknowledge that (logically) the need for Muslim Malaysian will be greater in Ratio to the needs of non-Muslim minorities?”. zak_hammaad.
Incredible logic propounded by this pseudo-intellect.If our needs can be likened to a cake, what this great Malay ‘intellectual’ is in fact trying to say is that since we have 62%+Muslims in this country they must have 90% of the cake irregardlessly of the fact that 90% of the tax comes from non-Muslims.
As for sense of fair play it also says a lot about this person called sak_hammaad.No wonder you find huge grand mosques built everywhere whilst other faiths can’t even get a proper place to build their own place of worship using money from their own members.
With his type of mentality, he has even got the cheek to talk of how Singapore runs their affairs!
Hello, Singapore is nowhere near as corrupt as this country, you don’t have senior cabinet member perceived by the public involved in a murder,civil service is nowhere manned predominantly by 1 racial group, judiciary is far well regarded by the expatriate business community,you don’t have chinese (about 75% population) given 7% discount in housing etc Discrimination if it exists is attitudinal whereas in Malaysia it is institutionalised probably the only country in the world having that now that apartheid is dismantled in South Africa.
Bravo to you keen debaters!
Zak_hammaad, you lost. Now you can join your retiree friend, TUN Mamak.
”Malaysia (compared to S’pore) … does not pursue every slander and defamation with a legal writ.” zak_hammaad
Yes. RPK has slandered and defamed the country’s second most powerful man (perhaps even the most powerful) and his wife, and yet no action is taken by them – kudos to Malaysia!
You deserve to be called a “coconut head” by he who calls a spade a spade. This time limkamput calls a coconut head a coconut head. Tell me if you need help to crack open this one!
why are we likening malaysia to the former apartheid south africa? when mandela was in jail, the minority whites ran the show to their favor. i don’t see any parallelism, and malaysia stands as the ONLY country using twisted logic in its politics.
Zak seriously need to be re-educated. There is no room for discrimination against the minorities. More than 90% of the revenue that the majority is getting comes from the minorities that they classified as “pendatang”.
Well, if all “pendatang” decides to pack up and leave one day, I wonder if they ever wonder where the monies are coming from.
By the way, Undergrad2, I would like to take turns with you and Limkamput – provided TM broadband service holds up……….
NEP = no dignity = laziness = greed = downfall of the nation.
“By the way, Undergrad2, I would like to take turns with you and Limkamput….” Kathy
This blog is classified as “U” for a general audience. We don’t want it to be reclassified as “PG”.
I tell you what is a veneer – that this PM actually is qualfied for his job. When I heard about the decision for Terengganu to use the Mercedes for foreign dignataries only while using the Perdana for typical use, my mind whirled.
WHAT THE HELL FOR?? And IS IT EVEN LEGAL?
Why would you keep two sets of cars, don’t save any money and yet HAVE THE SAME OLD PROBLEMS with the old cars? This decision makes sense only if you care how it looks NOT doing the right thing. Its typical govt waste that at its core is the NEP that has cost our nation anywhere from 2X-8X our GDP over the last 40 years.
Then it appear strange to me. Can the PM make decisions on state budget? The PM is the head of the Federal govt. He is not head of the state govt although he may the head of the party that rules the state. Party and govt is two separate thing which they keep forgetting. At the minimum the ignorant MB has violated his fiduciary responsibilities for party politics. Seriously, does this not violate Terengganu’s constitution or laws?
Now, look at what you guys have done?!
UMNO lap dog, zak_hammaad has fled with his tail between his legs never to return!
The truth must be told.If distorted it will come back to the writer.Being truthful does not mean bold but boldness is needed if truth is to be told.
Abdullah’s Honeymoon is Over in Malaysia? Nay, the old bugger will just dump Jean and marry a new or secondhand one and the honeymoon will start all over again
Zak said: “I am rather grateful that the BN does not pursue libel cases with such vigour as our southern neighbours…”
At lease, the judiciary in singapore is still relatively more sensible and independant than ours. Look, LKY did not get defamation award in the order of millions. Neither did Chok Tong nor Hsien Loong.
In fact, going by the number of defamation cases we have, umno politicians could well be more litiguous than pap politicians.
And worse, our police and govt depts are also in the habit of taking up defamation suits.
What is going on here in our UMNO controlled country?
Abdullah’s approval rating as PM is all time low as evident by UMNO branch nominations of other candidates for president despite a power transfer pact between the party top two.
http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/headlines/42-lead-stories/2231-despite-pact-umno-branches-name-others-for-president
Even before the 12th general election, Abdullah’s popularity had already slipped to 60% according foreign analysts. They said that was a very poor score considering the fact that the government had more than 2/3 support from the rakyat. After the 12th general election, I think Abdullah’s popularity probably has plunged below 40% though I do not have the figure.
I think for the good of the country, Abdullah has to be open-minded and allow contest for presidency and open the contest to all UMNO members.
26% of the population earning less than RM1,500 per month and living below the poverty line and yet claiming to be First World?
Yes…indeed a First world veneer BUT third world reality! They think that by building slick highways, tall buildings, driving around in big cars would show the world that they have a few more years to go before they would attain first world status. This is Kampong mentality and sad to see. The country might have progressed quite a bit since independence, due more to the rich resources of the country and hard work of some section of the community, but unfortunately still governed by a bunch of corrupted and useless goons with KAMPONG mentality!
hey guys,
I hate to admit this as a Malaysian.
Singapore is more advanced than Malaysia in terms of providing for the people term. Let me use this analogy to illustrate my point.
Here, when we are building a road, it is about building something that robust and paved well. There, it is about building something that is robust, works beyond the intended basic purpose and it needs to be well-lighted with good drainage.
This is how far we have traveled in 43 years compared to Singapore.
…. thus even Malaysia’s veneer of first world trappings is not of good quality.
Dear Godfather,
You said, ” What a question to ask if the Chief Editors of the mainstream press are appointed by the Prime Minister. It’s the same as asking if the head of the ACA, the AG, the IGP, and all the key Federal Court appointments are made by the Prime Minister”.
You sounded like you are used to the idea of such bodies in the country to be appointed by the government. It’s because no one ( from the opposition to the press) have been pressing this issue for a long time. I don’t care if the ACA, AG,IGP are appointed by the Prime Minister. Whats important is that our press be neutral and independent and free to publish the truth. If the fredom of press is there, we can certainly improve the corruptness of ACA, AG, IGP and any other appointed bodies.
This is not a joking issue and the more we question about our freedom, the sooner we will get them.
May truth and justice set us free.
God bless.
Anba
If Malaysians can not expect neutral, independent and free main stream media, it is their responsibility to seek the truth elsewhere, like for example coming to this site. I think Malaysians too must change – speak up, be more assertive and seek alternative source of information. My view is most Malaysians are still like the proverbial ostrich – kiasu, kiasi and letting others to fight for us. That is why we deserve the government we get.
ASIA SENTINEL by John Berthelsen:
Mahathir Mohammad, the long-serving prime minister who quit in 2002, had a single ambition – to reach developed-nation status by 2020. But you cannot be a first-world country with a legal system whose main characteristics are shared by the likes of Zimbabwe, Burma and North Korea. Mahathir, of course, bears a major part of the blame for the legal system…………Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is nothing more than the United Malays National Organisation’s manipulation of the system a la Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe.
http://w2.malaysia-today.net/content/view/10400/1/
With such negative attributes coming from a man called Abdullah, yet he can be selected by Mahathir to be his successor to be the PM of the country.
Mahathir definitely played a part in all these fiasco befalling the country, he might have a hidden agenda at the time when chose Abdullah to be the next PM to take over from him at the time.
Mahathir wanted to have a ‘soft but firm’ crony to sit as PM so that he can continue to be the hands behind the scene to protect his own and his family empire and that of his cronies’ too. There are a lot of business & interests unfinished at the time when he officially left the scene.
ChinNA
No worries. I more than agree with you as I worked and stayed there before.
Zak_Hamaad said TDM is the best PM?? Does he not realise most Malaysians are now suffering because of his misgovernance?
I’ll rate him second worst PM Malaysia ever had, you can’t take the only honor from old big ears.
The European Union, which is made up of a group of advanced countries, laid the following criteria in 1993 for countries which want to join the developed grouping:
“Stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities.”
Malaysia certainly does not meet the above criteria. Its talks of becoming a developed nation are like “building castles in the air”; it is merely making itself a laughing stock of the world.
I more than agree with you as I worked and stayed there before.
Jan, Malaysians are NOT “now suffering because of his misgovernance” and you will not find many people who concur with you on this. Malaysia is suffering because of knee-jerk and “revolutionary” actions of the current incompetent PM and his bunch of merry men who do not know how to design and implement policies for the better good of all.
TDM was a visionary who in most part got it right. No one is perfect and no one can ever please all of the people all of the time :^)