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Just what Malaysia needs: Another minister

– Jacob Sinnathamby
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 30, 2011

JULY 30 – I hate to spoil the party but the last thing this country needs is another minister.

In fact, what we need is not quantity but quality. The last couple of months has shown up the inadequacies and incompetence of a number of ministers and exposed the paucity of talent in the Cabinet.

We have a Home Minister who did not know that EU citizens do not need a tourist visa (French lawyer Michael Bourdon had to educate him); a de facto Law Minister who misinterpreted a key fact in the Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry and a Defence Minister who sounds shaky whenever he speaks.

And I have not even touched on the Agriculture Minister, Unity Minister, etc.

You can now understand why I greeted news of Palanivel’s promotion with a shrug and a sigh. No doubt this is a reward for the MIC but it will sold as recognition for the Indian community.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will wax lyrical about the Indians (never mind that a chunk of PSM6 were Indians!). The only people happy with Palanivel’s promotion will be Palanivel, Palanivel’s family and parts of the MIC (unity is still a problem with these guys).

For the rest of us, it will just mean another name in the Cabinet; another politician with a chauffer-driven car, a bodyguard and a security guard in his house.

Another minister to an already bloated Cabinet. Truth be told, he will have little impact on the welfare of the Indians.

MIC kept quiet when the PSM6 were detained and only found its voice when the mood of public opinion stirred. Not too different from how the party handled the Hindraf problem.

MIC and BN moved faster this time because they need the Indian vote more this time than in 2008.

Dr Michael Jeyakumar has got more credibility than Palanivel and all his CWC members put together. And that is not only because he was detained unjustly but because the man actually serves the rakyat.

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17 Replies to “Just what Malaysia needs: Another minister”

  4. Pananivel….another Minister in Prime Minister Dept.
    Koh Tsu Koon also same title.
    Nazri too.
    How many more?
    I guess Pananivel should be Minister for Indian Temples and Tamil Schools affairs.
    You can imagine.. ,Malaysian Indians have much to talk about at tei tarik stalls…for the next few days.

  6. Koh Tsu Koon …no power…just for show.
    Palanivel ………..no power…just for show.
    Nazri …………….seems to have some power.
    There…those two non Malays never feel any shame?

  7. Palanivel is only interested in the perks once installed as a full minister.The indian community will be taken care by the genuine socialist Dr Jeyakumar and others alike.Lord Murugan will see to that..

  8. In any case…Palanivel maybe assigned to listen to all complaints any Indians…wasting time..no power….exactly like Samy Vellu for 28 years years no power…just for show.
    Under Samy…one 3klm fly over bridge takes 10 years to built…why?
    Open tender..UMNO B crony won…take money…..run away after few months..start tender again…same thing happen….government never tell out…..hush hush and treat all as bad debts…write off…and Samy kept quiet too.
    That’s how he lasted for 28 years….covering up so many cheating cases by UMNO B contractors…while he find one or two tenders and make millions himself…like putting out telephones at highways…every 3klm..and call that most modern highway in the world.
    Now all phones stolen .
    If Palanivel have any decency and care for poor Indians. ……he should make Samy pay 100% plus interest on the RM100 million lost on MAIKA case.
    That lost was clearly made by Samy’s son ….make profits…he pocket the profits. Loses pass on to shareholders of MAIKA.
    Actually Samy promised to make good with his own money to all shareholders but never kept his promise.
    I hope Indians will remember…just as Tan Koon Suan did it to the Hainanese.

  11. ///PUTRAJAYA, July 30 – Datuk Seri Najib Razak pledged to do all he can to bring the Indian community back into the “mainstream of development” but asked that MIC redouble efforts to secure the community’s vote.

    The prime minister said there must be “quid pro quo” between Barisan Nasional (BN) component party MIC and the ruling coalition if both wished to benefit from their relationship as “loyal friends”.

    “There must be an understanding. Can you all deliver for Barisan Nasional? You can deliver and we will deliver,” Najib told delegates at the 65th MIC general assembly here today.///–MalaysiaInsider

    Alliance and Barisan Nasional claimed that they worked as a team to govern Malaysia. They won the election as a team. Now Najib weighs the contribution by the number of MPs of the component parties. Najib has certainly forgotten that without non-UMNO MPs, Barisan could not rule, and even if it could, they was no way UMNO could have amended the constitution, such as that pertains to article 153, in 1971. Najib has said the equivalent that if MIC begs, and if MIC could convince Indians to vote UMNO despite being discriminated, UMNO might consider making those discrimination less painful. Najib now tries to use Razak’s distribution of ministerial position when he should have followed those of Tunku. Razak was the first racist Prime Minister.

    It would be better for the Indians to ensure that UMNO is no longer party to the federal government.

  12. That’s why UMNO cannot “re-invent”. It keeps on going back to well worn, tried old ways of feudal politics of patronage. Patronage is the main carrot through which UMNO as head of BN pack rewards its supporters in exchange for unconditional political loyalty. Patronage is in the form of awarding cabinet positions as well as government contracts buttressed by an occasional policy concession to help its communal based component maintain the façade that it has some influence and say to help the racial community it is supposed to represent. Since they more or less gave up on Chinese votes, they court Indian votes by giving another Ministerial post to MIC. (One of the pressures they felt in detaining longer Dr Jeyakumar was the fear of alienating Indian votes).

  13. Earlier Najib was also desperate for women’s votes. So women who form 50% of electorate needed to be buttered. Najib in late last month announced the Cabinet approval of at least 30% of women as decision-makers in the corporate sector. “We note that the government has recognized women as important figures in the development of the country. Thereby, the government had agreed that more women to become members of the board of directors,” he added. This originated from a shrewd calculation that women who are 50% of voters are more immediately concerned with gender than national issues. (Most women are expected not to be an Annie Ooi aka Auntie Bersih!) What is disregarded is the fact that patronage politics – awarding rewards on qualifications of race, gender, political affiliation is diametrically opposed to merits & expertise, which is the New Politics of today.

  14. Based on TheMalaysianInsider report the PM said the awarding of another miniterial post to MIC implies that MIC must “redouble efforts to secure its commiuunity’s votes. “The prime minister said there must be “quid pro quo” between Barisan Nasional BN component party MIC and the ruling coalition if both wished to benefit from their relationship as “loyal friends”. It is clear that everything to him is “quid pro quo” – a bargain but he misses the point that the government’s duty is to take care of all communities including the Indian community and it shouldn’t be a “bargain” that we take care of you only if you take care of us – just like what he said in Sibu Campaign: “You want the RM5 million, you know what I want? I want Robert Lau to win!”. It never occurred to him that its govt duty to give the money for irrigation to mitigate flooding. Everything is hedged against a quid pro quo bargain to self benefit. Thats where he misses the point.

  15. Good and proper governance – whether to help Sibu residents from their flooding problems or marginalised Indian community is ever a present continuing obligation that a government ought to undertake and execute regardless. It cannot be made a point of quid pro quo bargain – ie we provide these little mercies (which a good govt ought to anyway do in using common tax payers monies) Provided Only you give votes to us the ruling coalition: otherwise no deal.

    Look at it from electors’ point of view: we give votes to you provided you deserve them having first discharged your responsibilities in good governance. Good governance cannot therefore be selectively be withheld and then after that, made a point for bargain – that it is to be dispensed only in exchange for votes or else no one good governance for you.

  17. NR knew Indians will b so proud of 1 more minister n willingly kow tow 2 him n UmnoB
    Indians will forget n forgive what NR n polis did 2 d EO5 Indians n other Indian detainees
    Cheap cheap only lah, can kow tim, don’t know meh

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