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‘Stop blaming one community for BN’s bad performance’

BY CLARA CHOOI
The Malaysian Insider
May 08, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today demanded a stop to all attempts at racialising last Sunday’s polls by blaming a particular community for Barisan Nasional’s (BN) poor showing at the ballot boxes.

“This is unfair and unhelpful,” he said in a statement here.

The former prime minister, who stepped down in favour of Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2009 after he led BN to lose its coveted two-thirds parliamentary majority in Election 2008, agreed that following Sunday’s polls results, there was a pressing need for the country to undergo the process of national reconciliation and unity.

He also called on the opposition to accept and respect the election results, despite the fact that they had lost by slim majorities amid claims of fraud and widespread irregularities in the polling process.

“Malaysians deserve stability and certainty that can only come with finality and closure from this election,” he said in his message to the opposition.

“Let us move on in the interest of all Malaysians.” Continue reading “‘Stop blaming one community for BN’s bad performance’”

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22 questions for Dr M, again

P Gunasegaram
Malaysiakini
Feb 14, 2013

QUESTION TIME I became a journalist at the Business Times, then a standalone newspaper, in 1978.

Three years later in 1981 Dr Mahathir Mohamad became prime minister of Malaysia, its fourth, succeeding Hussein Onn.

I have followed his career quite closely since and frankly I am not impressed. He started off with promise – and promised a lot – but fulfilled none if any.

In fact I would go so far as to say that he was positively the worst prime minister this country has ever had.

Through destruction of institutions such as an independent judiciary, running roughshod over civil servants, bringing his brand of power, patronage and poor economics into decision making, and making use of oppressive laws he used an iron fist to rule and in the process brought more harm to this country than any other person alive or dead.

Much of the problems of Malaysia can be traced back to him and he has made it difficult for his successors to make major changes going forward, much of which would involve unwinding processes and linkages he had put in place before. Continue reading “22 questions for Dr M, again”

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Pengiraan Detik 87 Hari ke PRU13 – Media perdana BN berterusan tidak jujur, tidak profesional dan berbohong terbukti merupakan kemusnahan terakhir Najib sebagai Perdana Menteri dan penyingkiran UMNO/BN dari Putrajaya dalam PRU13

Bukan sahaja ironi malah sukar dipercayai bahawa pada malam KL112, Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak menjadi tuan rumah Malam Penghargaan Media Perhimpunan Agung Umno 2012 dan bercakap tentang kepentingan media kepada UMNO.

Rakyat Malaysia yang berfikiran rasional dan bebas, termasuklah empat juta pengundi pertengahan yang akan menentukan sama ada Barisan Nasional atau Pakatan Rakyat akan membentuk kerajaan persekutuan di Putrajaya dalam pilihan raya umum 13, tentu akan tertanya adakah Najib betul-betul berpijak di bumi nyata atau sedang hidup dalam dunianya sendiri.

Apa yang Najib katakan tentang media beberapajam selepas KL112, yang menjadi titik penting demokrasi yang sedang matang, di luar alam nyata.

Bagaimana Najib dengan selamba meminta media memainkan peranan orang tengah yang menyampaikan kehendak dan perasaan orang ramai kepada kerajaan dan melaporkan rungutan dan kritikan terhadap kerajaan untuk membolehkan penambahbaikan dijalankan sedangkan media perdana Barisan Nasional, sama ada media cetak, radio, televisyen atau atas talian, bersalah melakukan sesuatu yang sebaliknya, benar-benar tanpa sesal mereka-reka pembohongan tentang Pakatan Rakyat?

Selama berminggu-minggu, media perdana Barisan Nasional telah melakukan “Pembohongan Besar” berkenaan KL112 dan mereka masih lagi menyempurnakan “Pembohongan Besar” selepas KL112, walaupun “Pembohongan Besar” itu telah dihancurkan dengan lumat sebagai tiada asas dan tidak benar!

Tidak diragukan lagi bahawa salah satu pihak yang kalah teruk kerana KL112 dijalankan dengan berjaya dan aman adalah media perdana Barisan Nasional (MSM), sebab itulah Malaysiakini di dalam “KL112: Winners and losers” menyenaraikan media perdana sebagai salah satu daripada tiga yang “tewas” selepas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan UMNO/Barisan Nasional manakala The Malaysian Insider menerbitkan rencana editorial yang bertajuk: “Mainstream media’s epic fail”. Continue reading “Pengiraan Detik 87 Hari ke PRU13 – Media perdana BN berterusan tidak jujur, tidak profesional dan berbohong terbukti merupakan kemusnahan terakhir Najib sebagai Perdana Menteri dan penyingkiran UMNO/BN dari Putrajaya dalam PRU13”

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87-Day Countdown to 13GE – Persistently dishonest, unprofessional and lying BN mainstream media may prove to be the final undoing of Najib as Prime Minister and ousting of UMNO/BN from Putrajaya in 13GE

It is not only ironic but simply unbelievable that on the night of KL112, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak could host the Umno general assembly 2012 Media Appreciation Night and speak about the importance of the media to UMNO.

Rational and independent-minded Malaysians, including the four million middle-ground voters who will decide whether it is Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat which will form the federal government in Putrajaya in the 13th general elections, must be asking whether Najib is rooted firmly to the ground in reality or is living in a make-believe world of his own.

What Najib said about the media a few hours after the KL112, which marked an important turning point in a maturing democracy, is simply surreal.

How could Najib with a straight face urge the media to play the role of an intermediary that delivers the feelings and aspirations of the people to the government and which report the grievances and criticisms leveled at the government to enable improvements to be carried out when the Barisan Nasional mainstream media, whether print, radio, television or online, have been most guilty of the very opposite, completely unrepentant in fabricating and purveying lies after lies about the Pakatan Rakyat?

For weeks, the Barisan Nasional mainstream media had told a “Big Lie” about KL112 and they are still purveying the “Big Lie” after KL112, although the “Big Lie” had been completely pulverized and demolished as baseless and untrue! Continue reading “87-Day Countdown to 13GE – Persistently dishonest, unprofessional and lying BN mainstream media may prove to be the final undoing of Najib as Prime Minister and ousting of UMNO/BN from Putrajaya in 13GE”

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A leader leads by action, not words

– Jacob Sinnathamby
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 26, 2012

DEC 26 – It is really interesting how our last two prime ministers – Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak – have felt the need to talk about themselves as leaders of all Malaysians.

The truly great and effective leaders of countries and businesses never need stand on the roof top and tell people what they are. It is plain for people to see. In short, their track record and actions speak volumes about them, their character and their decency.

Abdullah loved to talk about being a leader of all Malaysians, but we all know now that it was just spin for political expediency.

He hoodwinked many of us into thinking that he actually cared for non-malays and malays equally.

Now, we know that it was just a charade to get Malaysians to believe that he was different from Mahathir Mohamad and give him a huge mandate in 2004.

With the mandate in the bag, Abdullah reverted to type and became Umno’s servant, not the servant of Malaysians. Continue reading “A leader leads by action, not words”

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UMNO/BN must renounce the tactics and ideology of extremist politics including Ketuanan Melayu and the four hate politics of race, religion, lies and fear if they want to compete for the support of Middle Malaysia

The unity, solidarity and commitment of DAP and reaffirmation of the Middle Malaysia concept by the just-concluded 16th DAP National Congress in Penang have struck fear in UMNO/BN and reverberated throughout the country, ringing alarm bells in UMNO/Barisan Nasional, as they realize that the agenda has been set for the crucial and critical battle in the 13th General Elections in the next 100 days to decide for the first time in the nation’s 55-year history whether there shoud be a change of federal government in Putrajay.

It jolted UMNO leaders including the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak into quick reaction, claiming that it was the Barisan Nasional and not the DAP that represents “Middle Malaysia”.

If Najib is confident that it is UMNO/BN which represents Middle Malaysia, and has overwhelming support of the four million middle ground voters in the 13 General Elections – the three million new voters and the one million swing voters from the 12GE in 2008 – Najib would have dissolved Parliament and the 13GE would have been held already.

Furthermore, Najib would not have to suffer the “To Be or Not To Be” agony in the past two years to decide on the dissolution of Parliament (an agony which he is still undergoing despite Parliament having only some four months’ tenure before it is automatically dissolved under the Constitution on April 28, 2013) and the ignominy of being the longest unelected Prime Minister in Malaysia without his own mandate from the people.

The former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah was also awakened to describe the 16th DAP National Congress as an unhealthy phenomenon on the ground that it showed that DAP is monopolised by a particular race.

But the most laughable comment must go to the Gerakan President and former Penang Chief Minister, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon who described the non-election of any Malays in the DAP central executive committee as against the 1Malaysia spirit. Continue reading “UMNO/BN must renounce the tactics and ideology of extremist politics including Ketuanan Melayu and the four hate politics of race, religion, lies and fear if they want to compete for the support of Middle Malaysia”

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Why I have nothing much to say at the moment (Part 1)

By Clive Kessler | November 07, 2012
UPDATED @ 07:04:27 AM 08-11-2012
The Malaysian Insider

People are kind.

They have been writing to ask how I am.

I have not said or written anything serious for weeks.

And they are beginning to wonder.

The “Phoney War” Interlude

“What is the problem?” they ask.

The problem, I reply, is not me. It’s the situation.

The situation?
Continue reading “Why I have nothing much to say at the moment (Part 1)”

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This week has been a great Public Relations triumph for MACC but a major setback for the war against corruption, particularly “Grand Corruption”

This week has been a great Public Relations triumph for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) but a major setback for Malaysia’s war against corruption, particularly “Grand Corruption” by top political and public personalities.

How much of Malaysian public taxpayers’ money was spent for MACC to host the 6th International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) and General Meeting 2012?

It was clearly well-spent for MACC and the Barisan Nasional Government from the harvest of superlative praises showered on Malaysia – which were all music to the ears of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the MACC officers, from the plaudits by the IAACA participants commending Malaysia’s “serious efforts” at tackling corruption to praises for the Prime Minister himself “as someone very serious about the priority he has given to fighting corruption”.

Those who do not know the true situation would be excused for thinking that Malaysia must be one of the top 20 if not top 10 countries in the annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking and score in terms of being least corrupt nations in the world.

But the facts tell a very different story. Continue reading “This week has been a great Public Relations triumph for MACC but a major setback for the war against corruption, particularly “Grand Corruption””

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Dr M, Melayu mahu bersatu, tetapi di luar Umno

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 24, 2012

24 SEPT — Saya telah cuba untuk tidak menulis tentang Dr Mahathir Mohamad lagi tetapi tidak dapat saya berbuat demikian kerana beliau masih lagi menyalahkan semua orang di atas perpecahan orang Melayu sebagaimana anggapan beliau sekarang.

Dalam tulisan beliau dalam Mingguan Malaysia semalam beliau menzahirkan perasaan sedih di atas apa yang telah terjadi kepada orang Melayu yang pada beliau akan hilang kuasa politiknya disebabkan perpecahan sesama sendiri.

Tidak susah untuk memikirkan siapa yang dimaksudkan oleh Dr Mahathir sebagai Melayu yang tamak kuasa yang telah memecahkan Melayu itu. Ia tidak lain selain dari Anwar Ibrahim yang telah menjadi duri dalam daging kehidupan sepanjang hayat beliau.

Dr Mahathir masih lagi bercakap tentang Melayu yang beliau sendiri telah pecahkan dan hasil dari perpecahan itu dilontarkan kesalahannya kepada semua orang kecuali diri beliau sendiri.

Utusan menggambarkan yang beliau telah menangis memerhatikan perpecahan orang Melayu sekarang ini. Tetapi Dr Mahathir mesti faham yang orang Melayu telah lama menangis dan tersedu di atas perbuatan beliau memecahbelahkan pimpinan dan premis perjuangan Melayu iaitu Umno selama ini.

Umno telah beliau jadikan sebagai alat permainan beliau dengan menggunakan sentimen Melayu yang menebal dan menggunakan simpati dan sokongan Melayu itu untuk kepentingan peribadi beliau.

Kata perbilangan “sesal dahulu pendapatan, kesal kemudian tiada gunanya”. Inilah yang patut Dr Mahathir rasakan sekarang dan berhenti mengalih dan melontarkan kesalahan kepada orang lain seperti Pak Lah dan Anwar Ibrahim. Continue reading “Dr M, Melayu mahu bersatu, tetapi di luar Umno”

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National Day theme “Janji Ditepati” wrong and inappropriate as it is anti-national, divisive rather than unifying the people, presenting Najib as Prime Minister for UMNO/BN only and not all Malaysians!

The Information Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim is defending the indefensible when he takes to Twitter to ask why “Janji Ditepati” cannot be used as this year’s National Day/Malaysia Day theme.

Firstly, Rais’ claim that “Malaysia has truly arrived as an achieving nation after 55 years of independence” is highly controversial and debatable, for if this is true, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would not gain the reputation of being the most indecisive Prime Minister in the nation’s history who keeps postponing his plan to hold the next general election to win a personal mandate for his premiership for fear of ending up in the Opposition benches or toppled within UMNO like his predecessor Tun Abdullah.

In fact, probably more could be written about how the slogan of “Janji Ditepati” had failed rather than succeeded in 55 years after Merdeka and 49 years after Malaysia – whether in building a united, harmonious, democratic, progressive and competitive Malaysia; or in fulfilling Najib’s three-year promises of 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) whether in reducing crime, fighting corruption or carrying out meaningful government, economic and political transformation for Malaysia to take her rightful place in international society and achieve the status of a normal democratic country.

I remember when I visited Sabah in 1978, I had warned that Sabah faced three grave problems – the illegal immigrant problem which I had cited had reached 140,000, the crime situation and grave problem of corruption. Continue reading “National Day theme “Janji Ditepati” wrong and inappropriate as it is anti-national, divisive rather than unifying the people, presenting Najib as Prime Minister for UMNO/BN only and not all Malaysians!”

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Return of Mahathirism triumphant

Last week, Tun Mahathir asked why I hated him so much. Yesterday, he asked why I am so afraid of him.

It is neither. As I had said on Saturday, “like three former Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Hussein and Tun Abdullah and the majority of Malaysians in 2012, I am opposed to Mahathirism and its return to Malaysian politics in the 13th general election”.

Mahathir is in his cynical best.

Tongue-in-cheek, he made the grandiloquent announcement that “Mahathirism” is dead, that it “died” when Tun Abdullah took over from him as Prime Minister in 2003.

In actual fact, “Mahathirism” is not only alive and thriving, the return of Mahathirism is enjoying its most triumphant phase since the unceremonious exit of Abdullah as Prime Minister and his replacement by Datuk Seri Najib Razak 39 months ago. Continue reading “Return of Mahathirism triumphant”

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I do not hate Mahathir at all but like three former Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Hussein, Tun Abdullah and majority of Malaysians in 2012, I am opposed to Mahathirism and its return to Malaysian politics in 13GE

I have just returned from a four-day visit to Myanmar and I am most intrigued by the statement by former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad saying he did not know why I hated him so much.

Let me assure Mahathir that I do not hate him at all but like three former Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Hussein and Tun Abdullah and the majority of Malaysians in 2012, I am opposed to Mahathirism and its return to Malaysian politics in 13th general election.

Mahathir cannot be more wrong when he claimed that Abdullah was rejected by voters for “mistreating” him, asserting:

“Last time when Abdullah wasn’t good to me, the people did not support BN. So some people still have some sympathy for me.”

The reason why Abdullah suffered the worst UMNO/BN electoral defeat in the 2008 general election is because he failed to live up to his promise in the landslide 2004 general election victory to begin the serious task to dismantle the Mahathirish legacy of corruption, cronyism and abuses of power. Continue reading “I do not hate Mahathir at all but like three former Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Hussein, Tun Abdullah and majority of Malaysians in 2012, I am opposed to Mahathirism and its return to Malaysian politics in 13GE”

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If you want to break anything, give the job to Umno

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 06, 2012

6 JULAI — Terlalu banyak spekulasi tentang pilihanraya umum yang telah tertangguh sebegitu lama. Najib akhirnya merupakan satu-satunya PM dalam sejarah negara yang tidak memanggil pilihanraya untuk mendapatkan mandat dan ‘endorsement’ tentang kepimpinannya. Sekali gus Najib merupakan seorang PM yang paling lemah dalam sejarah negara merdeka kita.

Selemah-lemah Pak Lah, beliau berani memanggil pilihanraya dalam tempoh lima bulan untuk mendapatkan ‘endorsement’ rakyat dan beliau telah mendapat meraih 90% sokongan dalam Dewan Legislatif semasa pilihanraya yang ke11 yang lalu. Peratusan itu hampir sama dengan pilihanraya 1955 dalam mana Perikatan hanya kalah satu kerusi di Pulau Pinang yang ditandingi oleh Sulaiman Palestin.

Mandat yang ada pada hari ini merupakan mandat Pak Lah. Baik buruknya Pak Lah mempunyai kredibiliti yang lebih baik dari Najib sekarang ini. Pak Lah seorang yang berani memanggil pilihanraya walau pun beliau dalam ‘tidur’. Setidak-tidaknya Pak Lah dapat mempertahankan kuasa BN walaupun kehilangan kemenangan tradisi 2/3 di Dewan Parlimen. Continue reading “If you want to break anything, give the job to Umno”

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Yang baik itu datang daripada Mahathir, yang tak baik itu datang daripada Pak Lah

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 03, 2012

3 JUN — Dr Mahathir menyalahkan Pak Lah lagi. “sendiri punya salah, dia salahkan orang lain pulak” kata beberapa orang yang berhubung dengan saya dan orang-orang yang berhubung dengan saya itu adalah dikalangan yang hadir semasa perjumpaan dengan Dr Mahathir di Johor dulu semalam. Sebagaimana yang saya dan ramai yang lain berkata, Dr Mahathir dihujung-hujung hayatnya asyik menyalahkan orang lain terutamanya Pak Lah diatas segala kelemahan BN dan Umno Baru itu.

Beliau tidak pernah membuat salah dan segala yang baik itu adalah dibuat oleh Dr Mahathir dan semua yang buruk itu adalah kesilapan dan kesalahan orang lain. ‘Yang baik itu semuanya datang dari Mahathir dan yang buruk itu adalah diatas kelemahan orang lain terutamanya Pak Lah. Mahathir seolah-olah ada benda yang hendak beliau bersihkan dari diri beliau sehinggakan Pak Lah tidak terlepas dari bibir dan ingatan beliau. Disebaliknya Pak Lah yang tahu apa yang Mahathir lakukan terhadap segala sistem kerajaan, tidak berkata apa-apa dan berdiam diri sahaja. Itulah perbezaan di antara kedua-dua bekas pemimpin negara kita itu.

Mahathir sentiasa mencari alasan untuk mengalihkan kesalahan besar beliau terhadap negara kepada orang lain tetapi satu perkara yang kita mesti ingat yang sejarah akan menghakimkan Dr Mahathir Mohamad ini dari rasuah dan salahguna kuasa. Segala kata-kata dan tindakan beliau tercatat di dalam buku nota sejarawan dan akan sampai masanya ia akan tertulis dalam sebuah buku sejarah khas untuk beliau suatu ketika nanti.

Bak kata perpatah, ‘masakan bangkai gajah boleh ditutupi dengan nyiru’. Suatu ketika nanti akan terbongkar juga. Saya tidak mempertahankan Pak Lah, tetapi kita mesti berlaku adil terhadap beliau kerana beliau yang lemah itu dilantik oleh Mahathir juga. Beliau sebagai orang yang saya kenali, tidak pernah tergila-gila hendak menjadi PM walaupun pun beliau mengharapkan untuk mendapatkan kedudukan itu. Continue reading “Yang baik itu datang daripada Mahathir, yang tak baik itu datang daripada Pak Lah”

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‘BN’s clear and present danger’

Syed Jaymal Zahiid | May 23, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

Barisan Nasional leaders say they may lose out in the election if internal sabotage is not contained.

KUALA LUMPUR: A divided Barisan Nasional may spell the end of Prime Minister’s Najib Tun Razak reign in Putrajaya.

And this warning to the Barisan Nasional comes from non-other than Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia.

The paper quoting party leaders says sabotage is a very clear and present danger and could lead to the BN losing more seats than in 2008. Continue reading “‘BN’s clear and present danger’”

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Does Mahathir also want a RCI into the losses from the financial scandals during Tun Abdullah’s five year premiership?

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahahtir Mohamad seems to have given a “positive” response to my proposal for a full audit and accounting into the RM100 billion “black hole” caused by the losses of the financial scandals his his 22-year premiership.

I had said on Saturday that the time has come to revisit the RM100 billion “losses” suffered by the country during his 22-year premiership, especially if the present generation of Malaysians are still to pay for the “sins of Mahathir’s past premiership”.

This came about as a result of the RM580 million write-off by the Malaysian government with the “out-of-court” settlement between Danaharta and Tajudin Ramli on Feb. 14, the terms of which remain confidential between the two parties, where all suits pertaining to the court judgement of RM589.14 million that Tajudin was ordered to pay to Danaharta in 2009 would be dropped and Tajudin agreed to withdraw claims totally RM13.46 billion, involved in 27 appeals, 11 against Danaharta.

Core to Tajudin’s case is his affidavit that he was directed by former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir and former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainudin in 1994 to buy a controlling stake in MAS to bail out the government – a “national service” to help bail out Bank Negara after the central bank suffered massive foreign exchange losses due partly to speculation in foreign currency markets with an “Overriding Agreement” to indemnify him against any losses suffered.
Continue reading “Does Mahathir also want a RCI into the losses from the financial scandals during Tun Abdullah’s five year premiership?”

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When Najib promises MACC more powers if BN wins 13GE with two-thirds majority, is it to carry out a more effective fight against corruption or to victimise PR leaders/activists like case of Teoh Beng Hock?

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, made a most extraordinary election pledge yesterday when he promised more powers to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) if Barisan Nasional wins the next elections with two-thirds control of Parliament.

The question that immediately comes to mind is whether this pledge of more powers to MACC is to carry out a more effective fight against corruption or is it to enable the MACC to victimise Pakatan Rakyat leaders and activists as in the still unresolved case of the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock at the MACC headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009?

Such a pledge is extraordinary because any meaningful or serious proposal to give MACC more powers to carry out a more effective fight against corruption should not be contingent on a win by any party or coalition in the next general elections, let alone getting a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

On the specific proposal by the MACC advisory panel that an anti-corruption service commission be formed and be given powers to appoint and terminate MACC officers, which requires a constitutional amendment with two-thirds parliamentary vote, Pakatan Rakyat is prepared to support such a constitutional amendment in the meeting of Parliament next month if convinced that it is a step towards making the MACC more efficient, independent and professional.
Continue reading “When Najib promises MACC more powers if BN wins 13GE with two-thirds majority, is it to carry out a more effective fight against corruption or to victimise PR leaders/activists like case of Teoh Beng Hock?”

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Dr M: Siapa yang mengaku kelemahan diri?

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 22, 2011

22 NOV — Semalam hari minggu. Pagi-pagi lagi saya mendapat panggilan talipon dan beberapa SMS dari rakan-rakan dari jauh dan dekat bertanyakan saya samada saya membaca wawancara Utusan dengan bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“Bro dah baca ke interview Dr Mahathir dalam Utusan?”

Saya jawab, “Saya tak langgan Utusan sudah 10 tahun, nanti saya baca Utusan online lah!”

Saya terus sahaja membaca setiap ulasan Dr M dalam Utusan itu dan saya tidak berapa hairan kerana saya sendiri telah menyebut segala-gala yang di sebut oleh Dr Mahathir dalam wawancara beliau itu. Bezanya Dr Mahathir seorang tokoh besar sedangkan saya hanya seorang biasa yang melata di tepian politik negara.

Pada keseluruhannya Dr Mahathir bersetuju dengan pandangan ramai yang Umno dan pemerhatian yang Umno sekarang adalah parti yang lemah dan tidak pandai untuk menjadi parti pemerintah. Pendeknya Umno sudah tidak serupa Umno lagi.

Umno berpecah di setiap peringkat dari cawangan ke pusat dan tidak berkepimpinan. Umno tidak lagi berdaya menjawab persoalan yang di timbulkan oleh orang ramai melalui parti-parti politik pembangkang serta NGO dan ini amat menyulitkan Umno untuk terus relevan sebagai parti yang memerintah negara. Continue reading “Dr M: Siapa yang mengaku kelemahan diri?”

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Mahathir has won the shadow power battle of three Prime Ministers on the sidelines of Perth 2011 CHOGM

The fourth Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir seems to have won the shadow power battle with the fifth Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the sixth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razaki on the sidelines of the Perth 2011 CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) 2011 on the Eminent Person Group’s (EPG) proposal for a Commonwealth Commissioner for Democracy, Rule of Law and Human Rights.

The latest news from the Perth 2011 CHOGM is that the Commonwealth heads of government have not only rejected the EPG’s proposal for a Commonwealth Commissioner for Democracy, Rule of Law and Human Rights, they have taken the shocking decision not to publish the EPF report on Commonwealth reforms to make it relevant and not an anachronism.

This has led to the unprecedented unanimous criticism by the seven-member EPG in Perth against the CHOGM decision.

It is good to see Abdullah, who is chairperson of the seven-member EPG, leading the EPG attack against CHOGM and issuing the warning: Continue reading “Mahathir has won the shadow power battle of three Prime Ministers on the sidelines of Perth 2011 CHOGM”

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Commonwealth leaders refuse to publish EPG report

by Matthew Franklin,
chief political correspondent,
The Australian
October 29, 2011

MEMBERS of an Eminent Persons Group (EPG) advising the Commonwealth have attacked the 54-nation body for refusing to publish its report recommending ways to make the organisation more relevant.

UK representative Sir Malcolm Rifkind today said it was a “a disgrace” the report had not been released to promote debate about Commonwealth reform, while Canada’s Hugh Segal said it was apparent some nations believed silence was the best option in dealing with serious issues like human rights violations among the group’s members.

Today’s unanimous criticism by the seven-member EPG has turned the three-day CHOGM meeting on its head after Commonwealth leaders last night declared they had acted to secure the Commonwealth’s ongoing relevance.

At yesterday’s session, leaders lifted the powers of the Commonwealth ministerial action group, made up of foreign ministers of member nations, to intervene when member nations were slipping away from the observance of basic democratic principles. Continue reading “Commonwealth leaders refuse to publish EPG report”