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Situasi di Lahad Datu dengan 150 orang penceroboh Sulu menimbulkan semakin banyak tanda tanya – mengapa Hishammuddin menyerahkan kepada Wisma Putra dan bukannya Menteri Pertahanan?

Situasi buntu di Lahad Datu dengan 150 orang penceroboh Sulu menimbulkan banyak tanda tanya.

Hari ini, Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein berkata bahawa Kementerian Dalam Negeri menyerahkan kepada Wisma Putra untuk membuat keputusan berhubung permohonan kerajaan Filipina meminta lanjutan masa bagi pengusiran kumpulan penceroboh di Lahad Datu akan tetapi lanjutan sedemikian “tidak boleh terlalu panjang, memandangkan kementerian tidak akan berkompromi dengan perkara yang mampu mengancam kedaulatan negara”.

Jelas, Menteri Dalam Negeri tidak senada dengan majoriti rakyat Sabah dan Malaysia yang sama-sama merasakan bahawa kedaulatan dan keselamatan negara telah dikompromi pada permulaan pencerobohan itu lagi dan situasi buntu dengan 150 militia Sulu dalam kawasan Sabah di Kampong Tanduo dalam Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu sejak 9 Febuari.

Berkenaan isu sama ada kedaulatan dan keselamatan negara telah diancam oleh pencerobohan yang kononnya tentera Kesulatanan Sulu, kebanyakkan rakyat Malaysia terbukti lebih patriotik berbanding Menteri Dalam Negeri sendiri dalam hal ini.

Sebenarnya, soalan yang semakin ditanya-tanya rakyat Malaysia adalah mengapa Hishammuddin menyerahkan kepada Wisma Putra bukannya kepada Kementerian Pertahanan? Continue reading “Situasi di Lahad Datu dengan 150 orang penceroboh Sulu menimbulkan semakin banyak tanda tanya – mengapa Hishammuddin menyerahkan kepada Wisma Putra dan bukannya Menteri Pertahanan?”

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Mahathir’s grand contribution to decline in political morality

Written by Hussein Hamid
Friday, 29 July 2011
CPI

Since the early 1980s, the ‘indiscretions’ of elected officials and those in the civil service have become the hallmark of all things Malaysian. This is to the extent that the people now accept corruption, greed and furthering vested interests as colouring all government transactions.

How did this scheme of things come about?

The turning point was 1981. After Mahathir Mohamad became prime minister, compassion for the people and respect for their rights was extinguished. With Mahathir too came the decline of political morality and a corresponding decline in the moral fibre of the civil service. Continue reading “Mahathir’s grand contribution to decline in political morality”

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It was the best of times it was the worst of times…..

By Hussein Hamid

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way.” Charles Dickens.

Those lines are an apt description of the situation Pakatan Rakyat finds itself in today! Pakatan Rakyat is the Government in waiting and yet will it govern?

The people had the wisdom to chose Pakatan Rakyat in the last GE and yet would they be foolish enough now to hand it back to UMNO; Pakatan Rakyat leaders had belief that the people within their midst were committed to the ideals and aspirations of the Rakyat and Party and yet incredibly there are those within Pakatan Rakyat that would put self before the party – even before the Rakyat; Continue reading “It was the best of times it was the worst of times…..”

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THE CIVIL SERVICE – a Malaysian perspective.

By Hussein Hamid

The Civil Service assist the business of Government with the ruling party of the day. The Civil Service has in the past recruited its employees based on the principle of selection on merit and on the basis of fair and open competition. With the British the key element of the Civil Service is its political impartiality. The Civil Service administrative impartiality in Malaysia has been brought into question by UMNO’s distinctive approach to Public Administration. We need to examine what is the nature and impact of political involvement by the political elites on the Civil Service of our country.

When we first got our independence the Politician makes the policy and the Civil Servant execute it. There was no corruption and everything was accountable and transparent. To buy a small item one must have a quotation. The more expensive item has to be tendered out and the development project was carried out by the JKR.

But things slowly began to change, as UMNO wanted politically a committed Civil Service because they perceived that Party allegiance is important to those who were going to implement their policies. UMNO embarked on a strategy to enhance their control over the Civil Servants to ensure bureaucratic compliance with their way of doing things e.g. the award of tenders to preferred contractors and cronies, divide and rule of the people based on race, selective prosecution of the opposition, a Police Force that will do their biddings etc etc.
Continue reading “THE CIVIL SERVICE – a Malaysian perspective.”

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Will History be kind to Najib?

By Hussein Hamid

Thirty years from now when Historians write about the 6th Prime Minister of Malaysia – what will they write about The Most Honourable Najib Tun Razak? Will they write of your contributions in making Malaysia a land of equality and opportunity for its entire people or will they write of your part in hastening the demise of UMNO? Will history tell of your time as Prime Minister as being a time of revival and the getting of wisdom for UMNO or will it tell of how UMNO under your watch managed to sink deeper into the abyss of corruption, greed and deception started by Mahathir? What will the historians write?

First they will write of the forced resignation of Abdullah Badawi half way into his second term as Prime Minister. They will comment on the part that Mahathir played in the removal of the very man that he himself appointed as his Deputy earlier. There will be mention of Mahathir’s former two Deputies, Musa and Anwar that was removed by Mahathir and Mahathir’s relentless pursuit of Anwar through a Judiciary that did his biddings. Those who read what is written can make their own judgement of the circumstances that led to these events. Those with hindsight of past events will make their own judgement of Mahathir tenure as Prime Minister. But that is another story to tell.
Continue reading “Will History be kind to Najib?”

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The demise of KD Seri Inderapura

From Friend in Navy
Through Hussein Hamid

KD Seri Inderapura

Surprised? Shocked?

No I am not surprised because a ship sustained fire damage. Fire on board is indeed a normal thing. What I am surprised at is that it took a time-consuming eight-hours before the fire was brought under control! Eight hours! Surprised because the ability to fight and control any fire on board a Navy Vessel is ingrained and drummed into sailors on a daily basis. And I am shocked that despite this the destruction of KD Inderapura is so severe that the ship is categorized as ‘beyond economical repair’ (BER).
Continue reading “The demise of KD Seri Inderapura”

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“Tipping Point”….DIN

By Hussein Hamid

“It will have an effect in the sense that the spirit of the machinery is very high and I feel that there will come a time, a tipping point, where you will see the realization of our members that UMNO has to change and will change and is in the process of changing”. DIN

That is what Din said yesterday after the opening of the University Tun Razak campus building at Capital Square. My friends there are two words in the above statement that we must take note of:

“TIPPING POINT” – it means the level of change at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.

UMNO is still talking about trying to reach their “tipping point”. We reached ours in the General Election of March 8th 2008. From that day we had the critical mass to ensure that the momentum towards change is self-sustaining and will, by itself, fuels further growth from within. Continue reading ““Tipping Point”….DIN”

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Prime Minister of UMNO?

by Hussein Hamid

Will someone tell if this Najib is the Prime Minister of UMNO, of the Malays or of Malaysia. I did not mention the Chinese, the Indians and the Others because by default and by his actions he has certainly made these people reject him as their Prime Minister. So that leaves the Malays and Malaysia because he certainly is Prime Minister of UMNO. Now because Malaysia is made up of not only Malays but also the others then again by default he cannot be Prime Minister for Malaysia. So that leaves the Malays.

The jury is still out and deliberating this issue. Yes there are only Malays in UMNO. But are the interests of UMNO and the Malays the same? The Malays are Muslims. And so, it seems are the profess religion of those in UMNO. Tapi cakap bukan serupa bikin. Islam frowns on greed, corruption, and deceit. UMNO does not. Continue reading “Prime Minister of UMNO?”

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Bagan Pinang…there is no Plan B (part two)

by Hussein Hamid

UMNO’s championing of Ketuanan Melayu from the time of Mahathir is not the result of its beliefs in the superiority of the Malay race nor was it looking at raising the lot of the Malays to what was promised in the context of the NEP. It was simply a ploy for the rise and rise of UMNO’S to its dominant position in Malaysian Politics so that they could enrich themselves to their hearts content….and their hearts are not content yet! .And so with Mahathir begun the divide and rule of the Malaysian people.

But now the Rakyat has seen that the rot has set in. We can see how precisely this policy was being used. In the enriching of the UMNO elite but not the Malays.

UMNO could not.

In the injustice and sufferings it had caused to the non-Malays by denying them basic rights and decency in a country they call home.

UMNO could not. Continue reading “Bagan Pinang…there is no Plan B (part two)”

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In the beginning he was DPM!

by Hussein Hamid

What was Anwar’s biggest contribution to what we are today? I sat and ponder over this question the whole day today. I wanted to write about it and yet I cannot because there were so many thoughts that came and went inside me. All I could do today was about two half page – notes on times go by – Cakap cakap about AP and then I revisited the “Bentong car park” issue because one of our friends sent me something new about that car park. It is now 11.42pm and I have been thinking since 7.15am this morning….fifteen minutes ago it hit me! I believe that what Anwar did to me and to many of us can be conceptualised in two words:

“POLITICAL AWAKENING”

Before Anwar was dismissed by Mahatir I was a Bumiputra intent on pursuing my “rights” as a Bumiputra. The right to have a share in the perceived richness brought into the consciousness of the Malays as a result of the New Economic Policies. All that was in my mind was where the next ringgit was going to be found. Tenders, project proposals, pink slips, AP’s, IPO, licenses, Privatisation opportunities…life was a whirl of meetings and discussions in five star hotels and lunches in restaurants whose name you find hard to pronounce – Troika was one of those that I can still remember – in Jalan Raja Chulan. The evenings were again another whirl of coffee houses and meetings until the early mornings. Continue reading “In the beginning he was DPM!”

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Life is 2 short 2 vote UMNO

By Hussein Hamid

I use to view with amusement the goings on every year of the UMNO AGM at PWTC. The fight between Team A and Team B, spectacle of Mahathir crying on stage, the brandishing of the Kris, gag order, no gag order, contest no contest…the whole spectrum of human failings all there for us to see. But amusement is far from an appropriate response given the anger that I now feel at the way UMNO is still conducting itself despite the wake up call of the last General Election. UMNO has
enjoyed over fifty years of freedom in which they were left alone to do as they wish – to change, amend, and innovate whatever they choose to do to ensure Ketuanan Melayu and to deliver a united, peaceful and prosperous Malaysia with abundant opportunities for all citizens. They failed.

For the Malays who have staunchly supported UMNO and unfailingly given UMNO their votes it has been a challenging time. It used to be the opposition parties that has been looked upon by the Malays with detached amusement as these parties tried desperately to muster the non-Malay votes without much success. Those Malays who openly sided with these opposition parties were regarded as a traitor to the Malay cause. How times have changed.

The myth of UMNO as being the champion of the Malays has long been proven a farce. It might be a myth that UMNO still continues to encourage though we know that that UMNO accomplishments or lack thereof is there for all to see. If the integrity and ability of Singapore Leaders to govern their City State well is an inspiration to people the world over, and if that made UMNO leaders look like little man, then UMNO has only themselves to blame. Continue reading “Life is 2 short 2 vote UMNO”

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Vrroooom….vrrooom

By Hussein Hamid

It would seem that Malaysia is once again, in the words of our Prime Minister Najib, raising its “profile on the world stage” by having it’s own team in Formula One next year. The first thought that hit me was this – if BMW has decided to wind down its Formula One Team after just four seasons in order to focus the resources that had been expended on the company’s F1 program to the “development of new drive technologies and projects in the field of sustainability” why oh why must this fool rush in where angels fear to tread?

Here are the other headlines news that is relevant to this issue – relevant because it only serves to complicate matters and again confirm that the usual suspects are involved – Politics, ‘big business’ well known personalities and taking money from the Rakyat:

“This is where the cars will be designed, manufactured and tested. It will be ‘Made-in-Malaysia, by Malaysians’ and of course, the pit-stops will be run by Malaysians,” he said. Najib.
Continue reading “Vrroooom….vrrooom”

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A traitor again?

By Hussein Hamid

Yesterday I received an email that disturbed me. It disturbed me because of the venom that it spewed on me. It said that as a Malay I am a disgrace to my race. That I deserved to be put in ‘neraka’ (hell) for advocating that the Malays no longer should be with UMNO. Do I not know that the orang Cina, India and ‘others’ together with DAP want to take over this country – that it is not ‘keadilan dan demokrasi’ that they want. What they want is the Political Power that now is in the hands of the Malays. We are the Malays! Are you not a Malay…they ask me?

Then I am reminded of the screaming newspaper headlines that I see in the “National” Malay newspapers.

  1. “Ketuanan Melayu Tercabar”
  2. “Jangan Persoal – Ketuanan Melayu bukan jenaka yang boleh dipermainkan”
  3. “Bangkitlah Melayu – Bersatu hadapi tuntutan kaum lain yang makin keterlaluan”

To those that understand Bahasa there is no need for me to translate. To those that do not I will not translate lest I am accused of inciting racial discord.
Continue reading “A traitor again?”

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Bagan Pinang…there is no Plan B!

By Hussein Hamid

“The people who live in the kampongs in Bagan Pinang are so very poor, Hussein. They have simple homes, and live simple lives. And they are fine people: friendly, happy, simple, good. It is a shame that despite the fact that their own kind are in power, their lot hasn’t changed”.

“If they hated our (the non malays) guts, I’d not be surprised. I might too, given that I had bumiputera status, and I had less than the bangsa asing that live next door! Sigh, things are so wrong here lah, I wouldn’t know how to change them – there’s so much to do.”

“We’re silenced by the parties that are supposed to represent us (mic, mca, gerakan, and other impotent idiots), so most will be behind Pakatan”.

“I think if we took the government, their slogans and their so-called advice out of the equation, we’d all get along fine! It’s with their help that we have these feelings that we’re not getting enough, or being bullied out of our rightful place! It’s all too stupid”.

This was what I was told when I inquired of a friend living in Bagan Pinang as to what was Bagan Pinang like. That in a nutshell is the situation in Bagan Pinang – if we take the ‘postal votes’ factor out of the equation. Continue reading “Bagan Pinang…there is no Plan B!”

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Penans – Last of our Mohicans?

By Hussein Hamid

In September 2008 The Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) media release said in essence that:

“Penan women from the Middle Baram area of Sarawak are launching a cry of alarm to the international community over cases of sexual abuse by logging company workers in the East Malaysian state’s rainforests.

The Penan are accusing workers from Interhill and Samling, two Malaysian logging companies, of harassing and raping Penan women, including schoolgirls. They come on an almost weekly basis, but the situation is worst during the school holidays when they know the students are in the villages.

In other cases, school transports operated by company vehicles had been arranged in such a way that schoolgirls had to stay overnight at a logging camp, where they were abused.

Continue reading “Penans – Last of our Mohicans?”

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Anwar Ibrahim – he cannot sing he cannot dance….

By Hussein Hamid

Anwar Ibrahim was born in August 1947. Me in October 1947. Two months separates us at birth-enough for me to be able to say that he is older, but possibly two or three lifetimes separates us knowing what he has gone through in his life.

I remember the time when I wanted to meet up with him to find out what he was doing with his life. He was then teaching at one of the shop houses along Jalan Pantai – possible with Adabi if I am not mistaken. I did find him and he was indeed teaching and in slippers. At home that evening I casually told my father that I had met Anwar that afternoon. My father was then Director of CID. He stopped, looked at me and said sternly “Engkau tak ada kerja lain?” Whenever my father uses “engkau” when addressing me I knew that he was not amused. And he then went on to lecture me as to why it would be in my best interest to keep away from Anwar!
Continue reading “Anwar Ibrahim – he cannot sing he cannot dance….”

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Losing in Victory

By Hussein Hamid

When will UMNO starts its journey of renewal? Take on the path of morality and decency to ensure that the resurrection of UMNO will meet the aspirations of the Malays and the people of our country? This is not hard to do because there are still amongst them people who are decent, upright and committed to uphold the cause of the Malays and of our country. Let these good people speak their mind. Listen to them and do what they ask you to do so that UMNO will rid itself of the ignorance and narrow mindedness of its current leaders.

They will tell you that at the General Elections of 2004 UMNO could have secured its right to govern the country for fifty more years. UMNO could have right many wrongs, do justice for all and serve the people of this country as UMNO leaders had promised they will do. They could have enhanced the values that they then hold and focused the purpose of our nation into more tangible directions – towards a truly Malaysian Malaysia where all its people having their place in society because if the reality of one Malaysia if not attained it would mean that UMNO would have failed the people, failed the nation.

But they did not do this.
Continue reading “Losing in Victory”

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Do unto others….

by Hussein Hamid

Over the years we have time and time again witness the public unraveling of UMNO not by its detractors but by its own. Dato’ Onn Jaafar. Tunku Abdul Rahman. Tun Hussein. Tun Mahathir. Tun Musa Hitam. Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh. A veritable list of Malays who have made history – who are our history. I am the same age as UMNO. Sixty-Three years old this year. What does the future holds for UMNO?

In March this year the outgoing Prime Minister and President of UMNO made this comment of UMNO in his last speech as UMNO’s President.

“Longevity in power has led to complacency and a number of Umno leaders are increasingly out of touch with the ordinary people who have been the source of Umno’s strength for so long.
Continue reading “Do unto others….”

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Umno has failed!

By Hussein Hamid

I am an individual.

The state of affairs now seen on our country leaves us with no other conclusion then that UMNO has failed. It has failed in its effort to justify their demand that we Malaysian should allow them to continue for another fifty years with their tinkering of our democratic values and principals as a trade off to the ongoing development of our country and the yet to be achieved uplifting of the Malay race to be a developed ethnic community. Two remarkable and truly laudable goals — economic development and the rise and rise of the Malays – but arguments that are fundamentally flawed.

The Government insists that the particularity of Malaysian Politics, its multi ethnic divides and its religious enclaves make a need for the ISA to be enforced arbitrarily over its people. It continues to dominate over its people who live defenseless under its shadows. And in all this there is no political accountability in what they do.

I say that the Politics of Barisan Nasional is no longer appropriate for our people, for our country. I say that a multi ethnic, multi party democracy is what we need. We no longer want a trade-off between democracy and development. Between freedoms to demonstrate responsibly as against what the Government perceives as our inability to do so without causing riot and chaos in the streets.
Continue reading “Umno has failed!”