Category: Muhyiddin Yassin

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had another attack of his “foot-in-mouth” disease when he claimed that the Barisan Nasional candidate for Hulu Selangor P. Kamalanathan is truly 1Malaysia as “Kamal” is Malay, “Alan” a Chinese and “Nathan” an Indian name.

Muhyiddin is insulting the intelligence of the 65,000 voters of Hulu Selangor with such “garbage”.

Would Kamalanathan respond and answer in a crowd if someone shouts “Kamal” or “Alan”? Clearly not.

If Kamalanathan’s name comprises of “Kamal”, “Alan” and “Nathan” then he has a longer name and should be called “Kamalalannathan”! The BN candidate for Hulu Selangor will stare at you for being hostile and unfriendly if you call him that!

Does Muhyiddin Yassin’s name qualify to be a “1Malaysia” name? Where are the Chinese and Indian components? What about Kadazan and Iban components?
Continue reading “Another attack of Muhyiddin’s “foot-in-mouth” disease when he claimed that Kamalanathan is truly 1Malaysia as “Kamal” is Malay, “Alan” a Chinese and “Nathan” an Indian name”

Yesterday there were two 1Malaysia programmes – the launching of the 1Malaysia Motivation Expedition Squad by Gagasan Pelajar Melayu Semananjung (GPMS) by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) briefing organisd by the new MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek and featuring the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Idris Jala.

When Muhyiddin proudly reiterated that he is Malay first and Malaysian second at the GPMS launch, no one is surprised that there was prolonged blackout at the 1Malaysia GTP briefing in MCA headquarters on the same day.

In fact, every time Muhyiddin declares that he is Malay first and Malaysian second, he is delivering an open slap in the face of the 1Malaysia and KPI Minister, Senator Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon.

Forty, thirty or even 20 years ago, the twisted logic and reasoning given by Muhyiddin to justify his “Yes, I am a Malay first and no apologies” stance might have a powerful market, but in the 21st century and the second half-century of Malaysia’s nation-hood, such ultra views are facing a diminishing support base.
Continue reading “When Muhyiddin repeats he is Malay first, Malaysian second, no wonder there is blackout at the MCA 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme briefing”

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal and Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers have attacked Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s remarks that the interfaith committee set up by the Cabinet only consisted of “small-fry,” with Lim Kit Siang claiming it was an example of the government’s indecisive policies.

Muhyiddin had said this morning the lack of any legal powers vested in the committee meant it would not have any influence over the nation’s official religion.

In response to this, Lim, the DAP advisor, said that the DPM’s comments were “insulting” and “a put-down on the role of the inter-faith panel” announced by Minister in the Prime Minister’s department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

“This shows a big divide between proclamation and reality. When Tsu Koon announced the inter-faith panel, the impression given was that it was a major breakthrough,” said Lim.
Continue reading “Pakatan slams DPM’s ‘small-fry’ remark”

By M. Bakri Musa

(Third of Four Parts)

The Ugly and Dysfunctional Mahathir-Anwar Pair

As leader, Mahathir is essentially a one-man team, a loner. He exhibits the typical alpha-male monkey mode. An alpha monkey could tolerate other males in the colony only if they were to submit to him, or be seen doing so. Any hint of a non-deferring behavior or “dissing” would be dealt with quickly until the challenger is either driven out or fatally finished off. Such leaders have little use for a deputy, partner, or a team. Instead he needs a sidekick, in the manner of a Jim McMahon to Johnny Carson; someone to make the leader looks good and be the butt of his jokes.

Consider Mahathir’s relationship with his first deputy, Musa Hitam. It went well so long as Musa deferred to Mahathir, that is, by being submissive. In the beginning, Musa was exactly that. The moment he began to assert himself or received more attention than Mahathir, it marked the beginning of the end for Musa.

The same dynamics governed Mahathir’s relationship with his third deputy, Anwar Ibrahim. Like Musa, Anwar was only too willing to be Mahathir’s sidekick and to humor him, at least initially. And why not; Anwar was handsomely rewarded, as seen by his rapid ascent in the party and government. Mahathir never viewed Anwar as a threat seeing that he was very much younger and thus could patiently bide his time. That scenario would have successfully played out to the end had Anwar not succumb to the impatient goading of his many impatient and greedy supporters.
Continue reading “The Labu and Labi Team of Najib and Muhyiddin (Part 3)”

By Kee Thuan Chye

I am proud to call myself Malaysian first and Chinese second. And if I were to tell other Chinese Malaysians that, I don’t think they will shun me.

Even if they do, so be it. Let them. If they are so narrow-minded as not to see the beauty of calling oneself Malaysian first, I don’t want to have anything to do with them.

I have two children to whom I have given Malaysian names, i.e. Malay, Indian and Chinese names. It is my contribution to Bangsa Malaysia. Their identity cards bear their full names.

In both cases, their Malay name comes first. And that is the name my wife and I call them by. We call our daughter Soraya and our son Jebat. To us, Malay names are also Malaysian names, and our children are Malaysian. We have no hang-ups about it.

Now, why can’t this be the norm in this beautiful, rich, multi-racial nation – a nation that is beautiful and rich because of its many races and cultures? Why must we separate ourselves into divisive categories? Why can’t we take the inclusive approach, consider each of our fellow citizens as being part of a whole, as part of us instead of as the Other?
Continue reading “I am Malaysian first”

By M. Bakri Musa

[Second of Four Parts]

The Best Team

The Razak-Ismail duo lasted just a month shy of three years, prematurely cut short by the sudden but not unexpected death of Tun Ismail. At first glance they had all the ingredients for a divisive and acrimonious relationship. One was a lawyer the other, a physician; two professionals not known to get along well with each other. Members of the two professions view society differently; likewise their approaches to problem solving. Lawyers cross examine their witnesses; doctors get a history from their patients. Lawyers assume their clients would lie; physicians implicitly trust theirs. Attorneys’ clients may think it is in their interest to lie; patients however risk their lives if they were to mislead their physicians.

What made the Razak-Ismail team worked remarkably well was that both were true professionals as well as consummate politicians in the best traditional mold. It was this combination that made their partnership blossomed. As professionals they were able to separate their personal feelings to address the problems at hand; as accomplished politicians they were skillful in the art of compromise, a fine sense of politics as the art of the possible. They were able to sink whatever personal, political and professional differences and ambitions they harbor in order to best serve their client: the nation.
Continue reading “The Labu and Labi Team of Najib and Muhyiddin (Part 2)”

In response to my challenge on the four acid tests of whether he really supports Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declared he is “Malay first” and then only a Malaysian.

He said: “I am Malay first! But being Malay does not mean you are not Malaysian. It is not a race issue.”

Again accusing me of trying to drive a wedge between him and Najib, he said:

“The question of 1 Malaysia should not be brought up. When a leader talks about the interest of his own race, it does not mean he doesn’t support 1 Malaysia. 1 Malaysia is based on the Constitution.

“How can I say I’m Malaysian first and Malay second? All the Malays will shun me and say that it is not proper.

“There is nothing wrong in leaders fighting for their own race. Don’t tell me Kit Siang does not fight for the Chinese?”
Continue reading “Challenge to all the other 17 UMNO Ministers and other BN Ministers to stand up and be counted to declare whether they are Malaysians first and Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans second or the reverse”

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in Parliament yesterday in his reply as Education Minister that he supported the Prime Minister’s message of 1Malaysia and instead accused me of trying to drive a wedge between Datuk Seri Najib Razak and him.

Muhyiddin said:

“Ipoh Timur has questioned my commitment to the concept of 1 Malaysia. For Ipoh Timur’s information, 1 Malaysia, which was created by the prime minister, is a pure idea aimed at strengthening racial unity which has been the basis of our strength as a nation.

“Unity reflected by 1 Malaysia is not a form of assimilation where one’s identity is erased and replaced with one identity. It is also not a concept which rejects the special rights of the Malays as propagated by Ipoh Timur through the concept of Malaysian Malaysia and lately Middle Malaysia.

“My relationship with the prime minister is very close and 1 Malaysia has the support of the nation. The allegations made are aimed at weakening Barisan Nasional. I am confident that Barisan Nasional lawmakers clearly understand the concept of 1 Malaysia.”

Continue reading “Muhyiddin should resign as DPM if he is not prepared to declare that in accordance with 1Malaysia goal, he is Malaysian first and Malay second”

By M. Bakri Musa

[First of Four Parts]

The dynamics between Prime Minister Najib Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin is one of rivalry. They compete rather than complement each other. They give every indication to be the least productive and most dysfunctional ‘team,’ if I can stretch that term. Their relationship has awful feng shui and exudes bad karma.

They are politics’ Labu and Labi, the bumbling hired hands in P. Ramlee’s comedy movie of the same name, who spent their time fantasizing about their employer’s daughter while neglecting their chores.

Alas, leading the nation is anything but a comedic act; it is an awesome responsibility. Najib and Muhyiddin however, are treating their position as they would a trophy wife; with Najib consumed with displaying it while Muhyiddin is busy licking at the chops barely concealing his own desires.
Continue reading “The Labu and Labi Team of Najib and Muhyiddin”

I had proposed the establishment of an Opposition-headed Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia which had been met with indifference and disinterest from Muhyiddin and the overwhelming majority of Barisan Nasional Ministers.

This is really quite ridiculous as Muhyiddin and the Najib Cabinet should be persuading the Pakatan Rakyat MPs to agree to the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia and not the other way round!

Why is this so? Is this because the Najib Cabinet is full of Ministers who are quite skeptical about the 1Malaysia concept treating it as nothing more than political theatre not to be taken seriously?

Who are the Ministers in the Najib Cabinet who have the 1Malaysia DNA? I do not see anyone. No wonder neither Muhyiddin nor the other Cabinet Ministers comport themselves with any conviction that they are the standard-bearers of the 1Malaysia slogan and concept.

There are three simple tests as to whether Muhyiddin and Cabinet Ministers are sincerely and seriously committed to Najib’s 1Malaysia, viz:
Continue reading “How many Cabinet Ministers, including the DPM, have the 1Malaysia DNA as to be able to pass three simple 1Malaysia tests? (Part 3)”

I had occasion to ask publicly last month whether the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is sincerely and seriously committed to Najib’s 1Malaysia concept – whether he is the right-hand man of Najib or former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir as the custodian and surrogate of the Mahathir legacy in the Najib premiership.

I had asked Muhyiddin whether he had Najib’s endorsement and approval for all his utterances and actions which are inimical to the realisation of the 1Malaysia slogan and concept, including:

• His defense of the racist “brain washing” and indoctrination on “ketuanan Melayu” by Biro Tata Negara despite criticisms and expose of its racist, divisive and seditious content for the past two decades;

• His attempt to mitigate the Nasir Safar outrage claiming that it could have been “a slip of the tongue” when Najib’s senior political aide labelled Indians and Chinese in Malaysia as “pendatang”, alleging that the Chinese came as beggars and the Chinese women as “prostitutes”; claimed that Umno was solely responsible in drafting the constitution sidelining the contribution of MCA and MIC; and issued the threat to revoke the citizenship of those vocal about the subject cap for SPM examination.

Continue reading “How many Cabinet Ministers, including the DPM, have the 1Malaysia DNA as to be able to pass three simple 1Malaysia tests? (Part 2)”

Yesterday, the Education Ministry released the Top 10 students and the Top 10 Schools for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2009 – with only two students and three schools coming from the 20 High Performance Schools announced by the Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in January this year.

But why just announce the Top 10 students and the Top 10 Schools for last year’s SPM?

I call on Muhyiddin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Human Resources, to announce the top 200 students for SPM last year and the Top 100 Schools for SPM 2009 as well.

It will be interesting to know whether all High Performance Schools announced by Muhyiddin come within the Top 100 Schools for SPM 2009.

However, what is more important is that the government should usher a new era of meritocracy by awarding full scholarships for both pre-university and university, whether local or foreign, studies to the top 200 top SPM students, regardless of race, religion or region.
Continue reading “The 200 top SPM students should all be given full pre-university and university scholarships to usher in a new era of meritocracy”

The list of Top 10 students and Top 10 schools in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2009 is a slap-in-the-face to Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for his list of High-Performance Schools (HPS) announced at the end of January.

The two SPM 2009 lists have validated the criticisms leveled against Muhyiddin’s HPS list, that it is an insult not only to students and teachers from Sarawak and Sabah but also to their counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia when none of their schools was selected.

Congratulations to Gladys Tan Yee Kim of SMK Green Road, Kuching, the top SPM student in the country in SPM 2009 scoring 10A+s as well as the other nine SPM top scorers.

Gladys Tan has vindicated the honour and quest for excellence of Sarawakians by topping the national list.

However, out of the Top 10 SPM students, only two were from Muhyiddin’s list of HPS, namely second top scorer Grace Kiew Sze-Ern from SMK(P) Sri Aman, Petaling Jaya and fifth top scorer Syamilah Mahali from Kolej Tunku Kurshiah, Seremban.
Continue reading “Top 10 students and Top 10 schools in SPM 2009 a slap-in-the face to Muhyiddin’s list of High Performance Schools”

Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is only half right when said that my head is “filled with problems” but half wrong when he alleged that these problems are about Pakatan Rakyat.

My head is indeed filled with problems but they are not about the Pakatan Rakyat but are compounded by the life-and-death struggle of Umno and the other Barisan Nasional component parties including MCA, Gerakan and MIC after the political tsunami of the 12th general election in 2008 and the pathetic 10-month history of Najib’s “1Malaysia” slogan and concept which may meet the fate of being the first slogan of a Prime Minister with the shortest useful life-span.

Muhyiddin’s suggestion that that I am bankrupt of ideas and his allegation that I had run out of issues to use against the government are “old hats” and “no great shakes”, as they had been thrown at me by Umno, MCA and Gerakan leaders for over four decades but to no great avail, or Umno and the Barisan Nasional would not be fighting for their political life after the March 8 “political tsunami” while the stocks of DAP and Pakatan Rakyat, whatever our problems, are on the ascendance.

Instead of making personal attacks and baseless accusations that I was laying a “trap” to “cause friction between him and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak”, Muhyiddin should have responded to my call to him to declare whether he is the right-hand man of Najib or former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir in the Najib premiership.
Continue reading “Can Muhyiddin pass three simple tests as to whether he is sincerely and seriously committed to Najib ‘s 1Malaysia concept?”

Tun Abdullah tried to distance himself and tinker with the Mahathir legacy, without really daring to dismantle it when he was Prime Minister – but that was enough to ensure a swift and ignominious dismantling and end to Abdullah’s hapless premiership.

One great difference between the Najib and Abdullah premierships up to now is over their stance on the Mahathir legacy – in the Abdullah premiership, the Cabinet Ministers stand mute on the subject but in the Najib administration, the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has emerged as the custodian of the Mahathir legacy with a powerful following!

This is why Muhyiddin’s utterances and actions are not only important for one who is only half-a-heartbeat away from the premiership but as a surrogate of the Mahathir legacy – undoubtedly of the most powerful former Malaysian Prime Minister in the nation’s history.

Just look at some the media headlines on Muhyiddin in the past few months:
Continue reading “Is Muhyiddin the right-hand man of Najib or Mahathir in the Najib premiership?”

I never thought that a day would come when Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin could prate about the doctrine of separation of powers.

Who is he to suggest that I am confused and do not understand separation of powers for asking for an emergency Parliamentary meeting on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy2 charges.

This is because Muhyiddin is among the most unqualified persons in the Najib Cabinet to talk about the doctrine of separation of powers.

The doctrine of separation of powers among the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary suffered the worst erosion and emasculation, subversion and sabotage since the “mother of all judicial crisis” in 1988 when the then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and Supreme Court judges were sacked for not complying with the whims and fancies of the then Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

If Muhyiddin had any doubts about the perversion and subversion of the doctrine of separation of powers in the past two decades, he need only ask his Cabinet colleague, Datuk Dr. Rais Yatim who had written a doctoral thesis on the subject – although Rais had recanted his views to get back to the Cabinet.
Continue reading “Muhyiddin is among the most unqualified persons in the Najib Cabinet to talk about the doctrine of separation of powers”

By Yip Ai Tsin | Feb 14, 10 2:56pm | Malaysiakini

A new land policy purported to be a boon for the 150,000-strong Orang Asli community has all but been received as good news, given the many questions surrounding the announcement, said activists.

Unless further details are forthcoming from the government, the policy announced by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin last December may even undermine the rights and interests of the Orang Asli, they alleged.

On Dec 4 last year, Muhyiddin announced that some 20,000 Orang Asli families will be given by state governments freehold land titles for residential use and for oil palm, rubber and other crop cultivation under an agreement between the government and developers.

The number made up 72 per cent of the total of 27,841 Orang Asli families and involve 50,563.51 hectares of land in Peninsular Malaysia, said Muhyiddin according to reports.
Continue reading “New land policy for Orang Asli: boon or bane?”

The Malaysian Insider

FEB 13 — Today is the day Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should learn former US president, Ronald Reagan’s favourite phrase: “Trust, but Verify”.

If he had learnt the phrase before today, the deputy prime minister would not look silly for castigating the Penang government which he alleged had cancelled the annual Maulidur Rasul procession.

He accused the Pakatan Rakyat government led by Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng of not supporting the aspirations of Muslims.

All this based on a report by the Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia.

In other words, Muhyiddin appeared irresponsible for stoking racial and religious tension when talking about the apparent cancellation of the Maulidur Rasul procession in Penang, where Malays have been complaining about being sidelined.

The responsible thing to do would have been to double check with the Penang state government and not rely on what is reported by Utusan Malaysia, which has stretched its credibility in the past when reporting about Umno’s political foes.
Continue reading “Umno’s Chinese whispers — The Malaysian Insider”

Two days ago, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin lambasted the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) for “talking through their nose” for raising Malaysia’s risk index and giving the impression that Malaysia was veering towards instability.

He dismissed the latest PERC report that foreign investments into Malaysia have not been forthcoming, either in direct form or in the equity markets, and doubting the efficacy of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia strategy of “trying to be all things to all people, but in the end he might satisfy no one”.

Muhyiddin said:

“We are not asking them to help us anyway. We are helping ourselves and we don’t need their comments because I think a lot of other people know and can evaluate us very objectively.

“We are not basing it on emotions but facts and reality.

“The fact is, Malaysians are happy and are not facing any major disaster or racial trouble in the country… So, what are they talking about?

“I think they (PERC) must be talking through their nose.”

Continue reading “Muhyiddin – don’t be DPM who talks through his nose”

Bolehland’s economy is Stagnant, Shaky, Startling & Sliding
by Martin Jalleh

Deputy PM Muhyiddin Yassin tries very hard to make sense of what he says most of the time. When he fails to make sense he makes fun of those whom he criticises. He then constructs (make believe) his preferred reality of the country and ends up making the fool of himself.

In a report on Malaysia released at the end of January, the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) warned: “Events of the past month give the impression that pressures are building and the entire situation is becoming much more unstable”. Malaysia was “veering towards instability” (Malaysian Insider, 10 Feb. 2010).

The PERC reported that the impression that Malaysia has given since New Year’s Day was that the situation in the country is becoming increasingly unstable; a group of elite minorities were dominating the national agenda to the extent that it was hurting Malaysia’s attractiveness to investors; and it is “probable” that no other Asian country is suffering from as much bad press as Malaysia.

Among the developments that caught PERC’s attention were the theft of military jet engines; detention of terror suspects from a number of African and Middle East countries; warnings that Islamic militants were planning attacks on foreigners at resorts in Sabah; renewed ethnic and religious “violence” that included arson at some churches and desecration of mosques; and controversy over the integrity of key institutions like the judicial system in the sodomy trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
Continue reading “Muhyiddin’s Myths & Make-Believe”