Malaysian drivers have no skill

By Road Runner

From my daily observations and experience (and accident statistics), I dare say that more than 90% of Malaysian drivers have little or no driving skills at all. Most car drivers blame motorcyclists, calling them road terrors etc, but car drivers are actually the bigger culprit, and pose even more danger to motorcyclists.

Here are the top ten "offences"

1- Speeding
They drive like an F1 driver, but can't even keep to their own lane when cornering. Imagine what will happen if they stray into another lane and touch another vehicle at speeds of 110kmh and above. And many drivers think that they are Michael Schumacher, speeding even in torrential rain. These people only know how to press the accelerator, but have little idea how to control their car. Most accident reports are of "drivers losing control of the vehicle".

2 - Staying on own lane
Mentioned above, these drivers don't seem able to STAY on their own lane, drifting to the right or left lane. This happens everywhere, in roundabouts, in corners and even on straight roads. This is pure bad driving habit. They expect other drivers to give way. That's the best case scenario. The worst case, they cause fatal accidents by grazing an unfortunate motorcyclist.

3 - Speeding in the rain
Again related to the first, most drivers continue to speed even in heavy rain and limited visibility. They have no idea that in such conditions, their car's wheels will lock up and drift when sudden brake force is applied. Not everyone drives a Mercedes or BMW with tons of safety features. Driving in the rain requires extra caution because vehicle stopping distances, slippery road conditions and limited visibility present extra challenges.
4 - Different types of vehicle, different types of control
I have seen many drivers driving big vans and 4x4 utility vehicles as if they are driving a small family car. They speed and weave in and out with little concern that the physics and controls of these bigger, taller and heavier are totally different from typical family sedans. Vans have a very short frontal section and poses extra risk in a frontal collision. And their tall build presents an inherent instability, especially when cornering.

5 - Not bothering to use indicator lights / turn signals
This must be counted as one of the worst and most "popular" habits of the majority of Malaysian drivers out there, and undoubtly the cause of many fatal accidents. I have actually suggested car manufacturers make turn signal indicators "OPTIONAL". Why? Almost 90% of the time, the drivers REFUSE to indicate where they want to turn. This again happens in almost every driving situation, whether in roundabouts, junctions, parking etc. This is especially dangerous when the driver suddenly changes lane because even a slight touch or graze to a motorcyclist will knock him down, even at moderate speeds. An unfortunate example was the 4x4 vehicle which switched lane (according to a news report) without notice and grazed a few big motorcyclists at the NKVE highway recently, causing a fatal accident.

Maybe they think it is a hassle. Maybe some young drivers think it is cool. How much effort does it take to turn on the turn signal indicator?

Can they live the rest of their lives in peace if they caused a fatal accident?

6 - Driving in slow motion
Amazingly, I have come across not once but many times, drivers cruising at 20-30km/h in major highways, at their leisure. These motorists don't seem to realize that by driving at such a slow pace, they are forcing other drivers to overtake them, sometimes dangerously, on the left or right lanes. This is worse if the road has only a single lane. And many motorists, driving at normal speed, can be caught unawares by a very slow vehicle in front, and fail to brake on time because they are conditioned to think that all cars on the highway are moving constantly at a reasonable speed.

7 - Road Hogging and tailgaters
Includes those who seem to be daydreaming and hogging the fast lane, refusing to budge even when flashed numerous times by the car behind. However, some habitual tailgaters are also included in this section.

8 - Indiscriminate Parking
These offenders park where and when they like. Have you seen cars parked on a two lane road, taking up one whole lane? I have, surprisingly many times. Some actually stop in the middle of the road, without giving any sign of their intentions. And many people leave their cars at corners, blocking other motorists' view coming out of junctions. This could cause mishaps because motorists are unable to see oncoming vehicles properly.

9 - Housing Area Menaces
The worst culprits, from my observations, are young people; the bane of all residents, and nightmare of many cats and dogs. They drive at frightening speeds, and can't seem to comprehend that small children and animals may dash out anytime.

10 - The last is actually for readers to list down, because there so many, ten is not enough
The only skill most Malaysian drivers have, is causing accidents.

The Federation of Malaysia

A federation, also known as a federal state, is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central (federal) government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states, as well as the division of power between them and the central government, are typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision of the latter.

In a federation the component states are in some sense sovereign, insofar as certain powers are reserved to them that may not be exercised by the central government. However, a federation is more than a mere loose alliance of independent states. The component states of a federation usually possess no powers in relation to foreign policy, and so they enjoy no independent status under international law. However, German Lander do have this power, which is beginning to be exercised on a European level.

Some federations are called asymmetric because some states have more autonomy than others.

An example of such a federation is Malaysia, in which Sabah and Sarawak entered the federation on different terms and conditions from the states of Peninsular Malaysia.

A federation often emerges from an initial agreement between a number of separate states. The purpose can be the will to solve mutual problems and to provide for mutual defense, or to create a nation state for an ethnicity spread over several states. The former was the case with the United States and Switzerland, the latter with Germany.

However, as the histories of countries and nations vary, the federalist system of a state can be quite different from these models. Australia, for instance, is unique in that it came into existence as a nation by the democratic vote of the citizens of each state, who voted "yes" in referendums to adopt the Australian Constitution.

Brazil, on the other hand, has experienced both the federal and the unitary state through its history. Some present day states of the Brazilian federation retain borders set during the Portuguese colonization, whereas the latest state, Tocantins, was created by the 1988 Constitution for chiefly administrative reasons.

When all else fails, use Sedition Act

September 7, 2012

The act of arresting, handcuffing and detaining 19-year-old Ong Sing Yee will start a backlash against the authorities.

In the past, Malaysia’s Sedition Act 1948 was used to silence the political adversaries of the ruling administration. Today, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s government has deemed it necessary to curb individuals, NGOs and even teenagers.

This government refuses to understand that it needs to summon the courage to tackle the necessary and urgent reforms demanded by the electorate. It should not take the easier option of hounding teenagers and people who dare criticise.

The act of arresting, handcuffing and detaining 19-year-old Ong Sing Yee for 15 hours and then interrogating her without the presence of her lawyer, will start a backlash against the authorities.

Ong’s crime? She had been charged with sedition for stepping on posters of Najib and his wife, the self-styled First Lady Rosmah Mansor, during the Janji Demokrasi march on the eve of Merdeka Day at Dataran Merdeka.

If Najib and the police would really like to make an impact, they should raid people’s homes and arrest, handcuff and detain all those people, including and especially Malays, who use newspapers with Najib’s photographs to line their cat litter trays. Some do this with relish, because they claim, this is their own form of silent protest.

Photos of Najib seem to attract all sorts of contempt. Not so long ago. It is alleged he had to arrest boys for throwing bricks at his pictures on KTM trains.

MP for Puchong, Gobind Singh Deo, had already said that stepping on photographs of the prime minister and his wife is not sedition. Najib and his wife are not rulers, nor are they the government. Najib is merely a government servant.

In May, NGO and social activist Irene Fernandez was charged with sedition. A Jakarta daily reported that she had claimed Malaysia was unsafe for migrant workers.

Curbing free speech
In June, the Sedition Act was used by the Johor police to investigate the former Perak mentri besar, Nizar Jamaluddin for his comments on the Sultan of Johore’s purchase of the car registration number plate, WWW1. The number plate had cost the Sultan RM500,000 and Nizar opined that the money could be put to a better use, such as helping the poor.

Kosmo, an Utusan publication which printed two cartoons on the controversy, escaped censure.

“Why the double standard in only charging me whereas no action has been taken against Kosmo for the same offence? Is it because Kosmo is an Umno paper whereas I am a Pakatan leader?” asked Nizar.

At the time, Azmi Sharom, a law lecturer at the Universiti Malaya (UM) also criticised the use of the Sedition Act 1948, to prosecute individuals.

“The underlying theme is the government is using all these powers to curb dissent against the government, to curb criticism of the government.

“What they are doing to Nizar is very clearly to suppress his right to free speech, his opinion. This is obviously a bad law… It is bad faith on their part. If they think something is bad, then don’t use it. Get it fixed first,” said Azmi.

Signs of desperation
It is easy to see what is happening. Najib and members of his Cabinet are clearly showing signs of desperation and fear.
Najib and his administration lack original ideas to push through reforms. They have failed to act on their promises. What happened to the National Harmony Act which Najib promised last June, to replace the Sedition Act?

Malaysia now has an opposition which is strongest and the most credible party to take on the BN government.

The opposition coalition has proved to be a viable alternative. It is not perfect but it shows promise. They won five states in the last election and if the opposition had been a bit more switched on, they should have questioned the veracity of the votes. Perhaps, they might have found out that they had won more states, or even won the election outright.

NGOs, activists and the majority of the rakyat are energised. There is no further need to tolerate Umno’s lies and empty promises.

Arresting Ong is only a means to intimidate and frighten her, and others like her. Another student has been expelled from his private college. This is to make sure his future is bleak. It is like arresting Rafizi Ramli of the opposition. It is meant to scare the rakyat and to stop them embarrassing the government. It is to prevent more whistleblowers from revealing more scandals.

Najib knows how to manipulate social networking sites. He has used them to improve his image. Is he like Newt Gingrich, the US presidential contender, who claimed he had 1,000,000 Twitter followers? Gingrich is alleged to have bought these followers. Had Najib’s expensive foreign PR media advisers bought his Twitter followers for him?

Najib should realise that the young have a powerful tool in social networking sites. It is the medium which brought about Hosni Mubarak’s downfall in Egypt. It is how activists garner support in oppressed middle-eastern countries like Bahrain.

Ong’s experience has gone viral in cyberspace. Her treatment differs from that of Ibrahim Ali and Ridhuan Tee. The message sent out to the young, whose affections Najib has been anxious to cultivate, is clear.

The Malaysian youth understand that there is one law for Umno and another for the rakyat. Moreover, the photo of Ong in handcuffs will be the new symbol of oppression by the administration of Najib.

Mariam Mokhtar is a columnist.

THE KUCHING DECLARATION

THE KUCHING DECLARATION


LEST WE FORGET, AND LEST ALL THE PEOPLES OF OUR GREAT NATION OF MALAYSIA FORGET, WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, DO ONCE AGAIN FIRMLY, RESOLUTELY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY PLEDGE AND PROMISE BEFORE THE WHOLE NATION OF MALAYSIA AS OUR WITNESSES, ON THIS HISTORIC DAY THE 16^TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2012, IN THE CITY OF KUCHING, AND ON BEHALF OF OUR RESPECTIVE PARTIES AND PAKATAN RAKYAT AS A WHOLE, THAT WHEN WE FORM THE NEXT GOVERNMENT OF MALAYSIA, PAKATAN RAKYAT WILL HONOUR ALL ITS PLEDGES AND PROMISES TO THE PEOPLES OF MALAYSIA.

WE WILL HONOURABLY EXECUTE ALL THE POLICIES SET FORTH IN THE BUKU JINGGA SO THAT MALAYSIA WILL ONCE AGAIN BE A GREAT NATION, HER PEOPLES PROSPEROUS, HER FUTURE SECURE AND PEACEFUL, AND HER NAME CELEBRATED BY ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD.

WE WILL HONOUR THE SPIRIT OF THE MALAYSIA AGREEMENT OF 1963 WHICH OUR FOUNDING FATHERS PUT THEIR HANDS TO, AND AS A SIGN OF OUR DEEP COMMITMENT TO THE PEOPLES OF SARAWAK AND SABAH, CONSISTENT WITH DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES AND JUSTICE FOR ALL MALAYSIANS, IN PARTICULAR:

ARTICLE ONE: EQUAL PARTNERS
We will restore the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement and the position of Sarawak and Sabah as equal partners within Malaysia by restoring autonomy to Sarawak and Sabah within the framework of the Federal Constitution.


ARTICLE TWO: FAIR REPRESENTATION
We will increase national integration between Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia through a fair power-sharing arrangement that fully upholds the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement.


ARTICLE THREE: CITIZENSHIP
We will set up a Royal Commission to solve the perennial national problem of illegal immigration and citizenship, particularly in Sarawak and Sabah.

ARTICLE FOUR: RESTORATION OF NATIVE CUSTOMARY RIGHTS OVER LAND
We will endorse the authority already vested in the State Laws of Sarawak and Sabah to set up Land Commissions to investigate, resolve disputes, redress, survey and restore Native Customary Rights over Native Customary Lands.
ARTICLE FIVE: COMPETENT SARAWAK AND SABAH
We will endorse the appointment of Sarawak and Sabah citizens to head Government Departments in their own respective States and by the powers vested in the State Secretaries of both States as well as give first priority to the appointment of Sarawak and Sabah citizens at Federal Government level functioning within Sarawak and Sabah.
ARTICLE SIX: OIL JUSTICE
We will raise the royalties paid on petroleum and hydrocarbon resources to Sarawak and Sabah to 20% from the present 5%.


ARTICLE SEVEN: EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT
We will bring the level of infrastructure development in Sarawak and Sabah up to par with Peninsular Malaysia.


WE, the undersigned, MAKE THIS DECLARATION AS AN INCONTROVERTIBLE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE PAKATAN RAKYAT AND THE PEOPLES OF MALAYSIA, THIS HISTORIC DAY OF 16^TH SEPTEMBER, 2012, ON MALAYSIA DAY, SO THAT IT MAY RING OUT RESOUNDINGLY From MALAYSIA’S high forest hills Down to the open sea; SO THAT freedom MAY ever reign; AND OUR PEOPLES Live in Unity!

In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto, have signed this Declaration, and all the peoples of Malaysia being witnesses thereof.


Done at Kuching, this 16th day of September, 2012, in six copies of which one shall be deposited with each of the signatories.

For People’s Justice Party (KEADILAN)
Y.B. Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Ketua Umum

For Democratic Action Party (DAP)
Y.B. Lim Kit Siang, Parliamentary Leader

For Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS)
Y.B. Dato’ Seri Hj. Abdul Hadi Awang, President

For People’s Justice Party (KEADILAN)
Y.B. Baru Bian, Chairman, PKR Sarawak

For Democratic Action Party (DAP)
Y.B. WONG HO LENG, Chairman, DAP Sarawak

For Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS)
TUAN HAJI ADAM BIN AHID, State Commissioner, PAS Sarawak

Sold Out At The Altar Of 'Malay Unity'

John Lee, JULY 25 — After a little talk I just had with my father, I've decided it's imperative to underscore yet again the very real effect so-called 'Malay unity' has on Malaysian society. Malay unity as it is presently understood is fundamentally undemocratic, and fundamentally a threat to Malaysian unity. The notion that it is not just okay but morally right to prefer one Malaysian over another because of his or her racial identity undermines everything that the concept of a Malaysian stands for; it justifies racism, communalism and separatism. In the first place, I cannot see why anyone would believe that the Malay community or Malays as individuals stand to gain from uniting behind one political party or one ideology. Malays are not a single-minded, homogeneous lot, any more than the Chinese or Indians are. To ask a Malay to subjugate his own individual beliefs to the tyranny of the Malay majority is ridiculous, and completely undermines the democratic right of individual Malaysians, Malay or not, to freedom of thought and expression. If a few Malay strongmen believe they can really subjugate their fellow Malays and fellow Malaysians to the yoke of one single ideology, one single belief system, they will have to face the consequences sooner or later. We know what single-party and single-ideology countries turn out like; even the few successes like China are forced to tolerate differing viewpoints, if not differing political parties. You cannot force a man to believe something he does not have his heart in; there is no reason to think a Malay will stop thinking and stop believing in something simply for the sake of "Malay unity". But enough of this focus on the Malays; this is just one side of the delicate equation as far as national unity and social cohesion are concerned. I want to relate something personal, something that affects untold numbers of Malaysian families, including my own. Many Malays often wonder why non-Malays are so reluctant to offer this country their loyalty; hardly any are ever actually serious in their wonderment. My mother is not a Malaysian. She is a Filipino, although with a partial Chinese heritage. My parents met while they were pursuing their post-graduate studies in Thailand . They tied the knot two decades ago; they have brought into the world and raised four children, all of them Malaysian citizens. Over a decade ago, my parents made the conscious decision to bring their three children back to Malaysia , and have their fourth born there, because they wanted us to know our roots. My mother has lived in this country for 12 years, and spent close to 19 years of her life raising Malaysian citizens; she has learnt the national language, made Malaysian friends, and settled herself here. If this is not the loyalty asked of Malaysian citizens, I don't know what loyalty you expect from us. For the past 12 years, my family has made an annual pilgrimage to the Immigration Department, because my mother is not entitled to reside in Malaysia . Every year, my parents swear before a Commissioner of Oaths that they are still legally married, and on this basis, they renew my mother's 'social visit pass' at the Immigration Department. A social visit pass, for the mother of four Malaysian citizens, the daughter-in-law of another two Malaysians, the wife of yet another Malaysian, and friend of many more! A long, long time ago - so long I cannot remember, but about a decade or so - my mother applied to the Immigration Department for a permanent resident visa. My parents personally put all the necessary paperwork together, and my mother invested a lot of her time — time which could have been spent looking after her four young Malaysian children, or contributing to the Malaysian economy — in learning the Malay language. To this date, the Immigration Department has never even acknowledged receipt of her application. My parents initially followed up on the application, but were told by the officers to await an official letter from the Department. They waited.And waited. Ten years on, they are still waiting. Last year, my mother applied for a Canadian tourist visa. The process went without a hitch, until we came to picking up her passport. A Canadian embassy officer appeared and enquired about her 'social visit pass'. My mother confirmed that yes, in spite of everything, this wife and mother of Malaysians has yet to be allowed to stay in Malaysia . The officer shrugged his shoulders, as if he were used to seeing this sort of thing, and replied, 'Okay, just checking!' On the way drive home, my father reflected on the ludicrousness of it all. If he were to die, if they were to be divorced, my mother would have no right to stay in Malaysia , no right to be the mother of Malaysians. A decade on, my family was still waiting. Fed up with it all, my father decided that if his wife could not have a home here, he would make sure she and our family could have a home elsewhere. Two years ago, he applied for permanent residency in New Zealand . Today, before any of us have even set foot in New Zealand , the Kiwi government has welcomed us and given us the right to stay and reside in New Zealand for as long as we like, without any preconditions. We have no prior ties to New Zealand , and they welcome us with open arms; my mother has a rich 20-year history with Malaysia , and to this day, her request to stay here has yet to even be acknowledged. This story is alas far too common; years ago, my father was warned by an acquaintance that his wife had waited in vain for 10 years for her permanent residency to come through. Earlier yesterday, he decided to check with the Immigration Department, just to see if they had ever done anything about my mother's application. He got the same brush-off of a reply: "Tunggu suratlah!" As he left the office, he overheard a Mat Salleh woman berating a young officer, in fluent Malay: 'My husband is dead already, what should I do now? I have been living in this country longer than you have been alive!' Not far off, an Indonesian construction worker was conspicuously brandishing his approved application for a work permit, entitling him to reside here. This sort of thing is no bureaucratic accident; this is intentional racism.This is the product of 'Malay unity'. What good is this talk of how Pak Lah is selling us out to the Singaporeans by giving them cheap sand, when right under our noses, the government is selling our citizenship birthrights out to any old Indonesian, while denying Malaysians the right to live in peace with their spouses, their families? When you endorse this idea that the end of Malay unity justifies the means, this is the result. I don't begrudge legal Indonesian immigrants their right to live and work here; they are doing a job nobody else wants to, and they are often unfairly scapegoated by a Malaysian society not willing to examine its own fractures and divisions. But I have lived for years with the shame of being a citizen whose own country will not even let his mother stay, in spite of everything she has done for her Malaysian family. It's easy to mock people like us for saying things like "I will never die for this country"; it's hard to accept that this country has never given people like us a reason to die for it. When my family migrates to New Zealand , they will not be looking back wistfully; they will be looking forward to a future where my mother is not forever in legal jeopardy, forever at risk of separation from us. The last thing on their minds will be a country obsessed with small-minded 'Malay unity', obsessed with worshipping its keris-waving heroes while ignoring the countless non-Malays who gave their lives in apparent vain for a country which will not recognise the ideal behind their sacrifice.

John Lee is a second-year student of economics at Dartmouth College in the United States.

Under Umno there is no hope for the Chinese in Malaysia!

A former MCA insider has left the country for good. The excerpt is from his letter responding to a request from his friend asking him to consider a return to Malaysia.

The excerpt provides a personal but important perspective of the role of non-Malay parties in the Barisan Nasional. It has been reproduced with the consent of the writer whose identity we’re withholding.

Excerpt from letter by the MCA insider

From my experience with MCA and the people whom I had worked with in the party, I can only say that most of them (from Lee San Choon, Koon Swan, Liong Sik, Kim Sai, Ka Ting, Tee Keat and all the other people at federal and state level) KNOW that the Chinese in Malaysia is not ever going to be in a position to influence the direction of how the country is to be governed, i.e. to say anything that affects MAJOR policies.

There’s just this denial syndrome that non-Umno parties are just there for window-dressing; so the next best thing to do is scoop up the scraps Umno throw their way... except Taib and PBB who take the lion’s share as well!

From the many, many sessions of central committee meetings and brainstorming, seminars, courses, etc, the one main thing to emerge is to only defend or safeguard Chinese position in education and economic sectors ... we’re down to TAR College, Utar and Chinese business interests which, sad to say, …is playing to Umno whims and patronage… macam crony business.

The rest in the SME (small and medium industries) can pray to God and hope to survive and are at the mercy of the idiots who run the bureaucracy.

Under Umno, there is NO HOPE for the Chinese to improve

There is NO hope ever under Umno that Chinese position will improve because the OVERRIDING philosophy since May 13 is that non Malay/Muslims are to be assimilated.

That is why MCA is always fighting ghosts; Umno is always lying, even when the truth is exposed about their true intention.

MCA people know this and pretend to fight for Chinese when they know they are only protecting their personal interests/financial gain, through Umno patronage.

The BN was never a coalition; it is and always has been an illusion created by Umno to present an imaginary front to the world that the people represented by the various races and parties support them.

[Our elites] cheat and bribe their way in elections and steal what they can, when they can, with impunity. They not only do that, they find ways to criminalise the victims!! That takes them ten levels above the Somali pirates!

To cut a long story short, and to answer your question about going back, even if Penang booms further under DAP, the short answer is NO; I’ve burnt my bridges … It’s just too hard to ever hope that they will ever understand the meaning of a civil society, let alone try to forge one in the years ahead, even if PR takes over Putrajaya... my prediction is that the worst is yet to come. I hope I’ll be proven wrong in my lifetime.

Hudud has always been used as a weapon to frighten the Chinese and some extremists in PAS may have been used by Umno/Perkasa to split PR, so MCA is just playing the propaganda game to try to win back some Chinese votes. Umno on the other hand is using [the Malay fear of] Chinese political power to frighten Malays.

- CPI

Rais Yatim Just Buried UMNO!

What Rais Yatim is saying is that the non-Malays, in particular the Chinese, are the enemy. And for the Malays to protect themselves from this enemy they must vote for Barisan Nasional. If Pakatan Rakyat instead of Barisan Nasional wins the general election, then the Malays are in deep shit. Furthermore, Rais is saying that the non-Malays, in particular the Chinese, are not important. Only the Malays are important. The government does not need to care much for the non-Malays.

If the voters are as intelligent as we hope they are -- but unfortunately they are not -- you can see that Rais has just buried Umno. But can the voters analyse what Rais said with an open and intelligent mind? Can they see how Rais has just shot Umno in its own feet? I fear not. 

And the opposition is not doing its job either in educating the voters and help them to see what they cannot see unless you hold their hand and spell it out to them like you are talking to a primary school kid.

Therefore, allow me to walk you through what Rais said so that you can better grasp the implications of his statement.

“The Malays must unite for a Barisan Nasional win in the upcoming general election,” said Rais. So what does this mean? This means Barisan Nasional needs to depend on the Malays and not the non-Malays to be able to win the next election. It is crucial, therefore, that the Malays ‘unite’. And ‘unite’ here means unite behind Umno, not behind PAS.

Hence the non-Malays are not crucial to Barisan Nasional. Only the Malays are. And even if it were an MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PPP, or whatever, candidate who is contesting, these non-Malay candidates would still need Malay votes to be able to win the election. Without the Malays, even the non-Malay candidates cannot win.

Rais then went on to say, “To ensure their rights are not taken away by the opposition.” This means if Pakatan Rakyat instead of Barisan Nasional were to win the general election, then the Malays are going to suffer. Their rights are going to be taken away from them.

What rights are these and in what manner will they be taken away? This, Rais did not say. He just generalised it by saying that the Malays are going to lose their rights if Pakatan Rakyat were to win the general election. What these rights are and in what manner they are going to be taken away needs no explanation. The Malays know what these are. Rais needs not explain the details because the Malays are clever enough to understand.

“Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim did not love the Malays, the monarchy or Malay culture,” added Rais. Now, this is a most interesting statement. Can Rais explain this part of his statement? There must have been something that Anwar did or said that shows he does not love the Malays, the monarchy or Malay culture.

Rais then extended this allegation to Pakatan Rakyat by saying that the Pakatan-ruled states are neglecting the welfare of Malays. Again, no details are given. In what way are the Pakatan-ruled states neglecting the welfare of the Malays? There must be some specific incidences.

Many accuse me of being too cheong hei (long-winded). That is certainly true. My essay assignments normally have a 500-word limit so I need to keep within that limit or else I will fail my paper. But then this is the limit set and I have no choice but to keep within that limit. Furthermore, those reading my essays are Oxford tutors who know what I am saying plus they want to see whether I am articulate enough to cover all the points in a mere 500 words and not leave anything out.

But when dealing with Malaysian voters I can’t afford to keep within a 500-word limit. I need to be cheong hei and write 2,000 or more words. If not then many people would not get the point. And in the case of Rais, he also needs to be cheong hei and explain what he means by what he said. As it is, it is not clear what he means.

“Malays must understand who they are and know their rights,” said Rais. Now, what does this mean? Does Rais mean that the Malays do not know who they are and do not know their rights? What Rais meant was Malays must know that they own the country (know who you are) and the Malays must know that they have special privileges that the non-Malays do not have (know their rights).

And his next statement better explains what is in Rais’s mind. “In the opposition, there is no Malay political force.” Yes, that is the crux to the whole thing, Malay political force. This argument is strengthened when Rais said, “For a community to stay in power, they must understand politics of numbers, which states when many come together we can determine something.”

And his closing remark tells it all. “Though recent polls show that Chinese support is low, don’t worry, as long as Malays practice politics of numbers, we will benefit.”

Okay, how do you analyse what Rais said? Actually, if I need to continue with my cheong hei piece and explain it to you then you are too stupid and hence you deserve the government that you vote for. But I will explain it to you anyway.

What Rais is saying is that the non-Malays, in particular the Chinese, are the enemy. And for the Malays to protect themselves from this enemy they must vote for Barisan Nasional. If Pakatan Rakyat instead of Barisan Nasional wins the general election, then the Malays are in deep shit. Furthermore, Rais is saying that the non-Malays, in particular the Chinese, are not important. Only the Malays are important. The government does not need to care much for the non-Malays.

This whole thing has now been reduced to a ‘them’ and ‘us’ situation. ‘Us’ are the Malays and ‘them’ are the non-Malays. This is war. This is about survival. The survival of the Malays depends on Barisan Nasional winning the election. If Pakatan Rakyat wins the election then the Malays are as good as dead.

Do you believe all this? I don’t know whether you do, but whether you do or not do not matter. What matters is the 60% of the voters who are Malays. And if the majority of the 60% of the voters believe this, then Barisan Nasional will be assured a win.

The fact that 20% of the voters represent 50% of the seats and the fact that all these seats are in the rural areas and hence are predominantly Malay makes it very important that the Malays believe what Rais has said.

But Rais knows how to make sure that the government does not change. Hence, while we do not know how to change the government, Rais knows how to keep the government. And this would be by making sure that the Malays fear for their future and that the Malays regard Pakatan Rakyat as a Chinese stooge and that the Malays regard the Chinese as the enemy and that the Malays feel that if Pakatan Rakyat takes over then the Malays are as good as dead.

And if more than half the 60% of the Malay voters who control more than 50% of the seats buy this argument, then Barisan Nasional will stay in power while Pakatan Rakyat will remain the opposition. And Anwar Ibrahim’s forecast of winning at least 105 Parliament seats will not come true and instead they will win less than 80 seats in the coming general election.

by RPK

Umno sees itself as god!

What kind of a prime minister can describe his people as accursed bastards (haramjadah) and allowed the police to fire tear gas and water cannon on his own people?

But that is Najib (Tun Razak) for you and it explains why he goes around saying, “lu tolong gua, gua tolong lu” and, “give me your nambikei”.

This is the fundamental flaw which Najib commits every time he relates to people.

He is pictured as larger than life figure, the office of the prime minister is in the background towering over the mass of people depicted as the rakyat, who harbour dreams and hope of happiness.

The rakyat, the people, my fellow citizens, my fellow Malays, are always depicted as smallish entities and numberless digits.

Najib is a leader of the government that sees the rakyat as digits to be manipulated and shaped at will.

He might as well say: “My fellow slaves, ask not we your masters can do for you, but ask what you can do to enrich and make us more powerful.”

Najib’s government is that collection of individuals who exercise the rule of the government over its constituents.

Who is that collection of individuals? They are Umno’s elite and the powerful.

Najib preys on the susceptibility and gullibility of the rakyat.

The rulers claim a compassionate kindred with the common workers (aka slaves) and simultaneously enjoy the fruits of the labours of these menial serfs, also known as “my fellow citizens, rakyat, people”.

‘Najib does not understand’

So Najib goes around claiming, it’s people first, achievement this and that. But the large posters along the Seremban highway tell you a different thing.

The posters have Najib exhorting the people with his usual sloganeering: ‘Sejuta Impian, Seribu Keriangan”, literally translated to “a million dreams, a thousand happiness”.

For slogans Najib got an A++ from former economic adviser Daim Zainuddin.

But where do these dreams and happiness come from? All you need to do is look at the posters closely.

The posters tell of the basic building block on how Umno sees itself. Umno sees itself as the omnipotent being from where all providence spring from.

Hence Umno vis-à-vis the government wants to be deified to whom the people, the rakyat, owe complete loyalty and allegiance.

It therefore doesn’t understand why people, most notably Malays, find Umno revolting.

This is what Najib doesn’t understand.

People no longer accept ascriptive stature without demanding more than just your name and position.

Beyond your name and position, people want to know what can be achieved.

The writer, Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, is a former Umno state assemblyman but joined DAP earlier this year. 

Malaysian Government Buys High-Priced Sugar

It's obvious why they bought sugar way above the market price. There is a cut there for those umno crutch holders.

Our government, in its finite wisdom, negotiated a long-term sugar supply deal for a fixed price of US$26 (RM78) instead of its current price on the global market of US$23 per hundred pounds. Please note, this is US$3 above the world current market price.

And the minister’s reasoning for this is that “if the price fluctuates, and it goes up, we will profit.” Well I’m a cynical, pessimistic, IT graduate-cum-writer so I’ll ask this: what if it goes down?

According to a graph which I Googled and then configured myself to show the price fluctuations of sugar in January 2012, the price of sugar on average that month was US$23.59 per hundred pounds. Now, I happen to know that most contracts are done with the price either on that business day, or a monthly high price is selected as the basis.

The high price for January was only US$23.78.

Now perhaps I’m wrong. Perhaps, since this decision was made in January, our brilliant minister took the average sugar price of last year as a basis for his brilliant economic decision. So I’ll check.
For the year 2011, sugar was averaging at most US$23.40.

So just why are we paying an average of US$2.60 to US$2.22 extra per pound of sugar?
I especially loved this quote:

“Two out of the three biggest sugar producers in the world have been affected by floods,” he said, referring to neighbouring Thailand and Australia, and added, “The price of sugar has not dropped. Even if it has, it is negligible.”

By November 2011, this was quoted from Bloomberg:
White, or refined, sugar for December delivery rose 0.2 per cent to $655 a ton by 9.43am on NYSE Liffe in London. Raw sugar for March delivery climbed 0.3 per cent to 25.65 cents a pound on ICE Futures US in New York.

So even with the Thai flood, the Australian cyclone, the price of sugar never went up above US$26. Now perhaps this minister thought he could use another nation’s natural disasters as a scapegoat, but I do hope that in the future he realises that with Rais Yatim’s goal of making Malaysia 50 per cent broadband accessible, bullshit excuses like this will not be tolerated.

Like I said, Najib’s not the only problem. He has ministers who are not making a lick of sense in reasoning why they’re paying more than required for commodities like sugar.

Like I said, Najib isn’t the only problem. But he is, in a large part, responsible for all of it.

He should have banned Perkasa for being a racist NGO a long time ago.

He should have told his minister to gauge the sugar market properly and make ready a good public relations excuse that was Google proof to be proven untrue.

And most of all, he should have made sure that all this faeces did not hit the fan in an election year!

- Hafidz Baharom