Thursday, June 19, 2008

SAPP, AAB and Anwar

In Malaysiakini Pak Lah sapped out columnists Ong Kian Ming and Oon Yeoh talked about AAB being out of touch with reality, despite all warning signs about dissatisfied Sabahan MPs and Ku Li’s early hint on a BN component party about to defect, thus being caught flatfooted by the SAPP proclaimed intention to pass a vote of no confidence in him as PM.

Ong and Oon wrote: “Abdullah's reaction to this move was akin to a deer caught in the headlights of a car. He seemed totally unprepared for this possibility even though such a move had been widely speculated and talked about and even hinted at by Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah."

"His expression of total surprise as conveyed to the press is yet another indication that Abdullah is so out of touch with the political realities of the day. One can't help but wonder if he continues to be delusional in regard to the notion of him staying the full term as PM.”

Maybe Ong and Oon know much about AAB, but I on the other hand have always felt AAB has been deliberately ‘acting dunno’ (berpura pura bodeh) when the man is actually as sly as Sang Musang.

Personally, I would caution against Underestimating AAB, where I wrote in my last month’s post:

… I reckon Ong and Onn in their analysis have used only western logic but failed to consider the important Malay factor. AAB is a man steeped in Malay tradition. I am inclined to think he’s the consummate Malay politician, quiet, courteous, and at times a wee condescending but a master of 'palace intrigues'.

I wonder whether he's the type who will stick a keris into your side while reciting a pantun, something along this line:

Langit dah gelap, cuaca pun marah,
Angin bertiup kuat dan ganggu abu
Jangan khuatir saudara kalau basah
Bukan kerana hujan, hanya darahmu

Look, so far he has outmanoeuvred each and every one of them - Dr M, Anwar, Ku Li - in the same quiet unobtrusive way that he has achieved what Ku Li, Musa Hitam, Anwar Ibrahim and Najib couldn’t, becoming PM.

Ong and Oon believes the SAPP challenge to AAB would boost Anwar’s prospect of seizing majority rule through the back door by September.

But I noted that Raymond Tan, deputy of SAPP has distanced himself from party president Yong Teck Lee’s little gang of dissatisfied SAPP MPs. The SAPP ADUNs were also noticeably absent from the press conference yesterday.

Raymond Tan admitted he was ‘confused and embarrassed’ by the proposed motion of no-confidence against the PM, saying the party's supreme council had not been consulted. He accused Yong Teck Lee of acting arbitrarily.


Meanwhile Yong revealed that he and Anwar discussed the issue twice in Hong Kong, which of course we all know because of the demand for the strange figure of 20% royalty for fuel taken from Sabah.

It’s also noted that apart from Raymond Tan and the 4 SAPP ADUNs, UPKO and PBS have been conspicuous by their deafening silence on the act of Yong giving the bird to AAB.

And what about those defecting MCA that Anwar Ibrahim on Monday claimed were about to defect to PKR, as reported in Malaysiakini Anwar: MCA MPs will defect to Pakatan.

Anwar had boasted: “I can safely say that several MCA MPs will join us soon.”

Several, not just one!

MCA’s Teng Boon Soon said with sarcasm dripping copiously: "Anwar's claims about crossovers sound to me like trying to predict the weather ... “

"First he said Pakatan Rakyat will take over in March, now he is saying that it will happen in September. Is he sure he will be able to do it in September this year or will it be September 2009?"

Maybe Anwar Ibrahim was talking to the spirits of Tan Cheng Lock, Tan Siew Sin and Richard Ho, as well as Lee San Choon, Tan Koon Swan and Neo Yee Pan?

Even Lim Kit Siang wasn’t as enthusiastically gleeful as Malaysia’s No 1 frog hunter. Ong and Oon wrote: “It's worth noting that Anwar's behind-the-scenes manoeuvring is marked by the differing reactions from other Pakatan leaders.”

“DAP's Lim Kit Siang did not openly endorse Sapp's move nor did he invite them to join Pakatan. Instead, he highlighted the fact that a motion of no confidence would probably not be allowed due to procedural reasons.”

His son, Penang’s CM Lim GE said: “How could one maintain their loyalty to BN while at the same time move a motion of no confidence against the coalition's top leader? It's confusing and unusual.”

“You cannot possibly bulldoze a motion of no confidence in Parliament without submitting a notice. Even then it must be allowed by the House speaker.”

Compare their proper prudent pronouncements of due democratic diligence with the frog hunter’s “…I am happy with these early actions and call upon other friends to act quickly in order to guarantee stable politics …”

“… guarantee stable politics …” did he say?

Now, what did I tell you about lojik deformasi (deformed logic)?

12 comments:

  1. I still have very good contacts in MCA from my family's long years of association with them.

    My grapevine says quite convincingly that a number of MCA MPs are thinking of quitting BN, if the government continues on its present course. But not necessarily join PR (something like SAPP's declaration)

    These are the same sources who told me before March 8 they knew clearly that BN would lose its 2/3 majority, when all the public media was still predicting a great BN victory. I didn't believe them then, but I'm convinced they know what they are talking about....

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  2. KawTau peoples like MCA and MIC already DEAD long time in most of the chinese and indian heart.

    MCA and MIC cannot kept telling people if no MCA and MIC who will represent chinese and indian. Even MAC and MIC a have been given ministers posts but still failed completely to represent chinese and indian.

    Enough .... NO more racist politic. We are talking Malaysian here ... don;t you get it ? no more for second class and third class citizen .... after 50 ... no more BN no more racist politic.

    If MCA and MIC stil not do something drastic now ....soon be really become a history. Take the first step now ... leave BN .... Umno no longer sharing power with you.... they have not listen to anyone anymore.

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  3. Chee Xtheman made a very true and accurate statement, "even when they (MCA and MIC) are given posts as minister, they failed to represent the people."

    Look at the Housing and Local Government minister who begged the Chinese voters not to abandon MCA. Now that he is elected and a minister, is he helping house owners to get their land titles or help the abandoned house buyers left in the lurch by housing developers? House owners who have lived and paid off their housing loans for more than 15 years, many have yet to get land titles. What type of MCA leader and minister is he, earning a fat salary and perks and yet not taking any positive actions to help those he claimed to represent.

    Enough is enough.

    Monk

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  4. "My grapevine says quite convincingly that a number of MCA MPs are thinking of quitting BN, if the government continues on its present course. But not necessarily join PR (something like SAPP's declaration)"

    If the government continues on it's present course, or if MCA leadership continues on it's present course? I think maybe it would be more the latter than the former.

    On that note, I vaguely recall some time back, members of some BN component party quit their party but somehow managed to retain their status as members of BN... I'm not sure how that worked... hopefully someone with more awake brain cells than me can recall what I'm talking about?

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  5. I also know people who are closed to the PM and his family. This guy , which is descendant from the royal family and their generations have been involved in top Umno positions is also fed up with the PM. The PM is not as sly as what some people think. He is just not smart, can't concentrate even to read a report or even push through important issues for the country. He is suitabe to the kampong pakcik you visit on Hari Raya to makan makan sahaja, dont give him complicated stuff. What he read or does is put in front of him. This is the side of the story I heard .
    Basically he is on a puppet string and we all know who calls the shot and thats why this country is in such a shamble. The advisor is still wet behind the ears and havent got the slightest clue to move this country forward after spending so many years overseas in the farm of oxes.

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  6. KT, any move to urge Badawi to step down is seen as unnecessary act by most opposition political leaders. The longer Badawi stays on power, the BN will rot and rust beyond repair. Then PAKATAN gets the HOME RUN comes the next election. And at the mean time we rakyat are the victim of the game.

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  7. MCA...

    Macam macam boleh! jadi...

    Stupid people rooting for them hard to get greedy leader away!

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  8. Dear Ktemoc

    "Basically he is on a puppet string and we all know who calls the shot and thats why this country is in such a shamble. The advisor is still wet behind the ears and havent got the slightest clue to move this country forward after spending so many years overseas in the farm of oxes".

    This observation is most probably true!

    1. If the barbarians are already at the gates and you even doubt the loyalty of your chieftains, whom do you turn to? Your family members of course. Family members include members by marriage.
    2. If you major in politics and take a course in Western political thought, what would be one of your reading assignments? Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince" of course.
    3. If you want to be PM of Malaysia at an early age, what resources would you need to finally sit on the throne?
    Money and men of couse. How to get money easily? By rent-seeking scheme after rent-seeking scheme, of course! How to get men? By using the money gained from rent-seeking schemes, of course!

    Oh, I forgot. You also need to put your men in control of the ideological state apparatus a.k.a. the mass media controlled by the state.

    Phua Kai Lit

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  9. It would be rather suspicious if Kit Siang suddenly welcomed Yong with open arms, at least in public. Unlike PKR, Kit Siang's party has been a direct political competitor against SAPP in past elections. At a grass roots level, at least in Sabah, there's probably some bad blood between the two parties.

    Never fear, for all its avowed principles, if and when the regime change occurs in Putrajaya, DAP will be there. No doubt making sure of its fair share of Ministerial positions, and the thousands of political appointee positions in the Federal Government apparatus and Government-linked bodies.

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  10. Nice attempt at Malay pantun:

    "Langit dah gelap, cuaca pun marah,
    Angin bertiup kuat dan ganggu abu
    Jangan khuatir saudara kalau basah
    Bukan kerana hujan, hanya darahmu"

    Cheers

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  11. A "No Confidence" motion takes precedent over all other business including Govt business. That is the Westminter convention that applies to the Malaysian Parliament. The Speaker has to allow it.

    It also makes sense when you realise that no Govt is going to present a 'No Confidence" motion against itself. The Govt gets a chance (if the motion is passed) to present a motion that day or soon thereafter stating that "This House has confidence in the Govt". If it wins the second motion, then the first motion is overrrieden. So Pak Lah will have an opportunity to "beli" or convince any MP who voted for the first motion that he will do a better job!

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  12. Please be informed that with immediate effect, Reformasi shall be renamed Sodomasi.

    ReplyDelete