Friday, March 21, 2008

Frogs then, Chicken now?

We used to talk about cannot-change-their-spots leopards and wily deceitful musangs – yes, we even mentioned tigers where two males couldn’t exist on the same mountain.

Then of course there is the current topic of leaping frogs.

But cluck cluck cluck, looks like Khalid Ibrahim could have chicken-ed out on the deputy MB deal.

According to the Star Online, Selangor exco will not have Deputy MB post.

What a chicken cop out, Khalid.

Mind you, it’s a Star report, so 75% off, and let’s wait until Monday to see whether Khalid Ibrahim has reverted to his 'former' natural nurtured nature.

Anyway, in the meanwhile, let’s analyse the report by the Bintang (not beer, but the newspaper that sweetie Helen Ang of Malaysiakini has urged us to boycott). It would seem that Khalid Ibrahim may NOT have a Deputy MB under a revised exco.

To add insult (to Teresa Kok) to injury (for the DAP), his power distribution formula will see DAP’s allocation reduced from four to three. Yes, perhaps he isn't allowed to have too many (non-correct) ‘Malaysians’ in his administration.


Aiyah, we may say in sympathy, be reasonable, after all Khalid is ONLY the mentri besar of the State. For those DAP pollies missing out in Selangor, my advice if that in the next election, go over to Perak.

However, as a consolation prize (the perennial lot of Chinese Malaysians, it seems, whether under UMNO or PKR) one of the three DAP exco members will be appointed senior exco member but tasked with overseeing investments.

Perhaps Teresa Kok may get it, perhaps not especially when she suffers from the Malaysian political handicap known as the terrible tormenting triple ‘C’ – Chinese, Christian and Char-bor.


Mind you, Teresa is charming, competent and clean, but alas, that won’t make an iota of difference in our ‘colour’ful, caste-conscious and conservative (&morally corrupt) politics.

I am not so much against DAP losing the 6+4 formula with the Star reported Khalid’s new (PKR/PAS/DAP respectively) distribution of 5+2+3. It's not so much the numbers of DAP members in the State exco but the upholding of principle of PKR-DAP cooperation as manifested in Teresa Kok as Deputy MB, namely, the integrity and sincerity and commitment by PKR.

We of course know why, but it’s sad because to us ordinary people, it would appear that Khalid Ibrahim lacks the courage, commitment and consistency to provide the promised brand new multiethnic politics of Bangsa Malaysia.

Go ahead and cry, curse and complain.

8 comments:

  1. I'm pretty disappointed with how the whole issue has developed.

    Yeah, Teresa Kok's 3C's - Cina, Christian, Cha-Bor susah sikit.

    I guess we have all been well-trained by BN/UMNO to think in terms of racial quotas. One election is not going to change that, yet.

    The other thing is in the states with Sultans, it never pays for the MB to have a bad relationship with the Palace. This part may have to go a bit slowly..
    Don't forget, the Sultan is still surrounded by many UMNO machais, the result of 50 years of blurring of the boundary between BN/UMNO and the civil service.

    Lim Guan Eng also faces the same problem in Penang. Lots of Senior State public servants are really UMNO operatives - expect sabotage, leakage of information, deliberate delays etc.

    Lets get down to difficult work of government, OK.

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  2. Aiya ... really sad-lah, all the cakap2 but tak bolih bikin.

    I agree with Kittykat46's comments.

    The Opposition turned Ruling parties cannot afford but be too careful or paranoid, there's too much excess baggage inherited.

    Coupled with a workforce of civil servants' indoctrinated with 50 years of racial/political culture - governing will NOT be easy.

    Be on your toes as you can expect somebody to yank the carpet off your feet at any given opportunity.

    Semua orang pun tak bolih pecaya, macam mana bolih move forward? Kesian lah to our new Opposition electeds.

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  3. Khalid seems didn't learn Pak Lah lessons.

    When Pak Lah won the 2004 election, he is suppose to cleanup the cabinet than harness support from various faction. A chance of political cleanup are not common for ASEAN country, and Badawi do the otherwise. The rest are now history.

    Running a states is totally different game. One CANNOT run it like an old day company. There is welfare,human development, investment,etc to take care off.

    For example, Singapore is a country that run like a Starbuck. Although efficient, there is no solid culture to make people think it is their home. Singapore now suffer problem of brain drain.

    Khalid is a man come from Dr M day Dr M are infamous for "his way" of destroying country cultural development, which make Malaysia suffer massive brain drain problem.

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  4. "Coupled with a workforce of civil servants' indoctrinated with 50 years of racial/political culture - governing will NOT be easy."

    I think you are over-estimating the extent of disquiet civil servants will have to new leadership/management, or even leadership of a different ethnicity.

    The "tolong orang kita" mentality is there (and by the way, it's pretty damn clear in the private sector as well) but one thing that always transcends such prejudice is clear showing of capability - if you have someone of the "wrong" race who clearly knows what he (or she) is doing, then all the duckies will get into a row behind their swan. At least that's my impression, given my experiences and some anecdotes I have heard from friends.

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  5. Why cry, curse and complain? Sounds like a defeatist attitude again. No wonder there is so much Chinese bashing. It is losers talk like this that really gets my rile.

    This a moment of truth for Khalid and Anwar - either they are good, principled partners, or they are untrustworthy, lying and manipulative cowards. They can go down in history as true leaders and men of vision and principles. Its their call.

    As for DAP, kindly know when to stand firm. There is a democratic principle involved here. Your life and comfort is no longer yours. It is public's. If the papers keep saying you are chinese dominated with no angry repartee from you, then you must inded represent the Chinese. What you do and decide now has repercussions on the Chinese and other non Malays. I trust you men and women has a sufficient sense of history to know when the tide is. If you do not dig in your toes and atand firm, but instead meekly allow yourself to give in to "Malay first" or "Malay supremacist" pressure, you allow PKR and PAS to to use you and and you leave us all second class citizen again.

    In which case, you have no right to be called "leaders" and "represetatives" of Chinese and other non Malays.

    Stick to your principles and your balls! The Malays are not as unreasonable or as fearsome as you think.

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  6. I think it is important to realise that politics isnt about logic or the doing the right thing. Lets take 2 examples.

    When LKS asked DAP members to boycott the Perak swearing in for the MB, everyone was against him. The reality is that the last time there was a PAS -DAP pact, DAP was severely punished at the polls. In 5 years time BN will be putting up posters about how DAP delivered a PAS MB to Perak. LKS was just covering his ass. And I support him. This is politics. You may all feel warm and fuzzy now but what will the atmosphere be like in 5 years? You gotta cover your ass.

    Second example is Khalid. He is the MB ie similar to CEO or Boss or whatever. You have to give him the benefit of the doubt. As I said politics is not about logic or truth or any of that crap. He has to take many, many things into consideration and make a call. This is his call. He must have his reasons. If after 5 years we judge that he made the wrong call lets throw them out. But I think its premature and immature to second guess every decision he makes. We dont know the forces that are in play here. We just have to trust that he has taken everything into consideration and made the right decision. We will know soon enough.

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  7. I do not know who you are, but this is likely the sort of brainwashing pyschology that would be used by Home Affairs, and the information departments of UMNO and/or PKR.

    The patronising tone; the attempt to sound very reasonable and circumspect but in truth, purveying arguments which are irrelevant. Its aim is to o steer the reader away from taking principled stands. In short, do not DO any thing, and do not support DAP. Just be a watcher.

    At the same time, it encourages the reader not to develop any moral character, beliefs or views on any public issue especially where it would make other Malays think twice about the issue that is raised. Very slick. Very sophisticated. Very clever indeed.

    Insofar as concerns the issue which was raised, it is one of democratic principle, and the facts are clear. The question of second guessing does not arise. By convention, the politcal party which holds the simple majority takes the helm.

    It is but a fool who falls for an argment which makes a simple matter complicated.

    Granted there is an issue in the State Constitution, then should not PKR and PAS lobby for the Sultan to waive the condition disalowing a non Muslim and Malay to assume the MB position since they fought for votes on the non racial platform? Did they attempt to do that?

    The only compromise you can make is if the majority party do not assume the MB position, is that it must be at least compensated with a simple majority in the Exco to enable the majority party to call a vote of no confidence when necessary.

    Otherwise, I would also ask that the PKR should not have majority seats in the Exco and PAs the same in Kedah.

    This applies more so to recent developments in Selangor. It is a flawed argument if not a red herring altogether for PKR to bring up the race issue of 5 Malays and 5 Non Malays in the Selangor Exco. This should not be the basis on which Exco seats are allocated. There is absolutely no question whatsoever, nor doubt that it should be based on the number of elected representatives from the Political parties concerned. For PKR/PAS to insist and for DAP to accept this, is to play straight into their racial hands. DAP should stand firm and not negotiate on principle. For if you do, you will be another MCA in future. You will get weaker and PKR will get stronger and DAP soon to find itself irrelevant.

    Let me reiterate : Race is NOT the issue. PKR, UMNO, and other highly political Malays know it. Does DAP and its people know it? Are they ready for the discomfort and the pressure from the political pressure tactics of UMNO and PKR, and to an extent, PAS? Can they fight back using similar tactics?

    I say, you have courage and stand firm. Nobody said it was going to be a picnic. Stay determined and you will win. You will be respected. As I have said before, the Malays in general, are much like the British. They will respect and admire your courage and your determined principled stand. They did not earn the accolade "nature's gentlement" without good reason.

    This is a watershed moment. Better for DAP to pull out of the coalition than be used by PKR-PAS Malay axis. There is no need to appease them when they betray the principles on which the election was fought on.

    Do not repeat history.

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  8. Well said HL.

    Just because there are a few disgruntled rats chanting holding placards and protest in the background,.....
    just because the CM want to appease the pro-BN sultan,.....

    ...that he has already started to lose sight of what he had fought for prior to the election. He has started playing the ratio game, just like what BN did before, and trashed outthe earlier agreed pact.

    I'm begining to feel a little let down by that Khalid guy.

    LALILO

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