Thursday, March 20, 2008

Selangor PKR lead singer in 'same old BN tune'?

Malaysiakini reported MCA leader: BN singing same old tune the following:

In a bold and ironic departure from his Chinese-base party lines, MCA PJ Utara division chairperson Dr Wong Sai Hou called it "amusing to see the leaders of Umno, MCA, Gerakan and MIC continue to swim in the quagmire of racial politics".

"If they continue to run their parties along the same old racial lines, playing all the emotional sensitivities it carries, five years from now BN could very well be relegated to an opposition party," he warned.

"For the first time in 51 years, we see Chinese voters casting their votes for PAS candidates and the Malay ones voting for DAP candidates.

"It is very clear that our people have achieved a high level of political maturity."

Indeed. But before we indulge in BN bashing, let’s look at the so-called Barisan Rakyat, though officially there is no such Front other than a loose coalition of the DAP, PKR and PAS.

Penang and Perak have already kow-tim (settled) their exco composition and appointments, including the deputy MB.

But what about Selangor? Is it going to be, as one blogger has grandiloquently and insensitively termed it, "Land of the PKR" in every sense of that meaning?

MB Khalid Ibrahim has been tap dancing away from appointing his deputy. DAP, the second largest component of the informal (winning) coalition in Selangor, has nominated sweetie Teresa Kok to be the deputy MB.

It’s a shame Khalid Ibrahim has not dealt courageously with the triple political whammy (to him) by immediately appointing as his deputy, a colleague who’s a woman, Chinese and a Christian (all rolled into one), whilst the neighbouring State of Perak has already shot ahead in scintillating unique precedence with a similar scenario.

What happened to the PKRs’ avowed multiethnic politics? Is it now to be a case of 'scratch the surface and one sees ........'?

Or could it be that Khalid is being subservient to the words of Muhammad Munir Bani, the Selangor sultan’s private secretary, about the palace's ‘preference’ for a Malay (and, alas, not a Malaysian) deputy MB?

But Muhammad Munir denied reports that the sultan wanted ‘a deputy from a particular race’ (meaning 'Malay'), although he
added the sultan was the religious head for Islam and Malay culture, and thus the MB has the task of assisting in these duties, which would also have to handled by his deputy.

In the most unbelievable zigzag explanation, Muhammad Munir, after denying HRH wanted a Malay deputy MB, in the same breath averred that it was only proper a Malay (not a Malaysian) be the deputy MB.

Following that, Malaysiakini reported in Expert: No legal need for Malay deputy MB that Prof Abdul Aziz Bari, a constitutional expert who lectures law at the International Islamic University Malaysia, was consulted on the matter.

Prof Abdul Aziz dismissed Muhammad Munir’s claims that the deputy MB should ideally be a Malay to assist the MB in Islamic and cultural duties.

The Prof said: “The Sultan of Selangor does not need the menteri besar or the deputy menteri besar in matters pertaining to religion and Malay custom.”

According to the Prof, the sultan, as the head of Islamic matters and the Malay adat, is the person in charge of such matters in the state, and not the MB or his deputy.

He said: “Matters cited by the palace are entirely within the sultan's jurisdiction. As the sultan may act on his own discretion on these matters, the constitution provides that a council may be appointed to assist him. This is what is commonly known as religious councils or majlis agama, which looks after the religious department or the jabatan agama. In the other four states and federal territories, the Agong will have the same establishment.”

Prof Abdul Aziz said that a prolonged delay in the appointment of a deputy MB was unnecessary and might even be unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, Khalid Ibrahim has finally announced that his exco would be sworn in on the coming Monday.

However, the Star Online said that Khalid has refused to divulge names of assemblyman picked for the state Exco or how many people were picked from each of the three parties forming the present DAP-PKR-PAS coalition government.


He also declined to comment on whether the exco would be made up of six Malays and four non-Malay councillors. There have been rumours that the palace had disagreed with a proposal for five Malay and five non-Malay councillors formula proposed by the new coalition forming the new state government.

If that has been true, it’s a lamentable harkening back to an old ethnic-divisive policy mentioned by MCA Dr Wong Sai Hou in BN singing same old tune.

And it’s doubly lamenting because it implies the palace (though not necessarily the Sultan himself) is interfering with the political process of democracy.

When asked whether the appointment of a Deputy MB had been postponed or scrapped altogether, Khalid side-stepped the issue by stating the need to explain the matter (what?) properly to the people (who?), and that he would do this after the executive councillors had been sworn-in (why?).

Not an encouraging start to a so-called multiethnic transparent coalition. It woudl seem that the colour of one's skin continues to be significant in the "Land of the PKR".

29 comments:

  1. Why blame PKR? They have agreed to 6 Chinese in the 1st place. Two from PKR and 4 from DAP. The Sultan refused. So why blame them? Now, PKR will apoint 1 Chinese, 4 Malays, DAP 3 Chinese, PAS 1. The King agreed to that.

    Again, why blame Khalid? Because only yesterday DAP delegation, 3 of them met the Sultan and it is him who made it clear that Malays must be the majority as was the case? Then Khalid convinced him to accept 5:5. 5 Chinese and 5 Malays. Khalid has no problem in appointing them, but all depends on the Sultan who has been dragging his feat. Also, it is the Sultan who is against a non-Malay Deputy MB. So, the innocent man has no blame unless you are engaging in your trademark antics to release stress.

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  2. Does the Sultan even have the constitutional rights to impose a racial composition on the exco ?

    Is he one of the more progressive and modern royalty ?

    It is sad that we're still back to the old divide-n-rule mentality and driving a wedge between the various race.

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  3. I cast my vote as a protest against race based politics & overall injustices & incompetencies of the current government.

    Now all I want is for the respective governments to just get on with it. I don't care if they appoint Malays / Chinese / Indians / Ibans / Kadazans / Martians (!) as long as they are Malaysian citizens and above all, COMPETENT & OF GOOD CHARACTER! Don't tell me what race or religion they are, just tell me they will get the job done!

    The aim is to ensure that our kids will have good healthy meaningful lives & our country achieve it's highest potential.

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  4. Uh-Oh...I thought the majority of the people of Selangor voted against the racism and racial quota paradigm of Barisan Nasional....why are we still stuck in the quota mentality ?

    I hope they sort this out amicably...we are in unchartered territory here. The palace should not interfere with the results of a general election.
    What's wrong with a 50-50 distribution of Excos ? That's also almost the ratio of the population of Selangor.

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  5. PKR still have to walk the talk...

    Many of us still suspicious of PKR as it is a young party and we haven't really seen its true colors or ideology yet.

    It is filled with ex-UMNO guys... I mean... somehow do you really trust them ?

    Anyway, remember that we can vote them in, we can always vote them out.

    Don't ever disappoint the Rakyat !!

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  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  7. Sultan Sharafuddin can't possibly be a racist. Rumor has it that he's been dating a Punjabi princess for years.
    Perhaps the fact that he's got to keep it under wraps because she won't convert is an indictment of antiquated and divisive religious laws that make hypocrites of so many.

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  8. Guys and Gals,

    The palace is a constitutional administration entity and do not get involved in all these selection process, besides finalising and approving the Menteri Besar's position.

    Palace cannot impose racial quota to the state exco. Its the election process which determines who become assemblymen and the winning party decides which assemblyman hold executive position.

    Don't use palace as reason.
    Let the honourable palace position in administration be where it is.

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  9. If this issue cannot be played out fairly at state level, what will happen if the Anwar-led cabinet were to come to power one day? Will we ever get to see a DPM being appointed from the minority races? I feel this jostling for positions of prominence is more out of fear than a show of power. Fear of losing one's identity. What we need to overcome this fear is to show more empathy.... for the other race. More is never enough. I mean no offence but I want to be absolutely proud to say that I'm living in democratic Malaysia and not 'Malay'sia.

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  10. Tell me who is telling the truth? PKR or the Palace? Now the palace is trying to test water and somehow they are trying to flex their muscles.If i was correct during TDM era none of this was happening.
    When the excos was nt sworn in then something is fishy!

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  11. For all chinese out there. Please understand clearly, the Malays have been living in the Malay Peninsular for many hundred years and are the indeginous people of the land. That is a fact that nobody can deny. And the Sultans are the original administrators of the land for hundreds of years as well. So please be smart and try to understand why the Malays have very high respect towards the Sultans.

    I am not racist but I do understand why some Malays do not like chinese. It's because the chinese are the ones that started the 'semangat kekitaan'.

    Malays have no problem in buying things or seek services from the chinese shop or consultants. But the chinese would definitely buy things or obtain services from it's fellowmen first before getting it from the malays.

    Chinese manufacturers and suppliers sell their products and services in a different price to malays compared to their fellowmen. If a chinese sell a piece of tile to his fellowmen contractor for RM 2, then it wud be RM 2.30 to the malays.

    I guarentee you that the malays will never accept the chinese as their brothers and sisters if the chinese continue this attitude.

    So please, scrap that attitude away and i can guarentee that the malays will accept the chinese as their brothers and sisters!

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  12. aiyah, irfan, not true lah, I've always bought my favourite nasi lemak and satay from Malay stalls, just as I buy soup kambing and teh tarik from mamak stalls, and the b-k-t and chinese tea from Chinese ones. I am not aware of Chinese charging Malays more for services. Chinese traders just want business, the more the better, so why should they discriminate - no business logic so implausible!

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  13. Death Note wrote at 10:12 PM 20 March 08 (edited by kaytee who believes stuff can be said in less disrespectful way):

    Sultan handle matters relating to Islam... as such need MB to be Muslim... as such need Deputy to be Muslim... next what,, EXCO also Muslim? next? all assemblymen Muslim? next?

    If he handles matters pertaining to Islam, then no need MB to do it la!

    I for one, don't really care about the royalties in Malaysia --

    And now ... ?


    That's the best I can do for you ;-)

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  14. Seems Khalid trying to exercise some power to portraits as "Malay champions".

    WTF. He though he has plenties of time to play political games, because Selangor is a rich states. In facts, the BR coalition 5 states are mean for "cooperative-competition". The people will see who models will shines after 5 years.

    If Khalid Ibrahim wasting his time on politics, he will neglect his administration works.

    Running a states are more complicated than running a company like Guthrie. It is more than just simple "employement","client" and "profits".


    ---------------------

    irfan, you make me laugh. Most racist always start with the sentence "I am not racist".

    You example of Chinese businessman "preference racial price" just ridiculous.

    A Chinese trader/manufacturer are NO different than any businessman in the world : make profits.

    Without track records, no businessman will give term, discounts, etc, it doesn't matter what skin you are. Money are their best friend.

    Furthermore, "same skin" sometime become an "added value" to charge more. (Yeah, WTF, but this applies to all races)

    I suggest you go attend some basic business course to strengthen your business skill before blaming the "unfair price" on skin.

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  15. Khalid is probably being careful, maybe too careful, in trying not to step on anybody's sensitivites in making a decision. Perhaps, he's new. You can't please everybody all the time. I hope he will grow into his post soon, sooner than later, or he will face problems from everyone, in trying to please everyone.
    Irfan, I understand your reluctance to unreservedly embrace multi-culturalism. I too had things done to me which saddened me. Some years ago, I was with my family at the, now closed, Craven A Restaurant at Macalister Road, Penang. They were very reluctant to serve us. I do not wish to enumerate the cause of such 'reluctance' which my Malay friends duly explained to me. That was not the only time I was insulted. I have gotten over it and I strongly accept multiculturalism. Everybody is the same under the skin. We have good ones and we have also the bad apples. I will defend my Malay friends with my life and they would do like-wise for me. Yes, you do have that one or two from every race who are crass and coarse and bigotted but that is life. We take the good with the bad. Now,living far from home, I can tell you, Malaysia is a beautiful country with beautiful peoples. If it is not so in your mind, Irfan, then fight for it to be so.... constructively.

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  16. I think Khalid is being careful with all things surroundng him. Probably it's not as bad as it look.

    We've been living in a racial-dividing era for so long, and now we are the one who change this, just wait to see what his next move will be. Like old words says, "We can bring you up, we can also bring you down to earth" Do not underestimate people's power no more.

    =============

    As for idiot Irfan, do not start a racial issue here. People stupid as you would always mention yourself not racist. Just look at comment made by yourself, it's more racist than anything I'd read in blogs.

    If you do not know much, just keep your f***ing mouth shut! Only a dumb ass like you would said such things on blogs. Do not stir racial issue up here without any solid evidence.

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  17. I am sad to hear all this news regarding DM post.It looks like we are still worried that a chinese would have this position?? What chinese?? are we not Bangsa Malaysia??? Just look at you guys.Fighting over this stupid thing.

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  18. now is the time to let malaysia step into another status. if you always said that only Melayu can be the leader, even the malayu do not have the abilities?
    we are living in the 21st century now, please be mature and open. the person who is capable is able to take the posistion, it doesn't matter who is he/her (no matter what races). If we still keep this traditional, we will always left at the behind.

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  19. the UMNOputera and some non UMNOputera malays are so insistent that this country belongs to them. it is their country and no one else's - not chinese, not indians, not dan lain lain. thus they fear for a deputy MB to be non malay. it is their country, so all top posts must go to their people. they scared that if lots of top posts goes to non malays, one day, the country may not have malays in top posts running the country - and this will be die-die for them.

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  20. irfan,

    I don't know where you get all these ideas that Chinese/Indian businessman are charging you more. No doubt probably some brainwashing by UMNO.

    Indeed, generally Chinese businessman are better are bargaining, to the point of being irritating.

    My brother owns a mobile phone shop and he got most business from Malays and he said it is easier to deal compare to Chinese, who always bargains.

    Lesson learned, try to be smarter at bargaining. I know of some crazy Chinese aunties who would walk a kilometer to another shop, just to compare the price that is 10sen lower.

    This applies when you do business overseas as well.

    Business world is ruthless, "skin colour" does not talk, only money talks.

    I know Malaysian culture tends toward being soft-spoken, but you won't be able to survive if you want to do business overseas if you're not aggressive in setting your price.

    MCA likes the BN to continue forever, because this way, all their businessman cronies will always have an advantage. They give a bit to their UMNO partners and they are laughing all the way to the bank.

    Does it surprise you then that only certain inner UMNOputras circle ever benefits ? Does it surprise you why the DEB only enriches certain parties after 50 years !!

    But look at it this way, if Malays continue like this, they will never learn how to be competitive in the business world.

    "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime" - Chinese proverbs.

    Take a lesson from this, it is time the Malays to learn how to fish for themselves, instead of relying on hand-outs from BN.

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  21. Btw, the Orang Asli was here first.

    Being here earlier does not gives you "extra" rights to be here.
    If you're a devout Muslim, I doubt that your religion allows you to discriminate against another in the name of race.

    This land have been lost to the Portugues, the Dutch, the British, the Japanese and back to British again.

    The only people fighting against the Japanese and British back in WWII are the Communist, misguided ideology perhaps, but at least they fight and died for this land.

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  22. Well...... that Khalid is a DEB product, he worked in a DEB company, mostly likely his employment and promotion practice was based on DEB principles too.....

    Furthermore, if BN agreed to let him buy his promised shares in Guthrie, he may not be in PKR at all!!!!!

    I have much reservation on this man ,even though i have indirectly "supported" them in this election.

    Please proof me wrong, Dato' Khalid, please......

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  23. when i was a contractor,whenever we need to buy things urgently at site, i always ask my tradesman to buy from the hardware shop intead of me going there myself, coz he can get the at cheaper price. i dont call that racism, it's just that if i know u, i'll sell it at a lower price than to a stranger. now i ran a small business and sometimes my "chinese-looking" daughter mans the counter. sometimes potential customers stop at the counter to enquire about our service. one day a nice chinese lady asked my daughter what was she (my daughter) doing there working for a malayman. when my daughter answered that the owner is her father, the lady was so embarrased that she quickly sign up to be our customer. it was hillarious. again i dont treat this as racism. it's one of those quirks in any multi-racial society that can only be overcome by more education and understanding.

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  24. Alrite guys..i agree with most of u. The malays have got to be more competitive themeselves in business etc. They have to learn carefully and smartly on how to catch a fish themeselves and not just getting it from the hands of others.

    The point that i gave was just a point that i got from older malays..i mean the old generation. I hope all the new generation regardless of malays, chinese and indian fully embrace multi-culturalism.

    The malays are willing to die sacrificing to defend the country if there is a war..and i hope all chinese and indians will do that to. We do not live in this world just to do business and get rich, but also to make it more civilised and cultured.

    thanks guys

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  25. irfan, i believe some of use, chinese and indians are willing to die for this country.

    And i believe ALL of us chinese and indians are willing to die for this country is we all are called and treated as bumiputras.

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  26. oledy proven by two chinese, Superintendent Paul Kiong and Deputy Superintendent Sia Boon Chee, police officer who were awarded the SP - study their contributions to fully appreciate how far beyond the call of duty these two "Malaysians" had committed themselves and their very lives for Malaysia

    read http://ktemoc.blogspot.com/2007/11/malay-sacrifice-chinese-sacrifice.html

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  27. Sorry, irfan... another steorotype 40s' thinkings again.....

    If there is a war, do u think those UMNOputra "malays" who have properties, lands, bank accounts etc etc overseas are willing to stay and die for the country??

    It WILL BE only YOU and ME who born here, cari makan here and earn a living here that will "die sacrificing to defend the country if there is a war.."......

    This is not a "hope" but a VOW....though the country doesn't love me so much, I STILL LOVE THE COUNTRY! (NOT THE PEMIMPIN, please be clear about that)

    I am a Chinese, if you are curious and if color matters......

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  28. Asking for a non Malay deputy Menteri Besar is as good as asking for a PAS-UMNO coalition state Government. Anyone favor for that?

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  29. burhanlong,

    That is just one of the many techniques of bargaining... find something common with the seller... be it race... common interest... etc.

    But the moment you refuse to give them a discount... see how quickly our "good friend" smile evaporates... ha..ha..

    I travel to Shenzhen, China a lot as part of my work. Their bargaining techniques there will probably shock us soft-spoken Malaysian. It was almost like a fight when you seen them shouting at each other... so, myself always bring a China colleague along whenever want to buy something... otherwise, I get slaughtered.

    That's just a fact of the business world, no hidden conspiracy. In business everybody is out for themselves (mostly).

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