PM-designate for Pakatan (2.0)

Lim Kit Siang (DAP) pronounced recently that DAP's choice for PM is still Anwar Ibrahim.

sorry, you're considered too passé & too divisive

I suppose we can safely assume then that once Pakatan (2.0) gains majority rule following the next election and installed officially as the new government of Malaysia, that new Pakatan (2.0) government will free Anwar from prison, naturally replete with full royal pardon in order for him to have a clean slate to become PM and a by-election in a Pakatan (2.0) blue ribbon seat, but which I hope won't involve poor Lee Chin Cheh again, wakakaka.

Now, why has Lim named Anwar?

There might have been several reasons, one of which would be to assure the Malay Heartland that DAP supports not only a Melayu but far more importantly a Muslim as PM. and thus is not into grabbing power for one of its own member as propagated by the UMNO side of politics.

Another could well be (speculating naughtily here, wakakaka) to forestall those from the ulama-associated party from laying claim to the No 1 political office. So on so forth ........

But Zaid Ibrahim nixed Lim's declaration, saying ... wait, nay, not just nixed because Malaysiakini reported Zaid not just opposed Lim's nomination but rubbished DAP's backing for Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister, describing him as too divisive a figure.

Rubbished DAP's backing for ........

'Rubbished' - wow, what a painful word for Lim KS, and I have to agree though as I have speculated, Lim KS might have done so (ie. put forward the 'rubbish', wakakaka) for a couple of strategic reasons.

But alas, Zaid after that succinct comment failed to follow up brilliantly. He proposed instead, Nurul Izzah as Pakatan (2.0)'s PM-designate.

Why Nurul?

Give me three good reasons, and not as per what Malaysiakini reported Zaid saying, as follows:

"As a supporter of Pakatan 2.0, I nominate Nurul Izzah as prime minister-designate. She is not controversial unlike her father; she speaks well; she has a good education and the right name," he wrote on his blog today.

Zaid said Nurul Izzah, has the ability to attract young voters to Pakatan 2.0 and can govern well if given the right advisors.

Let's analyse Zaid's points for Nurul to be Pakatan (2.0)'s PM-designate

1. not controversial
2. speaks well
3. has a good education
4. can attract young voters
5. has the right name

Qualities 1 to 4 can be found in a large number of other Pakatan (2.0) candidates, and also are not particular exceptional qualities, which nonetheless Zaid unwittingly spoilt somewhat with his statement that she "can govern well if given the right advisors". So can others too if given the right advisors.

So I have to assume Quality No 5 seems to be Zaid's main justification for Nurul to be PM-designate, namely, that she is the daughter of Anwar Ibrahim.

Zaid's nomination of Nurul as PM-designate has not been the first. Many have been the times I read/heard of the preposterous proposals for Nurul to be the PM of a Pakatan-ruled Malaysia in the event of the non availability of her father.

Frankly, those proposals have been so unrealistically moronic, leaving me flabbergasted by the puerile mentality of those blind-as-bats idol-worshippers. Zaid Ibrahim who I quite respect seems to have joined the mob though he redeems himself just a wee bit by rubbishing the idea of Anwar as (yet again) Pakatan (2.0)'s PM-designate.

Another title for Nurul which always drives me bonkers (okay I exaggerate, wakakaka) has been the equally preposterous Puteri Reformasi. I don't mind Nurul being Puteri PKR or Puteri Pakatan. I really don't have anything against her being adored as a puteri. But the word 'reformasi' makes me want to puke because there's no such animal as reformasi in her party.

Tell me, what reformasi would there be in a a party which promoted 916, an undemocratic grab at power via financed party hopping, which the late Karpal Singh had described as "unethical" and "immoral".

read my post

 Political defections - a letter to a future PM


wakakaka

That's right, "unethical" and "immoral", thus DEFORM-asi (and not reform-asi) would have been the more apt word. Now, I am not that cruel as to suggest Nurul be known as Puteri Deformasi, wakakaka. As I mentioned I have nothing against her or the title of Puteri.

Incidentally, earlier this year, Karpal Singh's son Ramkarpal Singh reminded us indirectly of his dad's insistence on ethical and moral politics in a democracy via a TMI news report titled Working with Dr M to remove PM will be a ‘disaster’, Pakatan told stating that working with Dr Mahathir would mean Pakatan would just be maintaining the status quo and allow “corruption to continue”. He said:

“I am firmly of the view that saving Malaysia can only mean a new clean, accountable and transparent government."

“Pakatan Rakyat must live up to its promise to Malaysians of being that alternative and democratically oust Najib and the BN through the ballot box.” 

I wonder whether Ramkarpal ought to have a word with Liew Chin Tong who wants DAP to work with UMNO Johor, wakakaka.

OK, let's get into the meat of my post and talk about one of the most troubling observations of Asian-Malaysian politics, namely, the cultism of personalities.

Zaid has unwittingly exposed himself as a subscriber to it when he said of Nurul's suitability to be nominated as Pakatan (2.0)'s PM-designate, that she has the right name.

WTF did you mean Nurul has the right name, my dear Zaid?

We also notice the offsprings of Malaysian leaders, of leaders such as (on UMNO side) Razak, Hussein, Mahathir, AAB and (on the other side), Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Allahyarham Nik Aziz.

Abroad, there’s our neighbour Lim Kuan Yew being succeeded by his son Lee Hsien Loong (but with another PM Goh CT in between), Soekarno eventually by Megawati (fortunately Suharto not by s-i-l Prabowo Subianto) and the ruling oligarchy of the Philippines which has kept the presidency principally among 3 families. Even sweetest Aung Sung Suu Kyi is the daughter of Aung San, founder of modern Burma or Myammar while my sweetest sweetheart Yingluck Shinawatra, PM of Thailand deposed-by-its-military, is the sister of former PM Thaksin, also undemocratically deposed.

aiyoyo., sweethearts in uniforms drive me crazy lah

wakakaka 

While it's not unusual for some sons and daughters to follow their parents into the field of politics, there's a troubling danger that shoving such offsprings into politics (especially against their will or ability or readiness) can lead to cultism or what I term as ‘Kim-ism’, a word derived from the ‘Great Leader’ (wakakaka) Kim Il Sung, president of North Korea from 1948 to 1994. He was succeeded by his son Kim Jong Il (1994 to 2001), who in turn had been succeeded by his son Kim Jong Un.

Now, as mentioned it's not wrong for leading politicians to be joined and/or succeeded by their qualified and capable sons and daughters like Razak was by Najib, Mahathir by Mukhriz, Hussein by Hishamuddin, Lim KS by Lim GE, Allahyarham Nik Aziz by Nik Adli (who had the misfortune to be detained for 5 years under ISA for alleged terrorist activities and membership in KMM) and Anwar Ibrahim by Nurul Izzah? I'd also add AAB by s-i-l KJ, wakakaka.

The sole exception to children of politicians joining the family 'business' seems to be those of Tunku Abdul Rahman. Putting aside the four children he adopted (one of whom, Mariam, was the biological daughter of a CT couple killed by our forces), Tunku had four of his own biological children, namely (by his first wife, Lady Meriam Chong Abdullah) Tunku Khadijah and Tunku Ahmad Nerang and (by his fourth wife Bibi Chong whom he married secretly in 1963 because he wanted more children) Tunku Noor Hayati and Tunku Mastura. I don't believe any of them became a politician or even join politics.

Oh BTW, the question I want to raise regarding family business is: Has Mukhriz been shoved into politics? And indeed at a very late stage.

To me, Mukhriz seems like a reluctant politician. He appears not to have his heart in it and to be perhaps waiting for a cue from dad before saying anything significant. I would have been rapt if his sister Marina has been the one to take up a direct or leading role in politics. On her own merit, she has so much to offer.

Most of us know that Najib was shoved into politics 40 years ago following the sudden demise of his dad, perhaps by his uncle Hussein. He was only 23. Now he's almost 63. I wonder whether he at the age of 23 would be what I term as a 'reluctant' politician who was called to serve in dad's business?

Sons and daughters (and son-in-laws wakakaka) succeeding their fathers/mothers (and f-i-l) as political leaders are found everywhere, eg. in the USA, Australia, etc and are particularly common in the States of the sub-continent such as India (Congress Party virtually dominated by the Gandhi family), Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

If these sons and daughters are qualified, capable, competent and experienced enough to be political leaders in their own rights, then why not?

But when a young brat is shoved upwards like Kim Jong Un, then it is ‘Kim-ism’. I personally believe Najib being made an MP at 23 and the MB of Pahang at 29 years old was definitely an act of ‘Kim-ism’, though to be fair to him now, some 40 over years have since gone by, during which time he was exposed to a variety of political & ministerial positions before assuming the position of PM, not unlike PM Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore. Mind, unlike Lee Hsien Loong, Najib is now having helluva shit of a time as PM, wakakaka.

Nurul became a MP 7 years ago, at the age of 27 and one of PKR's Vice President at the age of 29. Does anyone believe she would have been party VP at 29 if she was not Anwar Ibrahim's daughter?

Now, Zaid wants to propose her as Pakatan (2.0)'s PM-designate, all at the age of 34.

Are we saying there is no other suitable experienced candidate of a reasonable age, say 45 to 55 or even above?

Perhaps to gain a perspective of her popularity, among the 'converted' of course wakakaka, it's time to bring in Tian Chua's description of her.

In early November 2012, Nurul unwittingly came under siege for allegedly expressing her support for freedom of religion for all Malaysians, including Malays, in a forum titled “Islamic state? Which vision? Whose responsibility”.

Sweetie was so reported by FMT in its news article Nurul Izzah backs religious freedom for all. Needless to say, UMNO jumped eagerly on her for that, with another sweetie, deputy minister Mashitah Ibrahim out to get her in some legal way, while Dr Mahathir also criticized her for her alleged unIslamic statement.

But the poor sweetie was so stressed (panicked?) by the UMNO mob against her that she sought help from Dr Asri (of the theological tefloning type, wakakaka), while PAS' Dzulkefly Ahmad, then still an MP, was reported by the Malaysian Chronicle (wakakaka) for criticizing sweetie Mashitah Ibrahim as being ‘diabolical’ in attacking sweetie Nurul.

I have to admit Mashitah was/is 'diabolically' good looking, wakakaka.

diabolically yummy, wakakaka

A few days later, Tian Chua's Malaysian Chronicle came out swinging for her with an article titled Nurul is an Angel in our midst. Mashitah Ibrahim, you are a spinning pathological liar wakakaka.

Nurul Izzah has not only been Princess Reformasi but promoted to being an Angel too. What Kim-ism! Wakakaka.

In the midst of that UMNO-generated brouhaha over Nurul's alleged statement, Siti Kassim, a member of the Bar Council human rights committee and Orang Asli rights advocate, came out to say that she was disappointed with Nurul for backing away from her statement, namely, that freedom of religion was a right for all including the Malay-Muslims. She lamented that Nurul has failed to stand firm on her remark.

Siti Kasim said: “I believe Nurul was just trying to impress the people. She didn't think of the consequences. There’s nothing wrong about it [freedom of religion], she is saying the truth. I expected a hoo-ha after that. But as a politician, you just need to stick to the truth."

"In the following days she ‘retracted’ her remark, and said she did not support apostasy. But indirectly when you say you support freedom of religion, and if Malay wants to get out from Islam, that’s apostasy.”

I had then written: Hmmm, maybe Nurul indeed wanted to impress her audience but alamak, Siti, cut her some slack lah as Nurul is still young and really, a babe in the political woods. Besides, to a Muslim, apostasy is an extremely serious issue, where the punishment could well be death (though of course the authorities won't go to that extent in Malaysia).

Thus I personally assessed Nurul as only suitable to be possibly a FUTURE PM but definitely not the immediate Pakatan (2.0)'s PM-designate. Currently she lacks the necessary experience and vital toughness to survive as PM. I also fear she may well end up being "advised" all the time by someone.

To Zaid Ibrahim, a man I respect, tolong lah, don't be a subscriber to Kim-ism too. Have you considered far more qualified Muslim-Melayu such as Mat Sabu (GHB), Ariff Sabri (DAP), Dr Bari (wisely now DAP, wakakaka), Fuziah Salleh (PKR; she of the redoubtable STOP LYNAS fame), Azmin Ali (PKR; yes, he has to be considered lah, wakakaka), etc?

Fuziah Salleh
highly qualified, experienced, diligent