Mahathir deliberately marginalising Anwar Ibrahim

FMT:

Mahathir must stop this passive-aggressive-type leadership

Lim Kian Ong

 -

August 31, 2019 4:18 PM

I refer to media reports quoting Klang MP Charles Santiago as saying that this year’s Merdeka mood is sour because of the public’s disappointment with the Pakatan Harapan government.

As someone who had voted for PH during the last general election, I believe Santiago has hit the nail on the head with his comments. The PH government has fumbled in one issue after another, whether it is over Indian preacher Zakir Naik, the teaching of khat (Jawi writing) in vernacular schools or the Lynas rare earths plant.

So, when Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced that there’d be a Cabinet reshuffle, it had brought a glimmer of hope that things would finally change for the better.

Several ministers are clearly ill-suited for their jobs.

But imagine, to our shock and disappointment, when the PM later clarified that the impending Cabinet changes only involved portfolio changes. Why is the PM playing musical chairs with the apex policy-making body in this country? He should be roping in technocrats like Jeli MP Mustapa Mohamed to lend more weight to his inexperienced team.

Mahathir could also have brought in PKR president and Port Dickson MP Anwar Ibrahim into his Cabinet. Anwar had served as a minister for over 15 years in various portfolios until 1998, including as deputy prime minister and finance minister. Surely, he can bring in a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Cabinet.

Further, as the anointed successor to Mahathir as part of a pre-election pact, Anwar’s entry into the Cabinet would have made the eventual power transition more seamless.

But Mahathir, when asked if Anwar would be co-opted into the Cabinet, responded by saying that there’s no ministerial vacancy as none of the ministers wanted to give way. Who is Mahathir trying to kid here?

Everyone knows that Cabinet appointments are the prerogative of the Agong, at the advice of the PM. If the PM were to give non-performing ministers the marching order, if only to create vacancies, there is no reason why Anwar cannot be appointed into the Cabinet.

Of all people, Mahathir’s track record shows he’s quite adept at bringing in people to the Cabinet. In the late 1990s, in a bid to de-politicise the education ministry, he roped in ex-Universiti Sains Malaysia vice-chancellor Musa Mohamad as education minister, in a move that shocked many.

In 1997, Mahathir triggered two by-elections in Selangor just so his trusted Cabinet member, Abu Hassan Omar, could be elected as state assemblyman for Permatang and eventually become the state’s menteri besar. This followed the resignation of Muhammad Muhammad Taib over certain currency irregularities in Australia.

Of late, Mahathir has been increasingly resorting to a passive-aggressive leadership style, which had characterised his first administration. This is unbecoming of a leader.

At a time when racial-religious discourse is threatening to tear at the fabric of this nation and the public is getting more restless over unfulfilled electoral pledges, what we need is a strong, confident leadership.

To ensure PH retains Putrajaya come GE15 and in the face of Umno-PAS gaining ground from stoking racial-religious sentiments, it is time Mahathir put his foot down and rise to the occasion, facing up to the current political reality.

If he doesn’t want to, then it is best he hands over power soon, before Putrajaya is handed back to the Umno-led coalition.

Lim Kian Ong is an FMT reader.

Mahathir's useless car projects

TMI:

Do we really need 3rd national car?

THE average Malaysian spends an hour and 12 minutes on the road each day.

According to a World Economic Monitor report, traffic congestion cost Malaysians up to RM20 billion in 2015. Given that car ownership in the country rose from 26 million to 28 million in 2017, it is logical to assume that the RM20 billion figure has risen dramatically. This includes the health costs associated with driving, such as the effects of air pollution and stress.

Malaysia, unfortunately, has the third-highest road fatality rate in Asia and Asean, behind Thailand and Vietnam. Road crashes were the fourth most common cause of death in Malaysia in 2016, behind ischaemic heart disease, pneumonia and cerebrovascular disease.

If we are serious about being forward-thinking in terms of traffic mobility, we should look at projects such as Johor’s Forest City. Part of the Iskandar Malaysia project, Forest City has gotten a bad rap due to Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s allegations that it would be closed to foreign buyers – but its implementation shows how a Malaysia-based tech project should be done.

Leveraging its strategic location near Singapore, Forest City is a smart city project that provides a clear example of how to resolve local problems with technology. Take, for example, its award-winning Building Information Modelling system, which integrates information modelling, IoT and AI systems to power most of the project’s automated systems, including security, maintenance and servicing, creating truly smart buildings from start to finish.

It is also designed to be car-free, and connected to what should be the gold standard in public transportation in the country, namely the Iskandar Malaysia Bus Rapid Transit system.

BRT is regarded as one of the more efficient methods of transport in urban areas as it utilises existing infrastructure, compared to the expensive need to build light rail transit or mass rapid transit tracks.

The economic benefits are also considerable, with it acting as a force multiplier, as companies looking to expand their regional operations consider moving to Johor given the access to Singapore and availability of local talent. As of 2018, Forest City funded the livelihood of some 1,350 local families, and is set to produce 9,000 more in the coming years. By 2035, it is estimated that Forest City will provide more than 220,000 job opportunities.

Looking at the bigger picture, given the rapid urbanisation of populations worldwide, the future of mobility is clear. Routine travel will be done using a mass public transport system, while on-demand autonomous transport systems will cater to people who prefer those. I am sure that most Malaysians would enjoy the time savings provided by an efficient mass transport system rather than wasting hours upon hours in traffic.

for his first PM-ship he didn't bother about public transportation because he wanted the rakyat to depend on his Proton, so why would he develop public transportation now, what with his Car No 3 obsession

Therefore, why is the government insisting on producing a third national car when:

1) The ratio is 0.88 vehicle to every person in the country; and,

2) According to the Malaysian Automotive Association, vehicle sales have dropped 34% from the same period last year?

It has been announced that the third national car project will be spearheaded by local company DreamEDGE Sdn Bhd, in collaboration with Japanese automaker Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd.

According to the International Trade and Industry Ministry, “from the government’s standpoint, the national car project is the nation’s industrialisation catalyst, to spur the meaningful participation of Malaysians in advanced technology adoption. This will create new opportunities for local vendors and talent to be part of the high-technology value chain”.

This is all well and good, but I share the same concern that many have raised in response to the announcement: what are the utility and motivations behind the third national car project?

Valid questions have been posed regarding the capability of DreamEDGE to successfully bring to the market its car models. The company, as noted by Yeah Kim Leng of the Sunway University Business School, has no track record in the extremely competitive car industry. He mentioned that the domestic market is too small, and DreamEDGE will inevitably have to compete in the global market.

Slowing car sales growth is not only a domestic trend. It is also a global one, with experts predicting that auto sales worldwide will drop, given challenging macroeconomic developments.

The world is simply moving away from cars and looking at new mobility – public transport, shared cars and bikes, and most importantly, walking.

Quite simply, the value proposition for a new car today is not there. Nor is there one for a flying model. – August 30, 2019.

* Amir Hazri reads The Malaysian Insight

National tree of Malaysia

Extracts from MM Online:

Malaysia now has a national tree: Merbau

BY AZRIL ANNUAR

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the launch of the ‘Hutan Kita’ exhibition in Kuala Lumpur August 23, 2019

Picture by Shafwan Zaidon 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today announced indigenous hardwood species the Merbau as Malaysia’s national tree.

The prime minister said Merbau was chosen as a symbol of national pride and to show the government’s commitment towards sustainability.

“I would like to take the opportunity to announce that the Merbau tree (Malacca teak) has been chosen as our National Tree. With its hardy nature, I believe that all Malaysians, can take the Merbau as a symbol of national pride.

I posted Mango tree on 25 March 2017 (the post surprisingly gained the 9th highest rating in my blog, but in the last 2 days, has dropped to No 10th), as follows:

There is no national tree for Malaysia, yet when I went around KL and Penang recently I see mango trees in general being planted almost everywhere outside houses.

Delightfully I saw a couple of nangka trees planted outside a house in KL but alas those were the exception to the rule.

I wonder what would be planted outside the houses of LKS, Anwar, Hadi Awang, Mahathir and Najib, wakakaka.

Should we make the mango tree our national tree?

After receiving independence in 1957, the nation needed a national flower to symbolize her identity. In 1958, the Ministry of Agriculture sought proposals for a national flower from all state governments. Seven flowers were proposed. They were the rose, ylang ylang, jasmine, lotus, hibiscus, frangipani and bunga tanjung.

I wonder why the people in the east coast states (Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang) preferred the rose when it's not native to Malaya?

The people in the east coast states of the country preferred the rose, while those in the west coast were partial towards the jasmine.

In 1960, after careful consideration, the ministry selected the hibiscus rosa sinensis.

One reason it upstaged the other flowers was its eye-catching, bigger-sized red petals. Another reason given was that it blooms throughout the year and the plant requires little maintenance. Hibiscus is also commonly found in the rural areas where the plant functions as hedge fencing for houses.

Yes, the hibiscus has been as common as the rakyat, making it popular as a people's flower and thus a national flower. Of course today the hibiscus has developed into so many varieties that its fulsome glamour can be quite dazzling.

And that has been why I would have loved for the mango tree to be our national tree because it is so common and much loved by Malaysians, and grown everywhere especially in our gardens (or just outside of them) much in the same way as the hibiscus is loved as our national flower.

Anyway, congratulations to our national tree the Merbau. But I wonder why I haven't heard of any public proposals from the public in the same way as the hibiscus was mooted. Was the choice the "wise decision" of one man, or had there been proper public consultations and discussions to arrive at the best possible choice? 

also the national tree of US territory Guam 

Read also Star Online's How do we learn to love a tree?

kaytee's choice for Malaysia's national tree

loved by and as common as the rakyat

Happy Merdeka Malaya

Happy Merdeka to Malaya (not yet Malaysia).

Today (in 2019) I have come to the conclusion, after many many years of celebrating Merdeka Day on 31 August, that 31st August is only for the celebration(s) of independence for Peninsula Malaya and not Malaysia.

Wikipedia informs us:

Chinese reaction against the MCP [Malayan Communist Party] was shown by the formation of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) in 1949 as a vehicle for moderate Chinese political opinion. Its leader Tan Cheng Lock favoured a policy of collaboration with UMNO to win Malayan independence on a policy of equal citizenship, but with sufficient concessions to Malay sensitivities to ease nationalist fears.

Tan formed a close collaboration with Tunku (Prince) Abdul Rahman, the Chief Minister of kedah and from 1951 successor to Datuk Onn as leader of UMNO. Since the British had announced in 1949 that Malaya would soon become independent whether the Malayans liked it or not, both leaders were determined to forge an agreement their communities could live with as a basis for a stable independent state.

The UMNO-MCA Alliance, which was later joined by the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC), won convincing victories in local and state elections in both Malay and Chinese areas between 1952 and 1955.

Then came the proposal for the formation of Malaysia (Malaya, Singapore, Brunei, Sabah & Sarawak) from Lee Kuan Yew who was then Chief Minister of British but autonomous Singapore. Initially Tunku Abdul Rahman thought the idea was impractical but Tun Razak supported it and the die was then cast.

Our beloved (Almarhum) Tunku Abdul Rahman had wanted to announce the formation of Malaysia on exactly the same day as the independence day for Malaya which had obtained its freedom from British colonialism 6 years earlier. But alas, Indonesia and Philippine objected. Wikipedia further informs us:

After negotiations in July 1963, it was agreed that Malaysia would come into being on 31 August 1963, consisting of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. [Brunei opted out at the last minute]

The date was to coincide with the independence day of Malaya and the British giving self-rule to Sarawak and North Borneo. However, Indonesia and the Philippines strenuously objected to this development, with Indonesia claiming Malaysia represented a form of "neocolonialism" and the Philippines claiming North Borneo as its territory.

The opposition from the Indonesian government led by Sukarno and attempts by the Sarawak United People's Party delayed the formation of Malaysia.

Due to these factors, an eight-member UN team was formed to re-ascertain whether North Borneo and Sarawak truly wanted to join Malaysia. Malaysia formally came into being on 16 September 1963, consisting of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore. In 1963 the total population of Malaysia was about 10 million.

Thus, in terms of historical fact, Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963 (and not 31 August), even though Tunku had wanted that day to be coincidental with Malaya Independence Day. But that was not to be.

Much as we love Tunku and respect his then-nostalgia for 31 August to be the same National Day for Malaysia, I believe the time has come for us to accept that 16 September is the day we Malaysians became One, and thus is our National Day of Sovereignty.

The Racist & his half-baked flying car

Malaysiakini:

Yoursay: Flying into oblivion with a car no one asked for

Yoursay  |  Published: Today 10:27 am

YOURSAY | ‘Don't embarrass the country by making it sound like a national initiative.’

Malaysia stands by its views on flying car project - Redzuan

The Analyser: Entrepreneur Development Minister Mohd Redzuan Yusof says that Malaysia stands by its first flying car project despite criticism from various parties, including United Nations special rapporteur Phillip Alston.

I think what Redzuan means is that “Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad stands by his views on the flying car.”

It’s pretty obvious that Malaysia disagrees. But then that’s how democracy works in a dictatorship.

Malaysian-United: The flying car is a half-baked idea. Don't embarrass the country by making it sound like a national initiative.

A lot of Malaysians expressed disgust for it from the start, but Redzuan’s big ego won't let him quit. What was Mahathir thinking when appointing him to the cabinet?

JDoe: Dear Mahathir, thank you for kicking Umno out. You have done your part. But please stop destroying this country further. It is time to let go.

At 94, you have nothing to lose, but the next generation – including the young ones in your family – have this entire country to lose.

Each of us has different dreams for ourselves, but only one dream for this nation. I want to see a peaceful and prosperous nation. I hope you can let that happen.

Quo Vadis: With this man as the so-called entrepreneur development minister, is there any wonder why there is no progress at all in this country after a year and a half of Pakatan Harapan being in power?

There are tons of other entrepreneurial initiatives that are more beneficial to this country, especially technology relating to environmental protection, waste management, safety, agriculture, etc, that really require backing and easing of barriers.

Why not focus on these real and tangible initiatives? Yet a flying car is touted as the solution to our traffic chaos? It really looks like there is a huge prawn hiding behind the stone. Jokers one and all.

Anonymous 5237890145285379: @Quo Vadis, I totally agree. There are so many other ideas and initiatives that are so much more realistic and easier to implement with the help of a small amount of capital.

Some roadside vendors are making millions from their own enterprises. There are others who are struggling, like the SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). These are the people who should be encouraged.

Just look at Shenzhen in China. The authorities there did a lot to encourage new companies and new industries. DJI is one such company. It took a loan of a few thousand dollars to start up the drone industry.

But for Malaysia, our ‘flying car’ minister is likely to think all these small companies are not making a big splash enough to go with his ego.

The minister might have said it is a private initiative, but I would take that with a huge pinch of salt. We do not have information on the company, but I will not be surprised if the backers are some government agencies – just like the new third national car.

The prime minister did not initiate the project. Just some government agencies doing it without his knowledge. Believe it?

As Mr ‘Malays gave away too much’ says, the entire ecosystem of the flying car industry may be worth US$500 billion (RM2.3 trillion) or more.

But what does that translate into your flying car project? How much do you think the project will get out of the US$500 billion? Yes, you can have a local captive market due to monopoly (remember Proton Saga?) but that is probably a minuscule portion of the US$500 billion.

Second, can you get the car off the ground? We are a third world country, not known for high technological inventions or innovation. We can’t even build a land-based car to compete with other car companies.

Furthermore, this is a totally new industry with all its attendant problems. Are you saying that your project will solve all the problems soon and you will be launching the car? How will the car fly? With four propellers? I would think DJI will have more experience in this field.

How about emergencies? Will the car run out of power in mid-air? How about mid-air collisions?

So many countries are legislating drones and controlling its usages. You expect that we can just walk into a showroom to buy a flying car with just some experience in drone flying?

How about insurance? What if a flying car crashes into a building? How much will the insurance company need to pay and how much will the insurance premium be? How about crashing into a drone? The drone can be damaged but likely some lives are lost from using the flying car.

How about traffic lanes in the sky and the submission of flight paths? We are not talking about flying from one international city to another, but flying within a city or a kampung.

How about maintenance? A normal car can be poorly maintained and yet be driven on the road, but a flying car will just drop from the sky.

Lastly, do you think that by just setting up a company, you can conquer the world? You think other car companies with vast resources are not interested? You think other large corporations like the tech giants will not hesitate to venture into this industry if the industry is feasible?

Is this the type of entrepreneurial spirit that you are trying to encourage? It looks to me like it is more an ego trip without any knowledge of the high potential for failure.

But then, you are using our money so there is no pain involved (for you). I expect that you are a typical Umno politician who will likely just give some excuses for the failure and blame it on others.

Your attitude towards the Chinese Malaysiakini reporter is already an indication of how you handle issues.

Anonymous_3f4b: Redzuan, like all other Bersatu ministers, are fools. They are, to borrow the terminology of Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, ‘bodoh sombong’ (foolishly arrogant).

They refuse to take credible findings and conclusions of a reputable UN investigative team on poverty into consideration but wallow in their own myopic and narrow world. ‘Katak di bawah tempurung’, as you might say.

The entire government under Harapan is hopeless – refusing to tackle the real and critical issues affecting the country, but indulging in polemics and inane projects that serve no value and productive purpose, and will instead drain the country further.

*********

kaytee notes:

Now you know why Mahathir has always failed in his kerbau schemes, and become known as 'King Minus'.

Malaysiakini:

Who lives if Malaysia dies?

Gooi Hsiao Leung  |  Published: Today 9:53 am  |  Modified: Today 12:42 pm

ADUN SPEAKS | In leading up to the celebration of our 62nd independence day which is just days away, no doubt there will be much coffee shop talk about the state of our country’s race relations as compared to 62 years ago.

Unfortunately, most people I talked to today say that the situation has deteriorated and we have never been this racially polarised, especially after the last general election. Just look at how issues like Icerd, khat and Zakir Naik have turned our country completely upside down.

For example, take Zakir Naik. It is incredible how a single foreigner can cause so much havoc in our country. He is protected by Umno and PAS. Most non-Muslims (including myself) want him deported. On the other hand, I believe that the Pakatan Harapan government is forced to take a more cautious position on the controversial preacher.

We all wanted a new Malaysia when we voted for Harapan in GE14. But what should a new Malaysia look like? And are we getting there?

Before GE14, we campaigned for the support of non-Malays by asking them to reject Umno BN’s “Ketuanan Melayu” politics where they labelled us as “pendatangs”. We rallied the people to support “Ketuanan Rakyat”, telling them to reject a government that does not respect its citizens.

Today, disappointed non-Malays are asking why is a foreigner allowed to ask its citizens to leave their country.

It is even more troubling that certain leading Malay figures are making divisive statements that will only make matters worse. Instead of promoting greater multiracial harmony and unity, they advocate for a dominant race and claim that Malays have lost power because they were not united and hence, today’s government no longer places the Malay race and Islam as its core.

The political reality on the ground that we have to contend with is that Harapan did not win GE14 with a Malay mandate. Around 70 percent of the Malay electorate did not vote for the Harapan.

Today, the Harapan coalition is confronted with the huge political challenge to win over the Malays before GE15 in the face of the Umno-PAS alliance's relentless use of the race and religion card. At the same time, Harapan is struggling to ensure Harapan’s solid support from non-Malays and the 30 percent of Malays who voted Harapan do not fade away.

The mood on the ground is one of unhappiness and uneasiness. While most non-Malays are mainly dissatisfied with livelihood and economic issues, the Malays are increasingly agitated by feelings that their race and religion are being threatened.

I believe to a large extent the agitation is heightened and inflamed by fake news and propaganda peddled by political and religious extremists against Harapan and DAP.

If you think non-Malay DAP Ministers have it bad on social media, you only have to look at the overwhelmingly much higher thrashing Malay Harapan Ministers are receiving on facebook, twitter, Instagram and what have you. It would appear that Harapan has lost the social media war on the Malay ground to Umno and PAS’s race and religious narrative.

What then? How are we to confront the old challenges of race and religion in new Malaysia? Unlike other countries, they only have a racial problem or a religious problem to contend with.

Malaysia is probably one of the few, if not the only country, that has to deal with not one, but a combination of both complex “race” and “religious” issues.

That said, irrespective of what race or religion we come from, we have only one country we call home. I am reminded of a book entitled “Who lives if Malaysia dies?” published by DAP in 1969.

Should we fail in nation-building, and this country burns to the ground as a result of racial strife, who lives? Who will stand to benefit? No one or no particular race will benefit. All will be losers in the end.

I used to say in my political speeches before GE14: "In order to save Malaysia, we, the non-Malays, cannot do it alone because we are in the minority.

"In order to save Malaysia, only you, the Malays, can save Malaysia with us non-Malays going all out to stand by you and fight alongside you to save Malaysia."

Equally, we cannot save Malaysia if each ethnic group puts their interests first before others. The idea that one ethnic group must unite against another ethnic group for survival is the old failed story of Malaysia that used to divide and rule our nation for decades.

The new story of Malaysia should and must be built on the spirit of shared destiny, togetherness and unity of all Malaysians regardless of our race or religion.

We must be Malaysians first and share a common vision that our nation will be built to prosper all of its people and future generations to come without classification of race or religion.

Let us take this occasion in celebrating our Independence Day by laying the foundations in the new story of a united Malaysia by sending out hashtag #WeAreTogether or #KitaBersama to all our friends and family.

Selamat Hari Kemerdekaan!

---

GOOI HSIAO LEUNG is the assemblyperson of Bukit Tengah in Penang.

The Arrogant but Incompetent Political Party

A mouse is walking through the jungle when he sees a female elephant crying. He asks the elephant why she is crying.

The elephant shows him that she has a huge thorn stuck in her foot and says "if you get this thorn out, I will do whatever you want."

The mouse, who was a little horny, takes the thorn out. The elephant thanks him and says, "I know what you want" and turns around. The mouse gets behind her and starts bonking her.

All the while this was going on, two monkeys were watching from a coconut tree above. They both then throw a coconut at the elephant, hitting her on the head "Bonk, Bonk" and she yelled out, "Ouch, ouch".

From behind, the mouse pats the elephant on her bum and says ‘sorry I was too rough, my dear’.

Wakakaka, wasn't that the 'Height of Arrogance'?

Now read this about an arrogant political party.

From Malaysia-Today:

Kadir Jasin & Bersatu

by Fateh Aiman

It’s an open secret that loyalty in BERSATU Pribumi is in short supply. Just take a look at how it catapulted itself as the third most powerful political party in Pakatan Harapan (in terms of parliamentarians) – which only came about with the help of party hoppers in the post-GE 14 environment.

But for Kadir Jasin to make sweeping statements as if the people of Johor voted for a BERSATU Pribumi-led state government given their track record as a political force seems disconnected with the realities on the ground. Even more so considering that his recent blogpost is an attempt to shore up support for the incoming BERSATU Pribumi party election.

Take for example the recent Menteri Besar selection controversy in Johor, where Tun Mahathir and the Johor Royal Family locked horns over who should replace the former Menteri Besar, Osman Sapian. According to the Johor State Constitution, it is clearly the right of the Sultan to approve who should best represent his state – something that one hoped would have been respected given that the Pakatan Harapan manifesto pushed for a return to the spirit of federalism.

While BERSATU Pribumi may be prominent nationally due to Tun Mahathir’s status as Prime Minister, this does not mean that it gives them full discretionary power over how their state representatives act in governing their states.Let’s keep in mind that in Johor, BERSATU Pribumi only won 8 seats in GE14 as opposed to 17 seats retained by UMNO.

The same cannot be said for Bersatu Pribumi in Perak – where the administration of Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu is a clear example of the three deadly sins that is becoming increasingly apparent in Pakatan Harapan: disunity, lack of focus and incompetency.

Pribumi is just like a mouse in Pakatan
smallest but the one carrying deadly disease

Headlines from the Perak PH government range from the tragic to the bizzare – with Faizal Azumu openly trampling upon the ancestral land of local Orang Asli for logging contracts to the case of two Bersatu Pribumi Division Chiefs selling sacrificial cows to buy laptops.

cows disappearing both under UMNO and Pribumi

both parties have the same bovine-sucking DNA, wakakaka

Clearly, one Bersatu Pribumi-led government deserves more attention than the other.

The party isn’t any better on the national level either. Despite the fact that the party was given prominent positions in cabinet, it certainly has been a mixed bag.

Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof, the Minister of Entrepreneur Development is known for two things – his obsession with flying cars and his lack of direction in building up the Malaysian entrepreneurial environment.

{kt note: see my post The MOST racist Minister in Pakatan government}

On the other hand, Datuk Seri Rina binti Mohd Harun, the Minister of Rural Development is barely known by the rakyat nor does it seem that she has any plans on how to perform her portfolio.

how in the world did she become a minister?

Mahathir has a bloody lot to answer for 

Syed Saddiq, the Minister of Youth and Sports, has the unfortunate habit of mixing politics with public service – just take a look at opaque dealings involving his Youth Power Club and the appointment of youth party leaders in ministerial positions. It seems that for him, youth power only comes if you can help him secure his position as head of ARMADA.

I do not envy the position that either Kadir Jasin nor Bersatu Pribumi finds themselves in. Their performance in the Semenyih by-election is more than enough to show that they have much to work on – where despite bringing their best, BN managed to overturn PH’s gains in the seat entirely despite a shaky alliance with PAS.

Resolving their grassroots issues should take precedence instead of blaming external factors in their lack of success as a political party. After all, it was reported that the cow-for-computers incident only occurred due to a lack of funds for the party machinery there.

Bersatu leaders admit selling sacrificial cows donated by Perak MB to buy computers

If anyone in Bersatu Pribumi is to be applauded, it should be Bersatu Pribumi in Johor. It seems that they are aware and respect the political landscape that they are in. They understand that while the Johor Royal Family may have voiced a word of caution in supporting PH in GE14, it is ultimately up to Bersatu Pribumi and Pakatan Harapan to prove themselves to the stakeholders of Johor that they can perform as an effective state government.

I am sure that Kadir Jasin is aware of the 30 or so marginal Malay seats that will be essential in securing victory in GE15. Perhaps he should work with his party to build it into viable political party that can effectively secure these 30 seats rather than placing blame elsewhere.