Hantu Laut
Many have written about him.He made some of the most ridiculous statements.Never have said the right thing.He is probably one single man that had done more damage to the government than any other minister.He thinks he is smart but his answers revealed otherwise.
"We arrested her under ISA to protect her" and he thinks that was smart.
(Is the ISA a Witness Protection Programme?)
"Don't regard criminals as heroes" and he thinks that was even smarter.
(Is a suspect without a criminal record a criminal?)
"Umno must change before the people pass a death sentence on it" he said incriminating himself.
(Isn't he one of the biggest culprits that brought UMNO to its death-knell?)
How the hell they made this man a minister ! Isn't he a liability to UMNO and should be removed from his ministerial post before he can do more damage to the party and the country.
When he is Prime Minister, Najib should think about it and consider making him Ambassador to Saudi Arabia or Yemen.
Obviously, he never read any book written by Samuel Langhorne Clemens.
"It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt" Mark Twain
Do I have to give a name? I guess you know who he is.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Part II: British Foreign Office/CIA/MI6 and 'The Fall Of Sukarno'
Hantu LautThe birth of Malaysia was not without intrigue, espionage, psychological war, military intelligence and counter-intelligence. Sukarno had suddenly become the most dangerous man in the region. A crazy expansionist that needed to be checked, removed or liquidated.
Sukarno withdrew Indonesia from the United Nations as protest to the UN Security Council's recognition of Malaysia and threatened to form an alternative world body, the Conference of New Emerging Forces (CONEFO)
On 10 March 1965 Indonesian saboteurs bombed the MacDonald House in Singapore, killing 3 and injuring 33.
In the early stage of confrontation British and Commonwealth forces were not allowed to cross the border to pursue the enemy.Prior to the Singapore bombing in April 1964, the British government gave permission for its troops to cross the border into Kalimantan up to 3000 yards. In January 1965 the order was extended to attack up to 10,000 yards.British and Malaysian military intelligence also secretly gave aid to rebel groups in Indonesia, in Sulawesi and the restive province of Aceh in Sumatra, as way to weaken Sukarno's military confrontation campaign and destabilised his government.
The British were alarmed by Sukarno incorrigibility and possibility of a full-blown military adventurism.Something had to be done to get him out of the way.
Earlier, in 1962, it has been claimed that a CIA memo indicated that British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and US President John F.Kennedy alarmed by Sukarno's confrontation and the possibility of it spreading elsewhere in the region have agreed to 'liquidate' Sukarno.The plan was never carried out.John F.Kennedy was assassinated on 22 November 1963.
In a series of exposes by Paul Lashmar and Oliver James of the Independent newspaper of the involvement of the Foreign Office's IRD (Information Research Department) and Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) exposed that the decision to unseat Sukarno was decided by Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and then executed under Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
To weaken the Sukarno regime the Foreign Office coordinated what it called 'psyops' (psychological operations) together with the military to spread 'black propaganda' casting bad light on the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), Chinese Indonesians and Sukarno.
Coordinated by the British High Commission in Singapore the propaganda machinery brought in the mass media, the BBC, Associated Press (AP) and the New York Times all filed sexed-up and embellished reports on the crisis in Indonesia.The manipulations by the Foreign Office's IRD included a report by BBC of the communists plan to slaughter the citizens of Jakarta.The false report was based solely on forgery planted by Norman Reddaway, a propaganda expert with the IRD.
Sukarno who fought the Dutch for independence of his country succeeded in declaring independence in 1945 and was appointed president.Although, outwardly he appeared a strong leader, Sukarno were actually weak and inexperience, easily influenced by people around him and lacked the administrative skill to run a nation.His management of the nation's economy was a total disaster. Bad economic planning resulted in failure to lift its citizens out of severe poverty and brought widespread famine and starvation.
Sukarno knowledge and understanding of economic problems was minimal and apparently below the level expected of a moderately intelligent high school student.He, himself, had admitted and said "I am not an economist, I am a revolutionary".
As far as Sukarno cared, his ministers were there to provide the President with funds for both his public and private use.A special budget was set aside for his expenditure on his overseas trips, his mistresses, his wives, girl friends and his other worldly pleasures.Sukarno also had a weakness for beautiful women and sought them out everywhere he went.To take advantage of him, some world leaders pandered to his licentiousness and provided him with what he desired.
Dewi Sukarno
When she was younger.
Sukarno officially married eight wives and the youngest was Dewi Sukarno, formerly Noko Nemoto, a young and beautiful Japanese girl he met on his visit to Japan.She met Sukarno when she was only 19 and was an art student and an entertainer.She had one daughter with Sukarno.
The Western powers, particularly the US increased their aid to Indonesia hoping the country would recover from its economic woes.The American only came to realise later how large sum of the money was squandered on Sukarno's project of "Crush Malaysia" campaign.When the US condemned his anti-Malaysia stance Sukarno blew his top and told the American to keep their money and told the US Ambassador "Go to hell with your aid".A month later he coined a new slogan "Banting Stir Untuk Berdiri Diatas Kaki Sendiri"(Turn the wheel around and stand on your own feet). By then the economy was in shambles.
The country was in default of foreign debt estimated at $2.4 billion.Foreign exchange earnings were unlikely to cover one month of import, tax collection was declining and uncontrolled government expenditure added to the already precarious economic situation.The greatest beneficiary of this economic disintegration was the Communists party.
The PKI (Parti Komunis Indonesia) which had a moderate support in 1950 had grown to almost 3 million members by 1965 and with its other auxiliary organisations the party have added another 20 million supporters.Its leader Ahmad Aidit said that if elections were held there and then the PKI would have captured more than 50% of the votes.The PKI had become the largest political party in Indonesia and the third largest communist party in the world after China and the Soviet Union and Sukarno's open patronage was well known and one that would eventually lead to his downfall.
The fateful day came on 30 September 1965.
At around 3:15 A.M. on October 1, seven groups of troops in trucks and buses comprising soldiers from the Tjakrabirawa (Presidential Guard) the Diponegoro (Central Java) and Brawijaya (East Java) Divisions, left the movement's base at Lubang Buaya, just south of Jakarta to kidnap seven generals, all members of the Army General Staff. Three of the intended victims, (Lieutenant General Ahmad Yani, Major General M.T.Haryono and Brigadier General D.I.Panjaitan) were killed at their homes, while three more (Major General Soeprapto, Major General S.Perman and Brigadier General Sutoyo) were taken alive. Meanwhile, the main target, Armed Forces Chief of Staff, General Abdul Harris Nasution managed to escape the kidnap attempt by jumping over a wall into the Iraqi embassy garden, but his Aide-de-camp, First Lieutenant Pierre Tendean, was captured by mistake after being mistaken for Nasution in the dark. Nasution's five-year old daughter, Ade Irma Suryani Nasution, was shot and died on 6 October. The generals and the bodies of their dead colleagues were taken to a place known as Lubang Buaya near the Halim Perdanakusumah Air Force Base where those still alive were shot, and the bodies of all the victims were thrown down a disused well.
At 5.30AM, General Suharto was woken up by his neighbor and told of the disappearances of the generals and the shootings at their homes. He went to KOSTRAD HQ and tried to contact other senior officers. He managed to contact the Naval and Police commanders, but was unable to contact the Air Force Commander. He then took command of the Army and issued orders confining all troops to barracks.
Due to poor planning, the coup leaders had failed to provide provisions for the troops on Lapangan Merdeka, who were becoming hot and thirsty. They were under the impression that they were guarding the president in the palace. Over the course of the afternoon, Suharto persuaded both battalions to give up without a fight, first the Brawijaya troops, who came to Kostrad HQ, then the Diponegoro troops, who withdrew to Halim. His troops gave Untung's forces inside the radio station an ultimatum and they also withdrew. By 7PM Suharto was in control of all the installations previously held by the 30 September Movement's forces. At 9PM he announced over the radio that he was now in command of the Army and that he would destroy the counter-revolutionary forces and save Sukarno. He then issued another ultimatum, this time to the troops at Halim. Later that evening, Sukarno left Halim and arrived in Bogor, where there was another presidential palace. Most of the rebel troops fled, and after a minor battle in the early hours of October 2, the Army regained control of Hali, Aidit flew to Yogyakarta and Dani to Madiun before the soldiers arrived (Wikipedia)
Aidit was shot in Yogyakarta by pro-government forces led by General Suharto. General Omar Dani and Foreign Minister Subandrio, both communist sympathisers, were jailed and eventually sentence to death for treason.
Below is an extract from Times magazine:
When Indonesia's Communists attempted a coup in September of 1965, General Omar Dani was commander of his country's MIG-equipped air force. As a Communist sympathizer, he allowed Halim Airbase near Djakarta to be used as headquarters and staging area for the plot; in turn, he was promised that he would eventually become chief of state. But the plot was smashed by the Indonesian army, and Dani, along with Foreign Minister Subandrio and other top government officials, was put in jail on charges of treason. Subandrio was tried by a military court and sentenced to death in October. On the day before Christmas, Dani got his: after three weeks of testimony before another military court, he too was sentenced to death.
As in the Subandrio trial, much of the evidence against Dani suggested that President Sukarno himself had known about, condoned, and even taken part in the attempted coup. Dani's trial, like Subandrio's, brought renewed demands from Indonesia's anti-Communist professional and student associations that Sukarno himself be removed from his position as President and brought to court. The father of his country, however, seemed unfazed.
Last week, in a brief ceremony at his summer palace in the mountain resort of Bogor, Sukarno calmly swore in one of his old leftist cronies, Suwito Kusumowidagdo, as Ambassador to the U.S. The appointment hardly pleased the military regime, which now claims most of the power in Indonesia, and it raised eyebrows in Washington. The Bung's only answer was a sentence of advice to his new ambassador: "Tell them that Sukarno is still President of Indonesia and that he is the man who sent you there."
Suharto immediately blamed the PKI as the masterminds of the attempted coup.The army with the help of the locals went on a rampage to kill suspected communist.There were widespread purging of communists and their sympathisers.It was reported that almost a million suspected communists had been killed.
Sukarno was stripped of his presidential title on 12 March 1967 and remained under house arrest until his death at age 69 in 1970. Suharto was appointed President.
The American and British propaganda machines had, somehow, helped to destabilise Sukarno and the PKI.Although, such clandestine operations were seldom admitted by the US administration, the CIA had been active in many parts of the world to bring down leaders not favoured by the US or deemed as threat to world peace.
The confrontation stopped under Suharto.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Making Of A Nation
Hantu Laut
Ten years after giving up power of its biggest colony on the Indian sub-continent, she was getting tired of administering the last few remaining colonies in its far-flung empire in the Far East. World War II had shaken its resoluteness and weakened its economic might.
The lost of the 'Jewel In The Crown' was a wake-up call for Britain to return rightfully what didn't belong to them. It's time for decolonisation. It was time to pack up and go home. The last few remaining colonies of the British Empire in Asia and Africa literally had independence thrown on their laps. It was a peaceful and smooth transition of power from colonial masters to colonial subjects without the horrific bloodshed that some less fortunate colonies had to suffer to get independence from the colonial masters.
We might have shed some sweat and tears but otherwise it was the most civilised manner Britain had conducted itself when it gave independence to nations in this region. There were no real heroes of independence that one can really talk about in the lore of nationalist heroes the like of Mahatma Ghandi, Che Guevara and other freedom fighters, but there were a few groomed champions.
Malaya then comprised of Federated State, Unfederated States and the Straits Settlements.In January 1946 the British proposed for a Malayan Union to unite the whole of Malaya under a strong central government, but the proposals were resisted by the Malays, who quickly formed a political party known as United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and for Malays only.
The Malayan Union concept was abandoned and in its place the 'Federation of Malaya Agreement' was signed on 21 January 1948 and came into effect on 1 February same year. A common citizenship was created for all who acknowledged Malaya as their permanent home and gave their undivided royalty. Citizenship were also given to the Chinese and Indians immigrants as one of the conditions stipulated by the British.
After the fall of Malaya and Singapore to the Japanese during World War II the communists mounted a campaign of active resistance against the Japanese and hope to gain control of the country in September 1945, but the attempt was thwarted by the arrival of the British military administration. The communists insurrections continued until after the end of World War II and after Malaya gained independence on 31 August 1957.
Those who depicts Chin Peng as liberator and hero of independence were trying to rewrite the history book. Chin Peng was a leader of a communist insurgency that tried to take over the country through violence and armed struggle.The Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) continued its arm struggle trying to overthrow a legitimate government.
Chin Peng renewed the insurgency in 1967, which went on until 1989. How could Chin Peng be termed a hero, a liberator and freedom fighter when he wanted independence from an already independent nation and a government elected by the people using violence and armed insurrection.
For anyone who want to learn to rewrite history read Gavin Menzies' two books, he has the knack of rewriting history (Menzies wrote the books '1421' and '1434' that changed the history of navigation and discoveries, giving all credits to China as the pioneers,discoverers, inventors, including the discovery of the Americas by the Chinese, not Columbus).
After the independence of Malaya, the last remaining colonies of the British Empire in the Far East were Hong Kong, Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak and its protectorate Brunei. Britain feared that the Borneon states would eventually be victims of territorial grab by the region's bigger power if given independence on their own, unless, Britain were prepared to guarantee giving security and defence in the event of external aggression from its neighbours.
The fear was Indonesia and the Philippines. This fear was proven true when the formation of Malaysia was announced. Indonesia's Sukarno immediately launched a confrontation against Malaysia with its 'Ganyang Malaysia' (Crush Malaysia) battle cry and promising that he would take over Malaysia before the cock crows on 1st August 1963.
Although, it has an outstanding claim over Sabah the Philippines being militarily weak could only cut off diplomatic relations with Malaysia, without any threat of military action.
There were many military incursions by Indonesia along the Borneon borders between Sabah/Sarawak and Indonesian Kalimantan.There were also military and guerrillas landings on the shores of Peninsula Malaysia.The one that almost saw the light at the end of the tunnel was the Indonesian backed rebellion by the North Kalimantan National Army (TNKU) against the Sultan of Brunei led by leaders of Parti Rakyat Brunei Dr.Azhari and Ahmad Zaidi.The British army was able to suppress the rebellion and Azhari and Ahmad Zaidi fled to Indonesia.
Kota Kinabalu was not spared from Sukarno's psychological war. As a young boy then, I still remember the drone of an approaching aircraft that flew very low over our house in the early hours of the morning just before dawn few months before the formation of Malaysia.That instantly reminded me of Sukarno's promise of "Sebelum ayam bercokok" (before the cock crows) and think quietly to myself, is that it, they are here to take us?
By 1965, the height of the confrontation there were 14,000 British and Commonwealth forces in Borneo.There were also British, Australian and New Zealand SAS Regiments that pursued the attackers over the border into Kalimantan in secrets.This was only revealed many years after the incidents.
Before the formation of Malaysia the British government set up a fact-finding mission to find out the views of the people of Sabah and Sarawak.The Cobbald Commision was set up to collect information regarding the concept of Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Singapore joining the Federation of Malaya to form a new nation to be named Malaysia. Brunei eventually decided not to join union with Malaysia, which mean the Sultan would lose his status as absolute monarch and his position reduced to ceremonial status like other sultans in the Federation of Malaya.The Sultan of Brunei was very rich even then, the only oil producing country in Borneo.
I take the findings of the Cobbold Commission with great amazement and trepidation. It was unforgivable sham. There was no referendum held in Sabah and Sarawak on the wishes of the people to join Malaysia. What the commission did was to gather a few tribal leaders of the indigenous people and selected few from other minority communities, who were beholden and sycophantic to the British and sought their views, which the British already knew would be in the affirmative.
Some of these leaders have little credit to be regarded as representative leaders.There were objections from the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, but these objections were drown out by the Commission putting forth those selected leaders as mouthpieces of the people of the two states.
Priorities had already been established in London and Kuala Lumpur, irrespective of the outcome of the findings of the Commission the formation of Malaysia was imminent.
The findings of the Cobbold Commission was a sham.
Members of the Cobbold Commission were:
Lord Cobbold, former Governor of Bank of England, the Chairman.
Dato Wong Pow Nee, Chief Minister of Penang.
Mohammad Ghazali Shafie,Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sir Anthony Abell, former Governor of Sarawak.
Sir David Watherson, former Chief Secretary of Malaya.
As can be seen not even one representative each from Sabah and Sarawak sat as member of the Commission.The British already had the answer even before they deployed the Commission on a fact finding mission. Yet they had the cheek to claim they had impeccable records of a strong democratic system and freedom of human rights. Sabahan and Sarawakian were never given the choice, the freedom between choosing their own independence and joining a new nation.
Although, I have no evidence to back it, I believe the idea of the formation of Malaysia was not Tungku Abdul Rahman's idea, it was fed to him by the British. The Tungku was not an ambitious man, even the independence of Malaya was served on the platter to him.
Due to the confrontation by Indonesia the formation of Malaysia, which was supposed to be on 31st August was delayed to 16th Sept 1963.
A new nation was born on 16 Sept 1963, but East Malaysian were cowed to celebrate National Day (Merdeka or Independence Day) on 31Aug.
Ten years after giving up power of its biggest colony on the Indian sub-continent, she was getting tired of administering the last few remaining colonies in its far-flung empire in the Far East. World War II had shaken its resoluteness and weakened its economic might.
The lost of the 'Jewel In The Crown' was a wake-up call for Britain to return rightfully what didn't belong to them. It's time for decolonisation. It was time to pack up and go home. The last few remaining colonies of the British Empire in Asia and Africa literally had independence thrown on their laps. It was a peaceful and smooth transition of power from colonial masters to colonial subjects without the horrific bloodshed that some less fortunate colonies had to suffer to get independence from the colonial masters.
We might have shed some sweat and tears but otherwise it was the most civilised manner Britain had conducted itself when it gave independence to nations in this region. There were no real heroes of independence that one can really talk about in the lore of nationalist heroes the like of Mahatma Ghandi, Che Guevara and other freedom fighters, but there were a few groomed champions.
Malaya then comprised of Federated State, Unfederated States and the Straits Settlements.In January 1946 the British proposed for a Malayan Union to unite the whole of Malaya under a strong central government, but the proposals were resisted by the Malays, who quickly formed a political party known as United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and for Malays only.
The Malayan Union concept was abandoned and in its place the 'Federation of Malaya Agreement' was signed on 21 January 1948 and came into effect on 1 February same year. A common citizenship was created for all who acknowledged Malaya as their permanent home and gave their undivided royalty. Citizenship were also given to the Chinese and Indians immigrants as one of the conditions stipulated by the British.
After the fall of Malaya and Singapore to the Japanese during World War II the communists mounted a campaign of active resistance against the Japanese and hope to gain control of the country in September 1945, but the attempt was thwarted by the arrival of the British military administration. The communists insurrections continued until after the end of World War II and after Malaya gained independence on 31 August 1957.
Those who depicts Chin Peng as liberator and hero of independence were trying to rewrite the history book. Chin Peng was a leader of a communist insurgency that tried to take over the country through violence and armed struggle.The Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) continued its arm struggle trying to overthrow a legitimate government.
Chin Peng renewed the insurgency in 1967, which went on until 1989. How could Chin Peng be termed a hero, a liberator and freedom fighter when he wanted independence from an already independent nation and a government elected by the people using violence and armed insurrection.
For anyone who want to learn to rewrite history read Gavin Menzies' two books, he has the knack of rewriting history (Menzies wrote the books '1421' and '1434' that changed the history of navigation and discoveries, giving all credits to China as the pioneers,discoverers, inventors, including the discovery of the Americas by the Chinese, not Columbus).
After the independence of Malaya, the last remaining colonies of the British Empire in the Far East were Hong Kong, Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak and its protectorate Brunei. Britain feared that the Borneon states would eventually be victims of territorial grab by the region's bigger power if given independence on their own, unless, Britain were prepared to guarantee giving security and defence in the event of external aggression from its neighbours.
The fear was Indonesia and the Philippines. This fear was proven true when the formation of Malaysia was announced. Indonesia's Sukarno immediately launched a confrontation against Malaysia with its 'Ganyang Malaysia' (Crush Malaysia) battle cry and promising that he would take over Malaysia before the cock crows on 1st August 1963.
Although, it has an outstanding claim over Sabah the Philippines being militarily weak could only cut off diplomatic relations with Malaysia, without any threat of military action.
There were many military incursions by Indonesia along the Borneon borders between Sabah/Sarawak and Indonesian Kalimantan.There were also military and guerrillas landings on the shores of Peninsula Malaysia.The one that almost saw the light at the end of the tunnel was the Indonesian backed rebellion by the North Kalimantan National Army (TNKU) against the Sultan of Brunei led by leaders of Parti Rakyat Brunei Dr.Azhari and Ahmad Zaidi.The British army was able to suppress the rebellion and Azhari and Ahmad Zaidi fled to Indonesia.
Kota Kinabalu was not spared from Sukarno's psychological war. As a young boy then, I still remember the drone of an approaching aircraft that flew very low over our house in the early hours of the morning just before dawn few months before the formation of Malaysia.That instantly reminded me of Sukarno's promise of "Sebelum ayam bercokok" (before the cock crows) and think quietly to myself, is that it, they are here to take us?
By 1965, the height of the confrontation there were 14,000 British and Commonwealth forces in Borneo.There were also British, Australian and New Zealand SAS Regiments that pursued the attackers over the border into Kalimantan in secrets.This was only revealed many years after the incidents.
Before the formation of Malaysia the British government set up a fact-finding mission to find out the views of the people of Sabah and Sarawak.The Cobbald Commision was set up to collect information regarding the concept of Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Singapore joining the Federation of Malaya to form a new nation to be named Malaysia. Brunei eventually decided not to join union with Malaysia, which mean the Sultan would lose his status as absolute monarch and his position reduced to ceremonial status like other sultans in the Federation of Malaya.The Sultan of Brunei was very rich even then, the only oil producing country in Borneo.
I take the findings of the Cobbold Commission with great amazement and trepidation. It was unforgivable sham. There was no referendum held in Sabah and Sarawak on the wishes of the people to join Malaysia. What the commission did was to gather a few tribal leaders of the indigenous people and selected few from other minority communities, who were beholden and sycophantic to the British and sought their views, which the British already knew would be in the affirmative.
Some of these leaders have little credit to be regarded as representative leaders.There were objections from the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, but these objections were drown out by the Commission putting forth those selected leaders as mouthpieces of the people of the two states.
Priorities had already been established in London and Kuala Lumpur, irrespective of the outcome of the findings of the Commission the formation of Malaysia was imminent.
The findings of the Cobbold Commission was a sham.
Members of the Cobbold Commission were:
Lord Cobbold, former Governor of Bank of England, the Chairman.
Dato Wong Pow Nee, Chief Minister of Penang.
Mohammad Ghazali Shafie,Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sir Anthony Abell, former Governor of Sarawak.
Sir David Watherson, former Chief Secretary of Malaya.
As can be seen not even one representative each from Sabah and Sarawak sat as member of the Commission.The British already had the answer even before they deployed the Commission on a fact finding mission. Yet they had the cheek to claim they had impeccable records of a strong democratic system and freedom of human rights. Sabahan and Sarawakian were never given the choice, the freedom between choosing their own independence and joining a new nation.
Although, I have no evidence to back it, I believe the idea of the formation of Malaysia was not Tungku Abdul Rahman's idea, it was fed to him by the British. The Tungku was not an ambitious man, even the independence of Malaya was served on the platter to him.
Due to the confrontation by Indonesia the formation of Malaysia, which was supposed to be on 31st August was delayed to 16th Sept 1963.
A new nation was born on 16 Sept 1963, but East Malaysian were cowed to celebrate National Day (Merdeka or Independence Day) on 31Aug.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Is UMNO in A Fix ?
Hantu Laut
UMNO's Perak Assemblyman for Bota Nasarudin Hashim has crossed over to PKR, even before he tendered his resignation with UMNO. He must be too much in a hurry to catch a train that may not be taking him anywhere.
Nasarudin may have created history as the first Malay frog in many decades that deserted his party. There is no law against changing political affiliation in this country. UMNO has all along been against passing a law to forbid elected representatives from defecting to another political party. How they wish they hadn't done what they did in Sabah in 1994 when PBS was the government and in the opposition. Using the court they repelled the anti-hop law passed by PBS to stop assemblyman from defecting. They plotted and successfully demolished the PBS government by enticing PBS's assemlymen with offer of money and positions to crossover to the BN.
As they say "God's mill grinds slow but sure" and now UMNO is in a fix.
Looking at the history of politics in Malaysia I think the present bunch of politicians running UMNO and the country are pretty much living in the past and still riding the high horses.They still believe arm-twisting, threat and intimidation will keep people subservient and in line.Those days have passed and gone.The political landscape have changed, the people's aspiration have changed, they have new ideals.Demand for openness and accountability not seen before could not be more over-emphasized now.The people want an open book, they want to know exactly how the country is being run and how the people's money are being spent. These are fundamentals of a democratic system.Unfortunately, UMNO leaders can't or refused to see the reality of their surroundings.
The death of an Indian boy at the hand of the police, although not politically motivated, was another wedge between the Indian community and the government.The police force undoubtedly was one of the major contributors to the people's widespread discontent with the government.The government has lost the absolute support of the Indian community and it would be a long time before they can regain the trust, respect and support of this community.
Most of the problems were self-inflicted. Adding to its list of woes is the conflict with the Catholic church's publication the Herald. Another unnecessary disorder.A conflict most unnecessary and one that can be avoided if there were religious tolerance and the government ignoring the ignoramus' ignorance of the whole issue.
The Home Ministry had issued instruction not to use the word 'Allah' in their in-house magazine, The Herald.The case has gone to court and is still awaiting trail.In the meantime, the Minister of Home Affairs Syed Hamid Albar said it was not a ministry decision but a cabinet decision in demanding the prohibition of the use of the word 'Allah' in the publication. Since when and under which provision of the Malaysian Constitution that explicitly says a cabinet decision is the law? Can executive decision becomes law and can it be issued to a non-governmental organisation if it was deemed against the constitution? On that ground the Catholic church has taken the case to court. Syed Hamid should wait and not impose his or the government will on the Herald until the court decides on the case. People take this as another bullying style of the BN government. Least, Syed Hamid forgets, a cabinet decision is not the law, it is an executive decision.
Those are just layman's interpretation of what I think I know.Maybe, some legal eagles can enlighten on the matter.
To the UMNO boys these anomalies are considered small and unimportant and they think they have successfully cowed the people.The people's discontent was first expressed in the 8th March 2008 General Elections, later in the Permatang Pauh by-election and recently at the Kuala Terengganu by-election. So far, nothing has changed in UMNO to show serious reforms and a desire to win back the heart of the people.
The BN is still the better formula of a coalition government if they can clean up their houses. The cleaning up must start in UMNO and time may not be on their sides.
Nasaraudin says he defected in the interest of his constituents. Those who believe him must be bloody fools.The BN government has more money to develop his constituency, if that was the reason he chose to leave UMNO to joint PKR or was it status and position that he seeks in PKR that he couldn't get in UMNO?
Anwar Ibrahim says there will be more defections, Najib says I don't think so.
Will there be a government for Najib to take over?
Look! Who is talking here.
UMNO's Perak Assemblyman for Bota Nasarudin Hashim has crossed over to PKR, even before he tendered his resignation with UMNO. He must be too much in a hurry to catch a train that may not be taking him anywhere.
Nasarudin may have created history as the first Malay frog in many decades that deserted his party. There is no law against changing political affiliation in this country. UMNO has all along been against passing a law to forbid elected representatives from defecting to another political party. How they wish they hadn't done what they did in Sabah in 1994 when PBS was the government and in the opposition. Using the court they repelled the anti-hop law passed by PBS to stop assemblyman from defecting. They plotted and successfully demolished the PBS government by enticing PBS's assemlymen with offer of money and positions to crossover to the BN.
As they say "God's mill grinds slow but sure" and now UMNO is in a fix.
Looking at the history of politics in Malaysia I think the present bunch of politicians running UMNO and the country are pretty much living in the past and still riding the high horses.They still believe arm-twisting, threat and intimidation will keep people subservient and in line.Those days have passed and gone.The political landscape have changed, the people's aspiration have changed, they have new ideals.Demand for openness and accountability not seen before could not be more over-emphasized now.The people want an open book, they want to know exactly how the country is being run and how the people's money are being spent. These are fundamentals of a democratic system.Unfortunately, UMNO leaders can't or refused to see the reality of their surroundings.
The death of an Indian boy at the hand of the police, although not politically motivated, was another wedge between the Indian community and the government.The police force undoubtedly was one of the major contributors to the people's widespread discontent with the government.The government has lost the absolute support of the Indian community and it would be a long time before they can regain the trust, respect and support of this community.
Most of the problems were self-inflicted. Adding to its list of woes is the conflict with the Catholic church's publication the Herald. Another unnecessary disorder.A conflict most unnecessary and one that can be avoided if there were religious tolerance and the government ignoring the ignoramus' ignorance of the whole issue.
The Home Ministry had issued instruction not to use the word 'Allah' in their in-house magazine, The Herald.The case has gone to court and is still awaiting trail.In the meantime, the Minister of Home Affairs Syed Hamid Albar said it was not a ministry decision but a cabinet decision in demanding the prohibition of the use of the word 'Allah' in the publication. Since when and under which provision of the Malaysian Constitution that explicitly says a cabinet decision is the law? Can executive decision becomes law and can it be issued to a non-governmental organisation if it was deemed against the constitution? On that ground the Catholic church has taken the case to court. Syed Hamid should wait and not impose his or the government will on the Herald until the court decides on the case. People take this as another bullying style of the BN government. Least, Syed Hamid forgets, a cabinet decision is not the law, it is an executive decision.
Those are just layman's interpretation of what I think I know.Maybe, some legal eagles can enlighten on the matter.
To the UMNO boys these anomalies are considered small and unimportant and they think they have successfully cowed the people.The people's discontent was first expressed in the 8th March 2008 General Elections, later in the Permatang Pauh by-election and recently at the Kuala Terengganu by-election. So far, nothing has changed in UMNO to show serious reforms and a desire to win back the heart of the people.
The BN is still the better formula of a coalition government if they can clean up their houses. The cleaning up must start in UMNO and time may not be on their sides.
Nasaraudin says he defected in the interest of his constituents. Those who believe him must be bloody fools.The BN government has more money to develop his constituency, if that was the reason he chose to leave UMNO to joint PKR or was it status and position that he seeks in PKR that he couldn't get in UMNO?
Anwar Ibrahim says there will be more defections, Najib says I don't think so.
Will there be a government for Najib to take over?
Look! Who is talking here.
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