We Are In A Haze! No Rhetoric And Histrionics Please.

Hantu Laut

Is 1 Malaysia going to be like 'Islam Hadari', an oracular slogan , widely misunderstood and nobody knows exactly what it is. The Prime Minister denied it is the same as Malaysian Malaysia promoted by Lee Kuan Yew when Singapore was still in Malaysia.What is it than ?

A slogan without substantive information and without the seriousness and sincerity to implement would end up making the people more weary and distrustful of the government.

With Mahathir we had 'Bersih Cekap Dan Amanah', a complete misnomer because corruptions actually grew under his administration as compared to previous administrations. Under Abdullah we have 'Islam Hadari' every one knows the name but doesn't know what it is and was never implemented other than staying on the lips of the progenitor. Now, under Najib we have '1 Malaysia', a catchy slogan but still a complete mystery to most Malaysians.

Rhetoric and histrionics bespeak the kind of politicians we have on both sides of the political fence.Mere voluble without any element of substance. Political gimmickry at best.Malaysians are more interested in how government actions can translate into benefits for them. Slogans are useless if they don't materialise into actions.

Najib has only three years to bring about drastic change to the government poor image.Recent racialist outbursts by those aligned to the ruling party are not doing him any good and may spoil his attempt to narrow the bridge among the races.He must fully explain his 1 Malaysia concept and how the various races can benefit from it.

The people have had enough of slogans, political bumbling and empty promises.It's time to give the realm of practicality, honesty and reality to the people.Action speaks louder than words.

Najib's government must make certain sacrifices if he seriously want to bring the people back to its fold.

The Dollar Is Still King

Hantu Laut

In November 2008 I wrote on the dominion of the US Dollar in world trades and currency reserves after some pundits predicted the crash of the dollar and its eventual replacement with other currencies. Below is the relevent article:

Will The US Dollar Crash And Be Gone ?

Hantu Laut

Will the US dollar crash and become an insignificant currency? Some pundits have predicted that the use of the dollar would decline and eventually be abandoned as an international currency.

At the moment the dollar is the most important international reserve currency.Many countries pegged their currency to the dollar and some even used it as their de facto currency.It is the currency used most in international trade transactions.Most countries kept their international reserves in dollars.

I believe the world is not yet ready to abandon the dollar or move to a multi-currency monetary system.The next most important currency after the dollar is the Euro which had taken over some of the dollar's role but were not big enough to displace the dollar significantly.Even Airbus, a consortium of European corporations still uses the dollar in its pricing. Read more.........

Below is a recent article written by Philip Bowring of Asia Sentinel:

Hostage to the Dollar
Although everybody would like a different reserve currency, the once-almighty dollar will probably prevail

Positioning and propaganda in the lead-up to the recent G20 meeting in London are at last focusing attention on the role reserve currencies play and the dollar in particular. But change is going to be very hard to achieve.

China has been in the forefront of this by arguing for a greater role for International Monetary Fund units of account, Sor pecial Drawing Rights (SDR) and a big new issue of SDRs. It has also begun to prepare the ground for its currency, the yuan, to play a role by agreeing currency swap deals with central banks of several countries including Malaysia , Indonesia and Argentina. And it has publicly raised concerns about the safety of its US investments in the wake of massive bank bail-out and stimulus deficits to which Washington is committed.

The US, for obvious reasons, is less than keen on changes that would reduce the role of the dollar and hence its ability to fund its deficits in its own currency. Europe may like to see a greater role for the euro but is worried that any move out of the dollar would push the euro too high and damage its trade, and the cautious Germans in particular are worried that a big SDR issue would simply boost future global inflation.Read more.......

Splitting Hairs:The New Kingmakers

Hantu Laut

Malaysian media, opposition leaders and those who are bent on making waves have found a new game called 'Splitting Hairs'.

Some from the Chinese community had taken the new DPM to task for his statement that the Chinese have been unappreciative of what the government have done for the Chinese community all this while and the Chinese were trying to be kingmakers.

The reality is, what Muhyiddin said is true and those who are quick to draw the gun and shoot him down and put him in a bad light were those who likes to split hairs and fish in troubled waters. He was right in his analysis that the Chinese and Indians have deserted the BN, otherwise, how could the BN lose miserably in 4 by-elections in the Peninsula. The bulk of Chinese and Indian votes did go to the opposition coalition. Majority of Malay votes are still with UMNO with exception of certain areas where PAS influence is strong and small section of disgruntled Malays supporting PKR.

Saying the Chinese were trying to be kingmakers was not untrue. The solid Chinese votes for PAS candidates are reflective of their role as kingmakers. Majority of Indians have voted in the same pattern. Muhyiddin was quite right in what he said and I am surprised people like Dr Toh Kin Woon and those from both the oppositions and BN components, MCA and Gerakan took exception to his honest opinion.

There is no fair play in politics and being called a kingmaker is not an insult. It's more a compliment of one's ability.

Thanks to Anwar Ibrahim, the Malays, Chinese and Indians are more divided now than ever before. His 'Bangsa Malaysia' is a call in the wilderness and a pipe dream.It can only happen if he forms one multi-racial party.How can there be racial unity and one bangsa if he uses the same formula as the BN.

For Muhyiddin it may be good for him to know that 'unappreciative' and 'ungrateful' can carry the same meaning depending in what context it is used and as politician, sometimes, these words are better left unsaid.

Those who are hell-bent on making trouble will have their own suternine concoctions of shit stirring.

Diberi Betis Nak Peha : Three Ministers and Five Deputies ?

Diberi betis nak peha.

After being trashed at the polls.This guy must be joking !