Umno’s fight to stay in power is threat to stability, says report

By Yow Hong Chieh

September 30, 2010

Najib faces an uphill struggle to sell his New Economic Model to the Malay community. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 — A recent report by The Economist has singled out intrigues within Umno and the ruling party’s determination to stay in power at all costs as the biggest threats to political stability in Malaysia.

The Economist Intelligence Unit country report also suggested that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would make gains, but was “unlikely to garner enough parliamentary seats to form a majority government.”

Malaysia’s stability over the last five decades has depended on three “steadying factors”: Barisan Nasional’s (BN) firm hold on power, Umno’s tight control of BN and Malay majority support for Umno,” said the magazine’s Intelligence Report on Malaysia for October.

It noted, however, that all three were no longer a given, as shown by BN’s poor showing in Election 2008 and the historic sweep by PR parties of five states and 82 parliamentary seats.

“The March 2008 general election showed that all three influences have weakened. As a result, these forces may prove unable to hold the country’s political framework together in 2010-14,” the report said.

“Political intrigues within Umno, coupled with its determination to stay in power at all costs, therefore constitute the biggest threats to political stability in Malaysia.”

Factions within Umno have been embroiled in a struggle to determine the party’s direction in recent months, following attempts by party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak to implement market-friendly reforms.

Najib, who is also the prime minister, has faced considerable opposition from conservative elements within his own party to reforms that are seen to threaten Malay special rights.

He also faces an uphill struggle to sell his New Economic Model (NEM) to the Malay community at large — whose response has been tepid — and has come under attack from increasingly influential Malay pressure groups like Perkasa.

On top of that, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad continues to snipe from the sidelines.

The Economist Intelligent Unit report also predicted that BN would lose more seats in the next general election as Umno could no longer count on the support of “better educated, liberal middle-class Malays”, who favoured the opposition.

“The most likely election outcome would seem to be a further loss of seats for the BN, as younger moderate Malay voters — disenchanted by political scandals and Umno’s strong promotion of Islamic values — decline to give it their support, and Indian and Chinese voters remain reluctant to return,” it said.

Cakap Cakap....Mahathir or Talk Cock Mamakutty

Cakap Cakap....Mahathir or Talk Cock Mamakutty

About the only Prime Minister that can be said to be without any personal blemish would have been Hussein Onn. We know Tunku weaknesses. We know Tun Tun Razak’s too. But these blemishes or weaknesses in their life affected only themselves … or possibly at most their immediate Family. I know that Tun Razak enjoyed …or needed would be the more appropriate term....needed a few drops of liqueurs and liquors every now and then to calm his nerves and take away the pain of his illness. There are many who are still around today who will testify to that. There were also other issues but Tun Razak public persona is impeachable. Yes he had a Malay agenda. Yes he had done what he thought necessary to achieve those objectives ….but Tunku, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein – these were leaders for whom greed, arrogance and overt deceit were matters to be avoided like the plague.

Then came Mahathir. What we saw of his public persona was one that exudes confidence and a take charge sort of a leader. Nobody crosses his path. Not even any of his deputies. Not even UMNO. He seem to be able to emerge from any crisis, any conflict any confrontation victorious. I watched as he went across the country drumming up support and momentum in his move to strip the Sultans of their seemingly invincible aura. He succeeded. His manuovering were crude but he succeeded. One by one he disposed of Musa and then Anwar with relish. Malaysia wanted to host the F1 Power Boat Race? He organized it with one phone calls to his cronies – and he came out with the money. Langkawi? He single handedly made Langkawi into what it is today –throw in LIMA as the icing on the cake. No problems. Putrajaya, KLIA, KLCC…..and the list goes on. Amazing stuff. What Mahathir wants he will make happen.

And then the stories started coming out. He give MAS to Tajuddin who have had no experience in running an airline. Bakun to Ting Pek Khing who also had no experience building dams. PLUS was having massive debts problems. Petronas bailed out his son’s shipping company to the tune of RM1 billion CASH! Then another billion to bail Tajuddin out of MAS.

But did’nt Mahathir insisted that all Ministers must use Perdana? We even see him in a Perdana! Did not Malaysia go through the Global Financial crisis with flying colors? Do we not have our own national car? Look at all the highways being built. ……..Yes but we did have to pay tolls on the never never. We did have Ops Lallang. We did have Perwaja. …and slowly the spin that Mahathir has put on his years of rule started to wear thin. Mahathir had many ideas but the problem is that most of them sucks!

Privatization given to his cronies consistently required bailouts that cost the country billions. EPF, Petronas…all the Government controlled financial institution were quietly bleeding money to ‘reimburse’ cronies given projects by Mahathir but who have failed to make them viable. We hear people talk not in terms of millions but billions…and yet no one was held accountable for these massive abuse of Public funds. I saw picture of Mahathir shirtless on Ananda’s yacht. Mahathir horse riding. Mahathir this and Mahathir that and that was when the doubt started. Business and Politics makes strange bedfellows but makes some men very rich.

When he left the sigh of relief from Malaysian was audible to everyone. He left confident that in Pak Lah he had somebody who would keep under wraps what had happened during his years in power. He was wrong. Now we know. We know that all that was done by Mahathir during his time in the name of progress’ development and Nation building was done with not much consideration for the needs of the people. There was no consideration for what the country will endure in the time to come to pay for these massive losses and failures that have been recklessly embarked upon by Mahathir. And suddenly we know we had a problem….and as always it is the rakyat that ultimately is left with the problem of paying for the bill.

Just imagine what could be done for the country with the massive billions that have already been used to bail out all the follies of Mahathir? We should have just given his children and his cronies a billion each and it would still be worth every penny spend to rid ourselves of these vultures and criminals that have bleed our country dry.

People talked about Malaysia incorporated. No it was more a Mahathir incorporated run on the same lines as the Mafia. If you are family you are a ok. …the only difference was even with the Mafia there was a limit to the amount of money they could lose…not with Mahathir. Not with Mahathir. Even the Mafia did not have access to the billions that Mahathir so generously gave to his cronies. …and he thinks he is the father of Development of Malaysia? Huh! Our challenge now is to learn from his mistakes. It was his mistakes not ours but we still have to learn from his mistakes. So that we will never allow within our midst a leader like him again.

Mamakutty Mahathir: Vision 2020 may not be achievable

Mamakutty Mahathir: Vision 2020 may not be achievable

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government must change its strategy if Malaysia is to achieve Vision 2020.

"My fear is that it is not achievable by 2020, maybe later provided we change direction and employ new strategies. We need to change the strategy so that it will grow faster."

He was speaking at the closing session of the Perdana Leadership Foundation CEO Forum 2010 on Wednesday.

The goal of Vision 2020, introduced by Dr Mahathir when tabling the Sixth Malaysia Plan in 1991, is to transform Malaysia into a developed nation by 2020.

He said among the strategies that could be adopted was emphasizing on domestic direct investment rather that being too dependent on foreign direct investment (FDI).

"As you know, countries like South Korea and Japan do not depend on FDIs. Their strategy is to acquire technology from abroad and develop it locally to grow their economy," he said.

"If we are too dependent on FDIs, we will not grow," he said.

Dr Mahathir, who mooted the "Look East Policy", also said there was a need for the government to support local companies and promote Malaysian made products in order to spur the local economy.

He said there were cases where Malaysian made products were rejected locally and companies failed to get financing but were successful once they got support abroad.

"We need to audit the local industrial capacity where you can find a lot of local companies, with little incentives they can grow their business and become world-class players.

"They can then contribute to the country's economic growth," he said.

Dr Mahathir urged the government to look for these companies and give necessary support to them.

On establishing a united Malaysian nation made up of one Bangsa Malaysia (Malaysian Race) -- the first of nine strategic challenges that Malaysia must overcome to achieve Vision 2020 -- he said it was a "very tricky thing".

"I think to really create Bangsa Malaysia will take much longer time," he said.

-- BERNAMA

Umno goes after Namewee for his anti-racism message

Umno goes after Namewee for his anti-racism message

This is what Umno fears - his anti-racism message

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Given the BN government’s famed fondness for double standards, few Malaysians were surprised by news that controversial rapper Namewee was now a step closer to arrest with the Investigation Papers against him having been submitted to the Attorney-General for a final decision.

Indeed the speed of the investigation process against Namewee has been remarkable. Just a month ago on August 31, he was grilled for three hours at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail police station. A few days later, he was hauled in for questioning by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission for 7 hours.

And on Wednesday, Information Minister Rais Yatim says the Investigation Papers had already been submitted to the Attorney General last week itself. This means that all in – it has only taken the Malaysian authorities a total of three weeks to conclude their probe.

Yet for the two school principals whom Namewee got into trouble over, no decision has been reached although nearly two months have passed since police complaints were lodged against them. The two teachers had hurled racial slurs at their non-Malay pupils.

“It is sad that inter-racial relations in Malaysia have deteriorated to such an extreme stage thanks to the deliberate manipulation of Umno and the refusal of their cohorts like MCA, MIC and Gerakan to challenge them. The injustice is pretty sickening but that is Umno’s tactic – to wear everyone down until nobody bothers to fight back,” PKR vice president Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.

The antithesis of what Umno stands for

All eyes are now on Prime Minister Najib Razak, who earlier this week had exhorted the United Nations to choose moderation over extremism.

Kit Siang

“Najib should know that the question all Malaysians are asking is when he is going to walk the talk and provide leadership in the country to galvanise the moderates, NGOs and social movements in Malaysia to take a stand against the rise of extremism – both racial bigotry and religious extremism – in the past 18 months of his premiership,” DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said in a statement.

“What is most ironical is that the rise of extremism in Malaysia, both racial bigotry and religious intolerance, is under the patronage of his No. 2 in government, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. This is why for 47 days, as DPM and Education Minister, there is not only government inaction against the two school principals who made incendiary, insensitive and racist statements against students in school, there is not a word of condemnation from Muhyiddin against such open challenge and contempt for Najib’s 1Malaysia concept.”

Khairy

Nonetheless, Najib is likely close an eye. In fact, most Malaysians expect him to twist the matter around and pin-point Namewee as the extremist and the racist, rather than Perkasa or the two teachers. Already Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has urged the authorities to take tough action against Namewee.

According to pundits, what Umno fears most is that Namewee, who has a huge youth fan-base, might become too influential with his "Say No to Racism" message. This would put their party in a bad light as anti-racism would be the antithesis of what Umno stands for.

"The Namewee issue should be taken seriously by the authories. Concerned that more might follow Namewee," Khairy wrote on his Facebook page.

Don't give up Namewee

Namewee got into trouble after he released a three-minute video clip entitled ‘Nah’ to lash out at one of the school principals, Siti Inshah Mansor, after it became apparent that the Education ministry had no intention to punish her. Siti Inshah not only told her Chinese pupils to go back to China, she also likened Indian students to dogs.

At a Youth function in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday night, ultra-Malay rights group Perkasa staged a rowdy demonstration calling Namewee babi (pig) and pengkhianat (traitor). They also burned enlarged posters of Namewee. But the police refused to arrest any of the Perkasa protesters, insisting that the organizers of the Youth function ended their event early instead.

Not content, Perkasa members continued their attacks the following day. Calling themselves panglima perang dan hulubalang Melayu (Malay warriors), they vowed to stalk Namewee and disrupt his concerts when he goes on his scheduled tour around the nation soon.

“I found it really amusing that to Perkasa, 'panglima perang" and "hulubalang Melayu" today is about burning posters and stalking rappers,” DAP information chief Tony Pua said on Twitter.

Namewee: Pakatan demands arrest of Perkasa rabble rousers

Namewee: Pakatan demands arrest of Perkasa rabble rousers

Perkasa - trying to stir up physical fights

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Pakatan Rakyat leaders are demanding the strictest action be taken against Perkasa for burning pictures of controversial rapper Namewee and inciting racial tensions outside the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, where Namewee was giving a talk to a Youth forum.

“The police should have arrested them immediately. Even for the Teoh Beng Hock vigils, the police simply arrested sympathizers who weren’t do anything rowdy. They just grouped together to light candles in his memory but they still got rounded up and roughed up. Why did the police not give the same treatment to the Perkasa group? Their behavior was violent, they incited fear and should be detained under the Sedition Act,” PKR Youth leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin told Malaysia Chronicle.

Trying to recreate May 13

Inciting fear and intimidation

The Perkasa-led protest is the latest racially-tinged incident to erupt in Malaysia, where ethnic tensions and polarization has risen to alarming levels due largely to Prime Minister Najib Razak’s weak leadership.

Najib has not been able lead his Umno party away from its traditional use of racism and religious bigotry to cow the non-Malays into submission, thereby allowing Umno to cling to political power.

In fact, the mixed signals that he has been sending has further emboldened ultra-Malay rights groups like Perkasa and the National Civics Bureau (BTN) to increase their extremist speeches and behavior.

Last night, more than 50 Perkasa members gathered outside the KLSCAH, demanding that Namewee come out and show himself to them.

Many wore the exaggeratedly high songkoks or hats that symbolize Malay culture, waved the Malaysian flag and shouted Namewee babi (pig) and pengkhianat (traitor). They then proceeded to burn pictures of Namewee, hurling abuse and creating further commotion.

Although, no one was injured and no one was arrested either despite the blatant incitement.

“This is getting very dangerous. They came after Namewee because they know he is attending a gathering of young people, where the younger participants are more willing to fight back physically. They are trying to crease unrest, maybe even another May 13. Good thing Namewee has a sensible head on his shoulders. If he did not tell the audience to keep calm and ignore the Perkasa taunts, a riot could have easily taken place,” DAP MP for Taiping Nga Kor Ming told Malaysia Chronicle.

Najib - the weakest PM so far

Najib's weak leadership to blame

The 27-year old Namewee found himself at the centre of a racial storm that many pundits believed had been stirred up by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in a bid to escape having to take action against two school principals.

The two teachers had hurled racist remarks at their non-Malay pupils and Namewee had produced a three-minute video clip entitled 'Nah', lambasting their actions. Nonetheless, Muhyiddin turned the video clip on Namewee and counter-accused him of being anti-Malay.

Given that Perkasa is widely believed to have the tacit support of Muhyiddin and former premier Mahathir Mohamad, few Malaysians expect the police to take any disciplinary action, although they also said they would not be surprised if the police arrested Namewee instead.

The incident is also a slap in the face for Najib, who on Monday told the United Nations General Assembly in New York to reject extremism and also boasted about his multiracial 1Malaysia plan. Again, given Najib's track record for hypocrisy and inaction, Malaysians expect him to arrest Namewee for extremism rather the Perkasa rabble-rousers.

“Enough is enough. We demand Najib take responsibility. No point going to the UN and making a speech about rejecting extremism when back home he openly supports Perkasa. No point talking about zero-tolerance for racism when the BTN, which is under his department, is indoctrinating the civil service into hating the non-Malays. If Najib fails to act again, he should resign as prime minister. Malaysia deserves better leadership,” Gopeng MP Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.

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Not satisfied, Perkasa declares racial 'war' against Namewee

Not satisfied, Perkasa declares racial 'war' against Namewee

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

In a sign of how emboldened Perkasa has become after its leaders managed to pressure Prime Minister Najib Razak into an embarrassing U-turn, the ultra-Malay rights group has vowed to create more trouble for Malaysian Chinese rapper Namewee when he tours the country to launch his music album.

The words that Perkasa leaders are now using against Namewee are becoming increasingly violent, calling him a coward and accusing him of trying to be a Tionghua hero.

“As we have warned before, from the way they are behaving, Perkasa and Umno are trying to re-create a May 13 type of situation. There is already more than enough proof to arrest and charge the Perkasa leaders involved for inciting hatred and using inflammatory words. The police should act immediately. Why aren't they doing so?” PKR vice president Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.

Babi, pengkhianiat

Namewee aka Wee Meng Chee

On Tuesday night, about 50 Perkasa members protested outside the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall where Namewee was attending a Youth forum. Despite their rowdiness and racial taunts calling Namewee babi (pig) and pengkhaniat (traitor), the police did not make any arrests.

Pakatan Rakyat leaders have condemned the new Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar for double standards and racial favoritism. They have demanded that he act immediately.So far, the authorities have kept silent despite the obvious deterioration in public confidence.

On Wednesday, not content with the ruckus they created the night before, Perkasa Youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah declared 'war' on Namewee, calling him a coward for not coming out to meet the Perkasa group last night.

“If he was so brave why didn't he step out yesterday? If he is trying to act like a Tionghua (Chinese) hero, then why did he not have the guts to face Malay warriors last night? We only wanted to talk,” Malaysiakini reported Arman as saying.

Tionghua hero versus Malays warrior

Arman said Perkasa members were ready to act as panglima perang dan hulubalang Melayu (Malay warriors), and would shadow Namewee during his tour.“We accept news of his tour with open arms. If he performs inside, we will 'perform' outside too,” he said

Mahathir, Muhyiddin

He also accused Namewee of disrupting the racial harmony in the country with his ‘Nah’ video clip that had lambasted two Malay school principals for hurling racist remarks at their Chinese and Indian pupils.

Again, the Najib administration failed to take action against the two teachers although it is now nearly months since news first broke that they had asked their Chinese pupils to return to China and one of them even likened Indians to dogs.

"The video has disrupted racial harmony. Who made the video? He made a mistake, so why hide behind the police?” Arman asked.

Najib's weak hold on the country

Pundits blame Najib for the flare-up in racial tensions, accusing him of being too weak to stand up to the growing extremism showed by Perkasa and the right-wing members of his own Umno party that include Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

Najib - weak leadership

Earlier this month, Najib and his supporters had tried to distance Umno from Perkasa. Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan publicly announced that Umno rejected Perkasa and wanted nothing to do with it. However, there is speculation that prominent members in the Umno supreme council had threatened Najib with a no-confidence vote if he persisted in abandoning Perkasa.

Hence Najib's decision to U-turn, which also forced Tengku Adnan to issue a denial of his earlier statements.

Perkasa was formed early this year following enormous negative publicity for Umno after Najib gave the green light for mass demonstrations against non-Muslims being allowed to use the word Allah to describe God. Fearing a backlash from the non-Malay eletorate, Umno then "outsourced" its traditional ideology of Malay supremacy to Perkasa.

Cabinet orders probe into racist remarks

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:23

PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet has directed Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Sidek Hassan to investigate alleged racist remarks made by a National Civics Bureau (BTN) deputy director, two days ago.

Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam said the Cabinet expressed its disappointment over remarks made by BTN Federal Territory deputy director Hamim Husin during a closed-door function with Puteri Umno delegates.

"We want a report on a news portal which claimed that the deputy director made a racist statement.

"The Cabinet has asked the Chief Secretary to the Government to inquire into the matter before any action is taken," he told reporters here today.

Hamim was reported by a news portal as saying that it was the Malay rights to rule the country and urged them to unite in the face of threats.

Hanim had also purportedly described the Chinese as “si sepet mata” (slitty eyes) and Indians as “kaki botol” (alcoholics).

Yesterday, MCA and Gerakan leaders called for swift action against Hanim, including the possibility of the police investigating the matter.

They also lamented that such statements would lend a blow to the 1Malaysia concept.

- Bernama

Also read:

Samy: Protector Najib will save us from racist parasites

'Racist' officer: BN leaders see red, DPM in the dark

Chua: Punish those who play the race card

The ugly side of PKR

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:05

Democracy’s a very fragile thing. You have to take care of democracy.

NEW PKR took great pride in holding its first direct election for party posts, a practice never seen in other political parties. But it turned out to be a shameful show of democracy turned topsy-turvy. In several divisions, the elections descended into rowdy scenes, which do not bode well for a party aiming to capture the heartbeat of the nation in the next general election. Vandalism, verbal abuse and balloting irregularities were the order of the day, causing some divisions to postpone their AGMs and division polls. What went wrong?

In large measure, the blame can be pinned on poor preparations. PKR was all heady when it spoke about its transparent democratic voting process but gave little thought to the reality on the ground. The party should have realised that with 400,000 members in its fold, it would not be an easy walk in the park to carry out direct elections without encountering daunting hurdles along the way. But perhaps blinded by over-confidence and creeping hubris, the top leaders did not see the need to sort out the nitty-gritty of an electoral process, especially when the nationwide operation involved massive infrastructural and logistical problems. Perhaps, PKR assumed that its right-thinking members will do a mature job or that all's well that ends well.

PKR should have mobilised an army of workers from both camps – contenders and incumbents – to oversee the smooth running of the operation. But shockingly it failed to do so. Unsupervised, the field was left wide open to gross abuse: voters were intimidated, ballot boxes were switched or broken, phantom voters were brought in, votes were rigged, names had gone missing, bankrupts had been allowed to jump into the ring. Worse still, violence erupted in several divisions: in one incident, a candidate vying for the chief post was beaten up by a well-known medical doctor although it was denied. In another division, groups of men wreaked havoc when they smashed the ballot boxes, chairs and tables in a thuggery attempt to disrupt the meeting. It also defies logic when only one election official was sent to collect election fees from thousands of eligible voters. As a result, many were left out of the democratic loop because they could not produce the official receipts to cast their votes.

If PKR had done its homework properly, it would have ensured that things would have proceeded smoothly. Election fees could have been collected and receipts issued well in advance of polling day. The list of candidates could have been vetted thoroughly and kept safe in some strong vaults of the PKR headquarters. Bigger halls could have been rented to accommodate the large crowds. Volunteers or even the police could have been roped in to keep out mischief makers and disqualified candidates and keep in eligible voters. The grassroots members should have been left in peace to perform their democratic duty. Sadly, PKR missed the golden opportunity to prove that the party can conduct free and fair elections.

The fingers must also be pointed at seasoned politicians like Anwar Ibrahim who have created an unhealthy climate with their partisan politics. The whole world knows that Anwar is all for Azmin Ali in the latter's quest for the number two spot in the party hierarchy. And the whole world knows that Zaid Ibrahim, the other title chaser, is out in the cold and the target of character assassination. It is an open secret that the intense rivalry between these two political pugilists has spilled into the divisional contests and fuelled the squabbles between the followers of the two factions. When the ballot box is defiled, democracy is thrown out of the window.

PKR is in the dock in this “show trial”. How it performs is crucial to its chances of forming the next federal government. But the party which took the national stage by storm in 2008 is showing all the classic symptoms of the Umno malady – internal spats, political skullduggery, factionalism, smear campaigns, back-stabbing, unrestrained greed for power and glory. This is not a promising development for Anwar's “child” for the child is already becoming wayward and ill-mannered. Suddenly, the scales have dropped and people are seeing the true colours of PKR. If the party cannot put its own house in order, it cannot claim the right to put the whole country into better shape.

PKR to kick out Zaid?

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:40

By FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR deputy presidential contender Zaid Ibrahim may end up being suspended or sacked from the party, according to a posting on the popular blog Haris Ibrahim.

Haris, blogging in his People’s Parliament, quoted “someone high up” in PKR, as saying:

“If Zaid cannot be persuaded to pull out after nominations are closed, they’ll find a way to disqualify Zaid from contesting.

“A charge of misconduct, money politics, or of bringing the party into disrepute will be trumped up, and Zaid will be either suspended or sacked.”

According to the blogger’s source, party supremo Anwar Ibrahim and Zaid's rival Azmin Ali would ensure that Azmin would win the deputy presidency uncontested.

“Both Anwar and Azmin realise that even if Azmin pulls off an impressive tally of nominations for the No.2 post, that in no way guarantees that the members’ vote will go the same way,” Haris quoted the PKR man as saying.

According to the latest reports, 90 PKR divisions have nominated Azmin and 33 have nominated Zaid.

In recent weeks, Zaid has given interviews to the mainstream media in which he had questioned Anwar's role as the party advisor, urging him to contest for the president's post.

He has also spoken about lies and attacks hurled at him by certain party leaders following his decision to contest for the deputy's post.

Anwar's dream team

Haris’s article also strengthened rumours that Anwar will eventually announce his candidacy for president.

Claiming that he got his information from insider sources, the blogger said Anwar’s dream team would consist of Azmin as deputy president, Rafizi Ramli as youth chief, Zuraidah Kamaruddin as women’s chief, Mansor Othman, Lee Boon Chye, R Sivarasa and someone from Sabah or Sarawak as elected vice presidents, and Fuziah Salleh, Chua Jui Meng and another candidate from Sabah or Sarawak as appointed vice presidents.

Haris alleged that Anwar and Azmin were trying to undermine Zaid’s popularity in the East Malaysian states. He said his PKR source confirmed this and quoted him as follows:

“Zaid’s frequent trips to Sabah and Sarawak and his increasing popularity there got both Anwar and Azmin concerned. In fact, I know that ex sec-gen Salehuddin (Hashim) had remarked to Zaid on one of those trips that he (Zaid) was finished in the party.

“Last year, when Anwar directed Zaid not to go to Sabah for the Hari Raya celebration, and Zaid defied the former, it became clear to Anwar that Zaid would not and could not be controlled.”

Read Haris' blog:

What now, given that Anwar’s dream team has hit an oil spill? Simple. Sack or suspend Zaid

'Racist' officer: BN leaders see red, DPM in the dark

2 Malaysia Tak Nampak !!

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:09

By G Vinod

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional leaders, minus Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, today condemned yet another racial slur from a high ranking officer on the government payroll.

They also agreed that it had rendered another devastating blow to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's 1Malaysia campaign.

Muhyiddin, however, claimed to be in the dark and reserved his comments about the latest controversy.

The leaders were responding to a news report which claimed that National Civics Bureau (BTN) deputy director Hamim Husin had allegedly used derogatory terms to refer to the Chinese and Indians.

During a closed-door meeting with Puteri Umno delegates, Hanim had purportedly described the Chinese as “si sepet mata” (slitty eyes) and Indians as “kaki botol” (alcoholics).

Seeing red, MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok called for prompt action, including a possible investigation by the police.

“It is time to put a halt to these arrogant and intolerant bigots,” he said in a statement.

Loh said it was shameful that a public servant employed by BTN, which trains upcoming civil servants, had used such stereotypical derogatory terms from a bygone era.

He said Hamim should be instead advocating that all races work towards achieving the 1Malaysia concept mooted by Najib, which was founded on the idea of inclusivity.

“BTN, as a government body has a responsibility to cultivate trust, not racial prejudice and polarisation based on an 'us versus them' dogma,” he added.

Loh urged the Public Service Department (PSD) to take action against Hamim as his statement had hurt the feelings of the Chinese and the Indian communities in Malaysia.

MIC vice-president and Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam said since BTN was a government agency under the Prime Minister’s Department, the views could be interpreted as being the government's stand.

“If an officer from this agency is found to have passed such remarks, it can be construed as reflecting the views of the government. It will also reflect badly on the government, and have adverse effects on the 1Malaysia concept.

“Therefore, I urge the BTN director-general to immediately investigate the matter thoroughly, and take the appropriate action according to the report of the investigation,” he added.

'Running counter to 1Malaysia'

Gerakan Youth secretary-general Dominic Lau bayed for Hamim's dismissal, saying the degrading words were uncalled for, unwarranted and mischiveous.

“His open and blatantly demeaning descriptions of fellow Malaysians run counter to the prime minister's all-inclusive 1Malaysia concept which is supposed to be propagated to participants at BTN camps,” he said.

Both Loh and Lau urged the government to review BTN courses and if needed, overhaul it accordingly so that the course to train civil servants reflected a 1Malaysia outlook and did not become a breeding ground for racism.

“There were many complaints by participants that the courses were indoctrination programmes, outdated, racist, divisive and seditious in nature and should be changed. The recent ugly incident has once again reinforced the serious shortcomings of BTN,” said Lau.

When asked to comment on the issue at a function today, Muhyiddin said: "I am not aware of that speech."

The deputy premier added that he would check the matter first before commenting on it.

Also read:

Bigotry in school: 'Why the foot-dragging?'

MBPJ hires 'crony' firm: Mayor, PKR leaders cry 'No'

No , No , No , You are Wrong , wrong , wrong ! I am right , Nothing Wrong !!!
Wed, 29 Sep 2010 06:00

By Teoh El Sen

PETALING JAYA: Cases involving the Petaling Jaya City Muncipal Council (MBPJ) are being given to a law firm where two PKR leaders R Sivarasa and Latheefa Koya, a MBPJ councillor, work.

However, MBPJ mayor Mohammad Roslan Sakiman described it as an “old story”.

He also dismissed the allegation that it was a case of special preference and denied that it could lead to a conflict of interest.

"No, I cannot answer this. This was discussed in a meeting some time ago and everything had been dealt with; this is a non-issue,” he told FMT.

“We don't think it is a conflict of interest for a councillor to be a lawyer in a law firm we engage. Latheefa is not a shareholder of the firm," he explained.

Roslan also refuted the claim that the firm Daim & Gamany was not in the list of MBPJ's legal panel, saying the firm was fully sanctioned by the council.

Sources told FMT that the issue was raised by several councillors during a special MBPJ meeting last year.

The councillors wanted to know why Daim & Gamany had been allowed to represent the council since it might lead to a conflict of interest.

During that meeting, the council had decided that there was no issue and the matter was closed.

However, sources said that Daim & Gamany had been given at least four cases to handle in recent months.

“The firm charges the maximum fee allowed by MBPJ. Other firms had quoted lower fees and yet they were not appointed to represent the council,” said a source.

"In a few recent court cases, procedures and policies for selecting legal firms were bypassed. The council is supposed to send letters to all firms on the legal panel when there is a case, and ask for their price quotations, but this was not done,” added the source.

'Conflict of interest'

As for conflict of interest, the sources cited Section 35 of the Local Government Act 1976 which states: "No councillor shall by himself or his partner or agent act in any professional capacity for or against the local authority of which he is a councillor."

The sources said although Latheefa, who is also PKR information chief, might not be personally handling MBPJ cases, her position in the council and law firm, however, gave rise to a conflict of interest.

This was because she could have access to sensitive information and documents, they said.

The sources also cited another example where in 2003 and 2005, Sivarasa, who is PKR vice-president, had represented the residents of Taman Desaria PJS5.

The residents had taken legal action against the then Barisan Nasional-controlled Selangor government and MBPJ for allowing low-cost flats to be built in their area for the nearby squatters of Taman Medan.

In 2005, the court ruled in favour of the residents and declared the flats illegal. It also awarded damages to the residents and declared MBPJ's development order issued to Mentari Properties Sdn Bhd null and void.

In the landmark ruling, the court held that local authorities must hear the views of affected residents before issuing any development orders.

Soon after Pakatan Rakyat took over Selangor in 2008, MBPJ decided to appeal against the decision and it is understood that Sivarasa continued to act for the Taman Desaria residents. The case is still pending.

Professional conduct

Another MBPJ councillor Derek Fernandez, who had also acted for the Desaria residents in the past, discharged himself on grounds of conflict of interest.

However, sources said MBPJ's move to appoint Sivarasa's firm for several cases was strongly supported by Fernandez.

"How can Sivarasa be acting in a suit against the council and at the same time be given cases to defend MBPJ? Isn't that a clear-cut case of conflict of interest?" asked a source.

In another case last year, Sivarasa represented the council when residents of Taman Sri Aman, Petaling Jaya protested against a condominium project being undertaken in their area.

MBPJ then issued a stop-work order to the developer, Sri Aman Development Sdn Bhd, which was building the Paramount View condominium and an access road.

Subsequently, the developer went to court and filed for a judicial review of MBPJ's action. The court ruled in favour of the developer.

Several lawyers told FMT that such examples of conflict of interest went against the Legal Profession (Practice and Etiquette) Rules 1978, where a lawyer should not accept a case if his professional conduct could be challenged.

FMT learnt that Sivarasa was also representing MBPJ in two judicial review cases involving the council and two outdoor advertising companies.

'These are wild allegations to shame us'

Both Sivarasa and Lateefa denied that they were involved in cases that gave rise to conflict of interest.

"The Local Government Act prohibits only councillor-lawyer from acting for or against the council... I am not a councillor, so where is the conflict?" asked Sivarasa, who has been practising law for 24 years.

The PKR leader explained that he was mostly hired by MBPJ for judicial review cases, which was his area of specialisation.

"These allegations are simply caused by ignorance. These people do not understand what conflict of interest is. In the Taman Desaria case, conflict of interest does not arise at all,” he said.

On the allegation of high legal fees, he said: "This is subjective. Lawyers come in all shapes and sizes. I charge according to what I feel is fair and it is subject to MBPJ's decision."

Meanwhile, Latheefa described it as “wild allegations made by those with their own agenda to shame a few of us”.

The lawyer said she had never acted for or against MBPJ since she was appointed as councillor in 2008.

"Bringing this up is a nasty thing to do. I never participated in any discussion at council meetings. In fact, I deliberately stayed away from such meetings whenever my legal firm was involved.

"In what way have I breached Section 35? It doesn't mean that just because I am in the same law firm, everything I do gives rise to conflict of interest," she added.

Latheefa stressed that conflict of interest occured only when sensitive information was involved.

Only Malays can rule ? ? ?: PAS' Siti challenges Puteri Umno to debate

Only Malays can rule ? ? ?: PAS' Siti challenges Puteri Umno to debate

Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

PAS MP for Kota Raja Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud has slammed Puteri Umno chief Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin for “blindly echoing” the recent statements made by former premier Mahathir Mohamad that the position of the Malays would be threatened if a non-Malay became Prime Minister.

She also challenged Rosnah to a public debate on the topic that has sparked widespread public misgivings amongst all the races.

“It is sad and disturbing that in this day and age, after 53 years of nation-building, there are still people who think like this. I am shocked that the police and the Home Ministry have not taken any action on remarks that are blatantly seditious,” Dr Siti Mariah told Malaysia Chronicle.

“I advise all Malaysians not to be frightened by this sort of talk. It is Umno beating the racial drum for votes because they have no other ideas and are too lazy to go to the ground and reach out to the people. It is of course nonsense. The Malays will not lose power, only Umno and BN will lose power. If the Puteri Umno chief is serious, then I challenge her to a public debate. Let us fix a time, venue and day. ”

Isn't this extremism

Rosnah’s comments follow similarly derogatory remarks from the deputy director of the National Civics Bureau Hamim Husin, who as a guest speaker at the Puteri Umno function, had also suggested that only Malays had the right to rule Malaysia.

Puteri Umno's Rosnah

“I believe and I’m confident that without a Malay filling the post of prime minister and other important posts, the position of the Malays will be eroded,” Malaysian Insider reported Rosnah as saying at the function.

"As what we have read and understood, even the opposition leader himself dares to sell the honour of the Malays by offering a second important post in the country if he becomes prime minister.”

It is worth noting that even as Rosnah and Hamim made their comments, her party president Prime Minister Najib Razak was urging the world to reject extremism at a United Nations general assembly.

“We must, and I repeat, we must urgently reclaim the centre and the moral high ground that has been usurped from us. We must choose negotiations over confrontation. We must choose to work together and not against each other. And we must give this effort utmost priority for time is not on our side,” Najib said in his maiden speech to the UN.

Chief hypocrite and little Napoleon hypocrites

DAP's Kor Ming

Pundits said their actions reflected the hypocrisy typical in Umno and demanded that the Home Minister investigate Rosnah, Mahathir and Hamim for making the inflammatory comments.

"If a non-Malay had made those sort of statements, he or she would have been detained for sedition if not the ISA. But do you think Najib will take any action against Mahathir, Rosnah or Hamim?” Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming told Malaysia Chronicle.

"Even the cartoonist Zunar was arrested and remanded for one day just for drawing cartoons about Najib and Rosmah, and yet our Prime Minister wants to tell the world to choose moderation over extremism. Is this not hypocrisy of the greatest degree?"

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Najib's Islamophobia offer to US - why say you what you do not...

Pakatan perintah: Umno BN hilang kuasa, bukan Melayu...

Racism not working, Dr M turns to Islam: Says PAS bad Muslims ...

Perkasa burns Namewee's photo, creates tension, fear

Perkasa burns Namewee's photo, creates tension, fear

Arrest these bastards and charge them under the sedition act before some untoward incident happens !

(Malaysiakini) - A group of 50 protesters from Malay rights group Perkasa gathered outside the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) in Kuala Lumpur tonight to protest against controversial rapper Namewee as he was about to speak at a youth forum.

The angry crowd, brandishing Malaysian flags, then proceeded to burn enlarged photos of Namewee.

Superimposed on Namewee's face in the photos was a pig's snout.

Shouts of 'Namewee babi' and 'pengkhianat' (traitor) were also heard.

The protestors, some of whom wore Perkasa's trademark red headbands, were held back from approaching the main gate of the assembly hall by a team of 50 anti-riot police in two police trucks

Namewee, who was addressing an audience of 600 people inside the hall, called on everyone to remain calm.

The rapper was speaking at a youth summit together with SCAH chief executive officer Tan Ah Chai at a session entitled 'Youth, why do you need to 'Nah'?

At about 9.30pm, due to commotion and the resulting tension, the organisers decided to end the session.

Perkasa confirms role

KLSCAH Youth chief Ng Chong Shoon said that the dialogue session was cut short due to the 'tension' caused by the Perkasa gathering outside the hall.

He urged all the audience to leave the hall calmly and not to react to the provocation from Perkasa members.

"The police have assured our safety, including Namewee's, so we hope they will keep their promise."

Selangor Perkasa chief Ahmad Zambri Zahari, when contacted, confirmed that Perkasa organised the demonstration in from of KLSCAH, led by the organisation's youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah (photo).

The protesters eventually left the area at about 9.30pm with the police staying put to keep a watchful eye as the crowd in the hall also dispersed.

After the event ended, Namewee took the opportunity to sign copies of his posters and albums for his fans.

Ironically, Tang, who spoke earlier, said that it was Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali, and not him, who should have a dialogue with Namewee.

Asked by journalists for his reaction to the protest, Namewee said: “I have no comment, I'm not politician. I came here to for an anti-racism event.”

But they came for you?

It's not my problem.

They burn your photos...

Not my business - they burn my photo, not me.

Will you apologise as demanded by Perkasa?

No, apologising is not the point. I'm here to help solve the issue of racism.

Are you scared of Perkasa?

I'm not scared. I believe the police will protect me.

Namewee left KLSCAH at 10pm in a car escorted by a group of his fans, and flanked by two police officers on motorbikes. - Malaysiakini

Read more at http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/143878

The Three Stooges of 2 Malaysia

Dinosaur thinking of the highest order comes from Dr M

Dinosaur thinking of the highest order comes from Dr M

Dinosaur ? Common on , dinosaurs got brains , this Mamak has none . You are giving him compliments calling him a dinosaur , more like Mosquito thinking , going for blood everywhere ! No blood to suck , shit , shit , shit juice will do !

Kee Thuan Chye

In just two days – Sept 23 and 24 – three developments summed up the sorry state of the ruling establishment. And caused sensible Malaysians to lose further faith in the government. In the first, the deputy prime minister played the role of Pontius Pilate by washing his hands of a responsibility the public had expected him to fulfil.

In the second, a former prime minister showed his racist true colours and desperation when he said Malays would lose power if Pakatan Rakyat took over the government.

In the third, the police arrested a cartoonist, just hours before the launch of his latest book. On what charge? Wait for the government to decide.

What we are witnessing is not surprising. These three events are manifestations of dinosaur thinking, which by now should be extinct. But those who adhere to them seem to think they’re still effective, which must mean they cannot be qualified to lead a progressive nation.

Muhyiddin Yassin may have some fine print in some rules of procedure to back him up in regard to the Kedah school principal who uttered racist remarks to his students. On Sept 23, he said any action against the principal can only be taken by the disciplinary board of the Public Services Department (PSD), headed by the director-general.

However, the public is asking: “But you are the education minister. And also the deputy prime minister. Surely, you have certain powers to act on something as heinous as racism, to send out a positive message to the people?”

The public is also asking why the report by the Ministry of Education team investigating the incident is taking so long to be considered. It was given to the PSD on Sept 4. Has the time been mostly spent instead on digging up the PSD regulations to provide Muhyiddin with an escape clause?

If you asked any sensible Malaysian, they would tell you Muhyiddin has simply “copped out”. He is not thinking like a Malaysian Leader No 2, one who must do the right thing in the Malaysian interest regardless of other factors.

His action shows he is thinking as a party leader, bound by considerations of race. On that score, you might be able to excuse Umno – and Muhyiddin – for thinking that no action against the principal means no loss of votes for the party. Better that than appeasing other races and risk losing Malay votes. That’s dinosaur thinking of the second highest order. Very un-1Malaysia.

Meanwhile, what has happened to the case of the Johor school principal who allegedly told her Chinese students to go back to China and insulted the religion of her Indian students? It seems all quiet on the southern front. Which also happens to be Muhyiddin’s territory. And Umno’s.

Dr M, the top dinosaur

I alluded earlier to dinosaur thinking of the second highest order. What about dinosaur thinking of the highest order?

That honour must go to Dr Mahathir Mohamad. On Sept 24, he said that if Pakatan Rakyat came to power, even if the resulting prime minister were Malay, he would be a tool of others. As an analogy, he said when Mohamed Nizar Jamaluddin was menteri besar of Perak, “he followed the DAP’s orders”. He was heading “a Chinese government”.

This is actually nothing new from Mahathir. He has expressed these views before, in his bid to instil fear in the Malays that they will lose power and be overrun by non-Malays. Lately, however, he has been stepping it up. He is working more and more on conditioning the Malay mind into believing who the enemy is, even if it’s imagined.

This is dangerous divisive politics, but does Mahathir care? This is regressing to the politics of fear, which he generated when he was prime minister, but which many voters rejected during the 2008 general election. Again, does Mahathir care?

What seems clear from his recent sustained onslaught is that he’s getting more desperate in wanting to keep Pakatan out of Putrajaya. He apparently fears the consequences of Pakatan in government. From all the talk that has been circulating about aspects of his administration – and we’ve seen just an example in the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the VK Lingam case – he might be hauled up to answer some questions. Understandably, he would not want to live through that ordeal.

Meanwhile, Nurul Izzah Anwar of PKR has challenged Mahathir to a debate “to clarify if his ‘fear’ for the Malays is really about loss of power or, in reality, loss of wealth for the chosen few”. Would the old man of the past have the guts to take on the young leader of the present and the future?

Govt cuts off its nose

As for the third event, the arrest of cartoonist Zunar (Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque) has merely created a new popular hero in the movement for a better Malaysia. And it has made the government look worse for stifling free expression. Which is why it doesn’t make sense that it should resort to
that.

What’s even more damning is that there was no clear indication of what Zunar was being arrested for. According to his lawyer, Latheefa Koya, the authorities were not sure whether to charge him under the Sedition Act or the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

In this age of the Internet and speedy communication, arresting someone for producing a book of political cartoons is reflective of dinosaur thinking. Even if the cartoons are critical of the government, it speaks better for the government to tolerate its right to be published and disseminated, and to acknowledge that its creator enjoys the freedom of expression.

This is guaranteed in the Constitution, and we are supposed to be living in a democratic state. So let a thousand flowers bloom, let a thousand voices vie for attention in the marketplace. Perkasa is given their voice, why not Zunar?

Is it due to the fact that he is Malay and therefore more of a threat, because his ideas might appeal more to the Malay masses? Is it because cartoons transcend language and can express in one picture what a thousand words might not?

Whatever the reasoning, it overlooks one crucial point. Zunar is not alone. There is a resistance movement. Not an organised one, but it’s there. And it’s like the mythical Hydra. If you cut off one head, another will grow to take its place. Perhaps more.

So, to put it idiomatically, the cutting that has been done in the Zunar arrest is not quite what was intended. It is more a case of the government cutting off its nose to spite its face.

That’s what happens as a result of dinosaur thinking.

Muhyiddin champion of anti-national, anti-1Malaysia : Kit Siang

Muhyiddin champion of anti-national, anti-1Malaysia : Kit Siang

Lim Kit Siang

All Malaysians want to know whether the scandal of the 46-day inaction by the Najib administration against the two school principals who made incendiary, racist and insensitive statements against students in schools will be top on the agenda of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting or whether Cabinet Ministers would be like the traditional three monkeys with eyes that see not, ears that hear not and mouths that speak not!

Noises are being made by MCA, Gerakan and MIC outside the Cabinet protesting against the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement claiming that he is powerless to do anything against the two principals as this falls within the ambit and jurisdiction of the Public Services Department and the Chief Secretary – but all these are empty posturings by these political parties when their Ministers in Cabinet maintain a discreet and self-serving silence on this issue.

In fact, the question must be asked in Cabinet, Parliament and the country whether the real reason for the 46-day government inaction against the two school principals who publicly made a mockery of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Raza’s 1Malaysia policy is because they could not be faulted because what they said was exactly the “official ideology” which Biro Tata Negara of the Prime Minister’s Department had been indoctrinating civil servants in the past two decades!

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang

Is this the reason why Muhyiddin had been thunderously silent in not condemning the two school principals for their incendiary, racist and insensitive statements, telling Chinese students to go back to China and likening Hindu prayer bracelets to a dog leash, because such offensive remarks were quite in line with the poison which BTN had been dishing out to civil servants in the past two decades?

In the Cabinet in the past 18 months, Muhyiddin had stood out as the champion of the anti-national and anti-1Malaysia poison spouted by BTN, which was why Muhyiddin had done the following:

• Defended the racist “brain washing” and indoctrination on “ketuanan Melayu” by Biro Tata Negara despite criticisms and expose of its racist, divisive and seditious content for the past two decades;

• Mitigated the Nasir Safar outrage claiming that it could have been “a slip of the tongue” when Najib’s senior political aide labelled Indians and Chinese in Malaysia as “pendatang”, alleging that the Chinese came as beggars and the Chinese women as “prostitutes”; claimed that Umno was solely responsible in drafting the constitution sidelining the contribution of MCA and MIC; and issued the threat to revoke the citizenship of those vocal about the subject cap for SPM examination.

• Maintained a conspicuous silence at the JAKIM (Islamic Development Department of the Prime Minister’s Office) forum at the end of January for 800 civil servants tantamount to an insurrection against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept – with government speakers making inflammatory and incendiary speeches, blaming Christians for provoking Muslim anger by challenging the ban on the use of the word “Allah” and Umno/BN politicians for failing to defend Islam, with one speaker suggesting that a repeat of the May 13 riots was possible if the Christians, whom he accused of practising “extremism” did not “back down”, uttering the threat: “Who knows, there might be a Feb. 13?”

• Also kept a conspicuous silence when the racialist rantings of Umno executive secretary Datuk Abdul Rauf Yusoh at an Umno club function in London in March this year was exposed;

• Aided and abetted the inflammatory and incendiary campaign by Umno-controlled media like Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, government television and radio stations, playing the race and religious cards to viciously and falsely paint Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Pakatan Rakyat Penang State Government as “anti-Malay” and “anti-Islam”; and

• Declared that he is “Malay first and Malaysian second” which is not only against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept but served as a rallying point against Najib and any meaningful flowering of the 1Malaysia concept.

The proclamation by the BTN deputy director Hamim Husin to a Puteria Umno closed-door function that Malay rights is a mandate to rule the country (Malaysian Insider) is the latest proof that the biggest enemy to Najib’s 1Malaysia is from within his own camp, not only Umno but also BTN in government.

When the BTN can continue its offensive, insensitive and racist “brain washing” not only among civil servants but extend it to political activists in Umno circles like Umno Putri, it is clear that Najib is facing an open revolt, which clearly has the backing of Muhyiddin.

This shambolic anarchy in the Najib premiership cannot continue or it will drive away all interested investments in Malaysia, whether foreign or domestic and condemn Malaysia to the fate of a new failed state in the world.

The Cabinet meeting on Wednesday must take a stand, not only to end the 46-day government inaction against the two principals for their incendiary, racist and insensitive statements; on firm action against BTN by closing down the government “brain-washing” unit which is openly revolting against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept but also on whether the Cabinet fully endorse Najib’s 1Malaysia policy or otherwise.