Getting round the race, religion and rulers strategy

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Prime Minister-designate Anwar Ibrahim recently warned that a new racist narrative was creeping into Malaysia not only among the Malays but the other races. If this were true we certainly haven’t heard of any leader of other religions proclaiming to be known as the defender of their religion or resorting to all sorts of actions in the name of the religion.

Not that they don’t do this sort of thing, but religion is not used as a political strategy to keep leaders in government. But, we hear Malay politicians again and again proclaiming their defence of Islam and their allegiance to race, religion and rulers, and, if recent statements by Anwar is anything to go by, it seems as if he is following in their footsteps.

Most Malay politicians rely on that strategy to win Malay support. Anwar’s statements may be well-intentioned, but they raise a red flag.

It is understandable that he wants to identify with the Malay majority and affirm their shared heritage which is Islam. To be the next prime minister he needs their support. But, to play the religion card to get that support is to continue the legacy of the past administration of politicising Islam for votes in exchange for jobs in the government service and government-linked companies (GLCs).

Hence, we have a bloated civil service, over-staffed GLCs and a religious work culture which has allowed for the rise of militant Islam in which hides the latent potential for Islamic terrorism. All of these work against the introduction of reforms.

Pakatan Harapan (PH) politicians — of which Anwar is one as the president of the largest Malay party in the coalition, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which is committed to reforms — need to find a new way of reaching the large Malay voter base without playing the religion and race cards, if by playing them they risk the religious rights of other Malaysians.

PH politicians need to leave race and religion and rulers out of their rhetoric and create a new narrative that stresses economic progress based on honest work and opportunities for all. This can be achieved by developing a communication strategy to reach out to the largely Malay rural majority or through the media.

Right now, the two main Malay newspapers are Berita Harian and Utusan Melayu.  Utusan is the bigger paper with a larger circulation of about 200,000 (Audit Bureau of Circulation Jan-June 2018 circulation figures) mostly among Malays. However, it is not making money and on the way to closing down.

These newspapers are Umno-owned and they aided in moulding the Malay mind to Umno’s bent. If independent-minded Malaysian businessmen buy over Utusan, trim it down to an efficiently-run, albeit small, newspaper for the Malay masses, the public debate in the Malay community will take on a more progressive approach to race, religion and rulers.

Politicians will have to work hard to be featured in the paper and the Malay readers will get more reliable information on which to make their decisions. This will force politicians to promise and deliver according to what the readers want and if they succeed in winning their support they would have earned it.

It would be a waste to let Utusan die but if it were regenerated by a non-partisan board, it will drive the debate for the advancement of the rural Malay community and by extension, the Malaysian public since the Malays form the dominant race. If the debate becomes more open and less parochial, it will surely attract non-Malay readers and the potential to become a leading Malaysian Malay paper becomes a very strong possibility.

Initially, there will be the problem of trimming the fat. Many people will have to be retrenched. But, if the economy is pushed to pick up with more businesses opening up the retrenched staff will eventually find other jobs. Such a market would improve the standard of work as people now learn to work hard to compete and keep their jobs or climb the corporate ladder.

There are many good people out there who can guide the newspaper with a fiercely independent mind. There are also many non-partisan businessmen who may be willing to invest in them. The trick is to find them.

To break away from the need to play the religion card which brings no good to anyone, a healthy, open Malay-medium media will provide the reach Malay politicians want to win support without the race, religion and rulers rhetoric. Readers will know what their leaders are doing and politicians will have no choice but to deliver up to people’s expectations.

It’s an idea worth thinking about.

 

 

Beware, the enemy within …

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The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government’s announcement of the new economic model of “shared prosperity” on the one-year anniversary of its administration comes on the heel of a slew of commendable initiatives. The ongoing cleanup of corruption in government, reduction of the cost of the previous government’s mega-projects thus saving the government billions of ringgit, revitalization of Felda (Federal Land Development Authority), and more press freedom are some of its noteworthy efforts.

It has been a good start. While some are disappointed that more was not done, people need to be reminded that Rome wasn’t built in a day. It will take some time before the full effects of the changes are evident. No doubt, reforms have taken a backseat but that might become a priority under subsequent prime ministers. It is unrealistic and putting unfair expectations on the government to deliver all its manifesto pledges in one year.

A little more time will allow for PH’s shared prosperity model that promises the distribution of wealth to all, irrespective of race or religion, and on a needs basis rather than a race basis to kick in.  Some analysts have predicted that the economy will turn before the end of the year and reflected in a strengthened ringgit against the US dollar at RM4.10 — perhaps better — from the current RM4.20.

Everything hinges on an improved economy and the government — and the people — must guard against the threats to economic progress. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahahir Mohamad was right in throwing the spotlight on the PH coalition partners to cast aside differences and work together as one entity. If they don’t, the country will risk the danger of becoming a “failed state”.

Tun hit the nail on the head. The threat is from within; it is not external. The threat will come in two forms: disgruntled Malay politicians and Islamic terrorism. Both will foment in the current culture of Malay politics — if vested interests are not sacrificed for the good of the nation.

Toxic Malay Politics

It is expected that desperate, disgruntled politicians will resort to anything to wrest power and get back into government. Such opposition members really can’t match the government initiatives with counter proposals and can only give their opinions (not facts) and use innocuous issues such as the Rome Statute to whip up Malay sentiments by playing on race and religion against the government. They succeed because their supporters are used to the old way of getting some money for their votes and will go along with whatever their leaders say.

The current tendency is to give in to the demands of Malay leaders for fear of antagonising their supporters. What the PH leaders don’t seem to understand is that it is not the supporters but the leaders who are creating trouble and causing political instability by playing the race and religion cards and this is reflected in the hesitancy of the market to pick up.

To neutralise them, get round the leaders and get to the supporters directly. Perhaps, for the short-term, PH needs to go on a nationwide roadshow to tell the people what is being done for them. This, together with the filtered down effects of the shared prosperity economic model in time, will eventually make the Malay supporters realise that they have been backing the wrong horse. The shared prosperity model will benefit the Malays mostly because they are the majority.

Islamic Terrorism

This is real and in our midst. There are a couple of videos circulating in which an Australian imam warns of the reality of Islamic terrorism in our midst. Imam Shaikh Tawhidi, an Australian and Shia leader, believes that jihadists are setting up a caliphate worldwide. It is hard to verify if he is truly an imam, but what he says is worth investigating, knowing how crafty and reckless jihadists are in promoting their agenda.

There have been some reports locally that the police are aware that Islamic terrorists are operating locally, hiding in plain sight by marrying locals and setting up businesses here to fund their ambitions.

This is an issue that needs to be addressed and not taken lightly. Terrorists survive in extremely conservative Muslim communities where no one questions the religious leaders. The majority of Malays fall in this category and they may not know that they are being used. The police needs to step up its anti-Islamic terrorism efforts to ensure that jihadists have not infiltrated the government or the political system or local communities. If they have, they need to be identified and rooted out.

There is also a need to counter the traditional Islamic narrative with a more modern one. Instead of nurturing and tolerating hate preachers like Zakir Naik, there is a need to expose Muslims to the scholars of their religion who present a better face of Islam.

If the nation progresses but Islam remains hijacked by the jihadists, that is a time bomb waiting to happen — if unaddressed and unneutralised, that will be the threat that will derail all the plans that the PH government is striving for and our future will be nothing but a failed state.

 

 

 

The IPCMC is a move in the right direction

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It is very heartening to know that the government is taking the setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) seriously. Although present and past members of the police force have expressed their opposition to it, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has stated that the government will go ahead with the plan.

There are conciliatory moves to allay the fears of the cops with Muhyiddin saying that the police force’s concerns will be considered. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has also agreed to meet the policemen to hear their views.

Frankly, I don’t know why the cops are making a big deal of the IPCMC. Apparently, the existing Police Commission has failed to ensure the discipline of the police force. So, we hear of cops bribing, shooting because they were shot at first (seriously? Who believes that!), numerous deaths in police custody and the latest unheard of abuse of power — the “disappearance” of citizens!

There have been a few cases when policemen involved in such abuse of power were taken to court but it has done nothing to stop or even reduce the incidences of such police excesses.

A commission with more teeth is needed to ensure fair disciplinary action and investigations of the police force. The IPCMC fits the bill. An independent commission will ensure impartiality in judgement and send a strong message to the police force that the excesses of the past will no longer be tolerated and, therefore, never repeated. There cannot be another “abduction” of citizens by “agents of the state” as concluded by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) in its findings on the “enforced disappearances” of Pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat.

The IPCMC will keep the police on their toes. The police force has for too long been left “unsupervised”. Understandably, they might feel chagrined to have their wings clipped with an oversight body. But, it is only for the immediate interim period. Once they get used to the new culture of doing their job according to the rule of law, the police will not be manipulated by powerful vested interests against whom they might be powerless but to comply. The IPCMC will be an independent force under whose watchful eye policemen will be expected to do their job for the public good.

There really are many good cops but the actions of a few seem to have great public implications and they need to be dealt with publicly to regain the trust of the people in the police force.

I hope more and more Malaysians express their support to the setting up of the IPCMC. It’s a good decision by the government and moving the police force in the right direction.

 

Mischief-makers upend the rule of law

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Of all the current crop of leaders in the country, there is only one from my vantage point as a well-informed citizen I see as having no vested interest. And that is the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. His only vested interest is the good of the nation. Period.

That is not to say that other leaders are not concerned over the good of the nation. They are but many have vested interests and when these come in conflict with the greater good, the human tendency is to protect your interests. But, Tun has none. He has nothing to lose. And that is why he can be trusted.

Like he said, he is a man in a hurry who wants to establish good conventions of governance so that the leaders who follow him abide by the rule of law and have no reason to seek the help of those with vested interests to wheel and deal to stay in power, like the  previous Najib government did.

Wheeling and dealing can take place with associates as long as no law is broken. But, if you are a public official there can be no monetary deals involving public funds. Even if commissions are involved in the tender of government projects, the amount must be clearly specified and the full amount should go into the government coffers and not into anyone’s pocket. Better still, there should be no commission for government tenders!

But, the culture that was openly nurtured under the previous Umno government was to “you help me and I help you and we have a win-win situation where we can also help our supporters by throwing some morsels in their direction in the form of BR1M and such” under the guise of in the name of “race, religion and rulers”. When leaders quote the latter cliched slogan, you know that’s what they mean.

Under Tun’s premiership under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government that culture has been put paid. But disgruntled Umno leaders still think they can elicit the help of vested interests to topple a rightfully elected government and Tun is fully aware of what they are up to and identified the culprits in the current Johor-Putrajaya issue by telling them: “You lost, be quiet!”

Neither Tun nor the PH Cabinet has in any way slighted the rulers. But, some people apparently poked fire and started this rift between the Johor royalty and the federal government. Notice, how quiet they are now, hiding somewhere quietly like mice while others suffer from the fallout? They should just get a job, then they won’t have time for making mischief!

Rulers generally don’t interfere with the running of the state unless approached. Ill-advised and irresponsible politicians who do that would then put them in a spot. Tun fully knows what is going on and he has made it very clear that rulers can’t interfere in the administration of the country and the state. There can’t be two rules or a joint rule.

This is the rule of law that must be respected because that is what the Federal Constitution — the supreme law of the land — states. Rulers and politicians and citizens know what the law says. Much has been written on it and it is public knowledge. Constitutional expert Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, who is a professor with University Malaya, has stated again and again that rulers endorse what the executive decides on.

Tun is the elder statesman. He knows what he is saying. More importantly, he is laying the ground rules for future leaders so that no elected leader will be influenced by vested interests. The rule must be by the people for the people.

The issue isn’t ignorance of the law; it is compliance. If everyone without exception follows the rule of law, there will be political stability. That will eventually lead to economic progress for all, and in our case, it may come sooner rather than later — if the rule of law is upheld by all.

Good Friday to Christ’s resurrection

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Today is Good Friday, the day Jesus Christ died on the cross. Worldwide Christians will hold services to remember His death and the events that led to it. We don’t celebrate Good Friday; we remember it reverently not because it glorifies death but because it points to the powerful reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus Christ died by crucifixion, his disciples were shattered. In shock, they stood around not knowing what to make of what was happening. This was the “Son of God” as he claimed to be but right before their eyes, he was beaten to a pulp and now hanging on the cross! The Son of God dead!

What the disciples felt was probably much like what many Christians experienced when they saw the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France burning. It must have shaken their faith to see the cathedral in flames. They may have felt anguish, disappointment, fear, anger, hopelessness.

But, three days after Jesus’ death, something happened that was even more incredulous! Jesus Christ rose from the dead and appeared to them in bodily form. Hundreds of people saw and touched him after he rose again. And, again, they were confused, lacking in understanding until the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on them and then they understood — that death was necessary so that Christ could rise again. He is alive.

Christ’s resurrection is the fundamental basis of the Christian life. It affirms our humanity that we will suffer and feel all that mortality brings to us but, through faith in Christ, we will have access to divine power to help us live to the fullest despite all our humanness.

A video, titled “Where was God when Notre Dame burned” is making the rounds in which a Catholic priest gives the answer. His explanation is precisely what Good Friday and the Resurrection is all about and I would like to paraphrase it here.

He says people would get emotional seeing the cathedral burning and especially seeing the tall spire topple down. But he draws attention to the fact that the crucifix in the church remained intact and that was a symbol of hope, that God is everywhere helping us along. Meaning that the materials and the building can burn but the real message of the church is hope and that will never die.

The priest calls on Christians not to be in despair over the burning of the church but to take the hope that the cross points to — that is eternally alive because Christ lives — and rise above the negative feelings.

That is what Christianity is all about — applying that resurrected power by faith to the circumstances of our lives and living life to the fullest!

So, this Good Friday, don’t be mournful! Some Christians get very emotional and go to great lengths to relive the sorrows that Christ may have felt when he carried his cross. But the truth is that the pain inflicted on him was no more than was inflicted on others who also died on the cross. Crucifixion was the punishment for criminals of that time. And, Jesus died like a common criminal as predicted by the ancient scriptures.

People sometimes find rational explanations difficult to digest and prefer the emotional connection. Such people will wear ashes over them and walk around in sackcloth or flagellate themselves or carry crosses like Jesus, none of which is mentioned in the Bible that we must do to follow him! They go overboard on showing the pain of Christ, but it is not necessary.

The cross is a powerful Christian symbol of the hope it opened up for us. Good Friday makes no sense without the resurrection. And, that is why we remember Good Friday but celebrate the resurrection. Death was necessary for divine life to enter the human realm. We live that out.

Easter, by the way, is an ancient pagan festival celebrating the arrival of spring, which is often associated with the concept of rebirth. By the eighth century, Anglo-Saxon Christians began adopting the name to designate the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, which also signifies rebirth into a new life.

Wishing you a blessed Easter!

 

 

 

Three issues of importance

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It’s a pity that the case of the “enforced disappearance” of two Malaysian citizens has been overshadowed by equally important issues such as the Rome Statute ratification, the Johor-Putrajaya tensions and the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution.

No doubt Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that a new investigation will be launched after the current Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun, who was the head of Special Branch when Pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat were abducted, steps down next month.

Suhakam (Human Rights Commission of Malaysia) implicated “state agents”, particularly the Special Branch, for carrying out the abductions which the commission has labelled as “enforced disappearances”.

The investigation based on Suhakam’s findings after its 18-month public enquiry is a much-welcomed relief! With other issues taking centre stage now, it is hoped that there would be no further delay in launching the investigation in finding out who was or were behind the “enforced disappearances”.

This is an urgent issue as it involves two lives. Malaysians want immediate answers to still unanswered questions. First and foremost is the question: Are they still alive? If they are, they should be released to their respective families.

Then, we want to know who gave the directive for the abductions and on what grounds? Was it Mohamad Fuzi? Did he make the decision based on reports filed by his staff? How did they get the information on these two men? Were they tipped off and if so by whom? Or, were vested interests involved and those vested interests prodded Mohamad Fuzi or somebody else in Special Branch to act?

Frankly, these questions and many more can be immediately answered if the Home Minister will just call up Mohamad Fuzi to explain and then provide all the answers at a press conference. If that isn’t feasible, then, there is no choice but to wait for an official investigation, which must take place immediately.

This is not an issue that can wait until an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is set up. It has to be resolved immediately because leaving it unaddressed is, in fact, closing an eye to state-sponsored abductions or terrorism. That is totally unacceptable!

Reach out to opposition MPs

I mentioned in my first paragraph the Rome Statute ratification, the Johor-Putrajaya tensions and the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution. Much has been written on them and I won’t go into the details as these issues are extensively covered in the media.

I wonder though if the real issue is not the laws but the lack of engagement between Putrajaya and vested interests. Unfortunately, where the rulers are concerned, engagement can only occur within the confines of the law. The running of the country and the state are only undertaken by elected officials. That needs to be respected because it is the will of the people. Deferring to the rulers only takes place as the law allows it.

A lack of engagement, perhaps, was the reason why the Pakatan Harapan government failed to get a two-thirds majority to pass the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to give Sabah and Sarawak an equal footing with Peninsular Malaysia in accordance with the spirit of Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

It would be good for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to take note of what the opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) are saying. They are not against the bill. They abstained. Some said it was because of PH’s arrogance, others because it lacked sincerity and Putrajaya failed to engage the Sabah and Sarawak state assemblies.

PH was only 10 short of 148 votes of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat to make a two-thirds majority. If PH does not have a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat, it should start engaging lawmakers in the opposition to support important bills such as the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution.

PH lawmakers, perhaps, should reach out to opposition MPs and present to them a rational case based on facts and figures to clear whatever suspicions they may have of the government initiative. The power of conviction of the benefits of the bill should be enough to convert enough opposition MPs to give a two-thirds majority.

The bill may be presented again at a later date. Hopefully, PH would work hard to deliver a victory to the people of Sabah and Sarawak then.

 

Race baiting comes at a price

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Political leaders who resort to demonizing other races for political advantage may not realise that their actions will hurt the very people whose support they are seeking.

Umno politicians used race to win over the majority Malay voters in the Seminyeh by-election by referring to non-Malays as pendatang and penumpang (immigrants and riders) among other things and incensing the non-Malays in the process. Politicians have always used the race card to win support. No doubt that has been the practice, especially in the rural areas, but it was a practice that non-Malays never appreciated.

They put up with it because the non-Malay partners of the previous Barisan Nasional administration were apparently advised (privately, never openly) that it was a necessary strategy to get the Malay rural vote so that Umno had the Malay mandate to lead the BN coalition.

Well, that was before. Now, Pakatan Harapan is in government with the strong support of non-Malays who wholeheartedly demonstrated their patriotism when they staked their claim as equal partners in this country by overwhelmingly supporting the PH in the 14th General Election (GE14).

To have had to listen to the racial drivel that was poured out at the Seminyeh by-election and which was followed up by others was an assault and insult to the loyalty of the non-Malays to Malaysia.

Leaders and the politically knowledgeable may understand the need for such a strategy if it would mean support from the homogenous rural voter base. That support would have meant that the candidate and party they supported would lead the government, which in turn would have ensured the interests of this particularly large demographic.

In Seminyeh, however, would that strategy have helped Umno deliver? Umno is now the opposition. Can it meet the needs of the rural Malay voter which only the government of the day can deliver? They can’t. So, what was the primary objective of using the race card if not to stay in power by any means?

Once the voters realise that race baiting was used only to win an election, they are going to wise up to Umno’s bankrupt political patronage as they finally realise that race politics was nothing but a pack of lies.

Do Umno politicians understand the damage they cause by resorting to race baiting? People in the know may understand it was nothing but a strategy; the politicians are actually not racist. The grassroots, however, don’t know that — they might now, after all the publicity the issue attracted.

As long as the grassroots don’t know they were taken for a ride, the consequence is a dangerous enmity between the races. The mentality of us vs the others will be entrenched and that would be the end of racial unity.

Do they know what they are doing? To use the language of Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin in the hope his colleagues understand, “do you comprehend, YBs (Yang Berhormat (respected Members of Parliament))?”

Despite using the race card, politicians of different races generally work together for the sake of political expediency. But, it is a different scenario on the ground. The chances for social integration will be diminished. Because of the race divide, the races will continue to live in their social ghettos, maintaining cordiality for the sake of peace but deeply wary of each other.

Social integration won’t take place, which means economic integration won’t follow. Businesses and markets will be characterised by race and remain segregated. People of different races won’t form businesses together and reach out to a mixed market. Markets will be confined to and restricted by race. How can they grow businesses in limited markets?

In the absence of an integrated economy, it becomes easier for capital owners to uproot and get out if their interests are threatened, which may lead to an economic collapse.

There is only one way to prevent such a catastrophe from ever happening. Integrate the economy so that businesses and markets are encouraged and supported across the races. The solution is not to reinstate the 30% bumiputra shareholding quota in listed companies as considered by the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad but to launch policies and plans for multi-racial businesses and companies where possible.

In this respect, MCA president Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong’s suggestion to the government should be considered. He had asked the government to give tax incentives for savings and shareholdings, and educate students on investment and shares through school syllabuses and extracurricular activities.

Government policies must aim at social and economic integration. That would make it clear that all Malaysians are treated as equals and will be supported in their endeavours to make Malaysia a better home and none will have any reason to flee.

A new journey begins …

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TurkeyJet

Thanks for joining me!

I’ve called this blog 21stcenturycitizen because that’s who all of us are. By being in this century, here or anywhere on Earth, we are connected in one way or another. No matter how different we are, by virtue of simply belonging to this century, there will be something about each other we can relate with or reach out to. That is what I would like to affirm in this blog.

Our differences may separate and divide us but our commonness can unite and strengthen us as a community and that hopefully is what I would like to achieve through this blog.

So, I’ll be writing about anything and everything but all will have a modern, progressive outlook. I am not one who is pigeon-holed into a stereotype so sometimes I may write something that may not fit into your scheme of things. Bear with me! An occasional jolt hurts no one! It might bring us back to the truth of reality!

I think more people will be able to relate to this blog, so I am looking forward to an interactive comments section.

I’ll upload my post every Friday.