By John Lee, The Malaysian Indsider
AUG 29 — As the Permatang Pauh by-election fades into the recesses of our memories, there is talk of it being a turning point in our country’s history. Unfortunately, this talk habitually and routinely focuses on the possibility of changing the government by Sept 16.
It ignores a simple reality: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has already made history by being the first Malay politician to ever actually win more political support through an explicitly non-racial platform. It is practically impossible to underestimate how Anwar bucked the trend; he has completely turned our understanding of politics in this country on its head.
History has already made it crystal-clear; Malay politicians who try to unite the country by appealing to a common sense of Malaysian-ness inevitably wind up heading into political oblivion. Dato Onn Ja’afar’s political career went up in flames the moment he founded the first
multiracial political party in the country, in spite of it having every conceivable advantage — it was literally the incumbent party of the time because of Onn’s towering status in Malayan politics. And it, of course, foundered completely.
Since then nobody has even tried to unite the Malays as Malaysians. Unite the Malays as Malays, of course; Syed Jaafar Albar famously proclaimed in the 1960s that he was a Malay first and a Malaysian second. Syed Hussein Alatas made an admirable attempt to change Malaysian politics through Gerakan, and we all know how that turned out. Literally every Malay leader who has tried to be Malaysian first ever since has risked being branded as a sell-out, a puppet of the non-Malays and a stooge of Lee Kuan Yew.
The one exception was Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who experienced some brief success with his Bangsa Malaysia idea. This only makes sense, considering Dr Mahathir’s iron-fisted handling of anyone who dared to oppose him; it is thus a pity that he never took this policy beyond mere words.
The moment Dr Mahathir handed over the reins to his successor, Malay politicians were up in arms criticising Bangsa Malaysia as a “nebulous” and untenable concept for daring to acknowledge that the non-Malays have a place in this country too.
So here we are today: 51 years after independence, the easiest way to tar a Malay politician next to calling him a Jew-lover is to accuse him of saying this country belongs to the Chinese and Indians too. That is simply how Malaysian politics works; to win the support of the Malays, you need to denounce the non-Malays as foreign squatters, who are only here as a matter of privilege rather than right, a privilege revocable at any time.
And what a coincidence it is — that is exactly how the Malaysian government works too. If you’re not an Indonesian who can be counted as a Malay, your application for permanent residency or citizenship can never hope to see the light of day. If you’re not a Malay, you can
expect to hear your fair share of racist remarks in a public national school — and not from students, mind you, but teachers. As a student you can expect a syllabus which teaches you about the meaning of ketuanan Melayu rather than bangsa Malaysia. As an employee you can
expect a civil service where you’re not welcome unless they need you to fulfil their minuscule quota of non-Malay recruits. As an entrepreneur you can expect a government — and many government-linked companies — which will not give you any business unless you are a Malay. Half a century after independence, and that’s what 40% of this country has to look forward to.
And since this is how the government works, up-and-coming politicians and political activists realise this is how politics works too. That is why even though you will never hear the typical Malaysian voicing such sentiments, political activists will readily denounce the non-Malays as foreign squatters here at the behest of a social contract which gives them the privilege, not right, to stay and live here.
Since this is how politics and government have worked since time immemorial, we owe Anwar an incredible debt for nearly single-handedly turning all this — everything — completely on its head. For the past half century, to be a good Malay leader, you have either had to publicly proclaim your support for ketuanan Melayu — and not the mild ketuanan as in strong leadership, but ketuanan as in “blood will run in the streets if our demands are not met” — or you have had to simply avoid commenting on the issue and just hope you can be all things to all people. Anwar ran on a platform, not of vague meaningless nice- sounding platitudes, but a platform explicitly against everything ketuanan Melayu stands for.
This is a man, mind you, who celebrated the end of his ban on active politics by damning ketuanan Melayu and consigning it to the dust heap of history. This is a man who has publicly and repeatedly proclaimed that his commitment is to the sovereignty of the people — ketuanan rakyat — rather than the dominance of the Malays.
This is a man who has never wavered from his stand that the philosophy of government assistance based on racial origin, rather than economic status, is fundamentally and morally wrong. This is a man who has repeatedly, wherever he goes, whoever he speaks to, driven home the same point, again and again: “Anak Melayu, anak saya. Anak Cina, anak
saya. Anak India, anak saya.”
And this is a man who has had everything in the traditional playbook of Malaysian politics thrown at him. He’s been labelled a heretic, a sodomite, a liar, a hypocrite, a traitor willing to sell the Malays and Malaysians out at a moment’s notice. The ruling coalition has done
everything in their power to make it known far and wide that this is a man committed to non-racialism; committed to a Malaysia where everyone belongs.
Regardless of whether you think he deserves it, or if he was just lucky, credit is due to Anwar: where so many brave Malay leaders have fallen and failed, he has won an incredible victory. Onn Ja’afar was vilified simply for opening up his political party to Malayans of all creeds and colours; Anwar has gone above and beyond, explicitly declaring that this is a country for all Malaysians, whoever they might be. And he has won a resounding victory.
It would be one thing if he scraped through with a majority of less than 5,000 votes in the recent by-election, but the fact is, it was not even close — not with a landslide majority of 15,000, larger even than the majority his wife won before he explicitly condemned ketuanan
Melayu. Anwar has succeeded where everyone else has failed; he has carved out a broad base of political support, not on a platform of rights or privileges for one community, but a platform of justice and equality of opportunity for all communities.
Criticise Anwar all you like for his inconsistent and wishy-washy stands on other issues. Criticise his coalition for its internal dissension and strange hypocrisy all you want. You can even say you
have no intention of trusting a man who might just stab you in the back the moment he gains power.
The fact of the matter is, you do not have a choice between Anwar and your ideal, committed, consistent, sincere Malaysian leader. Your choice, in the here and now, is between Anwar and a regime built on racism, built on stoking the flames of mistrust and hatred. This regime of hatred has delivered its promise of ketuanan Melayu; why should we expect things to be any worse under a regime promising ketuanan rakyat? At the worst, it’s the same old shit under a different government; at best, we might finally have a government and a political system which works for all Malaysians rather than whoever yells the loudest and threatens the most blood.
As far as taking power is concerned, this is still a long shot. Anwar may yet turn out to be a flop on delivering if he ever gets the chance to govern. But the simple and stark reality is, as far as we who live in the present are concerned, he is our best and only chance to put a stop to this insanity.
Anwar is not the perfect vessel for uniting the country, but there is a reason he scares the powers that be: he is the first real chance we have ever had to unite the country against the demons of racialism and parochialism. And for now, he is our only chance. He is the only one who can cross ethnic barriers to proclaim a commitment to a Malaysia where Malaysians, not Malays, are sovereign, and actually win more support than before.
I am no huge fan of Anwar, but I recognise what he has done, and how far he has come. I support him, not because I like him as a person, but because I believe in the cause he champions, and because I believe that if there is any person in this country who can make that dream a reality, it is Anwar Ibrahim.
SALAM DSAI,
TERUSKAN PERJUANGAN MU.
DENGAN SEMANGAT DAN KETABAHAN MU AMAT DIHARGAI.
DSAI BERJIWA RAKYAT.
HIDUP DSAI.
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What a beautiful essay!! Three cheers to you!
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Anwar Ibrahim may be the only Malay Politician who speaks well for all good peoples, cultures and civilisations WITHOUT abandoning or compromising his strongly held Islamic Worldview [whatever that is, meaning, to the degree that he understands it].
This is a most precarious position and will survive for as long as there are still “good people” around who don’t have to cross their limits into taking extremist, ethnic, racial, political views.
As with all other groups and “almost political cults” , I say, this is a ver short-live phenomenon, at best surviving for 2 Parlimentary terms.
But the transition period of 2 terms, gives sufficient space for the “good peoples” to influence others and to RE-ALIGN their politico-ideological positions, into perhaps, 2 opposites, via-a-vis a Barisan National and a Pakatan Raayat kind of groupings.
Anwar Ibrahim need only to remain close, albeit, in a unpublic kind of way, to the wise counsel of Ulama and peers ALL OVER THE WORLD.
This is his strength apart from the deep reflective and meditative sojourn in Sungei Buluh which can be considered his “KHALWAT” .
Is this a good description of you, YB Datuk Seri ?
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anwar junior Reply:
August 30th, 2008 at 12:23 am
‘KHALWAT’ yes you got the correct word and has transformed him to be more stronger ever to reform Malaysia.
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kong Reply:
September 1st, 2008 at 5:55 pm
itu mentari pengangkutan patut dipecat kerana tak tahu orang-orangnya makan rasuah begitu
kuat.Lagi pun cakap besar.Mahu orang lain menguruskan bahagiannya.Boleh jadi sebab it begitu
banyak kemalangan teruk berlaku di dalam negara kita.ini bukan berlaku baru baru ini.ia berlaku
sejak begitu lama mengakibatkan begitu ramai orang maut buta-buta.pegawai-pegawai makan
rasuah Puspakom belum sedar dosa yang telah mereka buat.bus terbalik lah,langar toll lah.
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A very well written article …… totally agree with the writer. And to all who do not like DSAI as a person, I can only say is , if you do not respect the person but do agree with his principals/political views what have you got to lose but by supporting him/the ‘opposition’ (I really hate this word!!)? Remember, a country is not ruled by a single person or a group of selected persons but by the citizens of the country …… if you want change and a better tomorrow, then do what is right, if you do not then just lie back and let the despots ruin your lives and your childrens’ future; easy as that!
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Anwar lives on. No surrender to the timid souls and evil. Soldier on till the end.
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Kudos to you, John for a delicate article. Your article also sent a strong message that reads ‘THE TRUE CHAMPION OF KETUANAN RAKYAT, YAB DS Anwar Ibrahim (DSAI)’ and maybe ‘The reborn of Ketuanan Rakyat’.
In this new age of Globalisation, we, all beloved Malaysians, should all stand to embrace unity. ‘One Nation, True Malaysian’. DSAI as a born again Malaysian whom survive after being put to death in the hands of the previous Administration avows to blend all Malaysians as one united force.
Most of us may have forgotten DSAI during his years in jail but DSAI, upon his reborn made possible by the current Administration of DS Abdullah did not forget us, Malaysians, Malaysians then were tired, scared, blurred etc. DSAI started knitting, banding together PAS and DAP to his single seat Parliament Party, known none other than Party Keadilan (PK).
DSAI and wife with the strength on unity with Hadi Awang, Tok Guru of PAS and Kit Siang, Karpal Singh of DAP formed Pakatan Rakyat to unite Malaysian. With this, begins the reawakening, the people of Malaysia were taught to understand the term Bangsa Malaysia, unite as one and championing health and wealth to be shared by all. A win win for all, especially for one Bangsa Malaysia.
Yes, DSAI took the ultimate test where not many dared, putting himself to the might of Barisan. Thanks to his Pakatan Rakyat comrades whom were all with him, putting undying support, and most important, the reawaken rakyat overwhelming wish for a united Bangsa Malaysia
prevailed and DSAI became the VICTOR.
Having said the above, the Bangsa Malaysia chapter has only begun …..
Hehe … adios for now (have to go cari makan … time for meeting oledi … :)
Cheers,
Northie
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On 28th August 1963,at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C., Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. made his famous ” I have a dream” speech,
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
On 28th August 2008, exactly 45 years later, DSAI was sworned into Parliment, I too have a dream,
” I have a dream today, that my little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be called ‘bangsa asing’ but will be proudly called MALAYSIANS.”
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http://writtenbyhim.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/the-back-door-government/
DSAI BAKAL UBAH KEHIDUPAN RAKYAT MALAYSIA. MERDEKA!!!!
http://writtenbyhim.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/the-back-door-government/
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beautiful article. bravo.
may DSAI do the undoable again! slaughter the raksasa once and for all!!
16/9 PR government, here we come!!!
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DSAI is the best to all regardless of race. GOD BLESS DSAI.
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Shobhan Reply:
August 30th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
GOD HELP US FOR I FORSEE A NATION IN CHAOS IF THE PRESENT TREND OF RACE AND RELIGION BASED POLITICS CONTINUE!!!DSAI WE APPEAL TO YOU TO GET ALL THE SUPPORT YOU NEED TO GET OUR DREAM THROUGH!!!PLEASE HELP US ALL TO CREATE A NATION OF MALAYSIANS
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I dare say Chinese would rather give their votes to Anwar than Ong Tee Keat, if the two were to run against each other. Similarly, Anwar would win too if he ran against any MIC candidate in an Indian majority constituency. It has been a foolhardy attempt to stoke up Anwar’s past in order to discredit him. Fact is, his message of unity of Malaysians under a common goal for a just society has taken root, and this is sure to spell the end of BN.
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Bumi Ownz U Reply:
August 30th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
I am chinese and will not vote for Ong Ka Ting or Tee Keat.
Why?
Just because of his race I should vote for him?
Just because a Malay can speak chinese I should vote for him?
We are alot more intelligent than that brother Pnaglima….
What Malaysia wants is to get rid of these very Racial biased views.
What Malaysia wants is unity.
What Malaysia wants is equal rights for ALL its citizens…
No more race game… I vote for competent leaders who are Fair… I don’t judge based on race.
I judge based on progress, integrity, honesty, sound economoic management.
Obama is black… you think that there are no white people voting for him? The majority are white.. why not vote for McCain… Its all about fair policies and equity… not about skin colour!
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Damn they blocked Malaysia Today again!
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The Barisan Nasional says:
“We should all remain United to overcome the challenge of globalised issues”
- You tell me… how United can you be when you won’t let any other races into UiTM?
No chinese allowed into UiTM
No Indians allowed
Only People of Malay Race.
If this isn’t racial discrimination, I don’t know what is.. We can thank Badawi for showing strength in leadership in doing what is RIGHT… by keeping his mouth quiet… he is a gutless man.
How is Malaysia supposed to be able to compete internationally when it can’t even comepete locally?
How is Malaysia supposed to remove racial tension by barring Malaysians of other races from attending University?
How is Malaysia supposed to expand its horizons and acceptance of races by Racial discrimination and seggregation?
How backwards are these policies?
How fair are these policies?
How RACIST are these policies.
- What a disgrace!!!! We aren’t living in 1940 Berlin you know!
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Shobhan Reply:
August 30th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
In full support of the truth expressed here. BN is nothing but a hypocrite. All its component parties are made up of nothing but those with ulterior motives. The motive– to use race and religion as the policy to divide and rule whereby the races are disunited and the top leadership in MCA, MIC and the biggest culprit of all the UMNO gang get to reap the harvest while the masses comprising of the ordinary Malays, Chinese, Indians etc…. work to serve their BN masters. What a plan to permanently stay in power!!!!!!!The Malays are misled to believe that they are protected when they are given special privileges. What are these privileges when a race gets weaker by the day? The Chinese and Indians are put into the hot cauldren but they come out even stronger and rebellious!!!What a situation to enforce Martial Law anytime!!!!People beware of the delicate situation we Malaysians are facing if something is not done in due course. We should support our SAVIOUR DSAI AND HIS QUEST FOR A JUST AND SAFE MALAYSIA FOR ALL!!!
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Bravo John, well done.
YAB DSAI is the DREAM COME TRUE of true Malaysians. I don’t see him as a MALAY, I see a TRUE MALAYSIAN. He had been tortured for the past 10 years and yet the determination never fade. Furthermore, win the election and walked his way to the Parliament. This reminded me of those Great leader of the world. A great leader I believed must have been through all hell and still capable of achieving his dream. YAB, I SALUTE YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART
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Let us not forget, the Chinese of Malaysia
- Barisan Nasional has virtually spit on Chinese and Indian faces.. but you name 3 of the most influential Malaysians on this PLANET:
I give you, Jimmy Choo, YTL and Michelle Yeoh.
And what about the silver medalist at the olympics… is he not Malaysian?
These International Achievers.. Are they not Malaysian? By Barisan standards, no they are chinese and shouldn’t have anything because its unfair that they are successful. These chinese can not be trusted and must be smothered of their rights… These chinese must be greatful that we Malays have given the opportunity to live in OUR country….
I always hear about the unfairness that the chinese and some indians have MORE than the Malays.
Apart from this comment being extremely racist, have those who make such stupid comments even thought about why some people are wealthy and others not?
Its a question that may boggle their mind, but the answer is quite simple.
What ever you do in this world, put your heart into it, work hard and respect those who have less or who have more than you, because every circumstance that you come up against, is an opportunity to learn something new, and heighten your achievement irrespective of your race.
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Yes, I am totally agree with John Lee, We are malay also tired with those ketuanan melayu slogan. Now is 2008, Barrack Obama is black running for President of USA. In 1950,Blacks were not allowed to share the toilet with white. We should move forward also….
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hmmm…
im impressed with ur blog there really…keep it up, make sure that our malaysia will open their eyes widely….new malaysia for malaysian not only for malay malaysian
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As far as my opinion is concerned, we, the rakyats who had chosen and voted in B&W for PR are clearly living, thinking and talking like people in the real 21st Century unlike those people in BN (especially the UMNOs) who are literally managing our beloved Country for 51 years, they too lived in 21st century, but the thinking and talking exactly like those people in 18th century or could be worse! and what can we (the rakyats) expect from these people who had 18th century thinking and talking managing this country?
The answer is: WE ARE IN REAL JEORPADY!!
Why? Because besides talking using their big mouth with small brains, some Ministers with half-past six qualifications! So how? !!! That’s why our economy sucked (just slightly above Zimbabwe maybe? ), olympic also sucked! Imagined a so famine country like Ethopia can won a Gold Medal in the Olympic!!! Shame on us!
I totally agreed with John Lee that Anwar is the only hope for us to move forward! He is acceptable leader in this Country as well as in the whole wide World! Who knows Dollah, Najib? Oh yeah, forgot yes yes yes they all knew Najib and he is very popular of course, for being accused as a murderer!!!!:)
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I fully subscribe to John’s views. in the meantime read another interesting article appeared in NST today. It reads,
“DEWAN RAKYAT, Aug 28, 2008:
After Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in this morning as MP for Permatang Pauh and immediately assumed the position of Parliament Opposition Leader, a depressing scenario may have confronted the Barisan Nasional MPs, Government and backbenchers alike, especially the ones with immense loathing molded on their faces the moment Anwar comfortably eased himself into the custodial seat reserved for an elected representative like him: how do you contain a radioactive moving target?….. http://www.nst.com.my
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Shobhan Reply:
August 30th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
This man DSAI is made of steel. WE need a man like him to teach hypocritical BN bosses the lesson they haven’t learned. Let’s watch the trashing a one time enlightened UMNO supporter gives his ex co partners for the crimes against humanity, and watch the fun with great delight
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superb article. mohon supaya dialih ke Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin dan Tamil utk bacaan seluruh rakyat Malaysia. tq
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superb article.
i hope the tsunami will continue.
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Disini saya berharap semua MP bersepakat membawa berkat utk negara.Mahukan barisan atau pakatan,sebab masa ini di dalam persimpangan.Nak terus ,nak maju,nak tetap,nak berdiamkan diri.Setiap MP ada peluang,samaada berjuang utk rakyat atau sebaliknya.Kerajaan kata tiada konpirasi dgn kes liwat tapi di Permatang Pauh, kempen yg diutamakan BN.Setiap MP juga berpeluang utk memilih PM.krn masa skg ada dipersimpangan dan bknnya hanya UMNO saja.(wakil MCA,MIC,PBRS,DAP,PAS,GERAKAN,KEADILAN,AKIM,SAPP,PPP,PBS ,bepeluang menjadi PM,lompat, sikatak lompat)Siapa percaya siapa terpulanglah.(kenalah sign .mungkin sumpah di khalayak org ramai.apapun.)Yang pentingnya utk rakyat.Mempunyai kaliber,mempunyai perancangan yg dinamik.sorry ini cuma pandangan saya.kalau saya menyakiti sesiapa harap maaf.Kpd DSAI terus berjuang.congratulations.
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You express my sentiments exactly, and I’m sure the sentiments of many other Malaysians who have had enough of the hateful corrupt BN regime. Anwar is our only hope for a new Malaysia. But that hope seems fragile or ‘telur di hujung tanduk’, destined for a crushing fall as I dont see how he can get out of this sodomy allegation. Whether we believe the allegation or not, the BN have the power and the means to make the case against him stick, and put him away in jail for a long time. Unless of course he gets to form the govt first by getting BN MPs to jump ship. But are those MPs the kind of people we want in a Pakatan Rakyat govt?
Looks like we are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Oh Anwar.. why did you not have the foresight or wisdom to prevent such a thing from happening again, just when things were going so well for you and for the Malaysia that we dream of..
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John has a thought provoking message.
A hero is born in Malayisa! We have to support DSAI otherwise Malaysia will not see another hero for a while.
To succeed he has to have good generals and most importantly good soldiers, the right thinking “rakyat”. As long as Malaysians are matured politically, he will succeed to be our next PM. Whatever UMNO-led government wants to do with DSAI now, by putting him away in jail again, it will be over for a period of 4 and a half years from now if the “rakyat” can stay united to oust this sickening UMNO-led BN. I believe DSAI is still young and healthy at 65.
If right thinking “rakyat” still cannot win this fight during the 13th GE, then we better prepare our children for rapid exodus from Malaysia.
Between DSAI and UMNO, you better choose DSAI. You will be 100% right!
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I have a vision that DS Anwar will be the father of reformation of Malaysia. If he is able to form government and manage the country well, no doubt he will be remembered as one of the greatest PM in M’sia history. The title Bapa Reformasi Malaysia is how the rakyat will remember him if DS Anwar able to reform the country towards equality, humanity and peaceful harmony.
The full support from the rakyat come with a heavy pressure to deliver. Pak Lah failed it when the whole nation back him in 2004. Hopefully, DS Anwar will able to deliver and unite us all Malaysian.
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it took 50 years to change malaysia politics. Like john said, Anwar succeed where hussein onn and gerakan failed. Nowadays, i don’t see myself as malay but malaysian.
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Malaysia bukan milik sesiapa. Ia milik Allah S.W.T. Melayu harus belajar berkongsi bersama hamba Allah yang lain. Ketuanan melayu tidak praktikal dalam Islam. Islam itu adil, sama rata, tidak racist :-)
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Beautiful article if there it could be called one. John Lee’s article is very articulate and mature for someone so young.
Concur with John and Yojimbo’s comment that many of us may not like Anwar as a person, but there is no mistaking his ideals or principles, and the cause he champions are universal human causes that must be uphold anywhere in the world.
In the end, we must all remember that it is these ‘ideals’ of a more just and equitable society that is the most important and not the blind support of one man. And Anwar is the one man that can unite us all in these ideals that hopefully our faith with him will not be lost.
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wahai bangang bangang yg sokong PKR,di sini saya mempunyai beberapa sebab anda tidak patut meyokong pemimpin party ini: a)pemimpin party ini yg pandai mengata kat pemimpin2 UMNO mengamalkan kronisme tidak sedar yg beliau pun Ada kroni seperti contoh bapanya Ibrahim memegang saham di syarikat MOX.Goh Chun Lai dan abdul rani abangnya pegang banyak saham dan menjadi mewah semasa anwar jadi menteri,dan banyak lagi
b)pemimpin parti ni seorang hipokrit yg kononya pejuang semua bangsa memperkasakan ketuanan melayu dengan menukarkan subjek B.Malaysia kpd B.Melayu semasa menjadi menteri pendidikan dan selalu menegaskan ketuanan melayu semasa di perhimpunan UMNO. A c)seorang yg suka mengambil kesempatan di sebalik kesusahan yg dihadapi rakyat spt semasa di Baling dahulu mempunyai petani yg sangat miskin namun tiada seorang pun yg mati akibat kelaparan yg melampau telah ditokok tambah oleh beliau untuk Membangkitkan isu ini kpd kerajaan dengan demonstrasi Jalanan supaya mendapat perhatian ramai sedangkan tiada seorang pun yg mati kebuluran menunjukan yg beliau seorang oppurtnuist dan suka propaganda. A d)anwar tidak membawa sebarang perubahan yg bermanfaat kpd rakyat mahupun negara semasa menjadi menteri bahkan membawa musibah kpd negara ni dgn memohon bantuan kewangan kepada Ah long dunia iaitu IMF yg diibaratkan spt menjual negara sendiri apabila kerajaan tidak mampu melangsaikan pinjaman kewangan IMF namun berjaya dihalang oleh Dr Mahathir. A OLeh yg demikian,bahlul-bahlul sekalian jgn sekali-Kali terpedaya dengan janji manis anwar dan tipu dayanya kerana ini smua spt menanam tebu di tepi bibir.peringatan saya ni bkan penyokong UMNO mahupun BN.
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bengsee Reply:
August 31st, 2008 at 8:02 am
every adminstration has its cronies, friend. If you are a minister, surely your circle of friends and family will benefit. Or course, they should be more privy but still have to follow the rules of open, transparent tenders-the best man with the most reasonable proposal wins. Then and again, look around you (Anwar has been out for a decade) – how corruption is sucking our country dry. Even the smallest job like a market jamban or a small kampung road is not spared from this scourge.
I don’t know if Anwar will follow this road. But I believe a man who has fallen to the bottomless pit and rise again on the support of all Malaysians would be a more trusted option to bring a change.
Well, you can always vote Pakatan out in GE2012 if they don’t perform….
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Dear Pak Din,
Your coment noted but who do you think the best person that same capablity like DSAI please name it one person and the reason why you choose him. Sometimes people easy to condem but whether they have solution on it or not?
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TERIMA KASIH AJE LAH PAK DIN !
AKU NAK BANTU ANWAR GAK ! HANG NAK CAKAP APA ?
DULU, DULU PUNYA CERITA ! HANG PUN BUKAN BAIK SANGAT MASA DULU2. ENTAH2 LA PUN CAM TU GAK ! TAK GITU, PAK DIN !
CAMMON LE, PAK DIN !
JOIN PKR LAK !
NAK ?
TAK NAK ?
BOLEH BLAH !
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It needs a storm to flush out all the rubbish – see how clean our drains are after a storm ?
I pay taxes, abide all laws as a citizen Malaysia is proud of. I cultivate chinese cultures because I’m born one but I’ve been taught from small to respect all the idiosyncrasies of my ethnic group and of others.
When you perform 1st class and given no class at all in the very own country you are committed, how would you feel ? Well, now we have Anwar, my confidence is back. Hope Sir, you will never waver from the platform you begun.
I don’t care if you are guilty of sodomy or not because what has your private life to do with anybody. Moreover, even if it’s true, you don’t have to answer to anybody except your wife and God. Ha2.
Please sustain the pace towards a truly Malaysian spirit for all of us. Honestly, a government only needs to provide to those born underpriviledged by birthright or birthplace. Of course you provide your citizens not foreigners. A government only needs to provide basic infrastructures to spur growth because the people will have the confidence to move forward. Roads, schools, parks…Look around the world, the private sectors build mega projects because of the demand not to skim off the country’s wealth. Work on tax reliefs/rebates rather than on subsidies. Go on improving and maintaining our country’s existing public amenities rather than churning mega projects. The GE2008 is a resounding NO TO CORRUPTION message from all Malaysians
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Congratulations John, for a very well written article.You have articulate what many thinking Malaysians feel and believe!Yes, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is not only the catalyst for change,
he is the leader that we badly need to lead us into the 21st century globalized world.He represents change and change is what we want.More than fifty years of racial politics is enough.Instead of becoming more united as a nation we are becoming more and more polarised!
Yes all Malaysians are ready for change…change for the better!
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Pak Din pegi jual martabak lagi baik..yang bangang boleh jadi cerdik..biar bangang tak sembah UMNO dari jadi mcm ko..bahalol!!buat statement mmg nampak sangat pekat UMNO..sudah la Pak Din..baik ko nasihatkan ketua ko yang kaki TIDOQ tu..wake up..wake up..the ship is sinking..Pak Din Tidoq..gerakan PUNKOQ!!
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As I have consistently articulated, I am with Anwar only because of his multiracial stance – which takes into account the “reasonable” safeguard envisaged to be given by the Federal Constitution to Malays etc because of their “special position” but balanced against the “legitimate interests” of non-Malays (there is, of course, no such thing as “special rights of Malays”: that is an UMNO lie & myth) – and advocacy of “Ketuanan Rakyat” (as opposed to “Ketuanan Melayu”).
His past pro-Islam & pro-Malay past, I forgive (but, macam beliau sendiri, I do not forget), for I believe people can change, insaf and sedar. & Anwar has had so much time for these things in prison dll.
Everything else has already been promised (and broken) by UMNO/BN (i.e., anti-corruption lah, reform lah, good economy lah, ini lah, itu lah etc). Only Ketuanan Melayu they cannot give up, like a penagih dadah cannot give up his fix. Even PAS can suspend (but nor extinguish) its desire for an Islamic state (which, of course, tidak boleh wujud kerana, among other reasons, most Muslims in Malaysia do not want it. Indeed, in most so-called Islamic states too ordinary Muslims do not want it, but dare not say so).
So I support Anwar’s lead, in the belief that he will keep his word. & so, if I can do something for his cause (our cause) I will.
LJ
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Good article !!!
Today, to shout “Malaysia Boleh” is a bit exaggerated and sometimes shy to do it too.
But when Anwar Ibrahim takes over the helm, we can shout with no restraint for he represents truly “Malaysia Boleh”. We have to be proud that there is a MALAYSIAN who can unite all.
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Ooi! pak din bahalul, bodoh, otak katak d bwh tempurung! bkn penyokong BNUMNO knn. U ingat kami ni bodoh bahalul seperti u ke? U langsung tak kenang budi kat DSAI. Apa salahnya saudara2 DSAI ada share dsana sini? Apa salahnya mereka jadi mewah? Lu fikir orang2 BNUMNO je boleh MEWAH ke? Syukurlah saudara2 DSAI mewah, kalau tak camna beliau mo lwn BNUMNO keparat, penipu, pembunuh, perkauman etc…. Dulu DSAI stengahmati mo belah kau orang. Kasih naik kau orag melalui pendidikan dgn menjadikan B Melayu yg terpenting d M’sia supaya lain2 bangsa tertinggal. Kau orang dah maju dah. Dah sampai masa DSAI tolong Bangsa Malaysia sekarang. Kalau tinggal U sorang tak sokong DSAI jan nyampuk dlm blog ni. U gi blog ce det ke, blog beruk khairi ke, atau blog ezam bangsat ke barulah ngam ooi pak din bahalul. DSAIlah bangsa Melayu tulin sbb beliau berubah mengikut zaman, bukan cam org2 BNUMNO tetap juga cam org zaman batu. Hi kangkawan yang sehati sejiwa bersama DSAI, mari kita buat duit supaya kita jadi mewah, jan cam pak din tu hanya marah org jadi mewah. htt://www.btr2u.com/?x=fcharles88
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Ketuanan rakyat yang sepatutnya ialah berteraskan kepada budaya asli penduduk tempatan ( masyarakat melayu ). Jika perjuangan parti-parti sayap kiri melayu seperti KMM, API, AWAS atau Hizbul Muslimin berjaya, tentu konsep bangsa Malaysia berteraskan budaya melayu seperti yang diamalkan di Thailand dan Indonesia. Konsep ketuanan rakyat tidak harus disamakan dengan konsep bangsa di Singapura kerana pemerintah Singapura ( Lee Kuan Yew ) seboleh-bolehnya ingin keluar dari sejarah sebenar bahawa Singapura asalnya adalah Tanah Melayu yang dulunya berada dibawah pemerintahan Kerajaan Johor-Riau. Masyarakat bukan melayu harus diasimilasikan ke dalam budaya masyarakat pribumi tetapi tidaklah sampai harus memaksa mereka melupakan budaya rumpun asal bangsa mereka atau agama anutan mereka. Cukuplah jika kaum Cina dan India atau bukan Melayu lain fasih bertutur bahasa Melayu, memahami budaya penduduk asal dan mengamalkan serba sedikit daripadanya. Penyatuan ini akan merapatkan jurang dan akhirnya bangsa Malaysia dapat diwujudkan. Disinilah letaknya kesilapan Barisan Nasional kerana masih mengekalkan prinsip perjuangan perkauman tidak kiralah sama ada UMNO, MCA, MIC atau GERAKAN. PKR apabila berkuasa kelak harus memansuhkan sekolah jenis kebangsaan dan menjadikan semua sekolah rendah dan menengah bertaraf kebangsaan sebagai langkah awal kearah pembentukan bangsa Malaysia Unggul
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CAN DEMOCRACY ACTUALLY GUARANTEE US FREEDOM???
CAN WE LEARN SOMETHING FROM THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE ….
read on
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What’s the Meaning of ‘Freedom’? …. But don’t ask a politician!
by Rep. Ron Paul
“Man is not free unless government is limited. There’s a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts”.
- Ronald Reagan
We’ve all heard the words democracy and freedom used countless times, especially in the context of our invasion of Iraq. They are used interchangeably in modern political discourse, yet their true meanings are very different. George Orwell (picture above right) wrote about “meaningless words” that are endlessly repeated in the political arena. Words like “freedom,” “democracy,” and “justice,” Orwell explained, have been abused so long that their original meanings have been eviscerated. In Orwell’s view, political words are “often used in a consciously dishonest way.” Without precise meanings behind words, politicians and elites can obscure reality and condition people to reflexively associate certain words with positive or negative perceptions. In other words, unpleasant facts can be hidden behind purposely meaningless language.
As a result, Americans have been conditioned to accept the word “democracy” as a synonym for freedom, and thus to believe that democracy is unquestionably good. The problem is that democracy is not freedom. Democracy is simply majoritarianism, which is inherently incompatible with real freedom. Our founding fathers clearly understood this, as evidenced not only by our republican constitutional system, but also by their writings in the Federalist Papers and elsewhere. James Madison cautioned that under a democratic government, “There is nothing to check the inducement to sacrifice the weaker party or the obnoxious individual.” John Adams argued that democracies merely grant revocable rights to citizens depending on the whims of the masses, while a republic exists to secure and protect preexisting rights.
Yet how many Americans know that the word “democracy” is found neither in the Constitution nor the Declaration of Independence, our very founding documents? A truly democratic election in Iraq, without U.S. interference and U.S. puppet candidates, almost certainly would result in the creation of a Shi’ite theocracy. Shi’ite majority rule in Iraq might well mean the complete political, economic, and social subjugation of the minority Kurd and Sunni Arab populations. Such an outcome would be democratic, but would it be free? Would the Kurds and Sunnis consider themselves free? The administration talks about democracy in Iraq, but is it prepared to accept a democratically elected Iraqi government no matter what its attitude toward the U.S. occupation? Hardly. For all our talk about freedom and democracy, the truth is we have no idea whether Iraqis will be free in the future.
They’re certainly not free while a foreign army occupies their country. The real test is not whether Iraq adopts a democratic, pro-Western government, but rather whether ordinary Iraqis can lead their personal, religious, social, and business lives without interference from government. Simply put, freedom is the absence of government coercion. Our Founding Fathers understood this, and created the least coercive government in the history of the world. The Constitution established a very limited, decentralized government to provide national defense and little else. States, not the federal government, were charged with protecting individuals against criminal force and fraud. For the first time, a government was created solely to protect the rights, liberties, and property of its citizens.
Any government coercion beyond that necessary to secure those rights was forbidden, both through the Bill of Rights and the doctrine of strictly enumerated powers. This reflected the founders’ belief that democratic government could be as tyrannical as any King. Few Americans understand that all government action is inherently coercive. If nothing else, government action requires taxes. If taxes were freely paid, they wouldn’t be called taxes, they’d be called donations. If we intend to use the word freedom in an honest way, we should have the simple integrity to give it real meaning: Freedom is living without government coercion. So when a politician talks about freedom for this group or that, ask yourself whether he is advocating more government action or less. The political left equates freedom with liberation from material wants, always via a large and benevolent government that exists to create equality on earth.
To modern liberals, men are free only when the laws of economics and scarcity are suspended, the landlord is rebuffed, the doctor presents no bill, and groceries are given away. But philosopher Ayn Rand (and many others before her) demolished this argument by explaining how such “freedom” for some is possible only when government takes freedoms away from others. In other words, government claims on the lives and property of those who are expected to provide housing, medical care, food, etc. for others are coercive?and thus incompatible with freedom. “Liberalism,” which once stood for civil, political, and economic liberties, has become a synonym for omnipotent coercive government. The political right equates freedom with national greatness brought about through military strength.
Like the left, modern conservatives favor an all-powerful central state? but for militarism, corporatism, and faith-based welfarism. Unlike the Taft-Goldwater conservatives of yesteryear, today’s Republicans are eager to expand government spending, increase the federal police apparatus, and intervene militarily around the world. The last tenuous links between conservatives and support for smaller government have been severed. “Conservatism,” which once meant respect for tradition and distrust of active government, has transformed into big-government utopian grandiosity. Orwell certainly was right about the use of meaningless words in politics. If we hope to remain free, we must cut through the fog and attach concrete meanings to the words politicians use to deceive us.
We must reassert that America is a republic, not a democracy, and remind ourselves that the Constitution places limits on government that no majority can overrule. We must resist any use of the word “freedom” to describe state action. We must reject the current meaningless designations of “liberals” and “conservatives,” in favor of an accurate term for both: statists. Every politician on earth claims to support freedom. The problem is so few of them understand the simple meaning of the word.
Merdeka!!!
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