From The Diplomat
Let’s start by talking about the current situation in Malaysia. In a recent interview you described it as being almost a failed state, particularly in the context of its neighbours. What makes you say that and what in your opinion has caused that situation?
The issue of governance and in terms of failing to deal with the issue of endemic corruption, the judiciary is still questionable, so their decisions and independence and the absence of control; the media is so pervasive. For example, in the latest campaign there is a resurgence of the communist party. These are signs, you know, that [Malaysia] is becoming so authoritarian and so repressive. Why is there a need now to have a massive campaign in the government-controlled media – which is entirely, fully controlled by them – to suggest that there is a resurgence of communism?
There has also been a great deal of talk in Australia in particular about this being the Asia-Pacific Century. Do you agree with that? How do you see Malaysia benefiting from any possible shift in global economic and political power?
Well, I don’t have an issue against that, in terms of there’s a need to fortify and even strengthen the economic cooperation within the region. I think we should be all-encompassing in the region. So I think that now there has been eagerness, particularly in the light of the latest financial and economic crisis. But we have to move on first by putting our own house in order. Yes the impact is felt by all countries and the countries have to take measures with these stimulus packages, but the way it is being done is questionable. It must be transparent. And [in Malaysia] we have to look at how it’s being done in Malaysia compared to China. China focussed 40 per cent [of its stimulus] on infrastructure in the earthquake-affected areas; another 30 per cent on rural infrastructure…
I am no great friend of China, but still there are issues that I think we have to look [at] and study. Now compare this to Malaysia. Out of the $70 billion so-called package, the funds allocated for infrastructure per-say is only $15bn. But I charge there are embellishments to push the figure upwards: $10bn for the stockmarket; another $15-20bn for bank guarantees in case there are problems. So you are not talking about a proper stimulus package; we do not know where it is spent or how it is going. Even at a time of crisis, I would use this creative destruction because you can use this to improve and build anew, not to fortify and strengthen the auxiliary and corrupt practices.
So is there a real danger in your eyes of Malaysia slipping behind its neighbours, particularly in light of the current global financial crisis?
In terms of the fundamentals, I must admit that Malaysia is on a much stronger footing, partly because of better infrastructure and the financial services. In light of the last crisis of 1997-98, I think some of the measures have been adopted to strengthen the position of the financial institutions, including the banking sector. That I concede, and I think is something positive that will help us. Similarly there are a lot of reserves, which are quite strong, although, I think, slipping really fast.
Our concern is more with the issue of governance. If you fail to improve the institution of governance, including the casting of an economic policy and preparedness to move so that Malaysia becomes more competitive, then we will certainly lose out. In some sectors we have lost out even to Indonesia and Thailand, to China, of course, and even Vietnam now. So I think that we have to depart from the obsolete economic policies. Now I think some positives measures have been implemented – in the services sector, for example. But liberalising and bringing in foreign investors [counts for nothing when you] fail to deal with the more substantive issues, like the need for affirmative action. Then these policies can never be fully endorsed by the general public.
I am for the market economy and for liberalisation, but we cannot ignore the grinding poverty and we cannot ignore the importance for affirmative action based on need, not on race. And more important still, the need to strengthen the system of government; the judiciary must be independent. The media must be free. How do you then evaluate and assess the success of policies if the statistics are all questionable. The government says ‘Our growth is two per cent, inflation is 2.5 per cent.’ [But those figures are] generally not well accepted. The people still have doubts and questions and are cynical, and this is dangerous in a modern government.
So is a fundamental overhaul needed in Malaysia? Not just a change of political party being in power, but in terms of overhauling the judiciary, overhauling the bureaucracy in order to eliminate an endemic culture of nepotism and corruption and cronyism?
Yes. But what has this result been instead? Racism – the problem of the Chinese and the Hindus. And then there is this new threat, including communism. Some rural sectors remember what it was like to suffer under militant communist activities in the ’50s and ’60s.
Last year you set a number of deadlines for the transfer of power. That was when Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was there. Now that there is a new, or relatively new, prime minister in Najib Razak, are you still confident that transfer will happen in the next year or two?
We have to hope it will happen. We have won every single by-election [since the general election], despite the fact that we have to struggle without any exposure in the media. In the mainstream media in this country – TV, newspapers – you cannot see any photograph of myself or my wife or my daughter at all. To win under those trying circumstances, with questionable conduct of the election commission and the judiciary is extraordinary. So I’m still optimistic that given the chance, we would prove ourselves.
Quite clearly your opponents aren’t going to give in without a fight. You’re currently facing renewed allegations – similar allegations to the ones that were eventually dismissed after you spent six years in solitary confinement. It must take an enormous personal, physical and emotional stress on you and your family.
Yes, this isn’t an easy thing, particularly when it becomes so vicious and scurrilous a personal attack and dealing with exactly the same players. It is tough, but I am confident enough that it will be a very good fight inside and outside the court. But I’m not too optimistic about the issue of the conduct and independence of the court based on the previous decision and the influence the executive has on the courts.
What is of course is disconcerting to us and other opposition leaders is that the personal attacks on me and others have increased, using all agencies. The media has always been controlled, but the manner is different. We thought things might change with the new prime minister and his pronouncements of change and the separation of powers, but the media has become a sort of propaganda tool for the ruling party.
You’ve clearly got the ruling party and the prime minister rattled at the minute, because as you say, you’re winning by-election after by-election and clearly the general sense in the country is of the desire for change from all the people; from the native Malays, and also the Chinese, Indian elements of the population as well. Which must give you confidence and a degree of strength as you’re going through this?
Yes, it does. But it’s also becoming a joke – all this time and resources being spent to deflect from the central issue of poor governance. It’s strengthening our opposition forces.
If your worst-case scenario eventuates and you’re found guilty and sent to prison, what will that mean for those opposition forces? Will they be able to survive, to progress, without your unifying presence?
I have been told by very reliable sources that close to the ruling clique that one way out for that clique is to send me back to prison. I don’t know whether that involves Najib himself; I just hope that sanity prevails. But the fact that they proceed with charges so frivolous is shocking to say the least. But, of course, they’ve done it before. This is clearly a politically machination by a desperate group, so I have to be very prepared to fight.
But assuming the worst does happen – and I don’t believe it will happen because now I am even better prepared [with medical reports from government doctors] – we have made preparations to ensure the opposition coalition survives.
I told Nik Nazmi, the Menteri Besar’s political secretary, about the Badrul problem way back in mid-2008. I told him we have probably ‘lost’ him. And we actually lost him a few days after the 8 March 2008 general election.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
It was in February 2008 that I first met Badrul Hisham Abdullah. And I went to meet him at the request of Ronnie Liu. You see; Ronnie was contesting the Pandamaran state seat under the Port Kelang parliamentary constituency while Badrul was contesting the neighbouring Port Kelang state seat, also under the Port Kelang parliamentary constituency. It was important, therefore, that both Ronnie and Badrul win to ensure that Charles Santiago will win the Port Kelang parliament seat as well.
We were not too worried about Pandamaran because Ronnie had spent many years building his base there. So we were quite confident that Ronnie would win the seat without any problem. But the Port Kelang state seat was another matter. It was going to be an uphill battle with this one.
First of all, no one knew who the hell this Badrul guy was. Secondly, that seat is a strong Barisan Nasional seat because of the Malay voters from Kampong Raja Uda who have always voted Umno since Merdeka Day. Never has Kampong Raja Uda voted opposition and unless they do then Badrul would not be able to win that seat.
To help Badrul increase his chances, Ronnie campaigned for Badrul and he asked me to go meet the voters in Kampong Raja Uda. We need to win the votes of the Malays in Kampong Raja Uda, said Ronnie, if Badrul is going to win. The Chinese and Indians are not too much of a problem. Furthermore, the Malays are the majority so if we can’t win the Malay votes, even if we win 100% of the votes of the Chinese and Indians, it will not help. Anyway, there is no way we can win 100% of the Chinese and Indian votes.
Ronnie arranged for me to ceramah at Kampong Raja Uda. My message to the Malay voters in Kampong Raja Uda was short and to the point. It was raining heavily and we had all these Malays standing in the rain getting soaked to their skin. So it was better that I come to the point, say my piece, and allow them to get out of the rain.
The opposition has never won the votes of the Malays of Kampong Raja Uda, I said. Since Merdeka, the Malays have always voted for the ruling party. For the first time I want the Malays to vote opposition, I said. This kampong, Kampong Raja Uda, is named after my grandfather, Raja Tun Uda. I used to visit this area every year during Hari Raya when I was a child because my relatives used to live here although many have since moved away.
If the Malays here still vote for the ruling party and do not vote for the opposition, I want them to remove my grandfather’s name from this kampong. Call it something else but please do not call it Kampong Raja Uda. And if the ruling party wins the votes from Kampong Raja Uda I swear to never step foot in this kampong again.
On Polling Day, Badrul won the Port Kelang state seat and, for the first time in history, Kampong Raja Uda went to the opposition. However, when it came time to announce the winner, Badrul was nowhere to be seen. They rushed to his house to see whether he was home but it appeared like no one was home. They knocked on his door anyway and for a while no one stirred. They continued knocking and soon a very sleepy Badrul came to the door. He had been sleeping. While the votes were being counted Badrul was at home fast asleep.
Badrul had a very confused look on his face. You won, they told him. Get dressed and come to the counting centre. They need you there to announce the winner.
Badrul remained silent. Quickly, get dressed. You won. You need to go to the counting centre.
I won? Badrul could not believe what he heard.
Yes, you won, quickly, come with us. You need to be there.
The signs that something was not quite right with this man already showed on Nomination Day and Ronnie told me he was a bit worried about this guy. He went to the nomination centre without any money and could not pay the deposit. So they quickly did a collection to help raise the deposit by passing the hat around.
After Badrul had been sworn in as a State Assemblyman, he ‘disappeared’. Instead of spending time with the other Pakatan Rakyat Assemblymen or the Member of Parliament, he was seen almost every night having dinner with the Umno people. He was mingling with the Umno people and staying away from the Pakatan Rakyat people.
I told Nik Nazmi, the Menteri Besar’s political secretary, about the Badrul problem way back in mid-2008. I told him we have probably ‘lost’ him. And we actually lost him a few days after the 8 March 2008 general election.
Nik Nazmi told me they are aware of the problem. But of course nothing was done about it and now the problem has come back to bite PKR and Pakatan Rakyat on their backsides.
That is the saga of Badrul Hisham Abdullah, PKR’s candidate for the Port Kelang state seat who turned up on Nomination day without any money to pay his deposit, who went home to sleep while the votes were being counted, and who ‘joined’ Umno barely a few days after he won the election.
When we first met Badrul, my wife said, oh my God, you mean PKR does not have any other candidates to choose? To be honest, my wife said, even I will not vote for him. How can we expect the general public to vote for him?
I think you make a much better candidate than Badrul, I told my wife.
That is so insulting, my wife replied. How can you compare me to him? I would not even trust him to cut my grass, let alone become my Wakil Rakyat.
Yes, that was my wife’s opinion. And Ronnie told me way back in March 2008 that we are going to have problems with Badrul. We expected him to jump ship more than a year ago. Our only surprise is that it took so long for him to do so. And an even bigger surprise is, after knowing all this, why did PKR not do anything about this guy earlier?
That appears to be the story of PKR’s life. And there are many more the likes of Badrul Hisham Abdullah lurking in PKR. I just wonder when we are going to see more incidences like Badrul.
PKR is beginning to look like ONE HUGE JOKE. But the joke is not funny. We campaigned hard and asked the voters to trust us by voting opposition. I personally went down to the ground to tell the voters to trust me and vote opposition. Have we violated that trust? Will the voters ever trust me again?
That, I would summarise, is the greatest tragedy of all.
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Azmil Reply:
November 4th, 2009 at 5:41 am
Dear RPK,
It is truly sad that the desperation in PR when facing the GE12 is now coming back to haunt us. It’s almost like we were picking just any tom, dick and harry to run for election under PR banner. And this has now gone down in history to has caused many setbacks. This includes :
1. DSAI’s former aide, who just ‘appeared’ from no where to help out for GE12, is now charging DSAI for sodomy. Did anyone do background check on him? – no.
2. The desperation also led to the fall of Perak from PR, when PR reps decided to be abandon ship and become BN-friendly reps. As we all know, these are the reps who were marred with corruption charges barely few months after the GE12. Ironically, those charges were dropped after their historical exit from the parti. But that is besides the point; the point is, did anyone do background check on them before passing them as candidates? – no!
3. Now, Badrul Hisham have decided to abandon ship. Did anyone do background check on him – no! And I am afraid that is this case, you Sir, is as equally guilty for letting this snob be nominated when you yourself ‘know’ that he was unfit for it. Why oh why did you not insist for a better candidate back then?
We can point fingers at BN/UMNO and accuse them of ‘buying’ these people. But as the saying goes – “One finger pointing others, four fingers pointing self”. While we accuse BN/UMNO as buying, we are also saying that our candidates are EASILY BOUGHT.
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taiko Reply:
November 6th, 2009 at 2:10 am
Raja Petra,
Lie..lie..and lie again. We know theres tonnes of bullxxxt in your comment. No wonder people call you RPK = Raja Putar Kuat. Jangan marah ya, nanti kena jual lagi..
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Pimpinan tertinggi, boleh la kalau duduk dan berbincang baik-baik, kena sedar dan waras akan semua ni hanya tipu daya UMNO untuk meneruskan kesinambungan rasuah.
Contoh;
Bangunan yang digunakan untuk rumah kedai dulu harga 400, sekarang dah 750 di Perak. Yang terdiri daripada majoriti orang melayu, apa ni? betul mahu bela macam ini?
Be prepared, we will have really tough fight ahead. Do not give up, I really hope PR members, leaders, and everyone on the opposition side, would cooperate this time, forget our own needs for a moment. This is what they want to see, PR splitting apart.
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PR will emerge from this crisis stronger & more matured.
People wont get back to Bn, BN is a nightmare for most.
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taiko Reply:
November 6th, 2009 at 2:13 am
Nightmare for you but sweet dream to me. hola.
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Jangan persoal hak saya pilih ahli Kabinet – Najib
01/11/2009
KUALA LUMPUR 1 Nov. – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mengingatkan semua pihak supaya jangan mempersoalkan haknya sebagai Perdana Menteri untuk melantik sesiapa sahaja yang layak dan berkarisma untuk menganggotai Kabinet.
Tegas beliau, segala tindakannya bukannya bertujuan untuk menggunakan kuasa semata-mata tetapi demi kepentingan semua pihak atas kapasitinya sebagai Pengerusi Barisan Nasional (BN) dan Perdana Menteri untuk semua kaum, bukan hanya untuk Melayu sahaja.
Menurut beliau, pelantikan Presiden Gerakan, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon sebagai menteri adalah bagi menghargai peranan parti itu dan sebagai sebahagian daripada proses pemulihan itu parti berkenaan.
“Jangan persoalkan, ini hak saya sebagai Perdana Menteri dan saya buat ini bukan saya nak gunakan kuasa tetapi sebab saya fikir saya adalah Pengerusi BN, saya buat demi kepentingan BN, saya bukan Presiden UMNO sahaja, saya juga Pengerusi BN.
“Saya bukan Perdana Menteri untuk Melayu tapi untuk semua rakyat Malaysia, sebab itulah saya bertindak sedemikian, saya lihat daripada keseluruhannya, saya melihat masa depan negara kita, saya lihat kita telah kena pukul oleh rakyat dengan memberikan peringatan dan isyarat dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke-12 lalu,” katanya. – Utusan
Answer;
hah!!!!!!!
morale of the story……..jangan banyak songeh okayy? PM kata tu dia punyer hal ler nak lantik saper pun jadik menteri kabinet dia………. dia nak lantik berahim katak lompat ali jadik TPM nanti ker… nak lantik sami tolvellu jadik balik menteri JKR ker.. dia nak lantik brahim toge pun okay….!! tu dia punya kuasa wokeyyyyyyyy jangan banyak tanya!!!!!
morale of the story… bukan nak tunjuk kuasa wokeyyyyyyyyy cuma nak INGATkan rakyat… siapa yg BERkoser sekarang ni… sama ada najib ker.. bini dia ker…. hah!!!
p/s let me be clear!!! jangan jadik pangai mcm bangau wokeyyyyy najib!!!……. ala2 obama ler pulok LMFAO….
Najib ni ibarat binatang tukar kaler, kejap merah, kejap hijau, ala power ranger
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“We have won every single by-election [since the general election]“, ye ke DSAI?!! Adakah ini fakta atau propaganda DSAI semata-mata?!!!
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taiko Reply:
November 6th, 2009 at 2:11 am
Propaganda dari seorang penipu, takkan tak tau kot.
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I thought UMNO would change for good. But apparently no, it seems maybe they need to be buried deep in the ground to have real change.
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Honest man in UMNO is 0, those who is trying hard to change UMNO for good is not from UMNO. I was about to help them change, but if they put you in jail we will not. Let them die natural death if this happens.
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taiko Reply:
November 6th, 2009 at 2:15 am
Que sera sera, what ever will be, will be, the future not us to see, que sera sera..what will be, will be.
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