‘Too right - in favour of BN which is why the opposition had to resort to ‘alternative’ channels to spread information.’
On Mat Taib jabs Dr M, defends Pak Lah
Philip Wong: I refer to Muhd Muhd Taib's criticisms of Dr Mahathir's criticisms of Abdullah Badawi (yet more circles of criticisms) for the election losses. Again the tired old excuses about bloggers, news portals (and we know which he's referring to) and SMS are being used. We all know the mass media, including press and TV are pretty much tightly controlled by BN.
A non-level playing field? Too right - in favour of BN which is why the opposition had to resort to ‘alternative’ channels to spread information, while the mainstream media was being used by BN to spread disinformation (of which I'm sure the YB is an expert).
As always Muhammad Muhd Taib has shown the BN's inability to deal with underlying causes, merely skimming the surface by addressing the use of alternative media rather than fully understanding that the electorate rejected BN for all the underlying rot that he, together with all the other BN leaders, are collectively responsible for.
And let's not forget that most of this rot set in well within Dr Mahathir's time so he's just as responsible. So instead of criticising Abdullah he should show himself to be a man and admit that his biggest mistake was not appointing Abdullah but by staying in power for so long, with all the worst abuses of power in Malaysia's history happening during his time.
Fergus Ong: Not a level playing field? As the information chief of Umno, Muhd Muhd Taib should be the one answerable for the party's failure to tap into the use of new media. The same administration that poured billions into setting up information corridors vilified its influence on politics, and in arrogance, refused to use it. Muhd Muhd Taib should go home, turn on his computer, pull up a browser and seriously question his own failures as Umno's information chief.
Franklin Morais: Once again, a high-ranking BN minister betrays his shallow thinking. ‘It wasn't a level playing field’! What utter rubbish! Again, a strong indictment of the BN ministerial quality available currently. Is a level playing field the total dominance of the visual and auditory media space in Malaysia by the BN?
To further confirm the utter hopelessness of this minister in question, he has the audacity to raise the issue of ‘unfairness’! Unfairness was written large all across Tun Dr Mahathir's 22 years reign, and the four years of Pak Lah. Who will save us from these unbelievable politicians?
DelCapo: ‘It wasn’t a level-playing field (between the BN and opposition). BN did not use the portals, SMS and ICT (information and communications technology) to the fullest.’
Is Muhd Muhd Taib saying that:
1) It would have been a level-playing field IF the opposition did not use the portals, SMS and ICT? What about the huge amount of political funds and the control of the mainstream media by BN? I don't think it was level playing field because the balance was still very much in favour of BN.
2) Is BN is admitting that they are behind the times in terms of technologies and the usage of them? These are not new or rocket science mediums. Twelve-year olds are using SMS and blogs.
Muhd Muhd Taib just shot himself in the foot and sounds like a sore loser - nothing more, nothing less! In the spirit of calling for the sleepy, outdated PM to step down, Umno should also really look at asking its has-been, outdated information chief to disappear from the scene.
On Pak Lah has 'no shame' for refusing to quit
Umar Mukhtar: It is presumptuous for Tun Mahathir and his vociferous bully-boys at the recent public forum, to pressure Pak Lah to resign as prime minister on the account that Umno may be unhappy over his leadership in facing the recent polls. It is not Umno that decides who should be prime minister. In the final analysis, it is the Hon. Members of Parliament. And that includes the opposition MP's, in a vote of confidence. Should the membership of Umno be seduced again to gobble up Mahathir's self-serving arguments, then they could very well remove Pak Lah as Umno president, but never as an MP. And then what?
Consider this. There are at least 33 die-hard supporters of Pak Lah in the present Parliament and whose political futures will be thrown to the wind should Mahathir get his way. Pak Lah may very well strike up deals with Pakatan Rakyat to ensure the survival of his loyalists. This is not unthinkable considering the dastardly way Pak Lah has been treated by Mahathir. Umno may then have to sack Pak Lah and his loyalists from Umno. That would make it even more palatable for Pakatan Rakyat for they then can take over the government.
Will other BN component parties follow Pak Lah? Considering that it was typical of the goings- on in Hotel Singgahsana that produced the kind of demagoguery which made their parties lose credibility with their supporters, it is not unthinkable that they may. Mahathir should not be too cocksure. The old fox knows his present barking is not towards a zero-sum solution. The pity is that those left-overs of the Mahathir era, screaming away at Hotel Singgahsana, think otherwise.
PITA Sabah: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should get the Umno disciplinary committee to sack Dr M for being a traitor to the party. Finish the story as well as show that AAB is not weak. In politics it is also commonsense to ‘kill before your are killed’. To me, the election result was exactly what Dr M wanted and his actions and comments point to this direction. More than enough reasons to sack him.
Jason Khaw: Many things have been written about PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. And if we were to compile the conclusions, we would have 99% highlighting his weaknesses and 1% his strengths. However, would that be a fair reflection of the man himself? I would say no.
To judge Abdullah, we should objectively list down the good and the bad, not just the bad which is such a natural thing to do when writing an opinion. Personally, looking at the alternatives we have at hand, plus assessing all the things that Abdullah has done for this country, I would say he is the right leader to guide us through these growing years.
After being free from the controlled environment of Mahathir, we are now given the opportunity to find our own way and PM Abdullah is the right leader for this period. Anyone else would spoil this great opportunity. Malaysians, be fair - think about it, do your own objective analysis
On Param: Not too late for probe on Dr M
True Malaysian: There should be a full investigation on the former PM for interference in the EPU DG’s matter. The law must take its course. After all, the former PM has never been worried about any investigation into his actions. So what is the government waiting for? Is Dr M untouchable?.
On Penang CM: I can be charged and jailed again
Om Prakash: The NEP, I believe, is still considered a policy. When has it been a law? The police have decided to probe and investigate Lim Guan Eng for saying that the NEP in Penang may be repealed. This is a political interpretation by the police force. The police have seriously gone overboard in showing their politically biased stand. The police have forgotten their duty to King, country and rakyat. It should start showing an apolitical stand before the institution loses all respect.
The police allowed illegal gatherings in Perak, Penang and Selangor saying that the demonstrators merely wanted to express their feelings. Why wasn't crowd control employed with water cannons and tear-gas or the dragging away of stubborn protesters done? The people cannot be fooled by the police.
On Opposition forms Pakatan Rakyat
JM: I still don't see the rationale in forming the Pakatan Rakyat. It is still similar to the Barisan Natsional concept. Even if Pakatan Rakyat comes into power, it would still be divided into their own identities of DAP, PKR and PAS just like BN having 14 component parties with their own identities. We need to get rid of this.
Why I say this is because we do not want the same state of affairs that is happening in Sabah and Sarawak now to happen to Pakatan Rakyat sooner or later. As everyone knows the component parties in Sabah and Sarawak are not satisfied with the federal ministerial posts given because they feel that their communities are not well represented in the federal government. Their demands for more representation is legitimate as they have won almost all the parliament seats in Sabah and Sarawak.
Therefore, what I feel is that instead of identifying themselves as DAP, PKR or PAS they should form one and only one party for all irrespective of race, religion, culture or creed. They should completely wipe out their own identities and be known only as Pakatan Rakyat or Parti Pakatan Demokratik Malaysia or whatever suitable name they may choose. They must identify themselves as one party for all Malaysians and no more identification by race, religion, culture or creed. This party ought to open itself to anyone who wishes to join them. A Malaysia for all Malaysians and no more discrimination against any race, religion, culture or creed.
Michelle: I agree that for Pakatan Rakyat to be truly representative, the issue of race and religion should be dropped. Otherwise, it is never-ending story and they will end up like Barisan Nasional where there will be one dominant party especially when the basis is based on population. That will defeat the purpose of this new found alliance that promises that there is no discrimination and all will belong to Bangsa Malaysia.
I am tired of all this racial and religion thing. I think the leaders should not even talk of race when they deal with problems. They should fight for the rakyat based on unity. We are all human beings and all Malaysians. Stop the use of the word ‘race’.
Tan Kae: The opposition parties seem to be in a rush to form a coalition. Actually, their situation before the elections was the best. Before they form any kind of coalition they would have to compromise on certain key areas including implementation of the Islamic state and the abolishment of the NEP. Can they achieve agreement on these matters?
Of course, every Malaysian is hopeful to see a solid opposition coalition being formed so that we can leap forward towards a more democratic political system.
Phua Kai Lit: When the Pakatan Rakyat forms the government of Malaysia in the future and if Anwar Ibrahim becomes prime minister, I hope that he and his cabinet will always remember that the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO are basically tools to promote American economic hegemony over the rest of the world. So the policy recommendations of these three organisations should be treated with healthy skepticism.
Also, the ‘band of bloggers’ (kudos to you all) and other concerned citizens of Malaysia should continue to be vigilant to keep our elected leaders progressive and clean.. As the saying goes, ‘If the people lead, the leaders will have to follow’!
Kenny Low: Pakatan is not a good name as it reminds people of the previous Pakatan (before Barisan Nasional) that failed in 1969. Barisan is also not good because it duplicates Barisan Nasional. I would suggest to use Gabungan Rakyat Malaysia (in short GRM).
On AG: PM didn't act in 'cavalier fashion' against Hindraf 5
Inthian: The AG revealed the following in the Federal Court with regards to the Hindraf 5 detained under the ISA.
- detention was made on information provided by the police
Based on the above , it appears that the goverment has solid evidence to charge the Hindraf 5 in court and after a fair trial, if found guilty, the Hindraf 5 should be thrown into jail.
The question now is why the government is NOT charging them in court despite having in possession all the evidence. More than 100 days have gone by since the Hindraf 5 were arrested. Why is the government dragging this issue of not charging the? It’s morally wrong to detain a person without any concrete reason. The Hindraf 5 should be released unconditionally if the government cannot prove their case.
On The day the hooligans' rule ended
PJ Boy: The writer wrote: ‘If the DAP becomes too chauvinistic, the Malay Muslims can easily regain control of the states (Perak and Selangor)’ and ‘We hope the DAP understands the shakiness of their claim to power and will decide to excel in good governance instead’.
It is precisely these kind of offensive sentiments that are going to hamper the progress by the new coalition Pakatan Rakyat - suspicion of non-Malays by Malays like the writer. And the sad irony is that this fear of non-Malays is exactly the kind of thinking that Umno (the party the writer terms ‘hooligans’) espouses and tries to propagate, and in fact has made their main platform.
Though I am not a supporter of DAP but more a supporter of the opposition in general, I must point out to the writer the fact that DAP sacrificed the Perak MB’s post to PAS, the party which won the least amount of seats in Perak. It also gave up a number of seats in the Selangor exco line up just to appease the Sultan of Selangor and again, the main beneficiary of this sacrifice was PAS, the party that won the least number of seats in Selangor.
As a PAS supporter, it would behoove him to follow his party's leadership who have been working hard to assure non-Malays that they would be treated equally and fairly. And he had better not group PKR and PAS together as PKR is a multi-racial party made up of Malaysians of all races and not exclusively for Malays only. Many of the state and parliament seats held by PKR were won by non-Malays. Moreover, Malays today, especially those in Selangor, can think for themselves and prefer to work toward national unity rather than hold on to divisive sentiments like the writer.
On A vote for opposition, a vote for 'hudud'
MZH: May my opinion serve as a reply on behalf of voters who voted for PAS in the recent election. It is easy for us to lump the terms ‘Sharia’, ‘Islamic state’ and ‘Wahhabi’ together as a homogenous piece of lingual reference to the doctrines and doings of Muslim countries around the globe that have failed to understand the higher intention of the Islamic law. PAS has been trying hard to distance itself from that understanding, and it is hard for all of us not to acknowledge that. The fear mongering that a vote for PAS is a vote for hudud is unjustified in a sense that hudud implementation is never the goal of an Islamic state. And PAS did not even mention that term, despite risking Muslim sensitivities. What else is there? An un-Islamic state?
Prior to March 8, I have seen Chinese-owned houses proudly wrapping huge PAS banners over their boundary barriers around Dr Lo' Lo's area, and Indian youths waving PAS flags on their bikes in Shah Alam. These are instances that prove PAS' act of silence grace in distancing itself from its previously hardline, conservative image has gained support from the non-Muslims, albeit the fact that my non-Muslim friends abstained from voting PAS for fear of having to not be able to eat pork openly again, which is sadly ridiculous as the fear of having arm-and-leg soup in the menu under the PAS-administered states.
On Firecrackers: lifting ban makes better sense
AB Ipoh: The writer proposes that the government scrap the ban on firecrackers ostensibly because there is no control over its use during festivities in Malaysia. Surely he has not forgotten the old and the very young and the pets in homes that are traumatically affected by the deafening noise of firecrackers indiscriminately played during any occasion including at the opening of new businesses?
Should we go for stricter enforcing of the law or allow lawbreakers to have their way, like the Mat Rempits do? I could go sentence by sentence of his letter to argue that this is a good law and that all his reasons are dangerous to other laws, like the drug laws. For example, should drug-taking ( of the addictive kind) be legalised to allow the police less work in enforcing something that is not 100 % controllable?
Should double-parking and indiscriminate parking be allowed since it is quite common to see and not much is done to cure this ill? Why not propose some good ideas on how to enforce good laws, rather than give up so easily?
On The return of the tainted ambassador?
P Masry: I must concur with Retired Wisma Putran regarding Ghazzali Sheikh. The scandal regarding the charges thrown at Anwar Ibrahim did in fact take place prior to Ghazzali's tenure as ambassador. In addition, while the payoff to Jack Abramoff took place while Ghazzali was ambassador to Washington DC he hardly was the lead on this; furthermore, Anwar Ibrahim has had frequent contact with the now-disgraced Abramoff.
No one is free from dirty hands in the desire to somewhat crudely raise Malaysia's profile in Washington DC. All Umno members are probably tainted by domestic and foreign financial and political irregularities (though some less than others; in this regard, Shahrir Samad might stand out as one with a proper education in learning how to distinguish between right and wrong).
On a personal note: I know Ghazzali somewhat (though I could hardly claim to be a close friend) and, if anything, he could be regarded as one of the few bright spots during both Dr Mahathir's and Pak Lah's respective administrations.
Whatever his peccadillos, Ghazzali Sheikh is a humble and considerate man of some wisdom and intelligence. No one individual is perfect and Ghazzali may very well feel he is due, without proper vetting and additional scrutiny, more diplomatic time in Washington DC having carried the water for Pak Lah and Dr Mahathir for so long, but had an alternate choice for ambassador been placed in Washington DC post-2001 (say, Najib or the over-worn Tunku Razeleigh), I shudder to think of the consequences for both Malaysia and the US.
