It has long been said that, thanks to an ingrained parochialism,Political parties tend to put their racial identity before their national identity. So you’ll have a MCA, or MIC, or a UMNO and so on. But you seldom, if ever, find anyone who is a plain and simple Malaysian Malaysian We have a chance to turn things around for the better in 2015. We hope all Malaysians will embrace a better attitude to towards change to seek peace and prosperity, and at the same time avoid racism, bigotry and narrow-minded politicking. Let's look forward to a better 2015 and move forward together in achieving mutual progress. We cannot expect the ruling elite to change. If we want to fare better and see a better Malaysia in the years to come, the Malays has to be the change, To change Malaysia for the better, we cannot expect others to change, be they politikus, civil servants or the other man/lady in the street. We, each and everyone of ourselves, must be the change. Change we must and change we will. This cannot be a chant but must be followed by actions. Only then will we get to see a better Change or be changed. Most likely the latter. Why? If a person has 50+ years to change and yet could not change, what makes us think he could within one year?
Najib Razak has often been the ‘absentee PM’, prioritising a photo-op for a meeting on a trade deal that is effectively dead over the suffering of his people in one most serious national emergencies the country has faced since independence – an event that has not even yet been declared an emergency.
If the current UMNO-government is still using race, religion and royalty to sustain their political regime in 2015 like the tumultuous 2014 by outsourcing to Perkasa, ISMA & right-wing Malay NGO who proclaimed that PMO had assigned them to deal with G25 in the name of protecting the Malay Agenda, we cannot expect a better outcome for 2015 in terms of Racial Harmony & Economy Prosperity. The UMNO-led government has to feast on fear, chaos & bigotry to sustain their grip of power over ordinary citizens.As such,ordinary citizens must relentlessly and proactively speak out loud and clear against religious bigotry, racial and gender discrimination as well as their corruptive practices. History had proven that no country can be economically progressive and harmoniously sustainable if the government of the day use race and religion to govern like Hitler of Germany against the Jews and South Africa Apartheid against the Blacks. Good and just government does not discriminate the minorities.
Najib Razak has often been the ‘absentee PM’, prioritising a photo-op for a meeting on a trade deal that is effectively dead over the suffering of his people in one most serious national emergencies the country has faced since independence – an event that has not even yet been declared an emergency.
The ineffective actions of state governments, particularly Kelantan, whose Menteri Besar was briefly trapped in his own house instead of helping and leading rescue efforts, were equally disheartening. Now however is the time to look ahead.As Malaysians bid farewell to 2014, moderate Malaysians have been urged to stand up and beat back the tide of hate and bigotry that have inflamed communal relations throughout the year.
It’s not moderate Muslims’ fault fundamentalist Islamic organisations have sent tremors round the world. As a scared world dissects the causes and tries to find solutions, many stress the role of the ‘moderate Muslim’, or educated and modern Muslims who have kept quiet or not spoken up enough in all this.However, it isn’t as simple. To find solutions, it is important not to assign blame to a whole group of people. The first step is to try and understand the moderate Muslim point of view.Imagine this. You have grown up respecting a religion and its holy texts. Along with customs and rituals you have also affirmed a lot of positive values – compassion, honesty, humility, love, integrity, generosity. You are a rational, scientific human being but still give religion an important place in your life. After all it teaches you humanity, makes you a better person and keeps you positive.
A group of progressive Malays today hoped that Malaysians would be able to reclaim the national conversation on race and religion and reject extremist elements brought about by certain quarters.
This, they argued, was because it was up to each individual to preserve the tolerance, moderation and respect that had been an enduring feature of the country’s pluralistic society.
"Moderation has to be promoted not just because that is what our forefathers wanted for us,” said former deputy prime minister Tun Musa Hitam.
“But because it is one of the ways which our country will remain peaceful and harmonious,” he said in a text message to The Malaysian Insider.
Musa said 2015 would be even more challenging for Malaysia socially and economically, given the depressing forecast on the world economy.
These humps in the economy and the social effects they entailed were why Umno Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed feels that calmer voices must prevail against those who are divisive.
“The economy is slowing down, so we need to remain calm. This is my advice to everyone. Chinese, Malays, Indians, Perkasa, everyone.
“Malaysia is a moderate country, not an extremist one,” said Nur Jazlan, who is known to be among the more progressive leaders in Umno.
The Public Accounts Committee chairman has been the target of insults by Malay right-wing group Perkasa, whose members have called him “bangsat” (despicable) for daring to criticise the movement and its cause.
Nur Jazlan also hoped there would be less race and religious issues being played up in 2015 and if they were, that people would not get too sensitive when talking about them.
Tun Musa Hitam
Another Umno leader Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah hoped that more groups, such as the 25 Malay former civil servants who had called on the government to start a national dialogue to resolve conflicts between Shariah and civil laws, to come forward.
Other good examples, he said were the 33 individuals who have called themselves “Malaysian Moderates”, youth groups and students from the Middle East and the ones behind the #Iam26 campaign he said.
“We need to make 2015 the year of moderation, in our values, approach, our thinking and policies in all fields.
“Moderation is the soul of the Malaysian identity but lately, from an ethnic and religious stand point, it is seen as problematic,” said Saifuddin, who heads the Global Movement of Moderates.
For Aura Merdeka founder Tariq Ismail, the claim by a Muslim NGO, Isma, and Perkasa of representing Muslims and Islam was misleading, since the faith had never taught ethnic chauvinism.
“I can understand where Isma and Perkasa are coming from but their message is wrong,” said Tariq, who is a grandson of former deputy prime minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman.
“There is no racialism in Islam. So if you want to talk about Islam, you cannot talk about race.”
If there is something that could motivate more moderates to come out is the fact that in reality, they are the silent majority, whereas extremists are the vocal minority.
This was alluded to by Sisters in Islam leader Ratna Osman who said that extremists did not represent the majority of Malaysians.
"I hope that peace-loving Malaysians will rise up and not let the country by manipulated by these extremists.
“They do not represent us as Malaysians and we should not let them spread their evil agenda,” said Ratna, whose organisation has also been targeted by religious conservativesRuling elite is loosing support.& will do every thing( not always good for the Malays to regain it failing to see that's it's their actions&deeds that cause disaffection & alienate the young Malays
Ring out the old, ring in the new, said the poet, back in 1850. Ring out also, he said, with rare prescience, ancient forms of party strife and ring in sweeter manners and pure laws. We in Malaysia could do with a fair bit of such ringing in and ringing out, right now. We had hoped for an end to UMNO compulsions, with the emergence of Pakatan But troublesome coalition partners, it turns out, need not figure in the government proper, but could wreak havoc out there on the fringes. We had hoped for, and seemed to get, dynamic leadership in place of unspeaking dither. But beyond ringing alliteration and clever acronyms, incrementalism rules. The only sweeping change is in some celebrity wielding the broom, rather than in scientific disposal of what is swept up.Sadly, Malaysian political leaders are increasingly not meeting public expectations. The opposition has failed miserably to work together as a viable political alternative last year, and remains on the brink of division.
Most of us think we are serious if we follow a certain action to which we are committed, or pursue to the end a particular idea, belief or having committed ourselves to a certain ideology, we pursue that throughout life, not deviating from it.
Najib is facing a growing rebellion in his own party. If UMNO’s party elections were held today, it is unlikely that he would win the presidency.
We also think we are very serious if we have a concept, a formula of life, and carry that out throughout our existence Much has been made of the Eminent 25, an important group of the Malay elite
Now, is that seriousness? If we have committed ourselves to a particular belief, and pursued that belief, if we have given ourselves over to a certain ideological formula, and have lived according to that formula or belief, which is a concept, does all that constitute seriousness? If we could, as it were, open up that word, and investigate its significance and its structure, then perhaps we could establish a communication with each other. We are not using words just for the words’ sake, or having a reputation, to keep up that reputation.There is also strong public support for much-needed checks on the abuses of the unaccountable religious authorities who continue to think they are the ‘chosen’ ones to persecute innocent people like the Borders bookseller. There is similarly broad disdain for confiscation of other faiths’ holy texts, their desecration and endorsement of the urging to ‘burn’ religious texts – a shameful disgrace for any human being, least of all supposed leaders.This is just not right, and ordinary Malaysians acknowledge it, even if the political environment is such that it is hard to say so in public without facing a battery of attacks. From the excessive cancerous corruption to everyday criminality, Malaysians are concerned and speaking out against these problems.
This is not new. Voting patterns since 1999 show that citizens want a fairer and better government, one that respects and listens to them. This is not going away, even if the Election Commission is acting in a non-transparent manner to further manipulate the electoral system by offering greedy political parties new seats.
Difficult is an understatement for the year Malaysia had in 2014. Today marks a new beginning, an opportunity for assessment and moving forward.
With so many Malaysians suffering from bouts of despair with the national leadership on both sides of the political divide, I wanted to take an opportunity to share some positive observations on the present situation and the country’s future.2014 was also the year the silent majority found its voice. It is speaking in a noisy room, but there nevertheless. After almost two years of dangerous extremist language, growing irrational anger, and often sheer stupidity, more are coming out to advocate the views of those of the largely silent majority.Global slowdown and Opec determination to hurt newfangled and expensive shale oil have tamed inflation in Malaysia. But growth remains tardy. Spare capacity in consumer goods rules out any investment revival in these sectors, which leaves infrastructure as the potential saviour. But stalled projects in the sector are forcing promoters to sell off their cash-making assets, leaving them with projects in coma, mountains of debt and a bitter taste in the mouth. The legal system tries to do valiant battle against corruption and ends up adding to the banks’ pile of non-performing assets, and sets the economy back further.
that Najib returned from his holiday without his wife and that he landed in an Air Force jet although he and his family left for the United States in the government’s private aircraft.
He asks for official confirmation that Rosmah is still holidaying in the US, repeating questions asked in an official press release by PKR Youth: Why didn’t Najib return in the official jet? Is it true that the jet is now in Indianapolis in the American Midwest? Who is using the jet?
He says the public needs the answers to these questions because it appears that public funds are being misused. “The use of an Air Force jet to bring Najib home of course doubles the cost,” he adds.
He says that although Najib has somewhat mitigated his error of going on a holiday in the midst of the flood crisis by cutting the vacation short, he has committed a worse mistake in allowing his wife to use the official jet because she doesn’t have the right to it and because it involves public funds.
He implies that this could be the reason why some ministers were defying the Prime Minister’s order for them to cut their vacation short to deal with the flood crisis.
“Rosmah has used the official jet several times for personal purposes and it seems that no one can stop her,” he says. “This time it is used for her to holiday while Najib is in the country. This only adds to the hatred and resentment.”
Shahbudin recalls Deputy Prime Muhyiddin Yassin’s remark when asked to comment about Najib golfing in Hawaii with US President Barack Obama. “Leave the Prime Minister alone,” said Muhyiddin. “Like any normal human being, he too needs a holiday.”
He interprets the DPM’s comment as a veiled criticism, using the Malay expression that translates into “poisoned honey”. He speculates that Muhyiddin, if asked to comment on the gossip about Rosmah, would say, “Just let Rosmah use the jet. She too has made huge sacrifices for the country.
Despite all the challenges the country faces, it is vital not to be blinded by negativity. Doing so will let the dark forces that have been fanned since 2013 win. Malaysians deserve better – a hope for change and the promise of better governance.
We are not saying something that we don’t mean. To be really serious means to be free — free to investigate, to find out, to have passion to pursue.
Aman who believes ardently pursues; he lives a life, but it is a life committed to an idea; and a life committed to an idea, to a formula, to a belief, to a concept, to a utopia, is just going round and round in circles. It is really a form of selfworship through identification with a belief.Where my hope lies is with the reality of greater pressure on leaders to buck up, to live up to expectations and importantly in the inherent caring character and spirit of the majority of Malaysians who have a clear sense of priorities – the needs and well-being of their fellow human beings.
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