Hey There - Wait a Minute, Mr. Postman Raus!

****************************

"Yes Boss - We can Dance..."

PUTRAJAYA, June 26 (Bernama) -- Sultan Azlan Shah was right in not dissolving the Perak State Legislative Assembly in February because it was barely one year old, Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Md Raus Sharif said.

-'Sultan Was Right Not To Dissolve Perak Assembly'

========================================

There have been numerous apologists for the rape of Perak by Mr. 1-Malaysia, in February - from Mr. Shad Saleem Faruqi (who initially claimed that by virtue of the Interpretations Act, the power to "hire" includes the power to "fire"), to the various spin doctors in the MSM and among the intellectually bankrupt BN politicos.
Just when we thought that "spinning" was the forte of propagandists in the media and "legal education" industry, the Judiciary has now stepped in to challenge that monopoly, by "legalizing" a travesty of justice. In effect, they have rendered themselves, nothing more than glorified postmen of the pirates who launched the coup d'etat in Perak.
It appears to me as a layman (where the Law is concerned), that the "judges" seem to be a highly twisted bunch of despatch clerks bent on doing the bidding of their political masters. It almost seems that they have redefined the word "judgement" in legal-speak, to mean " to appease those who wield power".

Pardon my ignorance should there be any in the following, wherein I might have erred - but I intend to attempt to dissect what was given by Bernama, before I read the full text of the 49-page spin doctoring by Rauf (or was it just Bernama shaming him??).

In his 49-page judgement dated June 2 released Friday, Justice Raus said that in order for a dissolution of the assembly to take effect under Article 36(2) of the Perak State Constitution as requested by the then Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, the assembly must be in the conclusion of the five-year term when a general election was contemplated.

It certainly beats me, how Rauf (bending over backwards) had come to this conclusion that "that in order for a dissolution of the assembly to take effect... as requested, the assembly must be in the conclusion of the five-year term", when the very next sentence, in article 36(3), it is "screaming out" that :
"The Legislative Assembly unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date of its first sitting, and shall then stand dissolved."

I wonder if this Rauf knows anything about how a parliament is supposed to work ......
Although the following aren't exactly in the order of the press release, the message within really takes the cake - Rauf has explicitly denied the role of the Legislative Assembly in determining the majority, and unwittingly approved of a coup d'etat!!
What he has effectively said is, that the parliament is irrelevant, and that all that is required to prove the majority is a piece of paper, with signatures - without any consideration for the manner in which these signatures were obtained, and so rendering a vote of confidence unnecessary/insignificant!!!

He also said Article 16(6) did not express mandatory requirement that there must be a motion of no confidence passed by the assembly against a mentri besar before he ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members.
"The circumstances in the present case clearly shows that on Feb 5, Nizar no longer had the confidence of the majority of members of the assembly. There were signed letters from 31 members pledging support to Barisan Nasional which were presented to the Sultan,"
"The fact that a mentri besar ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the assembly can be established by other means. It cannot solely be confined to the vote taken in the assembly,"

Never mind that it is not mentioned anywhere that the majority may be determined through any other means other than a vote of confidence - what Rauf says here is that, theoretically, anyone with the support of the "security forces" bent on grabbing power, may abduct the members of legislative assembly, get the signatures from them at gunpoint, show it to the head of state - to "clearly show that they have confidence of the majority" and be considered legitimate in a parliamentary democracy!!

Moving on to the issue of the appointment of the Mentri Besar ....
Bernama published the following "judgement" made by Rauf:

"The Sultan of Perak in exercise of his royal prerogative under Article 16(2) of the Perak State Constitution is at liberty to appoint another mentri besar to replace Nizar," he said.
"His refusal to tender his resignation and the resignation of the Executive Council was not merely a breach of convention and undemocratic but more importantly, it contravened the clear mandatory constitutional command under Article 16(6) of the Perak Constitution and, therefore, unconstitutional.
Raus also said that the question of Perak having two mentri besar did not arise because Article 16(6) demands that once the mentri besar was made to know that he had lost the confidence of the majority of the members of the assembly, he should take the honourable way out by tendering his resignation.

Article 16(6) states that :
If the Mentri Besar ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, then, unless at the request of His Royal Highness dissolves the Legislative Assembly, he shall tender the resignation of the Executive Council.

While it is true that the Sultan may appoint A Mentri Besar, I fail to see where it is mentioned that the sultan may appoint "another Mentri Besar", while the current has not been proven to have lost the confidence of the majority in sitting.

As "unconventional" as it may be for the Mentri Besar to refuse to resign may be, it must be kept in mind that Article 16(7) states that
"Subject to Clause (6) a member of the Executive Council other than the Mentri Besar shall hold office at His Royal Highness' pleasure, but any member of the Council may at any time resign his office.

So, unlike the Executive Councillors, it has to be taken into consideration that the Mentri Besar DOES NOT SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF His Royal Highness
Take Note that there is no "clear mandatory constitutional command under Article 16(6)" as mentioned by Rauf in his attempt to indulge in spinning the Constitution.
(This is probably, as N.H Chan calls it - plain and simple legal "gobbledygook").
Therefore, what Nizar did was perfectly Constitutional and democratic, as it was in accordance to the principle of the holding the Parliament supreme, and the Monarchy subject to Constitution.
As to how Rauf has come to the conclusion that it is "undemocratic" is indeed mind-boggling.

After all the spinning, he then indulges in "masturbation" to flatter himself and the powers that be, that what he delivered was actually a "judgement"-
"In my judgment, the situation confronting His Royal Highness in the state of Perak was one such situation, and His Royal Highness had, in that critical situation rightly exercised his constitutional powers provided under the State Constitution, which exercise was without any doubt, solely for the best interest of the people of Perak,"

All these, Rauf as a dutiful postman has said in his so-called "judgement", while neglecting to take into consideration Article 18 (1) which states (subject to Clause 2,3 & 4) that:
"In the exercise of his functions under the Constitution of this State or any law or as a member of the Conference of Rulers, His Royal Highness SHALL ACT IN ACCORDANCE with the advice of the executive Council or of a member thereof acting under the general authority of the Council except as otherwise provided by the Federal Constitution or the State Constitution; but shall be entitled at his request, to any information concerning the Government of the State which is available to the Executive Council".
(1A) Where in the exercise of His functions under the Constitutionof this State or any Law or as a member of the the Conference of Rulers, His Highness is to act IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ADVICE or on the advice of any person or body of persons, His Royal Highness SHALL ACCEPT AND ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH ADVICE.

Considering the circumstances, one cannot be blamed if he were to suspect that this verdict/ judgement was written by the likes of Shafee Abdullah (who got to sit in the DUN in the May fiasco) or even V.K. Lingam .....

Next in line of Constitutional spinning by these dispatch-boys, would be the legalization of a speaker who was appointed while the Legislative Assembly had yet to commence its sitting. It would be interesting to see how they would spin that story.

The long and short of it, those responsible for this "judgement" have taken liberties, to read the State Constitution literally and piecemeal - simply as sentences which are totally unrelated to the big picture, the message and spirit within.
This is also how the Umno media and politicians (like Mahathir) - in keeping with their culture of deceit - choose to twist and interpret the Federal Constitution, so as to justify their much hyped, non-existent "social contract", religious bigotry, racism, the NEP and corruption - while totally disregarding the long term consequences of doing so. This also means that they do not mind rendering Malaysia a failed state (while publicly deploring it) - so long as they can hold on to power to facilitate their plunder and rape of the resources we have.

What a pity that our Courts of the land no longer serve the the Law, but pervert it for usurping pirates bent on grabbing power, and are reduced to being dispatch-boys delivering letters for their masters in the corridors of power.

Najib- Mahathir's New "Incompetent"?

==================

Ozymandias
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
- P. B. Shelley
==============================

It was in his perfect moment of glory at the delayed 2008 Umno Baru AGM - he was baptized at the pinnacle of his career as the President of Mahathir's Umno Baru.
Despite all the calls for "change, change and more change"- some things will never change. That is the intellectual vacuum within, which begs for Mahathir's patronage. At his closing speech, true to his image, he subtly pleaded (or was is a jab) to a morose Mahathir, that he not be whacked silly (with the mindless audience applauding), when he said that Abdullah promised not to interfere or criticize him publicly.

It couldn't have been better for the man characterized as a "coward" by his mentor - the conflicts were ironed out, and the elections were engineered to perfection by rewarding the relevant warlords. He even choreographed a real coup in forcing Mahathir's presence as a show of "unity" for a "1Malaysia" (whatever that means). We'll never know for sure, but some say that Mukhriz's post was the carrot dangled for the jackass.

If Najib harbours any illusions of Mahathirs support, it is time he gets rid of it - for this old man don't work for nobody except himself. Najib may have just got more than he bargained for.
For all practical purposes, in Mahathir's eyes, Najib is actually a jackass who has underperformed in all his duties since he was handed power on a silver platter.
Considering Mahathir's persona, one cannot be faulted for thinking that Mahathir actually despises a philandering aristocratic spoilt brat. After all, Mahathir the politician, is never known to be gracious to his "allies" and "partners" - forget the adversaries. In fact, in Mahathir's book, they are all one and the same - an affront to his monumental ego (depicted by the twin obelisks in KLCC).

Abdullah's legacy is ready to be erased - just as many monarchs/ pharoahs of old had done to their predecessors. His corridors are probably destined to be as airy as it always has been. The crook-ed bridge issue is being revived once again. Hardly has his sweat dried, and Mahathir has already passed his "unsavoury" comment on CheDet, and is heavily lobbying for the "crooked bridge" by trying to appeal to the "stupidly patriotic" on the non issue of sovreignty.

======================
As the person concerned I will leave it to Malaysians
to judge and to define "Mahathirism".

-Mahathir, www.chedet.cc

=====================

But knowing how these guys are (like his predecessor who had "big ears"), Jibby in his craving & grovelling for approval (as in the Ku Li report by the MSM), praise & worship from all around him, will probably allow his ears to betray his mind.
While that of Mahathir may be certain (crooked bridge or not), one can only speculate the legacy (beyond the Altantuya legend, that is) that Jibby would leave behind - other than being another name on Mahathir's list of unworthy incompetents.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“We are inconsolable at being deceived by our enemies and betrayed by our friends,
yet still we are often content to be thus served by ourselves.”
-François de la Rochefoucauld

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cry my beloved Malay soul

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
... ...

$$$$$$$$$$$$
“It took me six months to be nice, to bribe each and every individuals to get back into their good books before our files were attended to”
-Allegedly "misinterpreted" words CJ Zaki, now head of the JAC.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

From MalaysiaKini (Opinions)

Cry my beloved Malay soul

AB Sulaiman | Feb 6, 09 10:51am

When Alan Paton wrote ‘Cry The Beloved Country’ he was lamenting over the inhumanity of man over man, of how the whites can devise, construct and implement race- and colour-based social and economic injustices over the blacks in apartheid-era South Africa.

The whole world had condemned this practice; we were among the loudest screaming against it.

South Africa has moved on since then, and today it is one shining example of an emancipated, open and progressive country, enjoying a respectable place in the community of nations. It has thrown apartheid into the bins of its history.

Here in Malaysia, yes we condemn apartheid, and quite rightly so. But in the same breath we were and are still its major proponent our version of apartheid.

We do not call it apartheid; of course not. We call it instead ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ under the guise of ‘championing Malay rights,’ and implementing it under the New Economic Policy. It’s smart, right? In none of them does the word ‘apartheid’ appear!

Yes, we are smart. We do not blatantly call it apartheid, we merely perfected the process of social separation. First of all we ensure the great majority of civil servants, the police, and the military are manned by Malays (the target benefactors). We give them good salaries, good perks and assured employment. We then devise rules and regulations, and even laws, to ensure the NEP’s easy implementation.

We then brainwash our Malay brethren with the notion ‘untuk agama bangsa dan negara’ that there is a higher ideal beyond performing a duty with professionalism and dedication, and that is doing things in the name of religion and race.

We devise rules and regulations, and even laws, to ensure the NEP’s easy implementation.

Then we design and implement social and economic policies like channeling lucrative government contracts, separate education streams, housing rebates, banking and financial support, in favour of, you guessed it, the Malays.

It does not stop there. We devise measures to prevent the people from raising too much objections to all these by introducing or continuing legislation and religiously implementing them.

The Sedition Act for example stops people from talking too much about language and religion. The Official Secrets Act prevents people from gaining access to government files.

Students and lecturers are not allowed to discuss and make public any subject that would appear to be critical to government (yes, government, not political) policies and philosophies.

All publications must, first of all, get operating licences. Newspapers must not only get a licence before publishing but it must be renewed every year.

Sacrifices conveniently forgotten

The king of all of the suppressive and oppressive laws is the Internal Security Act, when a citizen can be put under detention without the benefit of any charge!

All said and done, we sacrifice the rule of law in favour of rule by private individuals. To show that we are really smart, we pooh pooh the loyalty and patriotism of the non-Malay segment of the population.

We call them pendatang or immigrants bearing the stigma that they are social discard from their original country, similar to rogues, rascals, refugees, mercenaries and scoundrels. We just ignore their proven talent and ability in wealth creation and economic productivity, as well as to their demonstrated loyalty and patriotism.

Many of such pendatangs have made the ultimate sacrifices as military personnel defending its security, during the Emergency, the Confrontation period with Indonesia and as policemen while policing the social environment.

They have contributed and are continuing to, in sport and the arts. Their record as loyal and patriotic Malaysians is quite impeccable. But we do not really care.

The perplexing thing is that despite these attributes and positive records of the non-Malays, we are still going about championing and implement apartheid principles. In this new year, perhaps we can do with a little reflection: why are we doing all this?

We do this apparently to recover our lost soul. We perceive that we have been victims of colonisation when the Portuguese, Dutch and British colonisers all but butchered the Malay entity, psychology and culture. In the process we perceive that we have lost our Malay identity.

With independence, we thought we could recapture the lost glory of Malay suzerainty by

becoming masters of all facets of a nation, especially its commerce, and economy. We found out that the Chinese community had beaten us to it.

We felt the Chinese had capitalised on our weakness and captured the economic initiatives (and wealth) as well as the social characteristics of the country. We lost ‘face’.

Now we want to regain the mertabat or dignity and pride of the Malay race!

Yes, we feel that we have to recover our soul and it is here that we are reminded of Paton’s book title, but in this case suitably paraphrased to – cry my beloved Malay soul.

Our Malay soul needs to cry for doing the right thing for the wrong reason or the wrong thing for the right reason; even for the wrong thing for the wrong reason, but not for the right thing for the right reason.

To start with colonisation is really not an excuse for our psychological malaise and ineptitude.

Colonisation has been a feature of human history and felt all over the world. There are very few countries that have not been colonised in the world.

It is thus a neutral concept in human social and economic development. It is certainly not an impediment to social or economic progress as we are wont to portray it. We should dump this notion that we hold dear into the bin of history.

Rethinking our way of thinking

Just look at the records. The Koreans were once colonised by the Japanese, but today Korea is an industrial power house. Singapore was once colonised by the British and was indeed a part of us, and today we see this tiny country being a solid financial, trading and industrial entity.

Most pointedly of all, the US was once a British colony and today it is the mightiest nation in the world. Our second grouse - that the Chinese have cornered the economic sector of the country also needs re-looking into, on two counts.

First, the Chinese did not become successful based on any conscious and concerted economic programme to economically marginalise us.

We did this self-inflicted wound ourselves. As proof, we have to note that most of the Chinese came to our shores with only their feet, hands, guts and brains and perhaps a bundle of clothes, nothing more.

They become successful for their hard work, both physically and mentally and for the sacrifices they were prepared to make and had undertaken. They were successful for having the mental fortitude to seek opportunities, grab those that come along and worked extra hard to realise the potentials of these opportunities.

Secondly, we have been given a chance to be equal with them, both under numerous 'special privileges' enshrined in the Constitution, as well as under its NEP implementation programme.

The special privileges have always been in the constitution while the latter began in 1970. In short, we have been given the chance - the opportunity - many times over, to better our Malay polity.

Whereas the Chinese had to struggle just to find and identify the opportunities, in our case they were handed to us on a silver platter!

Thus far we have failed to capitalise adequately on them. It rather shameful we missing out on these chances specially created for us in the first place.

Either way the root cause of our weaknesses and the strength of the Chinese lies in two words - positive thinking. Our thinking is mired with so many dos and don’ts, so many musts and musn’ts, so many cans and cannots, may and may nots, plenty enough to created and internalise doubts and fears in our minds.

So much so that we have doubt over what we can and what we can’t do, what is allowed and what is not. We spend a lifetime looking for these highly complex cans and cannots, musts and must nots, that we have hardly any mental energy left to develop and self-confidence to get on and face the realities of life.

Let’s refer to this case as the ‘can’t don’t and won’t syndrome’. The Chinese by the way are not encumbered by such syndromes.

What appears to have happened is that this syndrome has affected our mental ability to conceptualise. We see things on the straight and narrow. We accept wisdoms handed down to us by our elders as the gospel truth.

Blinded by sentiment

We do not see that things can be seen and interpreted in many alternative ways. We feel we have the monopoly on truth; we therefore think that we are right all the time and other people are wrong all the time. Witness the way we see religion for example.

We think that we as Muslims are right and other people who profess other religions are wrong, all the time.

We need to cry for thinking that we can and have doctored the way the people think and do things. We have been intimidating the people with what they can read or write or think and do.

We seem to be saying "you can think anything, do anything, write anything so long as it does not criticise or condemn the government".

Soul-searching and resuscitating is not or should not be about pointing accusing fingers at some bogeys. That would be a most negative thing to do. It would be better for us to be open-minded and be able to identify our own strengths and weaknesses.

We improve upon our strengths and dump our weaknesses. Mainly we must be able to develop the awareness that we have both the strengths and weaknesses in the first place.

To illustrate, the NEP has proved many time over as a failed strategy for our socio-economic advancement. Let us be aware of this in the first place and move on seeking other ways with better chance of success.

How about secularising the Malay mind? It might make for a good start for we can see many of the don’ts, can’ts, musn’ts dissipating into the wind.

In the meantime, here we are in the early days of a new year. We should begin by realising that whatever 'smart’ moves we had undertaken all this while have not really been that smart after all.

The joke is on us. Everybody says so – the liberated Malays, the non-Malays, our neighbours and the rest of the international community. Only those of us basking in our closed mind and benefiting from the profits of the status quo say it’s alright.

Happy New Year all the same and here’s hoping this year we can get a good perspective as to what propagating a good mertabat really means. It’s long overdue.

In the meantime, cry my beloved Malay soul.

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Related
Where is the Spirit of Merdeka?
Some Umno myths young Malaysians should know.
A Malaysian Disease of Fear and Apathy
Clinging to the Cause .... Wishing the Results Away.
The "Social Contract" - A Malaysian "Cold War"?

Licking the Wounds ... of a Blessing in Disguise

What happened in Perak is good. I hope it will teach Pakatan Rakyat that it has to get its act together. ......
A mere car brought the Perak government down. If this is what brought the Perak government down, then it deserves to fall. I can only say that this serves Pakatan Rakyat right. They had it coming. When personal interests and racial issues override everything else, you deserve to fall.
And there are many low quality wakil rakyat still in Pakatan Rakyat .............Next time, get better candidates. Some of the Pakatan Rakyat wakil rakyat are so low standard I would not even trust them to baby-sit my dog.

- RPK

***********************************

So said RPK.
PR had lost their "bearings" when they got more than they could handle in it's infancy.
Well, I actually said the same (not verbatim lah) at while "Fishing", to PatLu, Segar & Viki- I actually said, "I wouldn't feel sorry for them if they lose the Perak Govt - they have forgotten what got them there!" (But I did feel sorry ...)
Still, it was heartbreaking to see the Nizar Govt fall in such a manner - I wouldn't have felt as such, should Pakatan have been ousted through a "No Confidence" motion. To make matters worse, we had to put up with the smug look of Mr. Mongolia at the press conference .....

"Gamuda" or not - this was realpolitik at play (and IMHO, plenty of "Mahathirism" stamped all over it!). Is it any wonder that Mahathir couldn't hide his glee, and as a "statesman", writing on CheDet,
"Lompat masuk (perangkap) boleh tapi lompat keluar tak sah!! He, he, he!".
(reminds me of how some guys write comments on MT, despite the availability of emoticons)
Yes - Anwar was outwitted in his naivity, and suckered in his own game, although with a little difference in style.

Taking the Stephen Kalong Ningkan case into consideration, we all know that Nizar is still the legitimate MB of Perak, the BN style is to use extra-constitutional methods to launch a coup - always has been, and always will be. Just letters don't cut it, when one claims majority - only the assembly decides. The Constitutional Head of state simply carries out the wishes of the people as expressed by the legislature. It would therefore do well for us to disregard the Pakistani academician cum "constitutional spin doctor" - Shad Faruqi, who claims that the Sultan can Hire & Fire at his pleasure like an autocrat.

Let's hope the case will give PR at least, a moral victory - but we all know that Karpal has a recording of a judge who confessed to being advocate of corruption.
So, we shall keep out fingers crossed.

There were many things that were unsatisfactory with the Pakatan electoral pact - but it was a pretty steep learning curve for them to negotiate. The attitudes of the DAP men in the past, isn't relevant as of now, (although RPK did bring it up).
RPK has also resorted to whacking PR now, in frustration - menyampah (or maybe just a bad flu). Whatever his reason may be, he, just as anybody else, is entitled to it.

I share many of the sentiments expressed by RPK - yes, I concurred with RPK on the dissolution idea, and posted something asking Nizar to dissolve the Assembly ASAP in DISSOLVE THE PERAK STATE ASSEMBLY, NIZAR!!!
(sometimes, I too like to be perasan lah -like as if anybody significant is gonna take me seriously!).

However, I'd look at the events that transpired in Perak in a positive light - it is a baptism of fire for Pakatan, and they better learn the taste of defeat fast - and I mean REAL fast. Or else, they will very soon bite the dust elsewhere as well.
It is a price you pay, when you take power for granted - with the presence of turncoats in your midst.
Actually, I'm surprised they lasted so long and it took this long for Najib to make his move ....

Recent events will make Pakatan realize that it isn't worth fighting among themselves, and that there are bigger things to fight over. Having tasted the sweetness of office/power and the bitterness of defeat, it will also make them fight harder & with more strategy in future.
Things may swing in their favour, if they can keep the desire for reform & negative sentiments towards BN burning in the hearts of the electorate.
In short - it may be a blessing in disguise!

While they take a step back to recoup their strategies, lets hope they do not lose sight of the other states in their grasp.
Meanwhile, just get better reps in future lah - in the last elections, many seat would've been won had they even decided to field donkeys!
And a last piece of (unsolicited) advice -
don't let your egos neglect the "Barisan Rakyat's" opinions!!

For what it's worth - all the best Pakatan!
Overall, you were "passable" in my book - The people are still with you.
And to Najib, the "man of the day" - your day of reckoning is yet to come.
Legitimacy doesn't seem to be a priority to you - You seek for glory within Umno, at the expense of the electorate.
Hardball is what you play, hardball is what you'll get from them
- Cheers to you, Najib!

Fearing the 'Trojans' of 916?

*****************************************************************
Has anyone considered the possibility that all this Penang "race issue" is a big drama to "destabilize" create tension to scare the people?
That the BN partners may be co-starring actors in the whole "racial-conflict" drama perpetrated by this Ahmad Ismail character?
Just so that the "chinese-based" parties can attempt to show that they have some "teeth" and would "defend the Chinese Race" - who knows ..... maybe there be an "Indian-based conflict" soon, so that that "ayah" can make some noise.
It all seems so .... "artificial", in that it is set in Penang which is under PR. Gerakan "stands up to" Umno, MCA joins in the fray - makes police reports and creates so much hype ......
And just when things should be dying down, somebody ups the ante,
then the Army General has to make an "announcement",
and Mahathir should be joining Umno again and so on and so forth ...
The whole thing is just too fishy .... maybe we should just ignore the animal and his antics!

Here's a comment on MT:
written by ez24get, September 09, 2008 22:30:35
Raja Petra,
Just be careful! It may look like a mad cow disease, smell like a mad cow disease but it is not a mad cow disease! It may well be a "wayang kulit cow disease".
Although the disease is inflicted on Ahmad Ismail at the moment but the real disease, more deadly and more devastating, will actually be unleashed on Raja Petra and those people who are responsible for UMNO's slipping grip on power in Malaysia.
Don't you sense that the bravery shown by Ahmad Ismail in playing up the racial sentiments of malays, going head to head with Gerakan while ignoring the president and vice-president is very fishy?
By sacrificing Ahmad Ismail, they will turn around and say that in order to be fair and show that they don't practise double standard, all people who are considered as threat to harmony and race relation in Malaysia will be rounded up and detained under ISA. Effectively NGOs, foreigners and oppositions in Malaysia cannot now argue that only action is taken on Ahmad Ismail for uttering racial slurs but the others like Raja Petra, Bloggers and opposition parties be spared from action.
They would sacrifice only one low level UMNO politician, albeit Ahmad Ismail, but they are able to put the big fishes like Raja Petra, LKS, LGE or Anwar behind bars which would slow down or stop completely their march to Putrajaya! In the end, MCA, Gerakan and MIC will fall over themselves in praising UMNO for practising fairness and justice to the non-malays. They will be duped into staying in BN for the time being.
So watch the wayang kulit carefully. UMNO is likely to take stern action on Ahmaid Ismail tomorrow! But very soon, they will go after the real target with greater zeal!!!
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X ->TO -> ?
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Demikianlah ketakutan mereka sehingga apabila hak mereka di buruk-burukan dan diserang, mereka tidak berani mempertahankan diri mereka.
- Mahathir, CheDet.com

"I urge the Chinese not to become like the Jewish in America, where it is not enough that they control the economy, but they also want to dominate politics,"
- Ahmad Ismail, Umno Penang.

Not only has Ismail won widespread support in Umno Penang but also elsewhere in the country, indicating that the old Umno-dominated order is not dying ....
Some Malaysians still have hope that the BN can transform itself ...
.....whether it accepts the realities of the changed political landscape and is able to shape for itself a new and meaningful role.
- A battle between the new and old political order, Malaysian Insider

However, he has also decided to support Gua Musang MP and his former nemesis Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the post of Umno president in the party elections in December.
- The Star, Dr Mahathir persuaded to rejoin Umno
************************************************************

What we see from the quotes above, cements the fact that Umno Baru (the shell of the dead & gone real UMNO of Onn Jaafar) insists on perpetuating their bull-headed ways in dealing with the political realities that it faces.
There are among these, the pseudo-entrepreneurs/leaders, who have lost everything as a result of the absence of power/political patronage.
As a result of their intellectually challenged status, they today choose to exhibit their muscle, for fear of 916 - instead of humility, reflection, repentance & solidarity.
Some are crying out to the NGOs/Bar council/ bloggers for not codemning the "immorality" of defections".
Some of course have chosen to run to Taiwan, so as to become experts in kangkung agriculture ... but nobody seems to care anymore about these has beens (except the pirates)!

Having played to the tune of Fascistic ideas for 25yrs, Umno is so clueless, that they don't even know how to play the tune of reconciliation and solidarity - they only seem to understand the evil language of supremacy and intimidation, thus alienating themselves from their own. And they simply just don't give a chance, to those who give them the benefit of doubt!
This attitude in defending the indefensible is goaded on, by none other than our dear ex-PM, Mr. Mahathir himself who appears to have settled for a lesser bargain in the Umno Baru Kuli, lest the "chill he faces is mortal".
(Take note that being "spoilt for choice" as a result of his meticulous planning of his "vision", he has chosen "anybody", over burying his baby- Umno Baru). Of course the 513 rhetoric is being blasted all over again so as to play the "fear" card - without that, these pretenders are NOTHING.


Despite all their fears, my bet is it won't happen on 916 - I agree with RPK that 919, 920 or 922 would be more like it. Don't ask me why - I can't give you a spin on why I say so ...
That weekend will see nerves fraying and mercury rising among all parties.
Let it not be said that there is no anxiety on part of the Rakyat, come 916 - even if that day comes to pass with no change in Govt.
Let it not be said either, that the rakyat love the idea of "defectors/crossovers" - the problem remains that the people are caught between "the devil and the deep blue sea", and any right thinking person would choose the latter.

It is not that Anwar offers a hierarchy that is definite to produce impeccable results - Pakatan Rakyat is simply an electoral pact which is at its infancy and nowhere near a full-fledged coalitio. In it, there is much anxiety with regard to the "old school" politicians who don't seem to to have adapted well with the current climate which has hit them like a ton of bricks. As in all political parties, mutual (intra and inter- party) suspicions and conflicts still do exist , which are yet to be ironed out.
One one side, the Malays are anxious if the DAP plans to usurp power for the "Chinese" (which I believe is ridiculous) while diluting the beautiful Malay nature of West Malaysia with its talk of "meritocracy" and Malaysian Malaysia.
On the other side, we have amny a non-Malay nervous about trusting PAS with power, lest they resort to the "old-school" hardline Islamist/theocratic rhetoric and enforcement, thus curtailing freedom/pluralism and promoting "dhimmitude".
PKR while holding on to the "middle ground" has elements like Zulkifli who have obviously slithered past QC, to become an MP on the PKR ticket - and now creates anxiety among the people.

Yes - Many still fear the Umno Baru Trojans who slithered past QC in the new Pakatan Rakyat and the prospect of political/economic turmoil that may be imminent. But it pales in comparison the fear of a Racist & Fascist regime, perpetuated by the Pirates of the Constitution, who are intent on leeching on the industrious and living a life of decadence, while reciting scriptures for the gullible.
Despite all their teething problems, inconsistencies and the anxieties they provoke, they appear to be saints when compared to the alternative in the mindless band of pirates who now cry foul, because nobody is on their side on the issue of "defections".

It is heartening to note that Raja Petra has come out strongly, rebuking the proponents of violent assertion of "rights" (notably Khir Toyo & Ahmad Ismail) for playing up the threat of violence against the Non- Malays. He also went on to say,
"... warn the Umno Malays, in no uncertain terms, that they take to the streets at the risk of facing fellow Malays from the opposition who will defend their non-Malay brethren to the last drop of their blood. I, for one, am ready to stand by my Chinese and Indian comrades.
So let Umno be warned."

I was truly touched by the expression of solidarity, and I would be vindicated in my faith, in my good Malay Brothers & Sisters should this be the general sentiment.
Should this sentiment be proven, I'd bet my last penny that there is no reason for my Malay brothers to fear being sidelined economically (although they would still need to understand the nature of money & work for their rewards, despite the affirmative action in MEA) in time to come.
All it takes is that they rise to the occasion just once and speak the language of justice, (instead of the language of the seige mentality/fear/insecurity/inferiority complex promoted by Umno)- and they'd dispel the fears and anxieties of the minorities, to create trust like never seen before in Malaysia.
And what a beautiful scenario of hope it would provide for a dynamic Nation!


===========================================

The size of the future you actually experience will 
largely be determined by one factor: the people you 
choose to connect with. When you invite people who are 
truly committed to growth into every aspect of your life, 
your own potential for growth becomes truly unlimited.
-Dan Sullivan

============================================
Related:
Where is the Spirit of Merdeka?
NEP : Trading Rights for "Peace and Prosperity"
"Merdeka" & The Haunting Spectre of May 13.
A "State of Abduction and Ransom"?
Reply to TDM's Criticism on CheDet.com
The Racist's "Reasonings".

"Anti- Intellectualism" to the fore!!

The following was an email I received from an anonymous surfer.
Wondering what it was all about, I went to the link he provided - it went to a Blog entry by our ex-PM - CheDet.com.
So the email was from a "pirate", plagiarising - my humble apologies to those with offended "sensitivities" .....

A truly sad entry it was - raving and ranting about "intellectuals", while playing the apologist for the uncultured.
It probably reflects how much he despised this group of people who can potentially educate the masses on civilized conduct. He appears disheartened that there are efforts towards intellectual discourse, although with resistance from unthinking groups/individuals/moles.
It is amazing that one should delight in the ignorance of the masses, instead of educating them on proper conduct through civil behaviour.
As it has been written, so it is - that those who suffer from "insecurity" and a severe inferiority complex, need to "paint others black, in order to appear to be white" ....
It started with a self centered - "I was amazed..." - well, so was I, with his rationale!!

(Those who are interested may find your own way there, or use the link in the blog roll if it works ..... I keep the link on my bookmarks, 'cos I try to understand the man's mindset/logic in his winter years)

Anyway, I don't wish to go on about apologists for Neanderthals - so here goes the email ... (truly I say - it wasn't my job!)
======================================

2008 General "Erections".

1.I am amazed that there are still people in this country who think that the racist parties "won" the general elections because they promised a more sectarian society with racism, religious bigots and whatnots, including of course doing away with the “Kuttyism Acts” (KA).

2. Do they think that the swing; the mass desertion of the Malay villagers from the Kuttyists, the Chinese from KataNothing/Sukun parties and the Indians from Semi Value in order to vote for the opposition parties, was due to their wish to see the abolition of the KA or to seek for greater corruption, or desire for greater repression, for gag orders and closed discussions at illiterate levels?

3. Are these the subjects that "Little Napoleons", entreprenuers and pirates, the Ali Babas, the S-Class contractors talk about in the karaokes at "stuporous" levels?

4.Do they care that our fascism is not as repressive as the Nazis or Stalinists? Do they care about gutter politicians' barks by nincompoops who want to display their imbecility?

5.If they, the imbeciles think or believe that these high-flying people, pirates and Ali Babas voted for the opposition because of these ideals, because they have become very mature, because they want to see change, then think again. Go down to the very "gutter" level of these Jet-set voters and try talking to them about your ideas.

6. You will find that their concerns are about their pockets, the price of Dom Perignom, contracts for them and their children, some of whom are dropouts, their mega-businesses, the scam-development for their cronies and political slums, their dissatisfaction with their treatment by Ano-retentive officers and their Prostitutes not visiting them etc.

7. Whom do they blame? They blame pre-existing UNMO Baru and its leaders and the kowtow-ing KataNothing, Sukun, SemiValue. In particular they blame the Prime Minister, Dolawi's predecessor.

8. Why did they blame Dol's predecessor? Their reasoning was simple. Under the previous Prime Minister they were very much better off with borrowed monies; the prices of goods did not go up too high, their incomes had increased through corruption, the officials were more attentive to side-income and so were their wakils – which could be kept under wraps, etc etc.

9. Besides these there were no other changes. The Kuttyist Pirates were all still there just like before, being led at the local and national level by unthinking politicians concerned with holding posts which gave them opportunities to enrich themselves, getting JPs (Justice of Peace), Datuk-ship, Tan Sri-ship, TUNships, NUTships and other sinking ships, kissing the PM's @$$ in order to win his favour. They cared more for what they could get from him than what they could do for the people. And his response was to favour these nincompoops and not the pirates. These nincompoops and party animals would keep him as their President and therefore his Premiership. For the people he proposed more Racism and repression in the future.

10. The people did not object too much to the corruption then. It would be good if they got a piece of the goodies themselves. But the ex-Prime Minister did not bother. Comfortable with the support of his party people he saw the need to bribe the people, so the people owed him everything.

11. They regarded him as being responsible for all their misfortunes simply because all these misfortunes were planted during his time, or more crudely it came from him. So it seems to them.

12. One of the things that the Ali Babas did not like was a lack of gratefulness shown by these Racists. They, the Ali Babas were too scared to protest over this show of ungratefulness on the part of the ex-Prime Minister and his minions. But they felt strongly about Kutty's lack of gratefulness, especially as he let his minions show crudely their ungratefulness- calling for Sodomists, Anti- Semitism, Chinese blood, Al-Maunah, KMM, Project M, cursing and condemning the people who had been responsible for their exalted position as Ministers etc.

13. The people feared the reaction of the then Government and did not voice their disgust at such uncouth behaviour. But that did not mean that they were prepared to overlook such displays of ungratefulness. And so the first time they felt free to express their views without fear they did - by voting against the Barisan Nasional, after the dictator was gone.

14. And so the BN lost. But the Kuttyists did not win, certainly not because the Ali Babas liked the Kuttyists. They won by default because that was the only way the erstwhile Ali Baba supporters could show their dislike for the lack of contracts, which they blame for their problems. The Ali Babas lost, the Racists and Kuttyists really did not win.

15. The idiotic Racists should be able to see this. But they wanted so much to believe that they had convinced the Kuttyists and the voters about their ideals of liberal Racism, their imbecility, negotiated deals under OSA etc etc. that they took the apparent success of the people as being due to their cheating and the electorate being convinced of the kind of politics the Pirates preach.

16. And so when recently neo-Kuttyist party members behaved in the Kutty ways, reverting to good old racism and religious intolerance, to disliking sensitive issues to be openly discussed, to regarding those of their own kind joining the liberals as betrayers, they became unhappy at what they consider to be treachery on the part of the neo-Kuttyists.

17. But the neo-Kuttyists led by the wily master of spin, (Mr. Kutty), only made a show of being liberal- being advocates of Racism, being above equality, being against justice and being all the way with the nincompoops. They have every intention of being all these. But it was good politics and a good way to hoodwink the naive intellectuals and their even more naive followers.

18. The “Sodomists” and the nincompoops had allowed themselves to be led by the arse, up the anal path. The hard nosed real pirates, especially of the world, are laughing.

19. It is time the nincompoops realise they were being duped by the Master of Spin, the pious Mamak who is also the bosom pal of Mugabe, the neo con-artist Fascist, the killer of conscience, the supporter of Racists, Pirates and of the Brainwashing schools etc. etc.

20. But idiots will not admit they have made a grave mistake. They never see. Carry on dreaming. Hold your muzakarah, discuss what you like. You are driving the people nuts, pushing them back to their good old Kuttyists racialism. You are helping to hold up a regime that is incompetent and thoroughly corrupt. You are helping to destroy this country – the Kutty way.

Mahfuz did it. Now Hadi/ Nasha - APOLOGIZE!

*************************************
"What we need is a Leadership that is not only right where we are right, but right where we are wrong".
- G.K. Chesterton.

"Lest the proponents of this "cooperation" forget, may I remind you - that the reason we oppose actions of a government isn't necessarily to vote it out, but to demand better governance."
-The PAS "Cooperation" and Vote.
**************************************
Admitting his mistake for issuing the denial, Mahfuz said he had received complaints and criticisms for his "lie" from party members and Pakatan Rakyat supporters.
"Due to the action of certain individuals in the name of Pas and without the knowledge of the central working committee as they did not inform in detail to the party, Pas directed me to issue a denial of such meetings and negotiations," he said.
"Therefore, with sincerity, I would like to apologise for my unintentional mistake. I call on the Pas leadership to be honest with members and supporters, and to work towards strengthening the current political coalition (Pakatan).
- http://themalaysianinsider.com/

"Dalam masa yang sama ,katanya, PAS masih sanggup mengadakan muqabalah bukannya muzakarah dalam keadaan PAS ditekan yang sangat kuat oleh Umno.
"Sebelum ini ada pemimpn PAS yang dibunuh,
ada pemimpin PAS di Terengganu difitnah ... dan lain-lain lagi," ujarnya.
- http://www.pas.org.my/pas/harakah/

=============================



Dear Mr. President,
Firstly, allow me to "applaud" you on your "ability to convince" the people that it wasn't "mu-zakar-ah", but "muqabalah" - whatever that means.
No need to get defensive - we know what that means ......

Although I generally distrust politicians who double up as "Godmen" most (especially the ones with lots of "conservative attires"), I thought that you deserved the benefit of doubt.
However, you have chosen to remove all doubts, and prove me right!

[What was the "pressure" that was imposed upon you by Umno? Did they "blackmail" you over something?
The charges of "ada pemimpn PAS yang dibunuh" and "`dirompak' royati minyak," are quite grevious and could warrant a police report - was one made?]

Mahfuz, in humility (or maybe just common sense), has come out openly to apologize .... for the "misinformation"
- mind you, it was for "following orders" so as to adhere to the chain of command.
Who issued the order?
Being the President and the "commander-in-chief", you are now in the line of fire - do the honourable thing and Apologize.

The following are some excerpts from some of my past entries, I now dedicate to you - and I begin (and end) with the words of Ravi Zacharias .....
===============================

"I wonder, if there were to be a portrait of my soul or your soul, how would it best be depicted?
Does not the conscience sting, when we think in these terms?
Though we have engineered many ways of avoiding physical consequences, how does one cleanse the soul?

Today we find a limitless capacity to raise the question of evil as we see it outside ourselves, but often hold an equal unwillingness to address the evil within us.
What do we do when we have committed a wrong that we are ashamed of?
What can we do with those wrongful deeds that we can’t seem to erase from our consciences?

One way that many people deal with guilt is to cover it up.
This can seem almost instinctive at times,
as if something inside us says, “Hide it. Forget about it. No one can know.”
But this puts us in a very precarious position, for not only are we dealing with guilt, but now we are dealing with the fear of being “found out.”
When we add fear to our feelings of guilt we are adding apprehension to the remorse we are struggling to conceal. Just as a blackmailer is never satisfied, so the one who lives in fear with guilt ends up blackmailing his or her own heart to pay the mind.
But the heart is never consoled, for the mind is never sufficiently paid.

Guilt that is concealed seldom stops with the one who harbors that hurt. Sooner or later that pain of fear and guilt is spread to others, particularly to those closest to us.
“Victimless” crimes are an illusion, for deceit is a monster that needs constant feeding. It would be foolish for us to think that we can deal with guilt by somehow covering it up.

The moment that we cover our guilt we escalate the tension in our lives by adding the dimension of fear. We may then become people who seem okay on the outside, but inside we are struggling to maintain the facade."
-Ravi Zacharias

".............."race or religion" based politics - this has been the curse that has been handed down to us by those who refused to accept and thus betrayed the the ideals that Dato' Onn Jaafar, the Father of UMNO, stood for.
They instead killed every opportunity to build a nation based on "Values and Principles".

They preferred to play the race game that would be a short cut to power consolidated upon those politically "victorious", ie the Muslim Malay race.......
How I wish I could hear the music of politicians shouting out against the subtle persecutions against the all Malaysians be they Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhists or Animists, be they of BN or the Opposition.
-A Curse in the Malaysians' Embrace.
........................................................................

"The spirit of Merdeka has been subverted by racists and the religious zealots over the years, and has been replaced by chauvinism – racial and religious..... Unfortunately, we are a society so paralyzed by symptomatic solutions one has to wonder whether we will learn anything from this mindless atrocity.......

Having failed in its shortcut to an economic miracle, the advocates of the system (clamouring for issues and a new agenda to perpetuate their greed and envy) the now choose to preach intolerance, “arabisation”, and religiosity in the name of God, to further isolate, and “drug into a stupor” a beautiful people that was once open to change.

Even if we aren't too accurate in our assessment, much of what has passed off for Islamisation by the govt was nothing more than frothy God-talk, mindless, thoughtless, and in its exploitation of people, heartless. The “one upmanship” practised by the various institutions that espouse religious chauvinism, is in fact a pathetic display of their failures and insecurities......
Malaysia today is a nation that has lost its conscience. "
"Where is the Spirit of Merdeka?"
......................................................................

These R&R factors have been and will be the overriding factors in determining the direction that the nation takes in the next few years.
These next few years (probably 10-15 yrs) will determine what the future holds for all Malaysians.
As things are, the politicians, clerics and the people appear to lack the courage to face the truth and abandon the old feudal, racist and religiosity that is today being used to subvert the nation.
The future does not look too appealing, any which way we look at it.
The day when all else is lost, let us pray that there will still be hope.
- The Overbearing R&R Factor.
......................................................................

The “sandiwara” of “strife” will be created again as was done repeatedly by the powers that be, since independence from British rule.
-A Malay Mindset For a Better Malaysia.

"It will not do to cling to the cause and wish the result away.
Reality does not play mind games.
What is more, to anesthetize the mind in order to abort what comes to birth when wrong ideas are conceived and borne in the womb of culture, will only kill the very life-giving force of the nation that nurtures the idea.
We must learn, in the words of one cultural commenter, to live as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves."
-Ravi Zacharias
##################################

The Notion & the "Social Contract".

===========================

“The Constitution is under attack by a number of people who believe that we should move towards the Islamic state.
It is under attack by those who feel that the ‘social contract’ must be renegotiated.
Frankly, it is also undermined by judges and civil servants who apply their own interpretations of the Constitution and allow their personal allegiances to colour the practical application of the laws that govern our country.”
- Shad Saleem Faruqi

===========================

One could attempt to deny it - but we are an Immigrant state.
Immigrants made Malaysia what it once was - "dynamic" (not anymore, though).
Save the "Orang Asli/Pribumi", everyone one of us are in actual fact, descendants of immigrants (if not immigrants themselves).
The "Chinese", "Indian", "Pakistani" and even the "Malay" (maybe to a lesser extent?) is an immigrant (more so, since 'Project M').

With the onset of "the new world order" of nation-states and Merdeka, in order to preserve, maintain and work on the riches of the nation - a political understanding among the various ethnic communities became a necessity.
It gave rise to The Federal Constitution, and also the much trumpeted "social contract between equals" in a political alliance.

The Federal Constitution is a "Social Contract".
The Constitution in its entirety is the only social contract that we have and we know - and its interpretation is subject to the spirit in which it was formulated.

Royal Prof Emeritus Ungku Aziz, implied that "the Social Contract" (as was trumpeted at certain political rallies and in the media, but strangely forbidden to be discussed) is nothing but a figment of imagination and a political spin, created for political expediency - It apparently Doesn't Exist!
However, Ungku Aziz wasn't talking about The Federal Constitution - it was the BN political rhetoric that he referred to.

The much trumpeted "Social Contract", is simply the agreement of the relevant parties towards establishing the Alliance. Unlike the Federal Constitution, it isn't something that's sacred, for the citizens of Malaysia to unquestioningly "abide by it" - but of course some would choose to deny that, lest the 5.13 Bogeyman awakens to haunt the nation once again.

For Shad to say (at his book launch or Star interview), that the Constitution is under attack by those who demand that the "social contract" be "renegotiated" is, I believe, inaccurate and misleading.
To imply that the political rhetoric of "the social contract" is The Federal Constitution, is nothing short of "a sin"!

To demand that we adhere to the Federal Constitution in its non-negotiable "spirit" and entirety, isn't an attack!
To discuss the Constitution and create awareness of it through healthy debate instead of a streetfight, is not to question it.
On the contrary - to understand it is to defend it from the perversion that it has been subject to. It's a necessity, so that Malaysia survives the onslaught of these Pirates of the Constitution. What is challenged, is simply the twisted definitions and 600 amendments that the Constitution has been subject to for 50yrs (more so in the last 20), which Shad deplores - nothing more.

Therefore, paranoia expressed by certain politicians who claim that - to discuss it, is to "challenge the social contract"- is totally unfounded and a cheap "fear mongering" trick. "Fear of destabilization" as a result of "inflamed passions" would not arise, unless these very politicians create the circumstances for it.
It is therefore, they who are responsible for the ignorance and potentially "inflamed passions" of the rakyat - not those who discuss the Constitution or the social contract.

From the right & left, these attacks just come from different leagues of "Pirates of the Constitution", and both preach "supremacy" of some sort (not so different from a fascists/ racists).
They who have redefined it based on the notion of Ketuanan Melayu or the "Syariah State", ignore the spirit in which it was formulated, at their own peril - and at the risk of destroying the nation along with it.

There is an argument that states that "the social contract is in the constitution". That argument cites convenient articles while ignoring the spirit of the constitution in its entirety. (Nor can Article 3 be used as an excuse to declare Malaysia an Islamic State, as Mahathir did for other reasons).
That argument is erroneous becos the social contract isn't in the constitution, but -"the Federal Constitution in its entirety, is THE social contract".
In citing the Constitution, one does not get to pick and choose elements from it, for political expediency - To do so, would be, to subject the Constitution to attack.

It was probably these attacks that Prof Shad refers to - should that be the case, I'm in total agreement. Or else, I'm inclined to believe (despite his credentials) that he was "a little confused" in his press statement, or a spin doctor did a good job on him.

It is what happens when the nation is held at ransom by pirates, who use Democracy to subvert the very instrument they use to legitimize their power - the Constitution. The Constitution, which is our date with destiny is indeed, under attack.

Being "imperfect"(as Shad Faruqi says it is), The Constitution has IMHO, one Major flaw/defect - in its "definition" the Malay - that it has ridiculously tied a "race" to an idea/faith/Islam.
Imagine this - to dissent would mean to be "constitutionally de-Malay-ise" yourself - or render one an "unconstitutional Malay"!!!
It was probably in the interest of enforcing/ manipulating "Malayness" politically, and preventing the freedom of thought - I wouldn't know (..... but it's fine by me). If it is demeaning (in that, it restricts freedom of thought), is however something for the "legally Malay of Nusantara" to consider.
As to how the 'constitutional experts' could have formulated such an ill-conceived "definition" of a race, is beyond my comprehension.

This "Constitutional definition of a Malay" has been so exclusively used, manipulated, and stressed on by many a "Ketuanan Melayu" politician, to create a siege mentality among the masses.
And it was only to evoke paranoia and distrust - so as to subvert the Spirit of Equality, Liberty, Fraternity and Solidarity that has been enshrined in The Constitution.

Wawasan 2020 was however launched, to blind a people, in a state struggling for nationhood, through the common identity of a "Bangsa Malaysia". At the very same time though, this idea was however subverted , (with the notion of 'KetuananMelayu' and the ever present "Chinese/Indian bogeyman"), and hence twisted the "social contract" of the Constitution into something it isn't.
To say that one "race or religion" is superior to the other (as per the prevalent political rhetoric), is to subvert the spirit in which the constitution was formulated.
To say that Malay rights would be "threatened" by the discussion & knowledge of Constitution is totally malicious.

What matters to politicians though, is power and control over the riches that belong to the masses, and that the masses are "made to know" that only they can "defend the rights of the people"!
The 65% of the nation's wealth that was in the hands of the British at Merdeka, was gradually squandered away upon acquisition by proponents of the NEP/ Ketuanan Melayu - leaving apparently 19% (at par value, actually) "Bumiputra" stake in the economy.
Such is the business acumen of the NEP-ists. Yes - the rempits, the pakcik/makciks and the usahawan bumiputra can still thump their chests and proudly say that the leaders are "protecting their interests".
It's all in the name of 'nation building', though - so it is fine.

Let's face facts - There is no way that the "Non-Malay" as a race, can dominate politically, given the demographics of Malaysia.
Hypothetically speaking- given this reality, should a PM of a minority community come to power as a "true-blue Malaysian", it would be political suicide for him to deny affirmative action for any "race" in particular.
[Why would he do that, when "Apartheid/Race/ Religious Politics" may be quite unconstitutional anyway?]

Until and unless, a True Malaysian (not a Malay, Chinese, Indian or Alaskan) helms the nation, "nationhood" is but a pipe-dream.
Until then, an Immigrant State with "Notionhood" is all we have
- that's Wawasan 2020 for you.

==========================

"Transculturalism is not a total objective reality, there has to be a conscious subjective component which must express itself in the public space, in a democratic fashion without political interference...... "
- Donald Cuccioletta, Multiculturalism or Transculturalism: Towards a
Cosmopolitan Citizenship.

================================