Still Blind To Reality!

If Abdullah Badawi could not leverage the huge mandate he received in 2004 into effective leadership, there is little hope that he could do any better now that he had been severely mauled in the last election.  Those who think otherwise are merely deluding themselves and engaging in wishful thinking.

            All the top leaders of UMNO are afflicted by this collective blindness, a willful refusal to see or even acknowledge this evident reality; they are engulfed in mass denial.

            Of course the likes of Najib Razak and Rafidah Aziz would unhesitatingly and shamelessly grovel themselves up to Abdullah; after all they serve at his pleasure.  Najib in particular does not want to disturb the current pattern, knowing full well that this would be Abdullah’s last term and that Najib will take over after that.  If Abdullah were to fumble now, there is no assurance that he would not take the whole crowd –that would include Najib – with him.

What amazes me however is when the likes of Shahrir Samad tried to spin the recent election debacle into something else.  He would like us believe that it was actually a positive development, the “maturing” of Malaysian society the consequence of Abdullah’s “enlightened” leadership!  The surprise was that he could utter that ridiculous claim with a straight face!

Maybe Shahrir felt beholden to Abdullah for having been selected as a parliamentary candidate.  Shahrir knows only too well the fate that befell lawyer Zaid Ibrahim.  Zaid was one of the few UMNO MPs who had the courage to criticize or at least disagree with Abdullah; consequently Abdullah dropped him as a candidate this time around.  Shahrir is drawing the wrong lesson.  He should instead recall that Zaid’s stock soared afterwards.  He was, among other things, named one of Asia’s top philanthropists.  And with UMNO being thrashed, Zaid must thank his lucky stars to have been spared the massacre in Kelantan.  God works in wonderful ways!

Then there is the hogwash circulating that it was not poor Abdullah’s fault for the electoral humiliation rather his advisors.  How convenient!  These Abdullah’s apologists are beginning to believe their own spin.  Abdullah’s advisors reflect on Abdullah; like begets like, meaning, Abdullah has dumb advisors because he himself is dumb.  Getting rid of his present advisors would not solve anything; he will get other dumb ones!

It is not just voters who have passed judgment on Abdullah’s leadership, so have investors.  Trading on the KL stock market had to be temporarily suspended on the Monday following the election.  Try spinning that!

It is well to remember that voters’ judgment is based on Abdullah’s past performance.  The stock market however is based on expectations.  They are declaring that Abdullah remaining as leader would be a disaster, and they are betting their money on that.

Lame Duck Prime Minister

 What happens to Abdullah as a person does not interest me in the least; the fate of Malaysia does.  Abdullah is now reduced to being a lame duck leader.  The longer he hangs on, the more damage he would inflict on his party and country.

If Abdullah does not step down now, Malaysia will in effect have no chief executive.  The whole cabinet and indeed the entire government machinery would be consumed with a leadership struggle, both overt and covert, right till the upcoming UMNO General Assembly this August.  Nothing substantive would be done, not that Abdullah was an effective executive at the best of time.  Everyone would be jockeying for position.  It is this uncertainty that is so corrosive to investor confidence.

            Indeed the infighting has already begun.  It starts out small, naturally enough, in the tiny state of Perlis where there is now an ugly tussle for the chief minister’s post.  Soon the crisis will spread, of trying to find scapegoats for the party’s humiliations and over the dwindling goodies.  It would not be pretty.

            Whatever economic, political and other gains that Abdullah’s hacks and family members hope to gain by his stubbornly clinging to power would vanish just as quickly with his toppling.  Remember how quickly they tried to humiliate Mahathir once he stepped down, and he was a very strong leader.  He fought back.  Abdullah is spineless; he could not even stand up to the chief minister of a tiny state like Perlis.  Abdullah would be piled on so quickly and so mercilessly once he is forced down such that the likes of me would be forced to take pity on the poor soul.

 New Political Dynamics

 This election alters fundamentally the political dynamics at the federal, state, and most importantly, the local levels.  This harsh reality has not yet to sink on UMNO operatives.  The loss of five states, especially the three most industrialized – Perak, Penang and Selangor – will have severe ramifications, far more than the loss of the two-third supra-majority in Parliament.

            All the major economic initiatives (the various “development corridors” except perhaps for the Iskandar Project) previously announced by Abdullah would require agreement from the involved state governments.  Now that those states are controlled by the opposition, approvals would not be automatic.

            While previous UMNO or Barisan chief ministers would readily kow tow to Abdullah (after all he appointed them), the likes of Khalid Ibrahim (Chief Minister of Selangor) or Lim Guan Eng (Penang) would have no such deference.  They would demand, among other things, that the various contracts be subjected to competitive biddings.  That would immediately dry up the hitherto steady stream of bounties that used to flow the way of UMNO cronies.

            Those previously fat UMNO cats would quickly be reduced to angry and hungry mangy felines, viciously fighting each other up for the rapidly dwindling morsels.

            An UMNO Mat Deros who could previously have bulldozed his way through the local council or state government merely by showing those cowed officials pictures of him performing umrah with Abdullah, would now find the going rough.  As for the real Mat Deros, now dead, watch his estate being saddled with unpaid assessments, plus penalties.  It would not surprise me that the infamous mansion in Klang to be cited for non compliance with local building codes and therefore had to be torn down.

            Rest assured that all those powerful UMNO ministers and functionaries wishing to have their own mansions in the cities of the states controlled by the opposition would no longer get sweetheart deals, where valuable crown lands would be handed to them at cut-rate prices a la Mat Deros.  They would heap their frustrations on Abdullah.  It would be tough on them and Abdullah, but good for Malaysia.  That is one positive development of this election.

26 Responses to “Still Blind To Reality!”

  1. Anak Kelantan Says:

    I bet MGG Pillai is smiling upon us now.

    Beside Mat Deros and Abdullah, the antics that Shahidan showed the world the last few days clearly demonstrate the cultural milieau within UMNO. Mat Deros, Shahidan and the gang clearly demonstrate how far has present day UMNO leadership transgressed relative to the old pre-Mahathir UMNO. For us, the observers, watching them is like like watching a train wreck. Why on earth would anyone support a political party with leaders like them?

  2. Grass Says:

    Good observation! Those embattled hungry ghosts are real sore losers at their desperate low. They have gone into the streets to cause mischief accusing the new state governments comprising of DAP, PKR and PAS of all sorts.

    In Penang, they pit the Malays against the new Penang govt for their just announced no-preference ‘open tender’ policies for all government contracts, distorting facts and accuse the Penang govt of taking away their “special rights” etc.

    In Perak when everyone was asleep, they cowardly hung up jumbo size banners in red chinese letterings calling on the non-Malays to stand up against the new PAS Chief Minister. In it they accuse DAP of betraying the voters’ trust by appointing a Malay Muslim as Menteri Besar.

    ‘Batu Api’ they are! I agree with Anak Kelantan, why on earth would anyone support a political party with leaders like them?

  3. Goofy Says:

    Should we manage to get this spineless PM to step down, one fear still remained in me. Who is in UMNO at the moment that has the capability and charisma to lead the Malays and Malaysia? Who truly has Malaysian interest at heart? I just don’t see it and that really make me want to weep.

    For now, I hope and pray that BR will prove to us that they will be a strong and positive opposition parties in the next four years.

  4. Grass Says:

    They never give up do they? Next will be ‘anak-anak yatim’?

    http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Frontpage/20080316210935/Article/index_html

  5. mantao Says:

    Support Dato’ Mukhriz

    http://www.petitiononline.com/petitia/petition.html

  6. Anak Kelantan Says:

    Why do UMNO and its members believe that they are annointed by the Almighty to be the rulers and guardians of Malays and Malaysia; and that any non-UMNO would provide less in terms of leadership, governance, transparency, etc. etc. Where do that dictum so stated? In their religious book? in the country constitution? How I wish there is an UMNO leader out there that will publicly state that he or she loves Malaysia more and not that he or she loves UMNO less. So far, I have heard none. To them UMNO supercedes Malaysia, and hence, the present predicament.

  7. alfred Says:

    Much as been said about Abdullah & crooks. All zero down down to self denail. All these while they have always thought that the rakyat owe them a living and being there is their right . Thus. the ‘damage to their brain’ is beyond repair. As an example, after being trashed in the last PRU12, they still believe that they are indespensible. How twisted their mind are. It remind of a phrase being used by an old teacher of mine when he become upset to the students in the class. “It is really a pity for those who does not know what he doesn’t know”. I believe AAB and the crooks really fits tht very well. Salam

  8. Abangcina Says:

    The problem with most Malay leaders is that they lack wisdom, and this include Mahathir and Ku Li though they are intelligent and have been exposed to world’s drifts. That’s probably also explains the weakness of thoughts of the author of the above article.

    To me, as long as Malay cannot aspire as being somebody else, Malay will kaput eventually as a race due to in-breeding as dictated by the laws of nature.

    Just ask yourself honestly: Do you think Gorbachev is a hero or villain?

  9. Awangngah Says:

    Anak Kelantan Says:

    “Why do UMNO and its members believe that they are annointed by the Almighty to be the rulers and guardians of Malays and Malaysia”

    That’s not why many of them are there for. Many fought for positions within the party not because they want to serve the rakyat, but rather to serve themselves as they know that that’s one of the fastest way to be rich. Those who are there for the right reason will quickly be booted out — as we saw happened to people like Zaid Ibrahim.

  10. Tok Cik Says:

    Once the gravy train stops the beneficiaries will run amok, that’s to be expected. We do nothing but watch the fun from the sideline. Let’s see how long can they go berserk. Poor Zakaria Deros has gone to meet his Maker. More will follow suit.

  11. Grass Says:

    MORE, from Kedah - They had cleared all files/documents from offices of the Menteri Besar and Executive Councillors. What’s left are the furnitures. This is the mentality of UMNO/BN elected representatives that stayed in power for 51 years. The PAS State Govt has made a police report.

    http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/NewsBreak/20080317165849/Article/index_html

  12. yap.chongyee Says:

    The Malaysian Constitution in its original form was a document that delivered to the People justice according to law; but after the “513” riots, UMNO had progressively undermined the justice elements of the Constitution to finally make nonsense of the Constitution. The Malaysian Constitution today is nothing short a joke and is the laughing stock of the world community. The final product of all the amendments that have been made to meet the political whims of Tun Mahatir is a document that is meaningless; of all the craziness that went to amend the Constitution are those that GAVE ABSOLUTE POWER TO THE JUDICIARY TO DO & ACT ILLEGALLY AND OUTSIDE THE LAW AS AND WHEN IT PLEASES THEM TO DO SO. Malaysia today is lawless because High Court judges themselves commit criminal offences while performing their duties on the bench because they are not required to be accountable and in their IGNORANCE OF THE LAW they commit breaches of the Penal Code and still are not held accountable. If the laws of the nation is not held sacrosanct as it is not held sacrosanct in Malaysia, then there is no need for the very existence of Parliament, because Judges in Malaysia make their own laws by not strictly enforcing the law. Judges depart from provisions of the law and do as they pleased. What jurisprudence in all the civilized world can make sense of the over-riding of the Malaysian Constitution by the Sharia laws, because the Constitution IS THE MOTHER OF ALL LAWS and the Sharia must come under the Constitution not the other way around; this proposition is so basic that any 1st year law student must know, and yet the Highest Court of Malaysia went on to over ride the Malaysian Constitution by the Sharia.

    The sorry state of Malaysian politics has come about because the leaders of MCA & MIC were co-conspirators to the leaders UMNO to commit PLUNDER on the nation’s wealth and resources. Without exception the leaders of UMNO

  13. SirTopa Says:

    PAKLAH DREAM TEAM as always would be a large cabinet size to fulfil his aspiration and ushering the paradigm shift of the goverment ….to catch up with the shift that rakyat has done long ago.

    With this strong team he hopes the goverment is true to the idea of ‘continuity’ that he dream of.

    Mr Dato’Sri. Najib and were not listed due to ongoing court case ( until the court manage to find all the skeletal remains of the victim..cupboard full of skeletons suddenly has deeper meaning to it ).Dato Hishamuddin post is created (full minister) to look after Dato’ Mukriz and other Sharp instrument.

    Here is the full list:

    Perdana Menteri :YAB Dato Seri Abdullah Hj Ahmad Badawi,

    Timbalan Perdana Menteri :Dato Kamaludin Abdullah Badawi

    Menteri Kewangan :Dato Seri Kalimullah Hassan Badawi

    Menteri Dalam Negeri / Menteri Kewangan II :Khairy Jamaluddin Badawi

    Menteri Penerangan :Dato Seri Anuar zaini

    Menteri Pengangkutan :Dato Seri Tony Fernandez

    Menteri Perumahan, Kerajaan Tempatan dan Pembinaan Masjid :Dato Patrick Badawi (Lim)

    Menteri Kesihatan :Dato Dr. Vincent Lim Ah Pek

    Menteri Pelancongan Dan Kemajuan Batik Negara:Senator Nori Abdullah

    Menteri Dijabatan Perdana Menteri :Dato Zaki Ahmad Zahid

    Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa :Azim Zabidi

    Menteri Hal Ehwal kaum India :Dato Reezal Merican Naina Pottu Marican

    Menteri Hal Ehwal Warga Emas :Dato Hajjah Rahmah (Ibu Khairy)

    Menteri Belia, Sukan dan Kereta Terpakai :Dato Azeez Rahim Rempit

    Menteri Sains, Teknologi, Innovasi Dan Alam Sekitar :Senator Tun Sami Vellu

    Menteri Transport (beroda Dua) : Senator Dato’A Azeez

    Menteri Kehakiman : V.K. Lingam

    Menteri Kebajikan Wanita : Dato’ Nazri

    Menteri Hypermarket : Senator Dato’ Zainudin Maideen

    Menteri Pencegahan Rasuah: Senator Tan Sri Muhammad Taib Muhammad

    Menteri Otomotif and Amalan Perusahaan(AP) : D.P. Rafidah Aziz

    Menteri Perhiasan Badan /Muka/ Berat Badan : Senator Datin Berseri Rosmah

  14. Royalist Says:

    Pak Lah dream team?? What is he dreaming about?

  15. real limkamput Says:

    To me, as long as Malay cannot aspire as being somebody else, Malay will kaput eventually as a race due to in-breeding as dictated by the laws of nature.

  16. Tok Cik Says:

    Inbreeding is part of the generational process. We may produce idiots, imbeciles and may be a genius or two. Let’s not dwell on the mundane, there’s more up our sleeves than stuff fit for a B-grade movie.

    Badawi will continue to sleep but that’s his problem. We don’t have to blame ourselves anymore.

    Umno and its component parties will self-implode, it’s a matter of time. Darwin’s theory of evolution proclaims that only the fittest will survive and that applies to organizations as well.

  17. Tenku Ahmad Ching Chong A/L Subramaniam Says:

    Kaput huh? SPM highest record breaking score this year is by a malay.

  18. shrek Says:

    Kaput? I don’t think so. The Malays have always aspire to be the best among the best. Malays are better at reciting the Quran, better than the Arabs themselves even though Arabic is not the mother tounge of the Malays. Look at the Malay entertainers, they can imitate the European stars right to the T. Malays that have gone overseas to study quickly absorb western culture and even the slang. Notice the newscaster (newsreaders) They sound more English or Australian.
    The Malays have high aspiration to be better, otherwise you wouldn’t get this animosity between the races. Not all Malays have competed with an advantage. Those earlier Malays professionals like Dr Latiff, Dr Ungku Omar, Aminuddin Baki, Tun Ismail Ali, The Hashim brothers, Harun, Zain and Mahmud all excel in their study and profession. So Malays will survive as a nation.

  19. gecko Says:

    The new generation of malay is different, they have high aspiration and competitive, I think globalisation and the environment has something to do with it. Most of my malay friends are educated,professional and their childrens all go to university. Sometimes i think it unfair to tag them as ‘weaker ‘ race so as they need affirmative action to assist them. Like any race, they can excel, given the opportunity and change of mindset.

  20. malay reader Says:

    Tuan doktor,

    saya cadangkan selepas ini tuan doktor menulis dlm bahasa Melayu. Saya pastu 95% rakyat Malaysia tahu berbahasa Melayu, dan saya amat pasti Tuan Doktor masih tidak melupai bahasa pertuturan kita seharian.
    Justifikasi kenapa mesti bahasa Melayu:
    1) Mesej tuan doktor mudah disampaikan
    2) Komuniti yang membaca kebanyakan nya boleh berbahasa Melayu
    3) Tuan doktor sendiri adalah orang Melayu

    Terima kasih

  21. Mers Says:

    Shameful lot! Without a doubt these are works of BN/UMNO that very often questions the patriotism of others, other than themelves.

    http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/National/2190426/Article/index_html

  22. shrek Says:

    Malay Reader
    Blog ini bukan khas untuk orang melayu atau orang Malaysia sahaja. Blog ini dibaca oleh pelbagai bangsa yang mana tak faham bahasa melayu.
    Kedua, eloklah orang melayu belajar bahasa ingerris jadi orang melayu boleh jadi bilingual. Orang China dan India diMalaysia telah maju kehadapan dan hampir kesemua adalah trilingual.

  23. Jong Says:

    Shrek, don’t waste your breath. They are here to ‘kacau’, impersonate and disrupt the blogs - cybertroopers sent in by BN/UMNO. Leave them alone to talk to themselves. They are found in every blogs.

  24. Moderator Says:

    KU LI PALU GENDANG PERANG!

    Gedang perang telah dipukul bertalu-talu. Gegak gempita Tanah Malaya. Muncung-muncung meriam sedang dihalakan ke Mahligai Putra Jaya. Serunai ditiup sayup-sayup bunyinya. Bala tentera telah berada diperbatasan terakhir…

    Inilah saki-baki bala tentera yang masih setia kepada Anak Raja berjiwa rakyat. Percubaan terakhir untuk menakluk hieraki kepimpinan UMNO. Setelah dimalu dan diaibkan semenjak sekian lama; Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah bangkit menuntut kembali takhta singahsana UMNO yang dirampas darinya semenjak diakhir tahun 70an lagi.

    Bapa Ekonomi Orang Melayu masuk kembali kegelanggang sebagai seorang Panglima Melayu berpantang undur sebelum ajal. Semenjak kembali semula kepada UMNO pada tahun 1996, Ku Li dilayan saling tak tumpah sebagai Ashkar Gurkha. Segala jasa dan budi beliau kepada ekonomi orang melayu dan pembangunan Malaysia tidak pernah langsung disebut oleh media massa. Legasi beliau terhakis sedikit demi sedikit setelah mengalami ‘kekalahan bermaruah’ hanya 43 undi di Perhimpuan Agung UMNO pada tahun 1987 kepada rakan sekapal Dr. Mahathir Mohammad.

    PETRONAS yang menjadi salah satu syarikat petroleum gergasi didunia pada hari ini siapa yang menubuhkannya? Bank Bumi Putra Malaysia Berhad yang banyak menyokong usahawan-usahawan melayu yang baru mula hendak belajar berniaga, siapa yang menubuhkannya? Bangunan UMNO dan PWTC hasil usaha siapa? Anda tidak tahu bukan. Maka rajin-rajinlah mengkaji sejarah. Malah banyak lagi jasa Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah yang tidak cukup untuk disebutkan disini.

    ( Sila baca artikel selebihnya di:
    http://theindiestory.blogspot.com/ )

  25. Tok Cik Says:

    Memang Melayu mudah lupa. Sesudah dipapah, diasuh, dididik dan dibantu segala jasa-jasa sipenderma sedikit pun tidak dikenangkan. Tumpuan akan diarahkan kepada tuan yang baru seperti kacang lupakan kulit. Inilah kelemahan kita. Kini negara telah tergadai barulah tahu langit tinggi rendah

  26. alfred Says:

    Saya rasa agak terkilan membaca komen Sdr.Moderator dan saya ingin menambah sedikit apa yang di perkatakan mengenai Tengku Razaliegh. Untuk pengetahuan rakan blogger sekelian, he was one of the few left now that really understood the real aspiration of NEP ie the late Tun Razak. Not even Tun Mahathir or Pak Lah .( Both were not in the special team selected by the late Tun Razak) to formulate the NEP. History of Malaysia could have been different if Tengku Razaliegh would have won the 1984 UMNO General Election. Come Tun Mahathir , the real NEP agenda was sideline. ( For further reading , please read ‘The Unmaking of Malaysia’ by Dato Ahmad Mustapha). Then come Abdullah Badawi, who understood little about the NEP and depending too much on so called Advisors .e. Kalimullah Hassan, Khairy Jamaluddin (4th Floor), Anuar Zaini to name a few and many others whose agenda is reap the country as much as possible and didn’t give a damn about NEP. The rest is history. The ‘fiesco’ in UMNO and BN today is of their own doings. This includes Tun Mahathir and the Gang ie. Tun Daim and his stables ( Halim Saad, Amin Shah, Tajuddin Ramli and Wan Azmi.)
    Sdr. Moderator, for Tengku Razaliegh to make a come back is rather far fetch. He has been ’sideline’ too long. Tambahan pula dengan arus perubahan baru minda anak2 muda Melayu hari yang oreintasinya agak berbeza pada zaman kita dulu. For sure, kebanyakan mereka, agenda untuk membela bangsa sudah agak nipis dan mungkin sudah tidak ada. Perisian kerohanian sudah agak kosong kerana terlalu sibuk mengejar kejayaan dari segi material. It is rather sad to have said this.
    It short, for Tengku Razaliegh to make a come back , he must have a complete team of strategist, planners and implementers. Ad- hoc basis effort is a waste of time and effort. Misinya terlalu besar tetapi jika perlu support, I am ever willing to help. Salam

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