I have spent time in many countries around the globe and have witnessed a great deal of political turmoil throughout the years. However, I am still constantly surprised and to a certain extent amused by the political plays in Malaysia. If you follow some of the blogs and politically motivated websites it provides more entertainment than the now defunct 'News of the World'.
Politics in Malaysia seems to be more about ridiculing your opponents and their family than about discussing serious issues or even attempting to come up with a solution for something that needs fixing. Especially the opposition with PKR as the clear front runner , but certainly not exclusively, seems to believe that all it takes to win the next election is to make fun about your main opponents. And in that respect it doesn't seem to matter if the stories hold water or not.
The website Malaysian Chronicle is very good at making the most out of fabricated stories. Not surprising if you realize that it is a front for PKR and that the main person behind the website has already been forced to resign before because of the spreading of lies and false informtation. So not the most reliable source to begin with but still with a large bunch of readers that believe every word written there. Examples? Rosmah's 24 million diamond ring, the multi-billion platinum yacht, The British monarch wearing yellow in support of Bersih!
Surely the rest of Malaysia's voters cannot be that stupid? People please! Don't try to compete with the brothers Grimm or Hans Christiaan Andersen! They were much better at fairy tales than you will ever be!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Change? Yeah right!
This weekend the Sarawak State Elections are coming up and so far it has been one of the most heated state elections in the history of Malaysia. All the big guns from both sides have been camping in East Malaysia for the last few weeks relentlessly campaigning for their cause. Ceramah after ceramah has been held and larger crowds have been wooed with fiery speeches and goodie bags.
First of all I don't really have a favorite side when it comes to Sarawak. I think that both sides have major flaws and are only really interested in this state election because of the effect that it potentially has on national politics. The big shots are not there because they care so much about the Sarawakians and their local problems. They are only there because Sarawak and Sabah have a large amount of seats in the national parliament. Sad isn't it?
And in the meantime Sarawak is stuck with a corrupt CM, massive deforestation and many more problems that are currently being highlighted by the opposition but that after the election (in my cynical opinion) will just stay the same. Same thing goes about the numerous opposition backed blogs and websites. Especially Malaysian Chronicle, the PKR propaganda machine, writes about hardly anything else then Sarawak. Wanna predict how much they write about the same in two weeks time?
The opposition might gain some seats (I hope so, as long as it is DAP), but I doubt if BN will lose its 2/3 majority so everything will stay the way it is. The big guns will go back to KL, will conveniently forget about Sarawak and the Sarawakians and will focus on what they really care about. National Power! Some things just never change!
First of all I don't really have a favorite side when it comes to Sarawak. I think that both sides have major flaws and are only really interested in this state election because of the effect that it potentially has on national politics. The big shots are not there because they care so much about the Sarawakians and their local problems. They are only there because Sarawak and Sabah have a large amount of seats in the national parliament. Sad isn't it?
And in the meantime Sarawak is stuck with a corrupt CM, massive deforestation and many more problems that are currently being highlighted by the opposition but that after the election (in my cynical opinion) will just stay the same. Same thing goes about the numerous opposition backed blogs and websites. Especially Malaysian Chronicle, the PKR propaganda machine, writes about hardly anything else then Sarawak. Wanna predict how much they write about the same in two weeks time?
The opposition might gain some seats (I hope so, as long as it is DAP), but I doubt if BN will lose its 2/3 majority so everything will stay the way it is. The big guns will go back to KL, will conveniently forget about Sarawak and the Sarawakians and will focus on what they really care about. National Power! Some things just never change!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Malaysian Politics part 4: The moderates hold the key
If you are an avid reader of newspapers, blogs and news websites like I am, then you will notice that there is a strong polarisation going on between the current ruling coalition and the opposition. Even if you would only believe half of what is written you would think that the country is on the brink of a civil war or at least close to self destruction.
The opposition accuses the government of bankrupting the country and to squander the future of Malaysia while the governement states that the opposition is the one that would bring disaster to the country. Both are wrong of course but that is politics I guess.
What is also politics in Malaysia is the constant personal attacks on both sides. It is one thing to question someones policies, it is another thing if you start accusing your opponent of murder, sodomy, rape, theft, etc. True or not, such gutter tactics should not have a place in a civilized society.
Thirdly race and racial issues have become more important in the political actions of all parties. Indian rights, Malay supremacy and Chinese economic power are daily topics. Extreme groups like Perkasa and Hindraf are regular news items no matter how ridiculous there points of view are.
So what effect does all this have on the voters? Not much in my opinion. Extreme politics will only alienate the more moderate voters and push them away from you. Both sides have their base of loyal supporters that will not move to the other side no matter what. Some people will believe through thick and thin that Anwar is the divine savior while other will never lose their faith in UMNO. So the key is that you do not have to win those staunch supporters over. In stead you need to focus on the moderates that hold the oh so important swing vote.
Moderates are allergic to extreme messages and tend to think through their pockets. They are not uneducated but are also not pure intelectuals. They like to receive clear messages that explain complex issues in simple terms. At this moment BN seems to be doing a better job of understanding that than PR.
The opposition accuses the government of bankrupting the country and to squander the future of Malaysia while the governement states that the opposition is the one that would bring disaster to the country. Both are wrong of course but that is politics I guess.
What is also politics in Malaysia is the constant personal attacks on both sides. It is one thing to question someones policies, it is another thing if you start accusing your opponent of murder, sodomy, rape, theft, etc. True or not, such gutter tactics should not have a place in a civilized society.
Thirdly race and racial issues have become more important in the political actions of all parties. Indian rights, Malay supremacy and Chinese economic power are daily topics. Extreme groups like Perkasa and Hindraf are regular news items no matter how ridiculous there points of view are.
So what effect does all this have on the voters? Not much in my opinion. Extreme politics will only alienate the more moderate voters and push them away from you. Both sides have their base of loyal supporters that will not move to the other side no matter what. Some people will believe through thick and thin that Anwar is the divine savior while other will never lose their faith in UMNO. So the key is that you do not have to win those staunch supporters over. In stead you need to focus on the moderates that hold the oh so important swing vote.
Moderates are allergic to extreme messages and tend to think through their pockets. They are not uneducated but are also not pure intelectuals. They like to receive clear messages that explain complex issues in simple terms. At this moment BN seems to be doing a better job of understanding that than PR.
Friday, March 4, 2011
The burden of free speech
I come from a country where free speech is a common good and not even so much recognized as a right anymore. Everyone knows that they can say whatever they want, within reason of course. And that is the little snag! Within reason. First of all Free speech is not the same as being able to say whatever you like about whomever you like. There are rules and law that limit whatever you are allowed to say. A good example is the recent arrest of famous fashion designer John Galliano in France for uttering anti-Semitic words in a drunken rage. So insulting people, groups or races is not covered under the right to free speech. Free speech is a precious good that needs to be guarded against abuse.
Also free speech works two ways. If you believe in free speech than you should also be able to handle comments that disagree with your opinion.Free speech doesn't only mean dishing out but also taking one on the chin now and then.
Many people in Malaysia feel that there is a lack of free speech and they are absolutely right. The press is controlled by the current government and besides blogs and some web sites, the opposition has very few channels to spread their views. So the more the merrier! The opposition needs a voice and needs to be communicating with its followers.
However, many of these opposition sites and blogs, with free speech high in their banner, often go into rants about the current BN government, the ministers or any other pro-government issue or event. They often resort to ridicule or just plain slander and insult. However And the comments that the readers of these blogs make are often worse than what the contributors write. They call anyone who even slightly disagrees traitors, UMNO stooges etc. If you dare to put a comment with a dissenting opinion you will be called every dirty name in the book and you and your family will be cursed with every bad thing they can think of.
If that is how the opposition or its fanatic supporters see free speech, where is the improvement with the current censorship by the government?
Also free speech works two ways. If you believe in free speech than you should also be able to handle comments that disagree with your opinion.Free speech doesn't only mean dishing out but also taking one on the chin now and then.
Many people in Malaysia feel that there is a lack of free speech and they are absolutely right. The press is controlled by the current government and besides blogs and some web sites, the opposition has very few channels to spread their views. So the more the merrier! The opposition needs a voice and needs to be communicating with its followers.
However, many of these opposition sites and blogs, with free speech high in their banner, often go into rants about the current BN government, the ministers or any other pro-government issue or event. They often resort to ridicule or just plain slander and insult. However And the comments that the readers of these blogs make are often worse than what the contributors write. They call anyone who even slightly disagrees traitors, UMNO stooges etc. If you dare to put a comment with a dissenting opinion you will be called every dirty name in the book and you and your family will be cursed with every bad thing they can think of.
If that is how the opposition or its fanatic supporters see free speech, where is the improvement with the current censorship by the government?
Friday, February 18, 2011
1Malaysia part 2
Whenever you listen to the opposition or read its supporting blogs (i.e. Malaysian Chronicle) you get the feeling that Malaysia is strongly divided along its racial lines. Some politicians are actually going so far to predict racial riots and the destruction of the country.
True. Race has become an ever increasing issue in politics and the upcoming of right wing groups like Perkasa but also groups like Hindraf have not done much good to ease the tension. There is no day going by or some racial issue has been reported in the news.
As I am none of the three main races in Malaysia perhaps I do not have the right background to have an opinion on this but all this hype about heightened racial tension seems to me more a case of politicking then anything else.
All my Malaysian friends have close friends of other races and even my family in law who are very Malay are close to many non-Malay people. Whenever I go anywhere or whenever I visit any office I see a mix of different races working, playing, eating or just being together.
Is the situation ideal? No. Far from it. There are serious racial problems in Malaysia. But not just from one side. As in many countries these racial issues are there on all sides. It is well known that there is a government driven positive discrimination of the Malays and I can understand that this is strongly disliked by non-Malays. I also believe that certain regulations should be eased to create more equality. But on a non-official level the other races do similar things. A well known example is all the job advertisement you seen in the paper asking for Mandarin speaking staff even if the job clearly does not require it.
Still in every country I have lived in such discrimination occurs on many levels, but different races tend to be much more separated and hardly ever mingle. The fact that such a thing is not happening in Malaysia gives me the feeling that racial problems are much more under control than in other parts of the world and perhaps politicians should stop using it to try to score points.
True. Race has become an ever increasing issue in politics and the upcoming of right wing groups like Perkasa but also groups like Hindraf have not done much good to ease the tension. There is no day going by or some racial issue has been reported in the news.
As I am none of the three main races in Malaysia perhaps I do not have the right background to have an opinion on this but all this hype about heightened racial tension seems to me more a case of politicking then anything else.
All my Malaysian friends have close friends of other races and even my family in law who are very Malay are close to many non-Malay people. Whenever I go anywhere or whenever I visit any office I see a mix of different races working, playing, eating or just being together.
Is the situation ideal? No. Far from it. There are serious racial problems in Malaysia. But not just from one side. As in many countries these racial issues are there on all sides. It is well known that there is a government driven positive discrimination of the Malays and I can understand that this is strongly disliked by non-Malays. I also believe that certain regulations should be eased to create more equality. But on a non-official level the other races do similar things. A well known example is all the job advertisement you seen in the paper asking for Mandarin speaking staff even if the job clearly does not require it.
Still in every country I have lived in such discrimination occurs on many levels, but different races tend to be much more separated and hardly ever mingle. The fact that such a thing is not happening in Malaysia gives me the feeling that racial problems are much more under control than in other parts of the world and perhaps politicians should stop using it to try to score points.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Can Rhetoric kill?
I guess everybody, even here in Malaysia is aware of the recent happenings in Tucson, Arizona and the shock that has gone through the U.S. after one of its members of Congress was shot and almost killed. Other people were less fortunate and actually lost their lives in that particular shooting. Even though the shooting was without a doubt the work of a deranged and very troubled soul, the question has arisen whether the ongoing political rhetoric and the strong language that both sides use in the US were in any way a factor in the attack. Perhaps the upcoming trial will provide with some answers but even now it goes without saying that in every country there are people that are easily influenced by the opinions of others especially in the political arena.
Being an avid reader of some of the opposition aligned blogs and websites here in Malaysia, one wonders if the strong statements that some of the contributors use towards politicians of the other side do not create a danger that one day an unstable character will actually build up so much hatred or disgust towards one of those politicians that he or she deems it necessary to take violent action. This fear was triggered further today when I read a comment of one of the readers of Malaysian Chronicle stating that he was willing to become a suicide bomber against politicians of the current government. Perhaps written in jest or out of pure frustration, it is still a statement that should raise some concern.
I am aware that the inflammatory writing takes place on both sides of the great divide here and it is certainly not my intention to point the finger at any particular party or side and of course, like in the U.S., the writers, the commentators, the political pundits all wash their hands in innocence, but perhaps some of them should reflect a bit before it is too late
Being an avid reader of some of the opposition aligned blogs and websites here in Malaysia, one wonders if the strong statements that some of the contributors use towards politicians of the other side do not create a danger that one day an unstable character will actually build up so much hatred or disgust towards one of those politicians that he or she deems it necessary to take violent action. This fear was triggered further today when I read a comment of one of the readers of Malaysian Chronicle stating that he was willing to become a suicide bomber against politicians of the current government. Perhaps written in jest or out of pure frustration, it is still a statement that should raise some concern.
I am aware that the inflammatory writing takes place on both sides of the great divide here and it is certainly not my intention to point the finger at any particular party or side and of course, like in the U.S., the writers, the commentators, the political pundits all wash their hands in innocence, but perhaps some of them should reflect a bit before it is too late
Monday, January 3, 2011
1Malaysia
One can argue how political 1Malaysia is. Was it introduced by the current BN government? Yes it was. Does that automatically make it a political slogan? No, it doesn't.
In the same way 'Malaysia Truly Asia' would be a political slogan cause it has been developed by the BN government. But I don't think anyone would go that far.
Has 1Malaysia been promoted by the BN component parties? Yes. Mainly because it was immediately shot down by the opposition the moment it got introduced.
That is the problem with this country. The merit of an idea, slogan or activity is not important anymore. The moment one side introduces anything, the other side automatically burns it down, demonizes it and rejects it. Even US democrats and republicans cooperate more than the politicians in Malaysia. And who will be the ultimate victims of all this bickering? The Rakyat.
Banning 1Malaysia, political slogan or not, is just another petty move by one side towards the other and should just be seen like that. Nothing more and nothing less
In the same way 'Malaysia Truly Asia' would be a political slogan cause it has been developed by the BN government. But I don't think anyone would go that far.
Has 1Malaysia been promoted by the BN component parties? Yes. Mainly because it was immediately shot down by the opposition the moment it got introduced.
That is the problem with this country. The merit of an idea, slogan or activity is not important anymore. The moment one side introduces anything, the other side automatically burns it down, demonizes it and rejects it. Even US democrats and republicans cooperate more than the politicians in Malaysia. And who will be the ultimate victims of all this bickering? The Rakyat.
Banning 1Malaysia, political slogan or not, is just another petty move by one side towards the other and should just be seen like that. Nothing more and nothing less
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Malaysian Politics part 3
The current stand off between the Selangor State government on one side and the Federal government and Selangor palace on the other side, over the issue of the appointment of the new State Secretary is an all time low even in Malaysian politics. Just to recap. The palace has endorsed the appointment of Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi as the new State Secretary in Selangor on the recommendation of the Federal government. Justifiably the PR led Selangor State government is very unhappy about this and calls in unconstitutional and contemplates to fight the appointment in court.
As usual you can easily find people who are willing to argue either side of this legal argument. From a pure logical point of view I believe that it should be the right of the MB to appoint or at least propose the State Secretary. However the Selangor Constitution is very vague on this point and only mentions a 'Service Commission' that has this right without further specifying this commission. That's where all the trouble is going to start.
First of all it will be highly unlikely that the State Goverment will win any court battle on this issue and secondly even if they did win, it might be a pyrhhic victory at best. going into a court battle against the Selangor palace will potentially hurt PR more than Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi will ever be able to do.
As usual you can easily find people who are willing to argue either side of this legal argument. From a pure logical point of view I believe that it should be the right of the MB to appoint or at least propose the State Secretary. However the Selangor Constitution is very vague on this point and only mentions a 'Service Commission' that has this right without further specifying this commission. That's where all the trouble is going to start.
First of all it will be highly unlikely that the State Goverment will win any court battle on this issue and secondly even if they did win, it might be a pyrhhic victory at best. going into a court battle against the Selangor palace will potentially hurt PR more than Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi will ever be able to do.
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