The BN manifesto failed to mention that the Government would be introducing Goods and Services Tax immediately after the elections. The Royal Customs Department is almost ready to implement this new tax (those in the know would know) This new tax would certainly result in steep inflation and would badly affect the man in the street. (Not those 10 percent Malaysians who control 90 percent of wealth in Malaysia)
Why would not the Government think about taxing the rich by introducing capital gains tax, inheritance etc instead of taxing the poor man on the street?
But well, that is BN. They are there for the rich voted in by poor Malaysians.
If DAP can condense their last budget 2008, it will be be a heavy counter talk http://www.dapmalaysia.org/english/2007/sep07/lks/lks4499.htm
What to be promoted in the manifesto are what are the centers of problems! So when they are promoting "Security, Peace and Prosperity” it confirms these are problems!
In 2004 "Excellence, Glory and Distinction" were mentioned, and they had diminished instead of advancing.
When last manifesto had not been fulfilled, ABB is broke to give further manifesto for 2008!! Especially when all ministers in the same picture are those handicapping the manifesto 2004!!
The Manifesto needs a change of all those bunch of hypocrites before it could show a hope!!
I couldn't agree more with the critics, it is not going to be easy for the opposition either just because BN's manifesto failed to live up to expectations. In certain locations, the voting may be candidate-driven - good for the oppositions there.However many other areas would still be capable of being party-driven decisions for voters, ie; a sense of belonging thanks to the ruling party's comfort all these years!
The Barisan Rakyat or opposition parties should print a list of all the wrong doings of the Bodowi government to remind the people of the broken promises of BN.
It is the Year of the Rat. The Prime Minister (PM) has just let the cat out of the bag – the "General Elections (GE)" will be real soon, for there is a feeling amongst many that the country is going to the dogs.
The PM, who has never lost any sleep since he became the PM – has been trying to awaken the nation to an imminent GE. He had declared in June last year, in what could have been the most important statement of his political career: "I am no sleeping PM"!
Four years have passed swiftly by since Pak Lah became PM. He has made it very clear he is no "one-term" PM. Why, in between his many 40 photogenic winks he has even come up with Vision 2057! Who says the PM has failed to walk the talk — when he has even managed Bolehland sleepwalking!
But the boys on the fourth floor of Putrajaya who have been spinning the broken record which critics have entitled "I started a joke" have a tough job ahead. Experts of make-believe and myths, they have to create a mega-mirage of a PM and a government with a proven track record this coming GE.
Often, and as was evident in 2007, their script and sandiwara have spun out of control by the silly statements of small-minded and self-serving sycophants surrounding the PM, causing Pak Lah and his government to stumble from one comic caper to another.
As the government's delivery system fell apart, very symbolically and significantly so did structures give way in buildings such as parliament, the world's second largest court complex in Jalan Duta and even Putrajaya.
Back to the PM's "proven track record", surely the year 2007 was a very "revealing" year and there was so much that the ordinary citizen of Bolehland could fall back on to help them decide who they should vote for this coming GE.
EXCELLENT ECONOMY
50 years ago, we were second in Asia in terms of economic development. Last year we were almost second last. We also had much lower FDIs than many other countries in ASEAN such as Thailand and Indonesia. But we were told our economy is doing well compared to many countries.
As one BN MP had so proudly declared in parliament last year, Bolehland had great cause to celebrate Merdeka, for we are "10 times more (economically) advanced than Ghana" which became independent in the same year as us!
Why bother with former European Commission Ambassador to Malaysia Thierry Rommel's remark that the NEP amounted to protectionism against foreign companies? It is only "loglokal" that Umno still needs not only an unleveled-playing-field but also to move the goalposts from time to time.
2007 was another high point of Pak Lah's premiership. We had to contend with high prices of food, fuel, gas, public transportation, tolls, etc. resulting in a high cost of living. We were told we were better off than four years ago. We were merely paying the high price of believing some people in high places.
Even government backbenchers doubted the positive economic indicators by the government and expressed disappointment that the grassroots were not benefiting from domestic economic development. It is difficult to gauge what is going on in the grassroots when you are governing from the fourth floor!
GRAFT GALORE
Pak Lah's track record in his supposed "zero tolerance for corruption" drew a big zero in 2007. But there were several "firsts". For the first time in the country serious allegations of corruption were made against the chief of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and even the Inspector General of Police (IGP)!
Corruption allegations were also made against the Deputy Internal Security Minister, the Sabah and the Sarawak Chief Ministers and the Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief! It was revealed that 40% of the senior police officers could be arrested without further investigations – strictly on the basis of their lifestyles!
Another first was when the parties suspected of corruption investigated each other! The police investigated the (then) chief of the ACA; the ACA investigated the Internal Security Deputy Minister and the IGP….and the Attorney-General decided that all three were clean!
What the Mahathir administration took to "achieve" in 22 years – pervasive corruption and criminal breach of trust, mismanagement and wastage of public funds – Pak Lah's regime did even better in his first four years, made evident especially in the 2006 Auditor General's Report.
Dr M's administration ended with Malaysia being ranked No. 37 on the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in 2003. Three years after Pak Lah took over, Malaysia's TI CPI ranking plunged to No. 44 in 2006. It is likely to plunge further.
CRIPPLING CRIME
Pak Lah also achieved a record of sorts with regard to his pledge of a drastic reduction of the crime rate in the country. For the first time in Bolehland's history, the crime index crossed the 200,000 mark. The rakyat in Bolehland did not feel good nor safe at all – whether inside or outside their homes!
The crime rate soared from 156,315 cases in 2003 to 224,298 cases in 2007 – a sharp rise of some 45% in the past four years of Pak Lah's premiership. The number of serious crimes increased by 13.36% nationwide, with gang robbery without the use of firearms rising by more than 159%.
Shocked by the crime statistics of 2007, Pak Lah came up with a multi-pronged anti-crime strategy. What was really needed was the setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), a key proposal by the Royal Police Commission.
The PM had in fact in principle agreed to the setting up of the IPCMC on 24 January 2006, but by the end of 2007 his track record showed that his biggest "crime" was to shelve the IPCMC and replace it with a toothless Special Complaints Commission proposal.
BLOCKING BLOGGERS
2007 saw the elite in Umno going berserk over blogs. For so long they had monopolised "the truth". Unable to "buy over" the countless blogs on the Internet as they do with newspapers, they did what they were best at – "criminalise" or demonise what was a major threat to them.
It was quite a record – they intimidated bloggers with police reports (and yet could not pinpoint what they were complaining about!), law suits, arbitrary arrests, police interrogations and threats of the government's use of the ISA, the Sedition Act and a host of other laws.
On International Women's Day, Tourism Minister Tunku Adnan bin Tengku Mansor put on record how the government (also read as Umno) felt about bloggers: "All bloggers are liars, they cheat people using all kinds of methods. From my understanding, out of 10,000 unemployed bloggers, 8,000 are women."
"All bloggers are not in favour of national unity. Our country has been successful because we are very tolerant with each other, if not, there will be civil war, the Malays will kill the Chinese, the Chinese will take revenge and kill the Malays, and the Indians will kill everyone," Adnan proved how asinine he was.
But bloggers were not bothered. (Raja Petra was the least petrified.) They refused to be cowed by the blather on blogs by the bunch of official blockheads. They took to heart former PM Dr M's description of them as being the "only hope" left to speak out on problems in the country.
PUERILE PARLIAMENT
Pak Lah had quite a track record of being absent from parliament. In fact he was more overseas than in the august house. In a 44-month period as PM he made 83 overseas trips. Yet his deputy Najib Tun Razak would declare: "Parliament's importance has not diminished even after 50 years of independence".
Najib added that the role of the country's legislature "should be given due respect not only from the elected representatives but also the people". It was difficult to take Najib seriously especially when one takes into account:
§ the serious problem of high absenteeism in parliament amongst BN MPs
§ the presence of six cows and 10 goats on parliament grounds waiting to be slaughtered for a dinner scheduled at the banquet hall to celebrate Pak Lah's wedding
§ the severe and recurrent leaking problem of parliament's roof and the "bocor" comments by two BN MP buffoons – with Minister in the PM's Department Mohd. Nazri Abdul Aziz, and even Najib defending their remarks
§ the comments of spineless, silly, sexist and of course 'stupid' MPs
§ the hype, hypocrisy and of course, hysterics and histrionics in Parliament led by Ministers like Nazri
§ the arrest of over 20 people within the parliamentary precincts when they wanted to hand over a memorandum.
IDIOCY & THE ISA
The government of Pak Lah created its own track record on the 20th anniversary of Operation Lallang which took place last year. Minister in the PM's Department Bernard Dompok claimed there had been no detention under the ISA after Pak Lah took over as PM in 2003!
Foreign affairs ministry parliamentary secretary Ahmad Shabery Cheek had even the cheek to insist that "no one has demanded that the ISA be abolished".
The PM himself declared that the ISA "is still relevant and useful" and that "matters pertaining to the rights of detainees will be given due consideration and assessment". How can this be done when the basic tenet of the ISA is to detain a person without trial?
The Abolish ISA Movement (GMI) demolished Dompok's claim by providing the statistics of arrests and renewal of detention orders under the ISA during Pak Lah's premiership. They relieved Ahmad Shabery of his amnesia by forwarding him the long history calling for the abolishment of the ISA.
In a landmark decision the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that ex-ISA detainee Abdul Malek's arrest was unlawful and that he was assaulted under police custody. He was awarded RM2.5 million in damages.
But it did not deter the government from ordering the arrest of five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) under the ISA on the false notion linking them to terrorists without a shred of evidence. Samy Vellu would later confirm that was no such evidence.
MUZZLED MEDIA
"I think this government under Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is a very, very liberal government," Nazri tried very hard to convince himself as he spoke at a National Union of Journalists (NUJ) forum in September.
How and when was Pak Lah's government "very, very liberal"? Was it when:
· Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin (Zam) told the top editors of the media that there was "no need to tell the PM the truth"?
· Chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan instructed the media to avoid emphasising on news deemed negative against the government, such as the 2006 Auditor-General's report?
· Chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Halim Shafie ordered broadcasters against giving airtime for speeches by opposition political parties?
· the media were barred from covering the public hearing on crime held by the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance in Petaling Jaya by Caucus chairman Nazri Abdul Aziz?
· all editors were rounded up to take specific instructions from the 4th Floor Boys in Putrajaya as to how to report the wedding of Pak Lah?
· Zam told local newspapers not to quote from Internet blogs or use them as sources of information?
· the Internal Security Ministry issued a directive to mainstream media not to publish any news on the issue of Malaysia being an Islamic State and only to publish statements from Pak Lah and his deputy?
· Bernard Dompok's disagreement with the PM and deputy PM that the country was an Islamic state was blacked out by the mainstream media?
· editorial interference led to self-censorship which in turn had resulted in stories being slanted heavily towards the government such as the public rallies by Bersih and Hindraf?
The "liberalism" which Nazri spoke so proudly of resulted in Bolehland achieving the worst-ever ranking in the latest worldwide press freedom index released by Paris-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) – the sharpest plunge of 32 spots from 92 to 124 placing, which is also Malaysia's worst ranking in the RSF annual worldwide press freedom ranking since it was started in 2002
JUDICIAL JESTERS
The defects which began to show on nine occasions in a three-month period after the opening of the second largest court complex in the world in Jalan Duta were very symbolic of the state of the judiciary in 2007.
Here too Pak Lah and his government achieved a record of sorts. The two main players were then Chief Justice (CJ) Ahmad Fairuz and Nazri who is also the de facto Law Minister. Both were ready to do whatever it took and to utter the most naïve and nonsensical in order to maintain the status quo.
For the first time, the country did not have a Chief Judge for eight months, and the Nazri would insist that there "is no law that says the Chief Justice cannot act as the Chief Judge of Malaya".
It was also the first time when a de facto Law Minister of Bolehland openly declared that he is the Minister for the Chief Justice! It showed how nascent Nazri was.
For the first time too the country heard a CJ confess the existence of judges who (a) were often seen socializing with lawyers, prosecutors and corporate figures while hearing their cases in court; (b) were "constantly angry and foul-tempered", portraying themselves as being the most brilliant or perfect judge in court; (c) accepted bribes. No action was taken against all these judges!
The super fast-track appointment of Umno lawyer Zaki Azmi as the president of the Court of Appeal was also unprecedented. The government was passing a vote of no confidence on the judiciary and saying there was no one else in the judiciary worthy of the position!
Fairuz would go on to advocate the abolition of Common Law and favouring its replacement by an Islamic law system. He would challenge Karpal Singh to reveal the name of a Federal Court judge who had not written judgments in as many as 35 cases. When the latter did, the then CJ kept an elegant silence.
With his track record, Fairuz was put on a fast-track to retirement. It was perhaps the most "correct, correct, correct" thing that Pak Lah and his government did. It would also give Fairuz a lot of time to recall his supposed infamous telephone conversation with V. K. Lingam.
PEOPLE POWER
2007 was a year when the ordinary citizens decided courageously to record their feelings on the streets of Bolehland. They believed in their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, in spite of the government's poor track record of respecting these rights.
And so they told Pak Lah the truth – on 8 Sept. when 750 people gathered near Batu Buruk, in Trengganu for a Bersih ceremah; on 26 Sept. when 2,000 lawyers and others marched to the PM's Department in Putrajaya to hand over a memorandum asking for a Royal Commission to investigate the lingering Lingam tape scandal.
On 10 Nov. 40,000 converged at Istana Negara to express their concern over the conduct of elections in Malaysia; on 25 Nov., about 40,000 ethnic Indians protested against the marginalisation of the Indian community; on 9 Dec., a 100-odd crowd attempted to conduct a march commemorating Human Rights Day.
The tell-me-the-truth government could not handle the truth. Predictably each assembly was labeled "illegal" – is the Federal Constitution illegal? We were told it is not our culture to demonstrate – ask Umno, its in their history. It will damaged the country's good name – peaceful assemblies are a common democratic feature overseas. There will be violence – only when the police "riot".
In sharp contrast was former deputy PM Musa Hitam, who, when asked in an interview whether Malaysia is ready for peaceful assemblies, spontaneously declared: "Yes! Come on, we have been independent for 50 years"!
Pak Lah's ministers stammered, stuttered and struggled to make some sense in front of the international media and to justify the government's desperate responses such as charging the peaceful Hindraf assembly for "attempted murder"!
The mainstream media sank to a new low. At the 50th year of our nationhood we still have a servile press sucking up to their political superiors and giving stories a spin and a slant that suits, soothes and serves the government.
The police pranced, pounced on and provoked. They pushed and pulverized. They pummeled and reduced to a pulp. They pounded with chemical-laced water and pierced the air with tear gas.
But the people, especially in the Bersih and Hindraf assemblies showed they were no longer afraid. There were even moments when they stood their ground. The police lost all authority and respect. Fully armed, they were helpless!
RAGE ON RACE & RELIGION
For years Malaysia was very well known as Asia's melting pot of races and religion. But Pak Lah's track record showed a country gradually turning into a boiling pot – a land where opportunistic politicians used race and religion to stir the cauldron.
The PM, of whom well-known writer M. Bakri Musa calls "His Hollowness the Imam of Islam Hadhari" failed to put a leash on the increasing number of lower echelon zealots or those whom columnist Helen Ang calls "Little Mullah Napoleons" running riot with their brand of religion.
Marina Mahathir's Musings in May 2007 highlighted the existence of a "new association registered for the propagation of the shallow and superficial (SS)" and meant for those "who have nothing better to do with their lives than look for monsters under their beds, enemies in their blankets or crosses in their buns".
"Just as we don't see the supreme irony of trumpeting our religious superiority while at the same time claiming that it only takes biscuits to destroy us, we don't see the irony of extolling ourselves as a superior race while at the same time insisting on crutches and handouts," was Marina's marvelous conclusion.
"2007 has proved to be one of the most divisive and troubled years in the half-a-century of Malaysia's nationhood – with religious polarization assuming its most serious dimension, compounding an already difficult problem of racial polarization in the nation-building process," observed Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.
In 2007, Pak Lah would create a record of sorts by contradicting himself time and again on matters concerning race and religion. For example, he would preach the virtues of inter-religious dialogue but would go on to ban the Building Bridges Conference, a seminar meant to bring together Christian and Muslim scholars of international repute.
The PM would insist on Malaysians being sensitive to each other but he would defend Hishammuddin's brandishing of the keris at the Umno annual general assembly. He would also give his blessings to Umno holding its annual general assembly – on Deepavali!
He would emphasise that Malaysia is not a secular nor a theocratic state but would later decide to follow his deputy in declaring that Malaysia is an Islamic state – and made sure that the mainstream media carried his and Najib's views only – what a dialogue!
In his Christmas message of 2007 he would call on Malaysians to move forward and put the country's interest before any "narrowly-defined demands". He would then be so "narrow-minded" as to ban the use of the word "Allah" by those of non-Muslim faiths, and its use in the Herald, a Catholic weekly!
Anwar Ibrahim provides a good comment on Pak Lah's track record in this regard: "The ruling BN coalition is appealing to Muslim sentiment to reinforce its support in elections which could come in March…Malaysia's problem is not radicalism…The real issue is what I would describe as state-sponsored Muslim puritanism more by racist sentiments than religious principles."
FLIP-FLOPPING INTO THE FUTURE?
The once looking good PM who had the people feeling good, increasingly failed to deliver the goods of transparency and accountability. Indeed in 2007, the supposed fairy tale of change by Pak Lah became what it really was – a full-bloom farce.
After four years, the PM has no concrete results to show – just cheap claptrap. The only significant change of Pak Lah was when he made an amendment to the Federal Constitution to allow the then 65-year-old Election Commission Chief to serve until the age of 66 – do you smell a rat?
Will the citizens of Bolehland re-elect the "flip-flop" PM and continue to stomach the farce, flaws and fraud flung at our faces by the 4th Floor Boys? Will Malaysians want to bring back the many soiled reputations, spent characters and self-seeking politicians of UMNO and the BN?
It is time to get real. Even the part-time model "space participant", who came close to a moonwalk at the cost of RM90 million of our hard-earned money, had to come down to earth, and is probably busy back at the catwalk.
Indeed, ratting through the past four years it does not take very much for one to see that Pak Lah has ratted on his promises of 2004. Surely, enough is enough! A Happy Rat Year!
Apabila sampai masanya untuk kita meletakkan tanda "X" itu, fikirkanlah kemahuan dan kemampuan kita untuk meneruskan kesinambungan atau mencipta perubahan. Itu adalah saat "realiti".
Jangan buat keputusan yang menyebabkan kita menyesal kemudian nanti.
Get Najib, Mongolian missing. Get judges, truth missing. Get khir toyo, temples missing. Get lingam tapes, memory missing. Get samy, saham missing. Get ali rustam, pigs missing. Get Zainudin, info missing. Get nazri, truth missing. Get khairy, samseng missing. Get hishamuddind, hang tuah keris missing. Get soi lek, viagra missing, Get ka ting, do nothing. Get badawi, he's sleeping.
'What is the point of having a manifesto when it cannot be achieved??' I. WHO HAVE NOTHING. ONLY DEBTS SURROUND ME. SHOW ME HOW TO BE PAK LAH'S CRONIES. i rather 'cross' myself than BN.
basically i dont trust politician because they are very good at words and they are opportunists. very few are in the business of serving. most take their opportunity to enrich themselves as you can see for yourself the situation in malaysia. can you imagine, they even abuse the last frontiers, the judiciary. that's what most politicians are in for. opposition or ruling government, they are actually in the same boat - stripping the poor man in the street till he is nude and nothing even to protect himself.
BN comes with S.A.M Buying votes fishing for a line Printed in 24 pages Telling the people How good BN is all about…..
Look at Nurin Long gone the murder escapes Cry with Nini Till today she isn’t no where to be found
Look at the Police Lopsided towards UMNO Hardly playing fair to the ordinary other Malaysians When you are dark skinned, you better watch out You are under the Police profile…..
S.A.M in BN manifesto Fooling the people Forgetting about environment It is the 5 corridors Endangering the eco-system
Study the NEP It is only for the Malays Other Malaysians hard luck in your prospects It isn’t in its manifesto
Don’t believe BN says S.A.M won’t work when BN takes control Just remember the 2004 This time you walk with the Pied Piper Into the mountain forever out of touch
If you allow BN to win So kiss goodbye You are on the long march on the hot sandy desert Cursing the sun, the wind, the echo
This is the type of write-ups that we so desperately crave for ..... keep it up Rocky!
One thing's right for sure, BN and their thick-headed supporters are trying to confused the voters that developments due to previous leaders' (esp TDM) achievements are plonked together with Bodowi's contribution (WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY NONE!).
Lists from websites on what had gone wrong: 1) Damages caused by BN under ABB http://chinhuatw.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/malaysian-elections-on-youtube-10-clips-to-watch/#comments with reference to a video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmxoN_BL-IM 2) The list realized by the Chinese http://ourunfinishedbusiness.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/%e9%80%89%e5%9b%bd%e9%98%b5%ef%bc%8c%e4%bd%a0%e5%be%97%e5%88%b0%e8%bf%99111%e9%a1%b9%e5%a4%a7%e7%a4%bc%ef%bc%81/#comments 3) List of Discrimination http://thefreemedia.com/index.php/weblog/19013 in Chinese http://chernjie.blogspot.com/2006/09/malaysian-race-humanity-2006.html 4) Blog with much photos http://naktak.blogspot.com/
The job of parlimentarian is to debate and formulate policies. The opposition at this moment do not have the advantage of professional advise. It is absolutely important that parlimentarians have the sincerity to serve the people, listen to the people and gradually genuine experts and professionals would emerge and come forward to make the policies formulated a reality. Armchair critics and so call academicians who comment that the oppositiion do not have the experience to run this country is trying to give an excuse equivalent to saying that it is alright for the BOD of a company who has all the experience and qualitifications but lacking in integrity and sincerity to misappropriate shareholders funds and syphon out for their own benefits than to have a sincere team though lacking experience but could still seek professional help to run the company and grow the company while safeguarding its equity value.
Congrats on your coloumn but do you have to use that photo? Takde yang lain ke?
As for the manifesto...how to bank on new one when old one pun tak boleh nak deliver? how to keep on believing when you have been lied to many times over?
I think BN manifesto should have a large image of UMNO keris at the background or possibly an image of someone brandishing a keris. Then, at the bottom of the page, they should put an image of the monkey in the ARF 2006. On the back page, they should've a detail explanation on why one of their MP became the one eye jack captain hook. And lastly, for god sake please explain the reason why your MP like to sexiest remarks in the parliment all the time.
Cuma terfikir, bolehkan saya letak kepercayaan saya kepada seseorang yang berbohong? Dari seseorang yang menjanjikan selamat, aman, makmur dari lidah orang yang pernah berbohong kepada saya.
Respect.
ReplyDeleteWell, Lim Kit Siang has a challenge to UMNO's (there is no BN anyway. It is UMNO) manifesto.
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.limkitsiang.com
The BN manifesto failed to mention that the Government would be introducing Goods and Services Tax immediately after the elections. The Royal Customs Department is almost ready to implement this new tax (those in the know would know) This new tax would certainly result in steep inflation and would badly affect the man in the street. (Not those 10 percent Malaysians who control 90 percent of wealth in Malaysia)
ReplyDeleteWhy would not the Government think about taxing the rich by introducing capital gains tax, inheritance etc instead of taxing the poor man on the street?
But well, that is BN. They are there for the rich voted in by poor Malaysians.
If DAP can condense their last budget 2008, it will be be a heavy counter talk http://www.dapmalaysia.org/english/2007/sep07/lks/lks4499.htm
ReplyDeleteWhat to be promoted in the manifesto are what are the centers of problems!
So when they are promoting "Security, Peace and Prosperity”
it confirms these are problems!
In 2004 "Excellence, Glory and Distinction" were mentioned, and they had diminished instead of advancing.
When last manifesto had not been fulfilled, ABB is broke to give further manifesto for 2008!! Especially when all ministers in the same picture are those handicapping the manifesto 2004!!
The Manifesto needs a change of all those bunch of hypocrites before it could show a hope!!
I couldn't agree more with the critics, it is not going to be easy for the opposition either just because BN's manifesto failed to live up to expectations. In certain locations, the voting may be candidate-driven - good for the oppositions there.However many other areas would still be capable of being party-driven decisions for voters, ie; a sense of belonging thanks to the ruling party's comfort all these years!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the point of having a manifesto when it cannot be achieved??
ReplyDeleteHow many of the items in the 2004 manifesto are fulfil??????
The Barisan Rakyat or opposition parties should print a list of all the wrong doings of the Bodowi government to remind the people of the broken promises of BN.
ReplyDeleteby Martin Jalleh (14 Feb. 2008)
ReplyDeleteIt is the Year of the Rat. The Prime Minister (PM) has
just let the cat out of the bag – the "General
Elections (GE)" will be real soon, for there is a
feeling amongst many that the country is going to the
dogs.
The PM, who has never lost any sleep since he became
the PM – has been trying to awaken the nation to an
imminent GE. He had declared in June last year, in
what could have been the most important statement of
his political career: "I am no sleeping PM"!
Four years have passed swiftly by since Pak Lah became
PM. He has made it very clear he is no "one-term" PM.
Why, in between his many 40 photogenic winks he has
even come up with Vision 2057! Who says the PM has
failed to walk the talk — when he has even managed
Bolehland sleepwalking!
But the boys on the fourth floor of Putrajaya who have
been spinning the broken record which critics have
entitled "I started a joke" have a tough job ahead.
Experts of make-believe and myths, they have to create
a mega-mirage of a PM and a government with a proven
track record this coming GE.
Often, and as was evident in 2007, their script and
sandiwara have spun out of control by the silly
statements of small-minded and self-serving sycophants
surrounding the PM, causing Pak Lah and his government
to stumble from one comic caper to another.
As the government's delivery system fell apart, very
symbolically and significantly so did structures give
way in buildings such as parliament, the world's
second largest court complex in Jalan Duta and even
Putrajaya.
Back to the PM's "proven track record", surely the
year 2007 was a very "revealing" year and there was so
much that the ordinary citizen of Bolehland could fall
back on to help them decide who they should vote for
this coming GE.
EXCELLENT ECONOMY
50 years ago, we were second in Asia in terms of
economic development. Last year we were almost second
last. We also had much lower FDIs than many other
countries in ASEAN such as Thailand and Indonesia. But
we were told our economy is doing well compared to
many countries.
As one BN MP had so proudly declared in parliament
last year, Bolehland had great cause to celebrate
Merdeka, for we are "10 times more (economically)
advanced than Ghana" which became independent in the
same year as us!
Why bother with former European Commission Ambassador
to Malaysia Thierry Rommel's remark that the NEP
amounted to protectionism against foreign companies?
It is only "loglokal" that Umno still needs not only
an unleveled-playing-field but also to move the
goalposts from time to time.
2007 was another high point of Pak Lah's premiership.
We had to contend with high prices of food, fuel, gas,
public transportation, tolls, etc. resulting in a high
cost of living. We were told we were better off than
four years ago. We were merely paying the high price
of believing some people in high places.
Even government backbenchers doubted the positive
economic indicators by the government and expressed
disappointment that the grassroots were not benefiting
from domestic economic development. It is difficult to
gauge what is going on in the grassroots when you are
governing from the fourth floor!
GRAFT GALORE
Pak Lah's track record in his supposed "zero tolerance
for corruption" drew a big zero in 2007. But there
were several "firsts". For the first time in the
country serious allegations of corruption were made
against the chief of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA)
and even the Inspector General of Police (IGP)!
Corruption allegations were also made against the
Deputy Internal Security Minister, the Sabah and the
Sarawak Chief Ministers and the Commercial Crime
Investigation Department chief! It was revealed that
40% of the senior police officers could be arrested
without further investigations – strictly on the basis
of their lifestyles!
Another first was when the parties suspected of
corruption investigated each other! The police
investigated the (then) chief of the ACA; the ACA
investigated the Internal Security Deputy Minister and
the IGP….and the Attorney-General decided that all
three were clean!
What the Mahathir administration took to "achieve" in
22 years – pervasive corruption and criminal breach of
trust, mismanagement and wastage of public funds – Pak
Lah's regime did even better in his first four years,
made evident especially in the 2006 Auditor General's
Report.
Dr M's administration ended with Malaysia being ranked
No. 37 on the Transparency International (TI)
Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in 2003. Three years
after Pak Lah took over, Malaysia's TI CPI ranking
plunged to No. 44 in 2006. It is likely to plunge
further.
CRIPPLING CRIME
Pak Lah also achieved a record of sorts with regard to
his pledge of a drastic reduction of the crime rate in
the country. For the first time in Bolehland's
history, the crime index crossed the 200,000 mark. The
rakyat in Bolehland did not feel good nor safe at all
– whether inside or outside their homes!
The crime rate soared from 156,315 cases in 2003 to
224,298 cases in 2007 – a sharp rise of some 45% in
the past four years of Pak Lah's premiership. The
number of serious crimes increased by 13.36%
nationwide, with gang robbery without the use of
firearms rising by more than 159%.
Shocked by the crime statistics of 2007, Pak Lah came
up with a multi-pronged anti-crime strategy. What was
really needed was the setting up of the Independent
Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), a
key proposal by the Royal Police Commission.
The PM had in fact in principle agreed to the setting
up of the IPCMC on 24 January 2006, but by the end of
2007 his track record showed that his biggest "crime"
was to shelve the IPCMC and replace it with a
toothless Special Complaints Commission proposal.
BLOCKING BLOGGERS
2007 saw the elite in Umno going berserk over blogs.
For so long they had monopolised "the truth". Unable
to "buy over" the countless blogs on the Internet as
they do with newspapers, they did what they were best
at – "criminalise" or demonise what was a major threat
to them.
It was quite a record – they intimidated bloggers with
police reports (and yet could not pinpoint what they
were complaining about!), law suits, arbitrary
arrests, police interrogations and threats of the
government's use of the ISA, the Sedition Act and a
host of other laws.
On International Women's Day, Tourism Minister Tunku
Adnan bin Tengku Mansor put on record how the
government (also read as Umno) felt about bloggers:
"All bloggers are liars, they cheat people using all
kinds of methods. From my understanding, out of 10,000
unemployed bloggers, 8,000 are women."
"All bloggers are not in favour of national unity. Our
country has been successful because we are very
tolerant with each other, if not, there will be civil
war, the Malays will kill the Chinese, the Chinese
will take revenge and kill the Malays, and the Indians
will kill everyone," Adnan proved how asinine he was.
But bloggers were not bothered. (Raja Petra was the
least petrified.) They refused to be cowed by the
blather on blogs by the bunch of official blockheads.
They took to heart former PM Dr M's description of
them as being the "only hope" left to speak out on
problems in the country.
PUERILE PARLIAMENT
Pak Lah had quite a track record of being absent from
parliament. In fact he was more overseas than in the
august house. In a 44-month period as PM he made 83
overseas trips. Yet his deputy Najib Tun Razak would
declare: "Parliament's importance has not diminished
even after 50 years of independence".
Najib added that the role of the country's legislature
"should be given due respect not only from the elected
representatives but also the people". It was difficult
to take Najib seriously especially when one takes into
account:
§ the serious problem of high absenteeism in
parliament amongst BN MPs
§ the presence of six cows and 10 goats on
parliament grounds waiting to be slaughtered for a
dinner scheduled at the banquet hall to celebrate Pak
Lah's wedding
§ the severe and recurrent leaking problem of
parliament's roof and the "bocor" comments by two BN
MP buffoons – with Minister in the PM's Department
Mohd. Nazri Abdul Aziz, and even Najib defending their
remarks
§ the comments of spineless, silly, sexist and of
course 'stupid' MPs
§ the hype, hypocrisy and of course, hysterics and
histrionics in Parliament led by Ministers like Nazri
§ the arrest of over 20 people within the
parliamentary precincts when they wanted to
hand over a memorandum.
IDIOCY & THE ISA
The government of Pak Lah created its own track record
on the 20th anniversary of Operation Lallang which
took place last year. Minister in the PM's Department
Bernard Dompok claimed there had been no detention
under the ISA after Pak Lah took over as PM in 2003!
Foreign affairs ministry parliamentary secretary Ahmad
Shabery Cheek had even the cheek to insist that "no
one has demanded that the ISA be abolished".
The PM himself declared that the ISA "is still
relevant and useful" and that "matters pertaining to
the rights of detainees will be given due
consideration and assessment". How can this be done
when the basic tenet of the ISA is to detain a person
without trial?
The Abolish ISA Movement (GMI) demolished Dompok's
claim by providing the statistics of arrests and
renewal of detention orders under the ISA during Pak
Lah's premiership. They relieved Ahmad Shabery of his
amnesia by forwarding him the long history calling for
the abolishment of the ISA.
In a landmark decision the Kuala Lumpur High Court
ruled that ex-ISA detainee Abdul Malek's arrest was
unlawful and that he was assaulted under police
custody. He was awarded RM2.5 million in damages.
But it did not deter the government from ordering the
arrest of five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action
Force (Hindraf) under the ISA on the false notion
linking them to terrorists without a shred of
evidence. Samy Vellu would later confirm that was no
such evidence.
MUZZLED MEDIA
"I think this government under Prime Minister Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi is a very, very liberal government,"
Nazri tried very hard to convince himself as he spoke
at a National Union of Journalists (NUJ) forum in
September.
How and when was Pak Lah's government "very, very
liberal"? Was it when:
· Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin (Zam) told
the top editors of the media that there was "no need
to tell the PM the truth"?
· Chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek
Hassan instructed the media to avoid emphasising on
news deemed negative against the government, such as
the 2006 Auditor-General's report?
· Chairman of the Malaysian Communications and
Multimedia Commission Halim Shafie ordered
broadcasters against giving airtime for speeches by
opposition political parties?
· the media were barred from covering the public
hearing on crime held by the Parliamentary Caucus on
Human Rights and Good Governance in Petaling Jaya by
Caucus chairman Nazri Abdul Aziz?
· all editors were rounded up to take specific
instructions from the 4th Floor Boys in Putrajaya as
to how to report the wedding of Pak Lah?
· Zam told local newspapers not to quote from
Internet blogs or use them as sources of information?
· the Internal Security Ministry issued a
directive to mainstream media not to publish any news
on the issue of Malaysia being an Islamic State and
only to publish statements from Pak Lah and his
deputy?
· Bernard Dompok's disagreement with the PM and
deputy PM that the country was an Islamic state was
blacked out by the mainstream media?
· editorial interference led to self-censorship
which in turn had resulted in stories being slanted
heavily towards the government such as the public
rallies by Bersih and Hindraf?
The "liberalism" which Nazri spoke so proudly of
resulted in Bolehland achieving the worst-ever ranking
in the latest worldwide press freedom index released
by Paris-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders
(RSF) – the sharpest plunge of 32 spots from 92 to 124
placing, which is also Malaysia's worst ranking in the
RSF annual worldwide press freedom ranking since it
was started in 2002
JUDICIAL JESTERS
The defects which began to show on nine occasions in a
three-month period after the opening of the second
largest court complex in the world in Jalan Duta were
very symbolic of the state of the judiciary in 2007.
Here too Pak Lah and his government achieved a record
of sorts. The two main players were then Chief Justice
(CJ) Ahmad Fairuz and Nazri who is also the de facto
Law Minister. Both were ready to do whatever it took
and to utter the most naïve and nonsensical in order
to maintain the status quo.
For the first time, the country did not have a Chief
Judge for eight months, and the Nazri would insist
that there "is no law that says the Chief Justice
cannot act as the Chief Judge of Malaya".
It was also the first time when a de facto Law
Minister of Bolehland openly declared that he is the
Minister for the Chief Justice! It showed how nascent
Nazri was.
For the first time too the country heard a CJ confess
the existence of judges who (a) were often seen
socializing with lawyers, prosecutors and corporate
figures while hearing their cases in court; (b) were
"constantly angry and foul-tempered", portraying
themselves as being the most brilliant or perfect
judge in court; (c) accepted bribes. No action was
taken against all these judges!
The super fast-track appointment of Umno lawyer Zaki
Azmi as the president of the Court of Appeal was also
unprecedented. The government was passing a vote of no
confidence on the judiciary and saying there was no
one else in the judiciary worthy of the position!
Fairuz would go on to advocate the abolition of Common
Law and favouring its replacement by an Islamic law
system. He would challenge Karpal Singh to reveal the
name of a Federal Court judge who had not written
judgments in as many as 35 cases. When the latter did,
the then CJ kept an elegant silence.
With his track record, Fairuz was put on a fast-track
to retirement. It was perhaps the most "correct,
correct, correct" thing that Pak Lah and his
government did. It would also give Fairuz a lot of
time to recall his supposed infamous telephone
conversation with V. K. Lingam.
PEOPLE POWER
2007 was a year when the ordinary citizens decided
courageously to record their feelings on the streets
of Bolehland. They believed in their right to peaceful
assembly and freedom of expression, in spite of the
government's poor track record of respecting these
rights.
And so they told Pak Lah the truth – on 8 Sept. when
750 people gathered near Batu Buruk, in Trengganu for
a Bersih ceremah; on 26 Sept. when 2,000 lawyers and
others marched to the PM's Department in Putrajaya to
hand over a memorandum asking for a Royal Commission
to investigate the lingering Lingam tape scandal.
On 10 Nov. 40,000 converged at Istana Negara to
express their concern over the conduct of elections in
Malaysia; on 25 Nov., about 40,000 ethnic Indians
protested against the marginalisation of the Indian
community; on 9 Dec., a 100-odd crowd attempted to
conduct a march commemorating Human Rights Day.
The tell-me-the-truth government could not handle the
truth. Predictably each assembly was labeled "illegal"
– is the Federal Constitution illegal? We were told it
is not our culture to demonstrate – ask Umno, its in
their history. It will damaged the country's good name
– peaceful assemblies are a common democratic feature
overseas. There will be violence – only when the
police "riot".
In sharp contrast was former deputy PM Musa Hitam,
who, when asked in an interview whether Malaysia is
ready for peaceful assemblies, spontaneously declared:
"Yes! Come on, we have been independent for 50 years"!
Pak Lah's ministers stammered, stuttered and struggled
to make some sense in front of the international media
and to justify the government's desperate responses
such as charging the peaceful Hindraf assembly for
"attempted murder"!
The mainstream media sank to a new low. At the 50th
year of our nationhood we still have a servile press
sucking up to their political superiors and giving
stories a spin and a slant that suits, soothes and
serves the government.
The police pranced, pounced on and provoked. They
pushed and pulverized. They pummeled and reduced to a
pulp. They pounded with chemical-laced water and
pierced the air with tear gas.
But the people, especially in the Bersih and Hindraf
assemblies showed they were no longer afraid. There
were even moments when they stood their ground. The
police lost all authority and respect. Fully armed,
they were helpless!
RAGE ON RACE & RELIGION
For years Malaysia was very well known as Asia's
melting pot of races and religion. But Pak Lah's track
record showed a country gradually turning into a
boiling pot – a land where opportunistic politicians
used race and religion to stir the cauldron.
The PM, of whom well-known writer M. Bakri Musa calls
"His Hollowness the Imam of Islam Hadhari" failed to
put a leash on the increasing number of lower echelon
zealots or those whom columnist Helen Ang calls
"Little Mullah Napoleons" running riot with their
brand of religion.
Marina Mahathir's Musings in May 2007 highlighted the
existence of a "new association registered for the
propagation of the shallow and superficial (SS)" and
meant for those "who have nothing better to do with
their lives than look for monsters under their beds,
enemies in their blankets or crosses in their buns".
"Just as we don't see the supreme irony of trumpeting
our religious superiority while at the same time
claiming that it only takes biscuits to destroy us, we
don't see the irony of extolling ourselves as a
superior race while at the same time insisting on
crutches and handouts," was Marina's marvelous
conclusion.
"2007 has proved to be one of the most divisive and
troubled years in the half-a-century of Malaysia's
nationhood – with religious polarization assuming its
most serious dimension, compounding an already
difficult problem of racial polarization in the
nation-building process," observed Opposition Leader
Lim Kit Siang.
In 2007, Pak Lah would create a record of sorts by
contradicting himself time and again on matters
concerning race and religion. For example, he would
preach the virtues of inter-religious dialogue but
would go on to ban the Building Bridges Conference, a
seminar meant to bring together Christian and Muslim
scholars of international repute.
The PM would insist on Malaysians being sensitive to
each other but he would defend Hishammuddin's
brandishing of the keris at the Umno annual general
assembly. He would also give his blessings to Umno
holding its annual general assembly – on Deepavali!
He would emphasise that Malaysia is not a secular nor
a theocratic state but would later decide to follow
his deputy in declaring that Malaysia is an Islamic
state – and made sure that the mainstream media
carried his and Najib's views only – what a dialogue!
In his Christmas message of 2007 he would call on
Malaysians to move forward and put the country's
interest before any "narrowly-defined demands". He
would then be so "narrow-minded" as to ban the use of
the word "Allah" by those of non-Muslim faiths, and
its use in the Herald, a Catholic weekly!
Anwar Ibrahim provides a good comment on Pak Lah's
track record in this regard: "The ruling BN coalition
is appealing to Muslim sentiment to reinforce its
support in elections which could come in
March…Malaysia's problem is not radicalism…The real
issue is what I would describe as state-sponsored
Muslim puritanism more by racist sentiments than
religious principles."
FLIP-FLOPPING INTO THE FUTURE?
The once looking good PM who had the people feeling
good, increasingly failed to deliver the goods of
transparency and accountability. Indeed in 2007, the
supposed fairy tale of change by Pak Lah became what
it really was – a full-bloom farce.
After four years, the PM has no concrete results to
show – just cheap claptrap. The only significant
change of Pak Lah was when he made an amendment to the
Federal Constitution to allow the then 65-year-old
Election Commission Chief to serve until the age of 66
– do you smell a rat?
Will the citizens of Bolehland re-elect the
"flip-flop" PM and continue to stomach the farce,
flaws and fraud flung at our faces by the 4th Floor
Boys? Will Malaysians want to bring back the many
soiled reputations, spent characters and self-seeking
politicians of UMNO and the BN?
It is time to get real. Even the part-time model
"space participant", who came close to a moonwalk at
the cost of RM90 million of our hard-earned money, had
to come down to earth, and is probably busy back at
the catwalk.
Indeed, ratting through the past four years it does
not take very much for one to see that Pak Lah has
ratted on his promises of 2004. Surely, enough is
enough! A Happy Rat Year!
Bro, ni mana punya paper daaa... betul punya newspaper ka? or sandri bikin.
ReplyDeletebanyak bagus la...kasi lanyak cukup-cukup.
brapa sen i keping? member ada diskaun ka?
hehehe
Bravo, Rock.
ReplyDeleteRead about Mat Rempit Chief Brig. Azeez Rahim. You will be shocked how Islam Hadhari works.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aisehman.org/archives/2005/08/the_lie_of_the.html
Bro,
ReplyDeleteApabila sampai masanya untuk kita meletakkan tanda "X" itu, fikirkanlah kemahuan dan kemampuan kita untuk meneruskan kesinambungan atau mencipta perubahan. Itu adalah saat "realiti".
Jangan buat keputusan yang menyebabkan kita menyesal kemudian nanti.
Bro,
ReplyDeleteGet Najib, Mongolian missing.
Get judges, truth missing.
Get khir toyo, temples missing.
Get lingam tapes, memory missing.
Get samy, saham missing.
Get ali rustam, pigs missing.
Get Zainudin, info missing.
Get nazri, truth missing.
Get khairy, samseng missing.
Get hishamuddind, hang tuah keris missing.
Get soi lek, viagra missing,
Get ka ting, do nothing.
Get badawi, he's sleeping.
UNDI DACING DAPAT
CACING!!!!!
'What is the point of having a manifesto when it cannot be achieved??'
ReplyDeleteI. WHO HAVE NOTHING. ONLY DEBTS SURROUND ME. SHOW ME HOW TO BE PAK LAH'S CRONIES.
i rather 'cross' myself than BN.
pasirgudang
basically i dont trust politician because they are very good at words and they are opportunists. very few are in the business of serving. most take their opportunity to enrich themselves as you can see for yourself the situation in malaysia. can you imagine, they even abuse the last frontiers, the judiciary. that's what most politicians are in for. opposition or ruling government, they are actually in the same boat - stripping the poor man in the street till he is nude and nothing even to protect himself.
ReplyDeleteHow many items in the 2004 manifesto are fulfil?
ReplyDeletei tell one you which are NOT!
Go to hell LAH! i'll follow you later, if GOD allow me!
dahlia 24.1
BN comes with S.A.M
ReplyDeleteBuying votes fishing for a line
Printed in 24 pages
Telling the people
How good BN is all about…..
Look at Nurin
Long gone the murder escapes
Cry with Nini
Till today she isn’t no where to be found
Look at the Police
Lopsided towards UMNO
Hardly playing fair to the ordinary other Malaysians
When you are dark skinned, you better watch out
You are under the Police profile…..
S.A.M in BN manifesto
Fooling the people
Forgetting about environment
It is the 5 corridors
Endangering the eco-system
Study the NEP
It is only for the Malays
Other Malaysians hard luck in your prospects
It isn’t in its manifesto
Don’t believe BN says
S.A.M won’t work when BN takes control
Just remember the 2004
This time you walk with the Pied Piper
Into the mountain forever out of touch
If you allow BN to win
So kiss goodbye
You are on the long march on the hot sandy desert
Cursing the sun, the wind, the echo
This is the type of write-ups that we so desperately crave for ..... keep it up Rocky!
ReplyDeleteOne thing's right for sure, BN and their thick-headed supporters are trying to confused the voters that developments due to previous leaders' (esp TDM) achievements are plonked together with Bodowi's contribution (WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY NONE!).
Lists from websites on what had gone wrong:
ReplyDelete1) Damages caused by BN under ABB
http://chinhuatw.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/malaysian-elections-on-youtube-10-clips-to-watch/#comments
with reference to a video clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmxoN_BL-IM
2) The list realized by the Chinese
http://ourunfinishedbusiness.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/%e9%80%89%e5%9b%bd%e9%98%b5%ef%bc%8c%e4%bd%a0%e5%be%97%e5%88%b0%e8%bf%99111%e9%a1%b9%e5%a4%a7%e7%a4%bc%ef%bc%81/#comments
3) List of Discrimination
http://thefreemedia.com/index.php/weblog/19013
in Chinese
http://chernjie.blogspot.com/2006/09/malaysian-race-humanity-2006.html
4) Blog with much photos
http://naktak.blogspot.com/
i rasa komen u biasa aje bunyinya, macam budak-budak form 6 jawab soalan kertas am je la..
ReplyDeleteThe job of parlimentarian is to debate and formulate policies. The opposition at this moment do not have the advantage of professional advise. It is absolutely important that parlimentarians have the sincerity to serve the people, listen to the people and gradually genuine experts and professionals would emerge and come forward to make the policies formulated a reality. Armchair critics and so call academicians who comment that the oppositiion do not have the experience to run this country is trying to give an excuse equivalent to saying that it is alright for the BOD of a company who has all the experience and qualitifications but lacking in integrity and sincerity to misappropriate shareholders funds and syphon out for their own benefits than to have a sincere team though lacking experience but could still seek professional help to run the company and grow the company while safeguarding its equity value.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your coloumn but do you have to use that photo? Takde yang lain ke?
ReplyDeleteAs for the manifesto...how to bank on new one when old one pun tak boleh nak deliver? how to keep on believing when you have been lied to many times over?
Cheers.
I think BN manifesto should have a large image of UMNO keris at the background or possibly an image of someone brandishing a keris. Then, at the bottom of the page, they should put an image of the monkey in the ARF 2006. On the back page, they should've a detail explanation on why one of their MP became the one eye jack captain hook. And lastly, for god sake please explain the reason why your MP like to sexiest remarks in the parliment all the time.
ReplyDeleteCuma terfikir, bolehkan saya letak kepercayaan saya kepada seseorang yang berbohong? Dari seseorang yang menjanjikan selamat, aman, makmur dari lidah orang yang pernah berbohong kepada saya.
ReplyDeleteSaya fikir tidak.
Selamat, Aman, Makmur. untuk siapa? Kroni sahaja?
ReplyDeletehope there will be a form to fill up to be one of them, s simple form!
pasir gudang.