Wednesday, March 05, 2008

The Kelantanese in Wee Choo Keong

Alfatihah. Husam Musa, the Pas VP, was with Awang Adek, the BN man, upon hearing that the BN man lost his mother last night. Alfatihah, and my condolences to Awang Adek.
My interview with Husam had to be moved to today, probably around lunch.
Let me know if there's something you want to ask of him.



Today, Singapore's mypaper published my piece on the mood in Kelantan. Wee Choo Keong, who is running for Parliament in Wangsa Maju, has always been proud of the fact that he is a Kelantanese.
Kelantan is the only state that is not under Barisan Nasional rule. It's supposed to be the boondocks, the poorest in Malaysia. At Kepala Batas yesterday, AAB said the Pas government owes the Federal government RM2 billion and has nothing to show in 18 years.

It's been 25 years since I took the East-West highway on the Yamaha. It took me seven hours on the road from Jerlun in Kedah to Kota Bharu here. I tell you what -- the roads on this side of the Titiwangsa are as good as they felt in Kedah and Perak, states under BN. Paved with the same tar.

The BN chairman was here last night, at the same hotel. He didn't spend the night, though. Kelantan's political weather is too hot.

20 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:00 am

    Chandra criticising Anwar?
    Aril Mikhail | Malaysiakini


    Many years ago in the 1980s, then leader of the Labour Party in England, Denis Healey, was openly criticised for having been a member of an extreme Left political party in his younger days.

    His simple response was that he also believed in Santa Claus in his younger days. Indeed, all of us – without exception – change as we age and as we learn more about life. Some more so thanothers, of course, but change we certainly do.

    This, unfortunately, is something that seems to have been lost on Chandra Muzaffar in his widely – almost gleefully – published diatribe against Anwar Ibrahim in the mainstream newspapers today.

    Like his equally disingenuous friends in the BN coalition who, perhaps unable to counter much of the opposition front’s critiques against the failure of BN rule, Chandra – out of the blue, after having been quiet for so long – suddenly decided to rip into Anwar.

    ‘He’s singing a different tune now’, asserted Chandra. Anwar ‘Deceiving Malaysians’ claimed another headline attributed to Chandra.

    The gist of Chandra’s personal attack is that Anwar is saying things now that are the opposite of what he said and did when he was high up in Umno. This, of course, is nothing new and Anwar himself has addressed these criticisms often enough.

    It’s a trifle ironic that Chandra is ‘coming clean’ and saying all this of Anwar now, when he himself appears to be doing the exact opposite of what he was doing when in Aliran and PKR. Before, he consistently argued against the BN having a two-thirds majority and the need for a strong opposition.

    Now, on the eve of the elections, he seemingly dismisses the opposition and asserts that, despite its flaws, there is no other viable coalition beyond the BN. How fortuitous. I guess when you’ve been offered a cushy position in a state university for two years, you tend to ‘change’ somewhat.

    Dear Chandra, selling out is fine. But becoming a willing tool of a corrupt, arrogant and racist regime at this critical juncture devalues, indeed destroys, whatever good work you may have done thus far. May God guide you.

    http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/79148

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:02 am

    Media statement: Wee Choo Keong

    Chandra Muzaffar: An Intellectual Fraud


    Media statement released by
    Wee Choo Keong, 04 March 2008





    Dr Chandra Muzaffar, a self-proclaimed intellectual and arm-chair critic of BN of yesteryears, suddenly saw it fit to allow himself to be manipulated by the Barang Naik party to cast malicious aspersion against Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and to indirectly influence Malaysians not to support the opposition.


    This is, for all intent and purpose, an affront to basic freedom and democracy.


    For a start, Chandra is just an intellectual fraud. He only pays lip-service to words like freedom and democracy.


    In 1998/99 I was sacked from the DAP under strange circumstances and many other DAP leaders throughout the nation resigned from the DAP. At the same time, we were thinking of joining PKR in order to carry on our struggles against injustices, corruptions and abuses of power. During that period, Chandra was the Deputy President of PKR and he, as unreasonable as it was, saw it fit to make a unilateral declaration that all former DAP leaders were banned from joining PKR.

    To say the least, this behaviour of his was absolutely bizarre and mind-boggling.

    We were extremely shocked and disappointed with Chandra, whom we thought was a real democrat and a great defender of freedom and injustice. After the said infamous declaration of his putting a blanket-ban on former DAP leaders from joining PKR, we knew then that Chandra was merely an arm-chair critic and intellectual fraud when it comes to freedom and democracy.


    Whatever Chandra had uttered last night at the forum organised by The Star was not unexpected given his past record. And those utterances should be consigned to the foul-smelling garbage bins much like his mouth at the time surely.


    Moreover, Chandran’s vile gibberish of last night was also verbiage and an obvious act of sabotage against the people of this country.

    We call upon Chandra to carry on being an arm-chair critic in his academic ‘prison’ and to immediately stop insulting the intelligence of the public.

    Chandra would also do well to go back to school to re-learn the basic principles of freedom and democracy.

    http://www.weechookeong.blogspot.com/








    Dr Chandra Muzaffar, a self-proclaimed intellectual and arm-chair critic of BN of yesteryears, suddenly saw it fit to allow himself to be manipulated by the Barang Naik party to cast malicious aspersion against Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and to indirectly influence Malaysians not to support the opposition.


    This is, for all intent and purpose, an affront to basic freedom and democracy.


    For a start, Chandra is just an intellectual fraud. He only pays lip-service to words like freedom and democracy.


    In 1998/99 I was sacked from the DAP under strange circumstances and many other DAP leaders throughout the nation resigned from the DAP. At the same time, we were thinking of joining PKR in order to carry on our struggles against injustices, corruptions and abuses of power. During that period, Chandra was the Deputy President of PKR and he, as unreasonable as it was, saw it fit to make a unilateral declaration that all former DAP leaders were banned from joining PKR.

    To say the least, this behaviour of his was absolutely bizarre and mind-boggling.

    We were extremely shocked and disappointed with Chandra, whom we thought was a real democrat and a great defender of freedom and injustice. After the said infamous declaration of his putting a blanket-ban on former DAP leaders from joining PKR, we knew then that Chandra was merely an arm-chair critic and intellectual fraud when it comes to freedom and democracy.


    Whatever Chandra had uttered last night at the forum organised by The Star was not unexpected given his past record. And those utterances should be consigned to the foul-smelling garbage bins much like his mouth at the time surely.


    Moreover, Chandran’s vile gibberish of last night was also verbiage and an obvious act of sabotage against the people of this country.

    We call upon Chandra to carry on being an arm-chair critic in his academic ‘prison’ and to immediately stop insulting the intelligence of the public.


    Chandra would also do well to go back to school to re-learn the basic principles of freedom and democracy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aliran founder a true disappointment

    Amar | Malaysiakini

    For someone who heralded Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's ascendancy to premiership in 2004 by stating something to the effect that it's a once in a lifetime opportunity for Malaysians to change leadership, it is sad to note that Chandra Muzaffar now appears deluded by the invidiousness of BN's 50 years in power.

    He castigates, in the mainstream papers today, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as being effectively anti non-Malay. The examples he quotes in the report were events that happened way before Anwar lost Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s patronage and interestingly, these were events that took place before Anwar's reformasi movement commenced.

    On what basis did Chandra join PKR as deputy president given that he had reservations over Anwar's past decisions?

    Does not Chandra, being an eminent political scientist, realise that people do change their opinions and principles as a result of circumstances in life? Has not Mahathir changed his 'tune' since leaving office, a tune Malaysians would have loved to hear in his 22 years as prime minister?

    It is said that no one is a permanent friend or enemy in politics. This is also applicable to a rational electorate where we, as citizens, should be prepared to dump a leader if need be and likewise embrace one when they appear to be talking sense; and Anwar is talking a lot of sense presently. Likewise, does Abdullah command the confidence of right-thinking Malaysians now vis-B-vis 2004?

    For all that he accuses Anwar of, does Chandra want us to list down the anti non-Malay statements made by current Umno leaders? What alternative does Chandra have in mind? Perhaps another term and a two-thirds majority in the legislature for the BN which has proven itself to be a curse on nation-building?

    Chandra has single-handedly, at the eleventh hour, thrown the spanner in the works for all Malaysians looking forward to mitigating the injustices of giving the BN a two-thirds majority. Truly disappointing for someone who was the founder of Aliran.

    http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/79146

    ReplyDelete
  4. Chandra: A cheap sell out

    Captain Yusof Ahmed

    was quite appalled to read Chandra Muzaffar's very personal attack against Anwar Ibrahim (read today's the Star's report, here and also Aril Mikhail's letter to Malaysiakini, here) when he said that it will be an “unmitigated disaster” for Malaysia if Anwar becomes prime minister. Since he was a former PKR man himself, it is rather daunting to imagine the sudden wave of disillusionment that must have swept over such a 'brilliant' man and cause him to utter such balls.

    I first met Dr. Chandra Muzaffar (photo) sometime in early 1983. He was then riding high as an academic cum NGO human rights activist and had been invited to speak at an Asia Pacific Regional Conference of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) in Kuala Lumpur, which I chaired as founder chairman of the ITF Malaysian Council. I cannot recall what he spoke about, something about union rights I think, but I remember the strike-happy Aussie dockers unions were full of praise of him and wanted cassette tape copies of his speech. I wasn't very impressed and neither was the late Dr. V. David of the Transport Workers Union, who co-chaired the conference. We believed then that it was easy to be gung-ho and say a lot things when you are not carrying the baby or be responsible for the rights and livelihood of many member workers.

    Perhaps there is something to be said about the old adage "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach". So perhaps also Chandra should just stick to teaching and not get involved in politics and the affairs of men.

    What a sell out, indeed.

    http://cyusof.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous11:11 am

    Dr. Chandra only damages his own credibility

    YBH: James Wong

    There are many local academics and intellectuals who share positive opinions on Anwar Ibrahim but only Chandra Muzaffar's bitter attacks against him are highlighted in the mainstream media. I do not think one needs to be very educated formally to understand the reason why the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) does not apply to Chandra Muzaffar whenever he lashes out at the former DPM publicly. According to a retired academic who attended The Star-Asian Centre for Media Forum on the 2008 Malaysian General Election at Menara Star on 3 March (Monday), Chandra Muzaffar has "really succeeded" in damaging or even destroying his own credibility by re-launching "a very bitter and vindictive" attacks on Anwar Ibrahim's "past records" in the BN government. If Chandra Muzaffar has always known Anwar's "past records" in BN, why did he not castigate Anwar while he was in power and why he (Chandra) also continued to support Anwar in the period from 1998 to 1999 and also became Parti Keadilan Nasional's deputy president and its parliamentary candidate in the 1999 general election? Another good Christian friend who also attended the forum opines that whatever his "past records" in the BN government, Anwar has 'cleansed' himself by his willingness to suffer grave injustices and tortures from 1998 to 2004, and also by working hard now to oppose BN's unjust policies. Seen in light, Anwar is definitely a better person than those in the BN who still refuses to make amends for the better. Has Dr. Chandra Muzaafar himself changed for the better or worse ?


    http://jameswongwingon-online.blogspot.com/2008/03/why-bn-s-media-loves-dr-chandra.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous11:13 am

    Chandra: UMNO(BN) Pussyfooter

    Tian Chua; Hear it all

    While I was walking the market this morning, some people stopped me and expressed their disgust with Chandra Mustafa for what he said in the Star report today (March 4).

    To me, Chandra’s attack on Anwar is nothing new. What he has done was not unexpected. The BN must be very desperately running out of ammunition, even Chandra is now their last cannon.

    Chandra’s statement failed to harm the opposition or Anwar. Instead his integrity is publicly damaged.

    I wonder Chandra was always conscious of Anwar’s ‘misdeed’ during his government days? Or this knowledge was an “after-thought” of his post-KeADILan days? If so, who could have imparted such privileged information onto him?

    Chandra left the party when I was in ISA detention. His departure saddened me (and many party members), as Chandra was one of the persons who had persuaded me persistently to join the party.

    Initially I was reluctant, my reason was that I preferred to stay as an NGO activist.

    If Chandra had already known Anwar’s wrongdoings, he shouldn’t have recruited me into the party. He should have told me and warned me of the “danger” of associating with Anwar.

    The logic of this is simple, either Chandra was dishonest to me at the time of the party foundation, or he is being dishonest now.

    I wonder if Chandra knew then all Anwar’s flaws and mistakes (when he was in government), why was he so enthusiastically defending Anwar for many years.

    Despite of his popularity as an NGO advocate, Chandra has behaved like lalang throughout his career. I used to look up to him in my university days. However in 1996 when Malaysian NGOs hosted the controversial “Asia-Pacific Conference on East Timor” (APCET II), I was very disappointed when he refused to support the initiative. Worse, he condemned the human rights NGOs for defying Malaysian order and jeopardized our diplomatic relationship with Indonesia.

    Chandra has just made another transformation, from ‘neutral’ NGO he is now an apologist for UMNO/BN.

    http://www.tianchua.net/en/2008/03/04/chandra

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous11:31 am

    Bro Rocky,
    It an open secret that the main reason PAS can ruled Kelantan for 18 years was due to Nik Aziz squeaky-clean images compared to BN.
    Can PAS rule Kelantan without relying too much on Nik Aziz factor?Please ask him who likely to be his successor(s)?
    Bob From Kuching

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous11:40 am

    Dear bro,

    I have decided long time ago to vote for the opposition even if I'm given ten million, but there is ONE thing that I'm wondering at, looking at BN leaflets (newspapers), it seems they have decided to launch an scathing attack on Anwar. There seems to be a well choreographed campaign to hit him hard. 75% of the contents are meant to attack Anwar. I though an irrelevant person should be forgotten. How do you see that? are they desperate or what? Ad when they attack him mercilessly led by lapdogs like Kalimullah, then why don’t they give him a chance for rebuttal? Now you know where we are headed. Kicks of a dying BN hoarse. Vote wisely my dear Malaysians.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I lived in Kelantan for 10+ years and loved every moment.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous11:58 am

    All diplomatic means must be used to avoid any repetition of ethnic riots following declaration of results of the March 8th 2008 elections. Strong political message needs to be sent to the law-enforcement agencies of Malaysia (Police and Army included) that ethnic violence and genocide following a possible defeat in the March 2008 elections will not be tolerated. If such timely steps are not taken now, the whole of South-East Asia will be destabilized consequently. History will not forgive us for our failure to act in Malaysia at this crucial juncture.

    http://www.c3sindia.org/southeastasia/195/malaysian-elections-and-geopolitical-implications/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Bro,
    Ask YB Husam Musa if it is true that Kelantan's debt is now RM1 billion and if it is true how are they going to repay them. I understand when PAS took over Kelantan they inherit a big debt left behind by the previous government. How much was it?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous12:04 pm

    I never did like Chandra... somehow, he always came across as a phony. Needless to say, I was surprised that PKR elevated him (deputy president no less), and the opposition danced with him. I'm happier now that more people see him for what he is. Wee Choo Keong says he's a fraud.

    actually, I never did like Wee Choo Keong either.

    vote wisely.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Bro,
    Sorry it is RM2 billion now?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Chandra Muzaffar!!!!!!
    What a disappointment you are?
    You are No.1 An Intellectual Fraud.
    You have been like a lalang througout you carrer. No principle, No Intergrity.You do not have any moral avlue to comment on anything.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Chandra dances wherever the party lights are still on.

    I have observed this moron for quite sometime and noticed his flip flop attitude from the beginning.

    Chandra Muzaffar, I hereby grant you the Flip-Flop award.

    I used to wonder if this moron ever had a full time job!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous2:06 pm

    visit here

    http://kucheng.myminicity.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous2:15 pm

    Interesting....for a non-candidate, declared irrelevant by the ex-ruling coalition.....Anwar is so close to their hearts......and ooops, there goes their 2/3 majority

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous3:40 pm

    Read the report "Just what is Anwar doing in Singapore?" in the Singapore TODAY paper, Mar 5.

    The link is:

    http://www.todayonline.com/articles/241185.asp

    According to the report by TODAY's Nazry Bahrawi and Jessinta Tan, Anwar is taking a break from campaigning to address the Risk Minds Asia 2008 conference in Singapore. He will be a special guest speaker at this conference on risk management.

    Anwar will also be giving a press conference in Spore.

    Dr Azman Nidzamuddin of UKM said that Anwar could use the press conference in Spore to put forward his views on the Msian elections since the Msian MSM have more or less ignored him. As Dr Azman said: "...with the Spore media, he can trust them to carry out his views."

    But the report also said that Malaysians who live in Spore "are ambivalent about politics at home. They are the intellectuals (aka "brain drain") who have done well without the Malaysian govt's help. So, they don't care about Anwar or any other politician."

    And the report also quoted a Ms Santhi, a Malaysian working in Spore: "If he's (Anwar) is going to wayang, at most, he'll get wider media coverage. I don't think Msians appreciate a politician who campaigns on foreign soil during elections."

    And this is what the BN will target Anwar with.

    Anwar should also be wary that he is putting the Spore MSM in a difficult position over how much publicity they should give to his views.

    Realpolitik dictates that the Spore govt has to be on good terms with whoever forms the next Msian govt - and that will be the Umno-led BN coalition.

    So, while the Spore MSM can air his views (and maybe take potshots at Msia while they are about it), Spore's leaders will be very careful not to be seen meeting with Anwar. They wouldn't want to repeat what happened with Thaksin!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous3:51 pm

    bro, kalau jumpa dato husam musa, kirim salam...

    bagitau jugak dekat dia, minta tolong sangat2 la supaya pembangkang utarakan pasal isu keselamatan...selain dari mengutarakan isu-isu komisen etc...utarakan keperluan keselamatan negara...

    perlu lebih tank ke, perlu lebih banyak kapal ke....takda sorang pun pembangkang yang handal dan berilmu dalam hal sebegini...

    yang penting, mereka kena buat homework lebih lah

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous3:55 pm

    "Anwar target of raced-based attacks" - report by Pauline Ng in the Spore Business Times paper (http://business-times.asia1.com.sg), Mar 5.

    Chandra Muzaffar said that should Anwar become prime minister, "it would be an unmitigated disaster for Malaysia." Chandra 'accused him (Anwar) of engaging in dangerous games by saying contradictory things to different groups.'

    MCA has 'distributed leaflets depicting Mr Anwar with his face half covered by a Chinese opera mask, implying he is two-faced.'

    Lim Keng Yaik warned that Anwar 'had been "anti-Chinese" in the past, "and if you trust him he will eat you alive."'

    Anwar has rebutted these remarks by saying that his previous actions (in Cabinet as a Minister) were standard policy of the Umno-led BN (in other words, he toed the line laid down by Umno and a strong-willed PM).

    Anwar also said that

    - he had never called for "blood letting", unlike some other politicians (who shall remain nameless, since almost everyone knows who they are)

    - the "notion of me as a Malay ultra is a base canard."

    But it is interesting that, to the best of my knowledge, Anwar has never publicly repudiated the views he held and articulated as a firebrand student leader and before Dr Mahathir brought him into politics.

    ReplyDelete