HANG TEGAR

Harakah : Undi Anwar Tempah Bilik di Neraka

2012-01-25T14:35:00.004+08:00

Haaa... bak tajuk di atas, ia bukan Hang Tegar punya ayat tapi Harakah punya main title. Buktinya lihatlah gambar di atas yang kini hangat didebatkan di alam muka buku.

Government to review bankruptcy law

2012-01-16T12:30:00.001+08:00

The Government decided to review present bankruptcy laws to give more space for second chance. I appreciate and applause the move that is positive towards promoting entrepreneurship and a culture that is healthy, kind and positive towards failures. Do remember it took 10,000 times of failures for Thomas Eddison before succeeding in his attempt to produce lightbulb.

The other thing I want to mention is that such a review is also one of the issues deliberated and discussed by participants of BN Youth Lab.

Jangan Taksub

2012-01-13T15:24:00.003+08:00

Ramai orang merujuk kepada firman Allah SWT di dalam Surah An Nisa, ayat 59, bagi menempa budaya dan memahat rasa ketaatan kepada pemimpin dalam organisasi mahupun perkumpulan mereka.

Firman tersebut bermaksud: "Hai orang-orang yang beriman, taatlah kamu kepada Allah, dan taatlah kamu kepada Rasul dan pemimpin-pemimpin kamu. Apabila kamu berselisih dalam satu perkara, maka kembalikanlah perkara itu kepada Allah dan Rasul-Nya, jika kamu benar-benar beriman kepada Allah dan hari akhirat. Yang demikian itu adalahj sebaik-baik dan sebagus-bagus akibat”

Namun, demikian harus difahami bahawa arahan taat kepada Allah dan Rasul itu bersifat mutlak tanpa syarat sementara taat kepada pemimpin itu bersyarat selagi mana mereka itu taat kepada Allah dan Rasul. Atas sebab itulah ada Ulama’ yang memberi hujah bahawa perkataa “athiu’” atau taat itu disebut sebelum Allah dan Rasul manakala ulil amriminkum yang merujuk kepada pemimpin dikalangan kamu itu dengan “wa” atau dan sahaja tanpa penekanan “athiu’”.

Bahkan perkara ini ditegaskan di dalam Surah Al-hajj, ayat 41 yang bermaksud: “iaitu mereka (umat Islam) yang jika Kami berikan mereka kekuasaan memerintah di bumi nescaya mereka mendirikan solar serta member zakat, dan mereke menyurug berbuat kebaikan serta melarang daripada melakukan kemungkaran. Dan (ingatlah) bagi Allah jualah kesudahan segala urusan”.

Apa yang ingin ditegaskan di sini adalah janganlah kita bersifat taksub dan semberono melaungkan “samikna wa athokna” atau kami dengar dan kami taat dengan membuta tuli tanpa menapis dahulu perintah itu atau kepimpinan seseorang itu.

Namewee

2010-09-07T06:06:00.003+08:00

Khairy Jamaluddin's statement on Namewee:

Wee Meng Chee or Namewee's latest video should rightly offend all Malaysians who profess to be against racism. As I told the press yesterday, I believe this time, Namewee's insult was too blatant for anyone to ignore. He cannot continually be given a pass, and this latest stunt suggests he did not mean his apology to all Malaysians over the infamous "Negarakuku" video in 2007.

In that apology, Namewee also said, "As a Malaysian, I understand the sensitivities of each ethnic group and religion in the country" and that he learnt a “valuable lesson” on national unity and ethnic relations. Personally, I accepted the apology and wanted to draw a line under the whole incident. I met and acted with him in the short film “Meter”; I wanted to believe he was merely a naïve young man who meant no harm and that he had learnt from an honest mistake. After viewing his latest video, I no longer believe either of this to be true.

In that video aimed at the school principal Siti Inshah's alleged speech which contained insulting remarks about ethnic Chinese and Indians, Namewee bombarded viewers with vulgar, sexually suggestive lyrics and imagery unbecoming of any decent and respectful person. But that is the least of my concerns.

In the 'song', which begins with him colourfully expressing his disdain for racists, Namewee exposes himself as the racist when he says "You tak baca? Siapa buat Malaysia kaya?", the implication being that the Chinese are the reason for Malaysia’s prosperity and as such Malays like Siti Inshah have no business asking the Chinese to 'return' to China. The same message could have easily been conveyed by stating that no one should be telling anyone else to 'return' because Malaysia belongs to all its citizens without suggesting that a particular ethnic group has contributed more or less.

Now, my position on the Siti Inshah matter is crystal clear. If she did utter the words as claimed, she should be severely punished. But let there be no doubt, Namewee's insinuation that the Chinese are solely responsible for this country’s growth is just as blatantly offensive. Neither is it a question of Malays being too sensitive. Hurt and anger are to be expected when one community is essentially told they play a minimal role in this country's progress.

While this controversy is obviously racial in nature, the reaction to it does not have to be. Just as Namewee's video was the wrong response to the Siti Inshah issue, somewhere out there someone is saying that all Chinese should be eternally grateful to the Malays for granting them citizenship. He or she would be mistaken of course, but the point is we cannot allow disempathy to feed on itself. We cannot let this vicious cycle go on in perpetuity. We cannot play the game of the extremists and the racists on both sides of the spectrum if we are to forge a better path than what they offer.

As such, let this episode be not merely about Namewee, but also symptomatic of the challenge for moderate Malaysians, many of whom I have come to befriend in social media circles. The challenge I speak of is nothing more elaborate than that of consistency transcending racial or political affiliations. I am utterly against extremism, disempathy, insensitivity and racism of any kind - I have spoken out against the likes of Perkasa, Al-Islam magazine and Siti Inshah, often at great political risk. And today I am speaking out against Namewee, not because of his race, religion or even the probability that he will not vote Barisan Nasional. But because he was explicitly insulting. With consistency comes credibility, I have learnt that. And if you, too, call yourself a moderate Malaysian, this is your acid test.

Segera laksanakan gaji minimum

2010-09-07T05:52:00.002+08:00

(Berikut adalah wawancara bersama Khairy Jamaluddin berhubung isu gaji minimum oleh Utusan Malaysia yang telah disiarkan pada hari ini Rabu, 1 September 2010.)

UTUSAN: Kenapa penetapan gaji minima dilihat begitu mendesak ketika ini?

KHAIRY: Isu ini berkait rapat serta langsung dengan kebajikan rakyat keseluruhan. Bagi Pemuda UMNO juga, isu gaji minima adalah satu isu nasional yang begitu relevan kepada generasi muda kerana mereka mewakili hampir dua per tiga daripada golongan yang bekerja. Dalam desakan ini, kalau kita lihat kepada pola kenaikan dan tahap gaji pekerja tempatan, ia berada pada paras yang rendah. Berdasarkan kajian Bank Dunia, purata kenaikan kadar gaji tahunan bagi sektor domestik dan eksport dari 1994 hingga 2007 hanyalah sekitar 2.6 peratus dan 2.8 peratus sahaja berbanding kadar purata dunia daripada laporan Pejabat Buruh Antarabangsa iaitu pada 3.2 peratus.

Ini bermakna dalam tempoh itu kenaikan gaji pekerja di Malaysia bukan sahaja amat lembab, malah ia juga lebih rendah dari purata antarabangsa. Bahkan, kadar gaji tersebut juga lebih rendah daripada peningkatan produktiviti pekerja sekitar 2.9 peratus bagi tempoh yang sama. Tambahan kepada kenaikan gaji yang amat lembab ini adalah kenaikan harga barang yang meningkat. Jika kita lihat pada kadar kenaikan inflasi rasmi, ia sebenarnya tidak menggambarkan keadaan sebenar di peringkat rakyat kebanyakan. Kalau kita tengok kepada kenaikan harga barang-barang perlu pula ia banyak didorong oleh kenaikan secara mendadak.

Namun, dalam membuat perbandingan dengan kadar inflasi yang rasmi, kita masih melihat jurang yang besar antara peningkatan kos sara hidup dengan kadar gaji. Kajian UNICEF menunjukkan bahawa purata kadar inflasi negara dari 1990 hingga 2008 adalah pada tahap empat peratus berbanding kadar kenaikan gaji sekitar 2.6 dan 2.8 peratus sahaja. Apabila kenaikan kadar gaji tidak setaraf dengan inflasi, maka kita akan melihat kuasa membeli pekerja Malaysia dan rakyat jatuh. Apatah lagi maklum balas dan hasil kaji selidik yang dijalankan oleh Pemuda UMNO mendapati, masih ada operator kilang di negara ini yang ditawarkan gaji RM460.

Ia jauh lebih rendah daripada Pendapatan Garis Kemiskinan (PGK) RM720 sebulan bagi Semenanjung Malaysia. Kita berdepan dengan situasi sebegini yang bukan sahaja berlaku di sektor perkilangan tetapi juga sektor tekstil, perladangan dan banyak sektor lain. Justeru kesimpulannya amalan mengharapkan kuasa pasaran bagi menentukan gaji telah gagal. Isu ini juga bukan hanya berkait dengan ekonomi, tetapi isu moral yang mana kerajaan tidak boleh lagi membiarkan tahap gaji yang begitu rendah.

Apabila kita bercakap tentang pekerja tempatan di sektor perkilangan, rata-rata majoritinya adalah anak-anak muda Melayu. Apa yang dibimbangkan ialah mereka akan meragui dasar kerajaan bagi membantu orang Melayu apabila gaji mereka sendiri berada di tahap yang begitu rendah. Jadi saya melihat perjuangan untuk gaji minimum ini adalah perjuangan untuk moral bagi memastikan tiada rakyat dan pekerja Malaysia yang hidup di dalam kemiskinan. Bukan kerana tiada pekerjaan tetapi kerana gaji mereka berada di bawah paras kemiskinan.

Bagaimana dari sudut kemampuan kerajaan lebih-lebih lagi dalam tempoh ekonomi sukar seperti ketika ini?

Perkara ini tidak melibatkan perbelanjaan kerajaan kerana di dalam penetapan gaji minimum, bukan kerajaan yang perlu bayar atau menampung perbezaan antara gaji minimum dan gaji yang ditawarkan. Tetapi ini menyentuh mengenai persetujuan kerajaan bagi menimbang cadangan memperkenalkan gaji minimum dengan meminda Akta Pekerjaan 1955 bagi tujuan itu. Saya harap ia dapat dilaksanakan pada tahun ini juga memandangkan Model Baru Ekonomi (MBE) akan diperkenalkan pada Oktober ini.

Sekiranya kita serius dengan gaji minimum ini, kita boleh pinda Akta Pekerjaan 1955 dan juga perundangan berkaitan pada sesi Parlimen di penghujung tahun nanti. Selaku seorang Ahli Parlimen, saya sedia sokong dan bantu agar perkara ini dapat dilaksanakan oleh Kerajaan. Isu tuntutan gaji minima ini telah pun dicetuskan oleh MTUC sejak sekian lama dengan cadangan gaji minima RM900 sebulan dan dicampur dengan elaun sara hidup sebanyak RM300, menjadikannya RM1,200. Jika ia dijadikan perundangan sebagai gaji minima maka semua syarikat perlu mematuhinya.

Kita perlu maklum bahawa 90 peratus daripada negara-negara di dunia mempunyai gaji minima. Sedangkan Malaysia hanya mempunyai sistem gaji minima berdasarkan sektor seperti mana peruntukan dan proses yang dinyatakan oleh Akta Majlis Penetapan Gaji 1947. Tetapi malangnya ia tidak meluas dan melibatkan semua sektor di samping pelbagai prosedur dan birokrasi yang perlu dilalui. Malah, undang-undang ini juga sudah lapuk dan tidak dikemaskini sejak sekian lama. Biarpun ada sektor yang membuat ketetapan gaji berdasarkan Perjanjian Kolektif atau Collective Agreement (CA) di antara pihak kesatuan sekerja dan majikan, namun sekali lagi tidak banyak sektor mahupun syarikat-syarikat di sektor berkenaan yang terlibat kerana tidak semuanya mempunyai kesatuan sekerja.

Tidakkah ini membebankan industri kecil dan sederhana (IKS) yang saiz operasinya kecil tetapi perlu membayar gaji yang tinggi kepada pekerja?

Memang tidak dinafikan bakal ada kesan seperti itu. Barangkali kerana itu Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najin Tun Razak menyebut kita perlu melihat dan menilai sektor-sektor industri sebelum gaji minima dilaksanakan. Dalam isu ini terdapat dua kaedah yang boleh dilaksankan.

Pertamanya melibatkan perlaksanaan secara umum iaitu satu kadar bagi semua. Kaedah kedua ialah berdasarkan sektor terutama bagi sektor yang mempunyai keperluan yang begitu mendesak seperti perkilangan dan perladangan. Di sektor ini ada pekerja yang ditawarkan gaji serendah RM350 sebulan.

Maka sektor-sektor sebegini yang perlu ditangani dahulu. Sekiranya ia tidak dapat dilaksanakan secara umum, saya berharap agar kita dapat melaksanakan gaji minimum sekurang-kurangnya mengikut sektor, terutama bagi sektor-sektor yang mempunyai kadar gaji yang rendah. Dari segi perlaksanaannya, saya rasa tidak akan membebankan terutama apabila kita melihat gaji rendah di industri perkilangan yang saya sebutkan adalah dari syarikat multi national yang merekodkan keuntungan berbilion ringgit.

Ketika syarikat-syarikat IKS ini merekodkan keuntungan, adalah amat penting bagi mereka terutama dalam isu moral bagi memastikan kebajikan pekerja. Bagi syarikat-syarikat gergasi pula, kita melihat bahawa terdapat 163 buah syarikat atau 17 peratus daripada syarikat-syarikat yang disenaraikan di Bursa Malaysia bedasarkan jualan dan keuntungan masing-masing. Melihat kepada sampel syarikat-syarikat yang menyertai program promosi pelaburan Malaysia GEMS 2010 pula, purata pulangan bagi ekuiti mereka adalah setinggi 18 peratus dan ada yang mencecah lebih 30 peratus.

Adakah penetapan gaji minimum yang tinggi akan menyebabkan berlakunya inflasi dan kenaikan harga barang?

Kita membuat kajian di beberapa negara dan mendapati bahawa perlaksanaan gaji minimum akan menyebabkan harga barang meningkat sedikit. Tetapi tidaklah mengakibatkan tekanan dan peningkatan inflasi yang tinggi atau teruk. Malah, kajian Pejabat Buruh Antarabangsa juga menyimpulkan bahawa harga barang yang melonjak tidak berlaku pada negara-negara yang memperkenalkan gaji minimum. Jika ada pun peningkatan harga barang, ianya akan dapat ditampung dan ditangani oleh pertambahan gaji.

Bagaimana pula dengan jaminan pekerjaan kepada golongan bawahan?

Saya tidak bersetuju dengan pandangan yang mengatakan penetapan gaji minima akan menyebabkan ramai kehilangan pekerjaan. Sebaliknya saya melihat apa yang berlaku adalah peningkatan persaingan dan produktiviti pekerja. Cuma pihak majikan kena ubah pemikiran bahawa dengan tidak melaksanakan gaji minima mereka akan dapat menjimatkan kos pengeluaran.

Mereka tidak melihat bahawa jika majikan membayar gaji minima yang lebih tinggi bersesuaian dengan kos sara hidup pekerja, maka pekerja akan lebih bermotivasi dan produktiviti mereka akan meningkat.

Adakah penetapan gaji minima ini akan memberi kesan dalam isu lambakan pekerja asing?

Dalam perkara ini, Pemuda BN mengharapkan gaji minimum yang lebih tinggi dapat mengurangkan kecenderungan majikan menggajikan pekerja asing yang tidak sah.

Dalam pada itu, fenomena di banyak kilang juga, pihak majikan sanggup menggajikan pekerja asing sekalipun gaji yang ditawarkan lebih tinggi daripada pekerja tempatan. Saya melihat ini suatu amalan diskriminasi yang menganaktirikan pekerja tempatan.

Dalam kita berharap kerajaan melaksanakan gaji minimum, kita juga menaruh harapan agar satu dasar dan tindakan dapat digarap bersama bagi menangani isu pekerja asing melalui peningkatan penguatkuasaan yang lebih ketat.

Isu ini sudah menjangkau hampir 20 tahun lamanya. Apa sebenarnya yang menghalang kerajaan daripada melaksanakannya?

Saya melihat ia mungkin berkait dengan pendekatan atau pemikiran pembuat dasar sebelum ini yang mempunyai kepercayaan kepada kuasa pasaran atau market forces bagi menetapkan kadar gaji. Tetapi hari ini kita menyedari bahawa pada masa kini terdapat 1.3 juta orang atau 34 peratus pekerja mendapat gaji RM700 sebulan dan ke bawah yang mana lebih rendah daripada PGK Semenanjung iaitu sebanyak RM720.

Isu ini juga mendesak ketika ini kerana ia bertepatan dengan hasrat kerajaan menjadi negara sebagai negara ekonomi berpendapatan tinggi. Ia selaras dengan MBE yang mana pendapatan per kapita rakyat dijangka mencecah AS$15,000 (RM49,500) pada 2020. Tetapi jika kita tidak memberi perhatian kepada gaji minimum iaitu gaji bagi rakyat kebanyakan yang berpendapatan terendah, akhirnya sasaran per kapita ini tidak akan dinikmati oleh mereka.

Akibatnya orang kaya akan menjadi lebih kaya dan orang miskin akan jadi lebih miskin. Jadi saya harap bagi memastikan keadilan sosial, kita akan dapat menawarkan gaji minimum dan perkara ini saya bangkitkan sebelum kerajaan memperkenalkan perincian MBE pada bulan Oktober nanti. Dengan harapan soal gaji minimum ini dimasukkan ke dalam MBE tersebut.

Sekiranya tidak, kita akan melihat berlakunya ketidakseimbangan dari sudut pendapatan dan jurang pendapatan yang amat ketara antara mereka yang berada atau berpendapatan tinggi dengan mereka yang berpendapatan rendah.

Isu Doa Khutbah Jumaat

2010-08-22T06:38:00.004+08:00

Source: Rembau Dot Net

(Nota: Gambar hiasan semata-mata)

Kerakusan kuasa YAB Lim Guan Eng di Pulau Pinang tampaknya semakin menjadi-jadi apabila telah 'dinobatkan' lebih afdal daripada Yang di-Pertuan Agong sendiri selaku Ketua Agama Islam di negari itu, sebagaimana laporan Utusan Malaysia yang menyatakan bahawa nama Seri Paduka Baginda telah digantikan dengan nama beliau semasa bacaan doa khutbah solat Jumaat di beberapa masjid di Permatang Pauh dan Jelutong sejak minggu lalu.

Justeru, Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia (Pemuda UMNO) mendesak agar suatu siasatan dibuat segera berhubung perkara ini. Pemuda UMNO juga membantah dan menolak dengan keras penggantian itu, sekiranya benar terjadi, yang mana bukan sahaja menghina institusi raja selaku ketua agama bahkan kesucian masjid dengan penggunaan mimbar sebagai saluran politik bagi mengagungkan Lim Guan Eng.

Bahkan, kejadian ini adalah pelik lagi dangkal kerana pembacaan doa khutbah solat Jumaat sememangnya dikhususkan kepada Ketua Agama Islam Persekutuan atau Ketua Agama Islam Negeri, yakni Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan Sultan, dan bukannya untuk ketua eksekutif pentadbiran negeri iaitu Menteri Besar atau Ketua Menteri, tidak kira sama ada beliau itu Muslim atau tidak.

Sikap biadap seperti ini pastinyamembuat luka yang menyinggung hati umat Islam di Pulau Pinang dengan pembatalan perarakan Maulidur Rasul pada Februari lalu berdarah kembali.

Namun, apa yang lebih memeranjatkan adalah sikap membisu dan tidak ambil kisah oleh PAS yang sering mendabik dada sebagai pejuang Islam tetapi terbukti longlai di kaki 'Khalifah' Lim Guan Eng.

Lembaran sejarah Islam menunjukkan bahawa apabila suatu jajahan itu telah ditakluki oleh pemimpin baru atau berlaku sebarang peralihan kuasa, maka doa khutbah solat Jumaat akan ditujukan kepada pihak pemerintah yang baru sebagaimana kisah penyerahan kuasa daripada Daulah Fatimiah kepada Daulah Abbasiah di Mesir pada tahun 567 Hijriah yang disusuli oleh simbolik penggantian doa khutbah Jumaat daripada yang menyebut Khalifah Al-Adhid kepada Khalifah Al-Mustadhi dari Daulat Abbasiah. Jadinya, sikap berdiam diri yang ditonjolkan oleh PAS bukan sahaja menzahirkan kerelaan mereka di dalam mempromosikan cengkaman dan campur tangan DAP di dalam urusan umat Islam malahan juga mungkin suatu pengiktirafan PAS kepada kuasa dan pengaruh DAP sebagai penakluk baru di Pulau Pinang.

Malah ia juga membuktikan kuasa DAP yang bukan sahaja telah menguasai Pulau Pinang bahkan juga meminggiri PAS dan PKR, yang kelihatan begitu rela dan redha menjadi pak turut parti tersebut. Pakatan Rakyat atau PR kini nampaknya bukan lagi Pakatan Rakyat tetapi adalah Pelana Rezeki buat tunggangan rakus DAP.

Kenyataan Pemuda BN Berhubung Kenyataan Berbaur Perkauman Oleh Pengetua SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra

2010-08-22T06:30:00.004+08:00

Source: Rembau Dot Net

Pergerakan Pemuda Barisan Nasional (Pemuda BN) memandang serius dan mengecam keras kenyataan berbaur perkauman serta menghina yang didakwa telah diucapkan oleh Pengetua Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Kulai Jaya, Johor pada 12 Ogos lalu.

Ucapan beliau yang dilaporkan menyebut bahawa pelajar berbangsa Cina tidak diperlukan di sini dan boleh pulang ke negara Cina disamping menyamakan gelang keagamaan agama Hindu yang dipakai oleh pelajar berbangsa India seperti rantai anjing adalah amat jijik dan begitu menonjolkan kejahilan beliau berhubung isu kewarganegaraan serta aspek ritual agama-agama lain di negara ini.

Bahkan, amat memeranjat dan memilukan sekali kerana semua itu diucapkan di hadapan murid-murid pelbagai bangsa semasa perhimpunan sekolah bersempena perayaan menyambut bulan kemerdekaan negara. Apakah beliau langsung tidak memikirkan perasaan para pelajar, terutama berbangsa Cina dan India, yang mengumandangkan lirik “Negaraku, Tanah tumpahnya darahku” semasa menyanyikan lagu kebangsaan pada majlis tersebut namun disajikan dengan ungkapan umpama menghina dan menghalau keluar dari negara ini?

Oleh itu, Pemuda BN berpendapat bahawa insiden ini, yang telah mengundang 17 laporan polis setakat ini, haruslah disiasat sepenuhnya dan sekiranya benar terjadi maka beliau hendaklah di dakwa bagi satu hukuman yang keras, di bawah Seksyen 504 Kanun Keseksaan atau seumpamanya, kerana ia langsung tidak boleh diterima sama sekali oleh masyarakat majmuk di negara ini.

Pemuda BN juga menyeru supaya Kerajaan tidak memandang remeh tentang perkara ini dan sekiranya benar ia berlaku maka suatu hukuman yang keras perlu dilaksanakan sebagai suatu pengajaran serta isyarat tegas bahawa mana-mana tindakan yang tidak selari dan sejajar dengan gagasan 1Malaysia, yang memupuk semangat perpaduan nasional, haruslah ditangani dan diambil tindakan yang sewajarnya.

Insiden ini, yang melibatkan seorang ketua pentadbir sebuah insititusi pendidikan, mahupun kes terdahulu yang membabitkan seorang bekas Pegawai Khas kepada YAB Perdana Menteri menampakkan bahawa isu perkauman adalah suatu permasalahan sistemik yang bukan sahaja wujud bahkan menular di dalam masyarakat majmuk di negara kita ini dan betapa amat mudah sekali bagi mana-mana pihak untuk terjebak di dalam apa jua provokasi mahupun konflik berbaur perkauman.

Sehubungan itu, disamping menekankan aspek punitif bagi sebarang insiden yang disabitkan kesalahannya, Pemuda BN juga menyeru agar Kerajaan dapat mencari jalan bagi mempertingkatkan lagi penyemaian dan penyuburan semangat serta nilai patriotisme dan perpaduan di kalangan rakyat disamping menginstitusikan usaha-usaha tersebut, terutama di dalam aspek penilaian dan kenaikan pangkat kakitangan Kerajaan bagi mengelakkan berulangnya insiden yang melibatkan seorang pegawai kanan Kerajaan, yang berperanan besar di dalam urus tadbir sebuah sekolah, seperti mana yang berlaku di Kulai Jaya, Johor ini.

Umum mengetahui bahawa isu perkauman adalah aspek dua hala yang bukan sahaja membabitkan kenyataan atau tindakan dari bangsa Melayu berhubung Bukan Melayu, bahkan begitu juga sebaliknya. Sehubungan dengan itu Pemuda BN menyeru semua pihak untuk bersifat waspada dan menghindarkan diri daripada mudah terjerumus ke kancah polemik dan konflik perkauman disamping kita semua bersama mencari titik penyelesaiannya. Inilah dianya cabaran 1Malaysia.

Khairy Jamaluddin : Solve The Root Cause First

2010-08-22T06:20:00.004+08:00

(this post, that is taken from Rembau Dot Net, appears as a column in the 16th August weekly edition of The Edge)

I attended a forum at a local university recently discussing Malaysia's competitiveness. On the panel with me were two academics with diametrically opposed political views and the youth chief from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). I was looking forward to a decent, intellectual discussion on economic policy and the reforms that have been introduced by Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak's government in order to lift Malaysia from its 'middle-middle' (middle income, middling achievement) predicament. Of course, this didn't happen.

The forum was held the day after the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released its World Investment Report for 2010. The key take away for many from that report was that Malaysia suffered an 81% drop in foreign direct investments (FDI) inflow in 2009 from the year before. This headline figure was a godsend especially for the opposition. The PKR youth chief made a meal of the report without having any profound grasp of economics. All he needed to do was to plot the 81% drop on a graph to score visual points with the student audience. Unfortunately, much of the rest of the forum descended into political point scoring with my opposition counterpart trying his best to show how much - or little - he knows about finance ("Felda is on the brink of bankruptcy because its cash reserves have dwindled."). But that's for another day.

The point is that the UNCTAD report reduced all nuanced discussions on Malaysia’s economic competitiveness to one annual reduction - albeit a significant one - in FDI and how this is a clear signal that reforms are not working. While the sustained reduction in inward investments over the last few years has been a cause for concern, it is easy to overstate the figure highlighted by the UNCTAD. After bizarrely trying to dispute the figure in the report, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) finally got into damage control mode and sought to put the findings into its proper context.

Some of its arguments are valid: the drop in FDI is reflective of substantial reductions in global FDI flows, many advanced economies that make up our traditional sources for FDI have yet to see full economic recovery and a deliberate policy shift by the government to focus on high-technology investments which is still a work in progress. The second point is all the more relevant considering net FDI figures are adjusted for profit repatriation which count as outflows given that some USD 8 billion was sent by multinationals based here to their parent companies that were facing capital constraints during the financial crisis.

Other reasons given can be contested. For instance, much has been said that neighbouring countries with higher FDI numbers like Indonesia and Vietnam are at a lower stage of development hence receive much more investments in infrastructure whereas Malaysia while not yet fully developed doesn't have or need as many big works projects. This lower base argument is not wrong, but it doesn't fully explain why other neighbours like Singapore can attract more FDI over the same period without having to offer big investment opportunities in building highways, power plants and other big-ticket infrastructure items.

There are also problems with the industrial policy argument which excuses away lower FDI because of a deliberate shift from labour-intensive to capital-intensive and now to knowledge-based industries. Because of this strategic transformation, attracting FDI is more competitive and the returns that we get from every dollar that comes in is higher so lower inflow figures may not adequately reflect what we are getting out of it.

But the main issue here is, are we really prepared for the shift or is this a ready made excuse every time FDI numbers plunge y-o-y? If I remember correctly, every time FDI figures don't go our way, we say that its because we are more discerning in terms of investment. Previously, it was moving Malaysia away from labour-intensive sweatshops in our industrial estates to more value-added, capital intensive manufacturing. Now when it appears even capital-intensivity has fallen - capital investment per employee fell to RM507,335 in 2009 from RM620,571 the year before - we speak of the need to move to knowledge-based industries. Shifting the goalposts may sound good and make economic sense, but the feeling out there is that much of it is spin to deflect from lower investments in whatever category.

Another point about the industrial policy argument is whether or not we are ready for this to begin with. Don't get me wrong. We must move up the value chain in order to stay competitive and we cannot rely on cheap industries to continue to propel our economy as tempting as it is to fall back on foreign labour and subsidized utilities just to rack up the numbers. But the shift to capital intensive and knowledge-based industries presupposes the existence of a talent pool that can make the transformation happen. Based on publicly available data, 80% of our productive workforce under 40 only have SPM. Without reforms to the education system under way with a new, revamped option for vocational training, its difficult to see how present human capital inputs can create a viable shift in industrial policy. So, its all well and good having an intent to move up the value chain but when that intent is not matched by the ability to do so, then its all the more telling that maybe we're not getting in the targeted FDI because other destinations are seen as better offering the building blocks required for such industries.

And that really is the crux of the problem at hand. We are not an unattractive investment destination by any objective measure. Even the UNCTAD report which has caused much problems for our policy-makers maintained that Malaysia was one of the top 15 host countries for FDI. But in order to post better numbers and make a meaningful industrial shift in the quality of investments and economic activity we want to attract, we need to face up to some uncomfortable truths.

We need to acknowledge that bureaucratic reforms are still lagging global pace-setters. We need to admit that high-technology infrastructure is still sparsely available with very little consistency of service. And most importantly, we need to own up to the fact that despite having a skilled, multiracial population that is supposed to be proficient in English - at least this is what we tell investors - the reality is far different. The biggest problem that we face today, whether in terms of attracting FDI or maintaining economic competitiveness is the lack of innovation and talent in our workforce. And the root cause of that is how we educate and train young Malaysians. Solve that and we won't have to shift goalposts anymore every time UNCTAD's figures don't go our way.

Khairy Jamaluddin : Statesmen and Opportunists - A Rejoinder To Lim Kit Siang

2010-08-22T06:12:00.003+08:00

Source: Rembau Dot Net

There are statesmen and there are opportunists. We learnt yesterday the shocking news that Petaling Jaya Utara MP YB Tony Pua received a bullet threat in the post. Immediately a chorus of condemnation ensued, and rightly so. At some point the politics and politicking need to take a backseat in favour of humanity and caring for each other's fundamental right to physical safety. It was in such spirit that I, as Leader of UMNO Youth, expressed outrage against the threat to YB Tony and his family, as well as urged the police to ensure their safety. It matters not that YB Tony is a DAP leader, or that we have our numerous disagreements politically, and it certainly does not matter that he is an ethnic Chinese. All that should count is that he is a Malaysian citizen who was threatened by an individual or individuals and that no justification exists for such a threat.

But as is often the case here, in times of shock or crisis, some politicians find ways to exploit sentiments and score political points against an opposing political party. A matter, to which sensible Malaysians can gravitate, suddenly becomes all about how UMNO or Barisan Nasional is at fault. In the minds of such politicians, the politics never stops; in their actions and statements they insist our entire social lives be governed by narrow, belligerent partisan logic, 24/7.

One such politician who tends to do this is YB Lim Kit Siang. We shan't go through history here to see how often he has exploited tensions, conflicts and unease for partisan gains. His recent blog post suffices.

In it, YB Lim Kit Siang implies that the threat was a result of "communal hatred against YB Tony". He precedes this insinuation by stating the police reports and warnings made against YB Tony made by UMNO Youth Selangor and the UMNO Information Chief. He is careful to avoid blaming UMNO outright on his blog, but we all know what he's trying to say.

Was the bullet threat motivated by discontent in parts of the Malay community about YB Tony's position on the Bumiputera housing discount? Likely, though we cannot rule out any possibility until the police conclude their investigations, hence the call I made earlier for speculations to be kept at bay. For the sake of argument, was UMNO at the forefront of this Malay discontent? Sure. But instead of trying to empathise with such disgruntlement, YB Lim Kit Siang dismisses it with adjectives like 'irresponsible', 'ugly' and 'vicious' - because he'd like very much for people to believe that UMNO manufactured the discontent, and that in doing so UMNO similarly created a "communal hatred" against an individual resulting in a bullet threat. Talk about generalising and piling one assumption over another.

Nevermind that many Malays who have nothing to do with UMNO feel strongly about the issue of Bumiputera housing discounts, it is what YB Lim Kit Siang omits from his statement that interests me most. If he is going to assume that the threat was racially motivated, then I say bravo, Captain Obvious. But especially so being a veteran politician, YB Lim Kit Siang should follow that up with calls for calm, join UMNO Youth and others in rallying all Malaysians of all races to stand in solidarity against extremism. He could have stated that even if the threat was racially motivated, it was not representative of any community. These are exactly the things YB Lim Kit Siang should say if he has the country's interests at heart. But true to form, instead of defusing the situation, YB Lim Kit Siang sought to worsen it by fanning the very "communal hatred" he is convinced exists - provoke UMNO, ridicule the aforementioned discontent and hope people see it through his partisan eyes.

But I have more faith in Malaysians than YB Lim Kit Siang does. Just as Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans and all the various ethnicities in this great country rose up against the arson attacks early this year, I believe we will do the same whenever anyone receives death threats for stating their views, even if there are racial or religious dimensions involved. We are a resilient lot; push comes to shove, we know to put our differences aside and stand together. Well, most of us, anyway. There are statesmen and there are opportunists.

Pemuda UMNO Prihatin Kenaikan Harga Barang

2010-08-22T06:04:00.003+08:00

Source: Rembau Dot Net

Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO (Pemuda UMNO) amat perihatin dengan tren kenaikan harga barangan yang kini sudah menjadi suatu yang sinonim dengan musim perayaan di negara kita. Senario kenaikan harga ini terbukti apabila media melaporkan dua insiden kenaikan harga melibatkan ayam dan juga bawang putih yang mana menyaksikan kenaikan antara 30 sen sehingga RM1.50 sekilogram bagi ayam dan juga lonjakan mendadak daripada lingkungan RM3.00 hingga RM3.50 sekilogram bagi bawang putih.

Berkisar dengan isu ayam, Pemuda UMNO berasa kesal dengan sikap pembekal dan pemborong yang mengambil peluang untuk menjana keuntungan lebih serta tidak mengendahkan nasihat YAB Perdana Menteri, Dato’Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak yang mengingatkan golongan peniaga agar tidak sewenang-wenangnya menaikkan harga barang tatakala bulan Ramadhan ini.

Tindakan sebegini bukan sahaja membebankan pengguna malahan memberi maklum balas pasaran yang negatif terhadap keputusan Kerajaan untuk memansuhkan lesen ayam bermula 15 Julai lepas. Ini kerana golongan pengguna, terutama sekali mereka yang tidak mempunyai peluang dan kuasa memilih oleh kerana lokasi atau pun tindakan peniaga yang berpakat, pastinya akan tertindas dan teraniaya.

Sehubungan itu Pemuda UMNO mengecam sebarang amalan pengambilan untung berlebihan atau mencatut dengan menaikkan harga barang yang tidak berpatutan di kala permintaan tinggi semasa musim perayaan dan dengan itu meminta agar kerajaan dapat menyegerakan perlaksanaan undang-undang anti pencatutan. Ini kerana undang-undang sedemikian beserta pemantauan dan penguatkuasaan yang efektif dan menyeluruh bakal mengekang serta membendung amalan tidak beretika peniaga bukan sahaja di kala musim perayaan namun jika apabila berlaku sebarang pengurangan subsidi seperti subsidi bahan bakar, yang mana sebelum ini menunjukkan kenaikan tinggi barangan yang tidak setimpal dengan unjuran kos pihak peniaga.

Disamping itu, Pemuda UMNO juga gusar dengan peningkatan harga yang mencecah sehingga 143 peratus dan 184 peratus sekilogram bagi bawang putih yang mana menurut Presiden Persatuan Import dan Eksport Barangan Makanan Malaysia adalah disebabkan oleh banjir yang melanda kawasan penanaman bawang putih di Cina seperti Henan dan Shandong. Difahamkan Malaysia mengimport 100 peratus keperluan bawang putih negara dari Cina yang juga pengeluar terbesar dunia dengan menguasai 77 peratus saiz pengeluaran.

Namun demikian, hasil kajian Pemuda UMNO bahawa kenaikan harga bawang putih di pasaran antarabangsa tidak sepenuhnya disebabkan oleh bencana alam banjir di Cina. Ini kerana kenaikan harga ini juga didorongi oleh faktor pengeluaran pengeluaran sebanyak 50 peratus oleh pengusaha dan penanam bawang putih unjuran harga bawang yang rendah pada tahun 2008 serta aktiviti spekulasi pasaran yang membuat taruhan dagangan pada komoditi bawang putih.

Sehubungan dengan itu, disamping mengambil maklum akan penjelasan yang diberikan oleh Persatuan Pengimport dan Pengeksport Barangan Makanan Malaysia, Pemuda UMNO juga berharap agar pihak Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan dapat mencari jalan untuk mengurang dan mengekang risiko kenaikan harga yang tidak berasaskan kepada pasaran sebenar seperti kegiatan spekulasi melalui proses rundingan pukal jangka panjang ataupun kaedah lain yang dapat membendung gejala ini.

Disamping itu juga, Pemuda UMNO meminta pihak berkuasa dan juga orang ramai agar dapat meningkatkan usaha pemantauan bersama bagi mengelakkan aktiviti pencatutan menerusi kenaikan harga dengan tinggi atau tidak berpatutan mahupun sebarang amalan penyorokan barangan.

Anwar Misled The US Government?

2010-07-16T07:37:00.006+08:00

During a press conference held on the last day of the parliamentary session yesterday, Khairy Jamaluddin revealed a report of Government Accountability Project (GAP), a leading whistleblower protection organisation in the USA, that shows Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim et al had allegedly misled the U.S. Government to disburse public funds for the Foundation For The Future.

The report can be found at: http://www.whistleblower.org

A. Summary

· A report released by the GAP on 8 July 2010, exposes a highly irregular manner in which the Foundation for the Future (FFF – an entity that was previously chaired by Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim ) was run.

· Specifically, the report details how the Congress was misled for the release of USD 21.3 millions of the U.S. public money for the Foundation.

· The report, which is based on 267 documents released by the Department of State over a period of 33 months, found that in order to obtain the disbursement to the FFF, the US Congress had been deluded about the funding pledged to the Foundation by other governments. Evidence strongly suggests that section 534(k) of US Public Law 109-102, which at that time stipulated that funds could only be made available to the Foundation to the extent that they had been matched by contributions from other governments, was violated; the Foundation’s own reports show that less than $6.4 million of the $22.26 million in “matching funds” listed by the State Department in its communications with Congress as pledged ever materialised.

· GAP’s report also suggests that FFF management – including former FFF Chairman (and close friend of Paul Wolfowitz) Anwar Ibrahim – misled the US Internal Revenue Service. The FFF’s financial statements for 2006 and 2007 stated that the Foundation did not attempt to influence national legislation, an assertion contradicted by the cables and reports released by the Department of State. These documents suggest that several Foundation representatives actively lobbied the US Congress in 2006-07 for legislative changes favourable to the FFF.

B. Disbursement of “Matching” Funds

On June 12, 2007, Mr. David Welch of the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs sent an Action Memo to the Acting Director of US Foreign Assistance, requesting that she approve “the notification and obligation of $21,300,000 in FY 2006 ESF and FY 2006 Supplemental Economic Support Funds (ESF) by the Middle East Partnership Initiative for the Foundation for the Future,” which she did that same day.

According to that memo:

The FY 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act provided that up to $35 million in ESF may be made available to the Foundation only to the extent that the Foundation has commitments from sources other than the United States government to at least match the funds provided under the act. As of June 1, 2007, a total of $22.26 million has been pledged by other governments.

On June 15, a Congressional Notification Transmittal Sheet was sent from the State Department informing Congress of the intent to obligate $21.3 million to the FFF. According to a description of the Foundation that accompanied this notification:

A total of $22.26 million has been pledged by other governments, including the European Commission (1 million Euros or approximately 1.26 million), Spain ($1 illion), the United Kingdom ($1 million), Switzerland ($1 million), Denmark($2 million), Netherlands ($1 million), Greece ($1.5 million), Turkey ($500,000), Jordan ($1 million), Qatar ($10 million), and Bahrain ($2 million)… The amount notified here, combined with the funds already provided to Eurasia, make up the $22.2 million allowable for the Foundation at this time under the Act’s requirements for matching funds.

On July 18, the Foundation signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the State Department regarding these funds. In this MOA, Anwar Ibrahim, Chairman and Acting President of the FFF Board, agreed that the Foundation had “received commitments from sources other than the United States Government to at least match any funds provided hereunder.”

The Foundation for the Future is required by Public Law 110-053 to submit its annual report to Congress. These annual reports suggest that the matching amounts cited in the Congressional Notification sheet and MOA were erroneous.

According to the Foundation’s Annual Reports, it actually received USD $27,785,222 total in government contributions from 2006-2009, $21,388,057 of which were US government funds. Therefore, only USD $6,397,165 – less than 30 percent of the putative $22.26 million in “matching funds” – materialised.

Thus, the actual amount of funds committed by other governments was far below the $22.26 million figure that the State Department cited to justify authorization from Congress to disburse matching US funds.

C. Anwar’s Role

Misrepresenting the U.S. Government: -

[1] As Chairman and Acting President of the Foundation For the Future Board, he stated that, in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the State Department signed on 18 July 2007, that the Foundation had received commitments from sources other than the U.S. Government to at least match any funds provided by the U.S.

[2] During his watch as Chairman, The FFF’s financial statements for 2006 and 2007, stated that the Foundation did not attempt to influence national legislation, an assertion contradicted by the cables and reports released by the Department of State. These documents suggest that several Foundation representatives actively lobbied the US Congress in 2006-07 for legislative changes favorable to the FFF.

Concealing the U.S. Government’s contribution:-

[1] On 20 May 2007, Anwar issued a media statement asserting that the U.S. Government did not provide any funds for the Foundation.

An extract of that statement is as follows:

Yayasan tersebut merupakan sebuah badan independent, melibatkan kerajaan dan masyarakat madani untuk menyokong badan-badan bukan kerajaan di dalam usaha membangunkan demokrasi dan kebebasan di Timur Tengah dan Afrika Utara.Dari awal, sebanyak US$56 juta telah dijanjikan kepada Yayasan. Setakat ini, Yayasan hanya menerima dana dari Turki, United Kingdom dan Jordan, antara lain. Amerka Syarikat tidak memberikan sebarang dana kepada Yayasan..

[2] On 22 May 2007, Anwar was quoted by Utusan Malaysia of uttering that the Foundation did not received a single cent from any parties in the U.S.A. and characterised reports that claimed otherwise as simply a smear campaign.

Extract of Anwar’s quotes from the Utusan Malaysia’s article:

“Saya sungguh kecewa kerana perkara ini dijadikan satu propaganda kotor. AS tidak pernah memberi satu sen pun kepada yayasan ini dan kami mempunyai bukti.

However:

[1] The GAP findings show that the U.S. Government had paid USD21.3 million to the foundation from 2006 to 2009.

[2] A Washington Post new article dated 14 April 2007, that is 35 days before the release of Anwar’s statement on 20 May 2007, reported that the U.S. Government contributed almost two-thirds of the foundation's $56 million budget based on information it obtained from the State Department.

[3] Further as the Foundation Chairman and member of the Board since mid 2006, Anwar must have been updated and made aware of the Foundation’s operation and fund-seeking exercise.

Notes:

[1] The Washing Post report:

Woman in World Bank Controversy Working on Mideast Project
By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 14, 2007

The woman at the center of the storm surrounding World Bank President Paul D. Wolfowitz has spent the past few months trying to get one of the signature efforts of President Bush's Middle East democracy campaign off the ground.

The Foundation for the Future, as the effort is called, has made no grants and held only two board meetings since its creation 1 1/2 years ago. Though Shaha Riza, who has been romantically linked to Wolfowitz, is not listed as part of the staff on the organization's Web site, she is the only person working in the group's offices, located within the Henry L. Stimson Center, a think tank. The Washington office is listed as a "branch," according to the site, which promises that soon a main office will be established in Beirut.

"It is basically just her running this thing," said Tamara Cofman Wittes, research fellow at the Brookings Institution Saban Center for Middle East Policy, who closely tracks democracy programs in the region. She said the board members had no experience in grant-making and thus had "started from zero," with no bylaws or grant-making guidelines. She said the board has had a goal of trying to make its first grant by summer, nearly two years after the organization was formed.

The United States contributed almost two-thirds of the foundation's $56 million budget, according to the State Department, which said last night that the foundation plans to hire a chief operating officer and chief financial officer next month.

Since September 2005, the World Bank has paid Riza's salary -- which under the terms of a contract dictated by Wolfowitz included automatic raises that has brought it to $193,590 tax-free -- while she was seconded to the State Department to assist on Middle East democracy issues. There, she worked under Elizabeth Cheney, who was then principal deputy assistant secretary; Wolfowitz worked for Cheney's father as an undersecretary of defense in the George H.W. Bush administration.

Elizabeth Cheney, who has since left the State Department, was in charge of democracy promotion and was instrumental in creating the Foundation for the Future, which Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced with fanfare at a conference in Bahrain in November 2005. The foundation would make grants that let "reformers to draw upon their ideas and their ideals to nurture grass-roots organizations that support the development of democracy," Rice said.

Riza moved to the foundation in December 2006 to become senior adviser to its executive committee and board of directors, according to documents released yesterday by the World Bank. The one board member from the United States is retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who was traveling yesterday and could not be reached for comment.

A letter dated Oct. 1, 2006, from Anwar Ibrahim, the foundation's chairman, to Robin Cleveland, Wolfowitz's counselor, said that if Riza moved from State to the foundation, she would recruit staff, supervise the hiring and training of senior management in the Middle East, identify programs to receive grants and supervise the implementation of policies on programs, finances and administration. "The Bank concurs with this proposal," Cleveland handwrote on Dec. 14, 2006.

After meeting in Geneva in February, the executive committee announced that it would hold a "logo competition" for the region's youth and had reviewed proposals for a civil society resource center and a conference on rule of law.

Riza, who did not return phone calls or e-mails, wrote the World Bank earlier this week that she had not wanted to take the assignments outside the bank, according to a letter released by the bank.

Especially suspicious was the State Department’s representation of a murky $10 million pledge from Qatar, the largest “pledge” of any country other than the United States. Documents indicate that the State Department knew that this pledge would never materialize when it asked Congress to disburse matching funds.

GAP’s report also suggests that FFF management – including former FFF Chairman (and close friend of Paul Wolfowitz) Anwar Ibrahim, who is currently a Malaysian parliamentarian – misled the US Internal Revenue Service. The FFF’s financial statements for 2006 and 2007 state that the Foundation did not attempt to influence national legislation, an assertion contradicted by the cables and reports released by the Department of State. These documents suggest that several Foundation representatives actively lobbied the US Congress in 2006-07 for legislative changes favorable to the FFF.

[2] Anwar’s Media Statement on 20 May 2007

KENYATAAN MEDIA FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE

Foundation for the Future (Yayasan Masa Hadapan) mula-mula diumumkan di Bahrain pada November 2005 oleh menteri-menteri luar dan pembangunan dari Timur Tengah, Afrika Utara, Eropah dan Amerika Syarikat.

Yayasan tersebut merupakan sebuah badan independent, melibatkan kerajaan dan masyarakat madani untuk menyokong badan-badan bukan kerajaan di dalam usaha membangunkan demokrasi dan kebebasan di Timur Tengah dan Afrika Utara.Dari awal, sebanyak US$56 juta telah dijanjikan kepada Yayasan. Setakat ini, Yayasan hanya menerima dana dari Turki, United Kingdom dan Jordan, antara lain. Amerka Syarikat tidak memberikan sebarang dana kepada Yayasan..

Saya dijemput untuk menyertai lembaga pengarah Yayasan pada pertengahan 2006 bersama-sama wakil dari Maghribi, Kuwait, Iraq, Sepanyol, Syria, Turki, Lubnan, Amerika Syarikat, Arab Saudi, Mesir, Switzerland dan Qatar.

Ahli lembaga pengarah yang lain termasuklah Kamel Abu Jaber, penasihat kepada Menteri Luar Jordan; Dr. Cornelio Sommaruga, bekas Presiden Jawatankuasa Palang Merah Antarabangsa; Professor Ibrahim Kallin, penasihat Menteri Luar Turki, dan Sandra Day O'Connor, bekas hakim Mahkamah Agung Amerika Syarikat.

Mesyuarat lembaga pengarah yang pertama diadakan di Doha, Qatar di atas jemputan Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani, Menteri Luar dan kini Perdana Menteri Qatar pada 15 Julai 2006, dan saya telah dipilih secara sebulat suara sebagai Pengerusi Kehormat Yayasan. Keputusan yang disepakati ialah untuk mendirikan ibu pejabat di Beirut, Lubnan.

Walau bagaimanapun, di dalam mesyuarat lembaga pengarah pada 4 Disember 2006 di Amman, Jordan, saya bertemu Menteri Luar Jordan Abdelelah Al-Khatib, yang menyokong saranan penubuhan sekretariat serantau di Amman memandangkan penangguhan di dalam mendirikan ibu pejabat Beirut akibat serangan Israel terhadap Lubnan. Mesyuarat lembaga pengarah seterusnya akan diadakan pada 29-30 Mei 2007 di Bahrain.

Saya tidak melantik Shaha Ali Reza ke Yayasan. Beliau mula-mula ditugaskan oleh Bank Dunia menerusi Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat untuk Yayasan pada hujung 2005 sebelum saya menjadi Pengerusi. Jawatankuasa eksekutif telah memutuskan pada pertengahan 2006 untuk menyeragamkan perlantikan tersebut agar Shaha menasihati secara langsung dari Bank Dunia dan bukannya Jabatan Negara.

Yayasan tersebut akan mengeluarkan kenyataan penuh selepas mesyuarat di Bahrain minggu hadapan. Tetapi, memandangkan propaganda yang berterusan dari media kawalan Umno, saya telah memutuskan untuk mengeluarkan kenyataan ini. Sekiranya tiada penjelasan oleh media berkenaan isu ini, Yayasan tidak akan teragak-agak untuk memulakan tindakan perundangan terhadap pihak-pihak terbabit.

ANWAR IBRAHIM
Pengerusi Yayasan Masa Hadapan
** Kenyataan Anwar pada 20 Mei 2007

[3] ARKIB : 22/05/2007 – Utusan Malaysia

Anwar cabar buktikan kaitannya dengan Bank Dunia

KUALA LUMPUR 21 Mei – Pengerusi Yayasan bagi Masa Depan, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mencabar mana-mana pihak yang mengkritiknya supaya membuktikan kaitan antara yayasan itu dengan Presiden Bank Dunia, Paul Wolfowitz.

Beliau berkata, yayasan tersebut tidak pernah berurusan dengan Bank Dunia dan tidak menerima bantuan kewangan daripada mana-mana pihak dari Amerika Syarikat (AS).

“Saya sungguh kecewa kerana perkara ini dijadikan satu propaganda kotor. AS tidak pernah memberi satu sen pun kepada yayasan ini dan kami mempunyai bukti.

“Ini semua propaganda yang menggunakan akhbar-akhbar tempatan bagi memanipulasi keadaan,’’ katanya kepada pemberita selepas menghadiri majlis perasmian bangunan Ibu Pejabat Pas di Jalan Raja Laut di sini hari ini.

KJ Beri Pandangan Bernas Bela Rakyat Dalam Pindaan Akta Sewa Beli 1967

2010-07-16T07:33:00.004+08:00

Semasa sessi perbahasan Rang Undang-undang Pindaan terhadap Akta Sewa Beli 1967 pada Selasa lepas, YB Ahli Parlimen Rembau yang juga Ketua Pemuda UMNO, Khairy Jamaluddin telah membangkitkan 4 cadangan bernas berkaitan pindaan terhadap Akta tersebut.

Berikut adalah intipati cadangan-cadangan beliau:

[1] Pada masa kini tidak ada sebarang undang-undang yang menyeragam atau mengawal amalan penarik kenderaan – yang ada cuma Guidelines on the Appointment and Conduct of the Repossessor,’ yang dikeluarkan oleh the Association of Finance Companies of Malaysia. Sehubungan dengan itu, selain pindaan positif ini yang semewangnya wajar bagi melindungi pengguna selaku pembeli kereta, Kerajaan juga harus mencari jalan atau mekanisme di mana amalan penarik kenderaan dapat dipantau dengan lebih efektif melalui penetapan garis panduan etika dan perilaku penarik-penarik kereta.

[2] Salah satu isu bagi pelanggan adalah caj yang dikenakan bagi penarikan balik dan penyimpanan (repossession and storage fees) yang tinggi dan berbeza-beza. Adalah dicadangkan agar caj ini dinilai dan dipertimbangkan supaya satu carta garis-panduan berkenaan caj ini dikeluarkan dan dijadikan sebahagian daripada Akta.
Pada masa sekarang caj penarikan kereta dan penyimpanan ditentukan secara arbitari oleh pihak Bank.

[3] Fasal 7 daripada RUU mencadangkan Seksyen 16 dipinda. Secara ringkasnya isu pokok bagi pindaan Seksyen 16 adalah berkenaan pembayaran 1/3 daripada jumlah hutang. Jika dibayar kurang daripada 1/3 maka pihak bank boleh mengambil kereta atau repossesses the vehicle secara direct atau terus tetapi jika peminjam telah membayar melebihi 1/3 daripada jumlah hutang, pihak bank hendaklah mendapatkan perintah mahkamah terlebih dahulu.

Pendekatan ini adalah suatu yang positif dengan mana ia membezakan antara proses penarikan semula kereta bagi hutang yang sudah dibayar lebih tinggi berbanding pembayaran yang rendah dan memberi ruang sedikit, breathing space kepada penghutang dengan adanya keperluan untuk mendapatkan perintah mahkamah.

Namun, dalam aspek 1/3 pembayaran pinjaman ini - secara realitinya, kebanyakan peminjam sewa beli yang bermasalah adalah di bawah kategori peminjam yang menjelaskan kurang daripada 1/3, yakni pembeli kereta yang baru dan golongan muda yang baru menjejaki alam perkerjaan. Mereka dilingkungan umur 20-an dan 30-an adalah yang tergolong ramai di dalam kelompok ini dan banyak yang baru sahaja bekerja. Jadi, saya pohon agar Kementerian dapat mempertimbangkan untuk menurunkan kadar minima untuk perintah mahkamah ke satu kadar yang lebih rendah, mungkin 1/5 atau ¼ daripada jumlah hutang bagi meringankan beban peminjam terutama di situasi ekonomi sekarang.

[4] Dari segi perubahan berskala besar pula, adalah diharapkan agar Kerajaan dapat mempertimbangkan cadangan supaya kesemua akta-akta, atau peruntukan yang melibatkan kredit pengguna di bawah akta-akta berkenaan, yang berkaitan dengan kredit pengguna digubal dan disatukan di bawah suatu akta iaitu akta kredit pengguna, sebagaimana amalan negara-negara membangun seperti United Kingdom dan juga New Zealand. Ini penting kerana undang-undang sedia ada tidak menyeluruh dan berpecah-pecah sebagai contoh Akta Pemberi Pinjaman Wang, Akta Pajak Gadai dan juga Akta Bank dan Institusi Kewangan. Perubahan ini akan pastinya lebih komprehensif dan mengambil kira kepentingan pengguna melebihi entiti-entiti lain.

World Cup final: Acts of the apostles claim victory and vindication

2010-07-12T15:49:00.003+08:00

- Source: The Guardian
- The Guardian, Monday 12 July 2010
- Article history

Spain's victory last night, no matter the nature of the match itself, will come as a sunburst of vindication for those to whom the simple game of football, at its most perfectly realised, represents a form of art to which every player should aspire. After so many decades of failing to live up to their potential, the Spain players have emerged over the last World Cup cycle as apostles of a way of playing the game that emphasises touch, subtlety, anticipation and a finely tuned form of collective thinking.

They call it tiki-taka, an almost onomatopoeic term for the short passes that mount up like beats on a snare drum, laid out in constantly changing rhythms and at angles determined by the willingness of every player to support the man in possession.

This is football as it is played in Arsène Wenger's dreams, a game of patient accumulation in which the ball is coaxed towards the opposition's goal while barely touching the feet of players who are constantly in fluid motion. At all times aware of each other's changing positions, they take opponents out of the game through deftness and movement rather than muscularity.

Their critics claim that when this style – whether played by Spain, Barcelona or Arsenal – is not achieving results, its rhythms become monotonous and demonstrate the lack of alternative strategies. But now that tiki-taka has captured both the world and European titles, its exponents are entitled to turn such charges back in those critics' faces.

It is true that no one who values the game's ability to produce fascinating contrasts between teams of divergent styles would want to see this particular approach prevail to the exclusion of all others. A league made up of nothing but tiki-taka would be like watching a needlework competition, just as a league made up of long-ball football would be like watching truck racing.

But the faith in the values of technique and imagination demonstrated by the products of Barcelona's academy – about half of Spain's team throughout this tournament – should be fundamental to the education of all young players, which means that last night's result can only be a good thing if it interests more young players around the world in learning how to control and circulate the ball like Xavi and Andrés Iniesta.

Not that Spain are a team without contrasts, or with only one gear. No side containing Carles Puyol could be accused of disdain for passion or physicality. Beneath those cherub's curls is the face of a man you might not want to encounter in a darkened side street off the Rambla del Raval. He may not wear the national team's armband, but he has behaved throughout this tournament exactly as he does when captaining Barcelona, and the marvellous headed goal that eliminated Germany in the semi-final – a technical achievement on a par with any of David Villa's goals – was perhaps the key moment of the entire campaign.

History will debate how much Spain owe to Vicente del Bosque, their head coach, who took over from Luis Aragonés after the Euro 2008 campaign, where success put fresh wind in the team's sails. What is certain is that he and Marcello Lippi are now the only coaches to have won both the World and European cups.

When the first official match took place in Spain in 1890, the sides representing Huelva Recreation Club and Sevilla Football Club between them contained 20 British players, mostly employees of the Rio Tinto mining company and Seville's water works. An echo of the British influence lingers in the modern players' retention of the term "Mister" to address their managers. Now Del Bosque has become the Mister of Misters, the 28th full-time coach of Spain but the first to guide them to victory in the World Cup. The 59-year-old from Salamanca, whose jowly, unsmiling visage and rumpled wardrobe give him the look of a small-town minicab driver nearing the end of a week of night shifts, has once again proved himself an unassuming master of his craft.

No one can question his credentials as a football man. After playing 312 league matches as a defender for Real Madrid between 1970 and 1984 and winning 18 caps, he supervised Real's junior sides and took over as head coach from 1999 to 2003, winning two European Cups and two Spanish championships before Florentino Pérez, the club's president, decided he was not the right man to remain in charge of a squad overstuffed with galácticos.

That announcement, made the day after Del Bosque had led the team to their 29th title, looked irresponsible at the time and idiotic now. As well as being a victory for artistic football, Spain's first World Cup is also one for managers who are not interested in seeing their images blown up into posters promoting credit cards or mobile phones, and who are happy to stand back and let a group of gifted players take the credit, as Del Bosque did last night.

Sak Mongkol: Is KJ the Tonto to Najib’s Lone Ranger?

2010-07-12T12:16:00.002+08:00

Source: Sak Mongkol AK47

DS Najib is a Lone Ranger on many issues. I have touched about this in a previous article. The Lone Ranger has a Tonto. And on many issues, Najib's Tonto seems to be his Ketua Pemuda.

My friend Aspan Alias through his blog has written something unpleasant about Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ) - the ketua Pemuda UMNO. Until today, Aspan has always been fair to KJ. He asked the same question that I have often asked. How do we reconcile the fact that the UMNO KP hasn't been appointed to any post in the government. There is a glaring blot in the power structure. The MCA Youth Head, the MCA wanita previously, the deputy KP of UMNO were all given posts. But until today, KJ hasn't got anything yet.

You want him to enter the battle fields, but you encumber his arsenal. He hasn't got sufficient tools to battle.

Aspan's sore point is his perception that KJ hasn't matured all round. His conclusion rests on KJ's clash with Ibrahim Ali on a number of issues. He thinks it better if KJ focuses on meatier issues such as Malay economic interests.

But I would like to look at the subtle messages that Aspan has written. The two top UMNO leaders are speaking at cross purposes. Najib is speaking as a liberal. He is perceived to be all things to all people. He needs the Chinese votes and he needs the Indian votes. otherwise his 1Malaysian concept is hollow. Muhyidin on the other hand is championing Malay causes. He is more in tandem with Ibrahim Al's Perkasa and by extension to what Dr Mahathir is espousing. I am not surprised , despite the public endorsements to Najib's administration, Dr Mahathir finds a better soul mate in Muhyidin than Najib.

Thus Najib has to be careful here. He has to strike a balance between pursuing his vision of 1Malaysia and Dr Mahathir's trenchant criticism in waiting. I say in waiting because sooner or later, the bubble will burst.

Where does KJ fit into the whole scheme of things? He appears to be the only UMNO leader championing what Najib is thinking of. I am told that PM Najib isn't that too enthusiastic that Perkasa is stealing his thunder. I hear he would encourage the emergence of Malay NGOs to counter balance Ibrahim' Perkasa. But as I have written, that would be too late as the horses have already bolted. Thus he has no other choice but to rely on internal resources to contain Ibrahim's growing credence among the Malays. Left unchecked, Perkasa's inroad into the Malay heartland with Ibrahim's brand of right wing politics will undermine Najib's 1 Malaysia.

We have to ask then, what motivates KJ to enter into skirmishes with Ibrahim and used Ibrahim, as Aspan said, as the standard measure of everything that is at odds with Najib?

The only possible reason to explain KJ's emboldened approach in dealing with Ibrahim is, that this is what Najib actually wants. If KJ was the only one responding correctly to Najib's messages, then I say, this is to KJ's credit.

In my experience as a former ADUN and Ketua Penerangan UMNO Pekan, the KP sits in the powerful UMNO political bureau. PM Najib may have expressed misgivings about what Perkasa has been doing and by doing so must have hoped that his able committee members would pick up the cudgels and bludgeon Ibrahim Ali.

As an important member of the bureau, KJ must have read the signals from Najib to put a damper on Ibrahim's unsolicited championing of the Malay cause. Ibrahim Ali is not an UMNO member and his Perkasa appears to be a magnet for any disgruntled UMNO persons. This is probably the sore point of many loyal UMNO leaders and Ketua Bahagians who would welcome a strong and firm rebuke from UMNO.

I would interpret what KJ has done by crossing swords with Ibrahim Ali and the recently free agent of an MP of Wangsa Maju, as interpreting what the UMNO president actually wants. That would make KJ as more perceptive than the other dull Janes and Jacks in UMNO.

Muhyiddin isn't seen to be in sync with Najib, the 3 VPs are immersed in their own politics, the wanita leader is thinking of getting a legitimate elected seat. So KJ picks up the cudgels to do battle with Ibrahim and Ibrahim's equivalents.

What KJ has done will not be interpreted as immature if the UMNO president himself lends his weight on KJ. I am puzzled that between his own KP and the strident voices emanating from Ibrahim's quarters, UMNO President Najib hasn't shown his clear hand.

He should be supporting his KP. Once he does that, I assure you all the UMNO people will be saying well done KJ. I know because that's the UMNO culture.

KJ Ketengahkan Isu Gaji Mati Anggota Bawahan Tentera

2010-07-06T10:46:00.007+08:00

Sebagaimana maklum, KJ telah menyertai Askar Wataniah dan menjalani latihan asas perajurit muda selama sebulan sebagai rekrut biasa dari 26 April hingga 25 Mei lalu. Ini suatu tindakan dan syiar yang patut dipuji apatah lagi apabila beliau bertegas rela dan mahu menjawat pangkat prebet sahaja sekalipun ditawarkan pangkat tinggi Mejar kehormat.

Hang Tegar tabik spring pada KJ sebab mampu berbuat demikian dan sping Hang Tegar makin mantap elastisiti-nya apabila mendapat tahu bahawa KJ telah mengusulkan supaya sistem gaji anggota tentera dikaji dan dirombak terutama sekali bagi meleraikan masalah gaji mati atau “fenomena langgar dinding” di kalangan anggota Lain-lain Pangkat (LLP) di Divisyen Infantri.

Di dalam penjelasan beliau, KJ telah memberikan contoh bahawa mereka berpangkat Sarjan di Divisyen Infantri hanya boleh memperolehi gaji hingga Band 3 tahap P2, berbanding LLP di Divisyen lain yang boleh meningkat hingga ke Band 4 dan 5, walhal askar infantri adalah rifleman kita yang berada di barisan paling hadapan dan merempuh risiko pertempuran paling tinggi. Ramai yang mengalami status gaji mati sedangkan mereka telah memperolehi kemahiran atau kelayakan tambahan dan juga bebanan tugas yang meningkat.

Disamping itu, Hang Tegar dimaklumkan yang KJ juga mengenengahkan keadaan di mana ramai anggota LLP yang bukan sahaja berstatus gaji mati tetapi juga situasi pangkat tak naik-naik buat sekian lama.

Hang Tegar amat bersetuju dengan usul dan perkara yang diketengahkan oleh KJ sebab anggota LLP merupakan 91% daripada ketumbukan penuh angkatan tentera kita. Malahan dalam isu imbuhan, gaji mereka sememangnya patut dikanankan sebagaimana Pekeliling Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam Bilangan 256 (21) yang dibaca bersama Perkara 132 Perlembagaan Persekutuan telah menetapkan bahawa gaji angkatan tentera mesti kanan dari anggota Polis Diraja Malaysia dan jabatan lain.

Akhir kata, Hang Tegar ucap syabas kepada KJ sebab amat perihatin kepada angkatan tentera kita terutama sekali juga anggota bawahan LLP. Ini juga menzahirkan semangat setiakawan dan kekitaan yang amat kuat sesama anggota askar. Syabas KJ. [HT]

Taking On The Army - Nut Graph

2010-07-06T10:18:00.002+08:00

I’VE always wanted to join the army. I remember telling my parents as a teenager that I wanted to be a soldier. Maybe it was initially a boys-with-guns thing, or later, a higher calling to serve the nation. There are also generals in my extended family – one was Chief of the Armed Forces. That heightened the appeal.

But after diving into active politics shortly after graduating, my GI Joe dreams were put on the back burner. I settled with the thought that I would perhaps live my commando fantasies through my sons.

Then a few months ago, I met General Shahrom, Commander of the 508 Regiment of the Malaysian Territorial Army or Rejimen Askar Wataniah. He had heard of my interest and wanted to get me involved in his Negeri Sembilan-based regiment. The deal was to use my public-figure endorsement to attract more participation, especially from youths. I wouldn’t have to do much beyond visiting the camp’s recruits to instill them with semangat.

Huddling with the platoon (All pics courtesy of Khairy Jamaluddin)

In return, I would be bestowed an honorary commission, either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Major. I would receive an officer’s accompanying accoutrements, and be saluted by real but lower-ranking soldiers. Ours is a society obsessed with titles and ranks. Undoubtedly, an honorary military commission is another grace awarded to public figures who, mostly, don’t deserve it.

Not wanting to offend the commander, I asked, “Sir, if, God forbid, we were ever at war, would the army mobilise their honorary officers?” The answer was, of course, “No.” I then said, “In which case, I don’t deserve to wear the uniform that you’re offering me.” Instead, I asked the commander if I could join as an ordinary recruit and gradually move up the ranks like anyone else.

He said they had never had a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) join as an ordinary recruit, what more one with my “profile”. I convinced him there was a first time for everything.

And so, after General Shahrom convinced an initially skeptical army top-brass that an MP had agreed unequivocally to be treated like any other recruit, I joined the reservist army on 26 April 2010. I reported to the 508 Regiment headquarters in Rasah as 6210405 – my Yang Berhormat-less military number.

Broken down

During the next month, 87 of us were broken down daily through a series of physical and mental challenges. For regular recruits, basic training lasts six months. For reservists, this is condensed into four weeks. While we miss out on a fair bit, the intensity is multiplied because of the shorter period.

As with any military boot camp, the first week is all about the parade square. From dawn till sunset, we were put through marching-in-formation drills, where we learnt the most fundamental lessons about discipline and working as a unit. If just one person stepped out of line or got his or her sequence wrong, the entire squad had to repeat the drill or get down for 20 knuckle push-ups on the boiling tar.

Drill sergeants don’t care about the midday sun or one’s thick, suffocating army-issue camouflage and woolen beret. They keep going even though one by one, recruits fall like dominoes. Some genuinely fainted. Others simulated blackouts. For the record, I did neither. Our breaks were all of five minutes to dash to the cookhouse, where the only drink available was boiling water.

At the shooting range

Unsurprisingly, the first week saw the most dropouts. We lost around 10 recruits. One came back to camp a day after quitting. We later found out he returned because his army father gave him a beating worse than anything he would experience in the barracks.

After taking our stamina to the brink during the first week, classes on handling weapons, military tactics, and army laws and regulations were introduced. We were tested on everything. I hadn’t crammed for written exams in over a decade. Having to switch from extreme physical to mental exertion within just hours was annoying and challenging in equal measure.

Punishments were also generous. From the vomit-inducing side rolls across the parade square’s width, to more subtle but ultimately torturous penalties, we were made to pay for the slightest disciplinary breach. One night, we were subjected to the notorious “change parade”, where we had to run up and down from the square to our dorms to change outfits no less than seven times. The first two changes seemed fun. But on our seventh outfit – full battle dress unit camouflage – past midnight, the urge to just break ranks and quit was overwhelming.

Facing the odds

I also had the added misfortune of being, perhaps for the first time in recent memory, the oldest member of a group. Being 34 in politics is embryonic. As an army recruit its geriatric. The problem was not the training’s academic and tactical aspect, but the physical modules.

I had to keep up with largely 18-year-old kids at the prime of their growth spurts. In anticipation of being embarrassed by younger and fitter recruits, I trained beforehand and dropped 5kg. I would lose another five in camp.

By the time we entered our final week, which involved field exercises in the jungle, we were transforming into soldiers nicely. I no longer needed an alarm to wake up at 4:30am in order to be the first to use one of only four bathing cubicles. We became immune to mosquitoes and the absence of air-conditioning and iced beverages.

Everything up to that point was meant to prepare us for our field exercise. This exercise involved, among other fun and games: a 30km advance; digging a six-feet deep trench in the middle of the day; and carrying a 30kg backpack full of battle rations in addition to our M-16s, our surrogate spouses that we had with us at all times.

With Rajasekar, digging a trench

During the exercise, we were paired off with field buddies with whom we would share a trench or tent. I was paired with 19-year-old Rajasekar, a happy-go-lucky odd-job worker from Semenyih. By day, he was an ox with boundless energy. By night, his snores made it clear he wasn’t built for sentry duty. As is the case with relationships forged in challenging circumstances, we continue to be friends.

What matters

Raja also happened to be one of two non-Malay Malaysians in the entire recruit squad. I was told that the ethnic profile for recruits at other Wataniah regiments in other states were similarly mono-ethnic. This, to me, was the programme’s greatest missed opportunity. By not being able to attract more non-Malay Malaysians, the reservist programme is denied the opportunity to be an effective platform for national unity.

In the army, where one is deconstructed and trained to survive, it doesn’t matter what ethnicity the person in the trench with you is. What matters in battle is that you help each other live and defend your country.

On the day we passed out as Privates, I looked back at the month with obvious relief. No more drills and parades. No more forced marches and trench digging. No more memorising weapons specifications and cleaning a disassembled M-16. But I also looked back with satisfaction that a physical and mental threshold had been crossed.

More than the personal challenge that the army presents me, it is the fraternity borne of a rigorous, regimented environment and the sense of national service that excites all of us in the reserves. I now look forward to the next phase, whether the officers’ training or the airborne paratrooper course that I have applied to.

Still, I understand why Malaysia has no compulsory military service. Any attempt to build a public consensus to introduce it today would be near impossible. Besides, as attracted as I am to the virtues of military training, I still believe that the decision to enlist or volunteer is an extremely personal one.

Joining the reserves is clearly not for everyone. And I don’t mean that as a reflection on someone’s physical ability, mental resilience or patriotism. Those virtues, especially the last, can be manifested in many different and equally meaningful ways.

In the increasingly cynical world of postmodern Malaysian politics, honour is a diminishing virtue on both sides of the divide. In the army, honour – in particular, the soul-stirring honour of serving your nation – permeates in abundance. For me, that’s the only reason I need to keep reporting back as 6210405.

Source: Nut Graph

BerHati Busuk

2009-12-10T14:39:00.007+08:00

Firman Allah SWT di dalam Surah Al-Maidah, ayat 2 : “Dan tolong-menolonglah kamu dalam (mengerjakan) kebajikan dan takwa, dan jangan tolong-menolong dalam berbuat dosa dan pelanggaran”.

Ayat di atas dengan terang mengajak kita semua supaya bekerja sama bagi membuat amal dan kebaikan dan menegah sebarang gerakan yang bertujuan untuk membuat jahat dan dosa. Di dalam konteks ini, kita harus melihat hubungan itu berdasarkan dua alam dan persekitaran hubungan iaitu Hablun Minallah (hubungan kita dengan Allah) dan Hablun Minannas (hubungan kita dengan manusia).

Hang Tegar memulakan artikel ini dengan Muqaddimah di atas kerana sudah agak lama tidak menulis dan atas refleksi daripada gabungan gotong royong pencacai di internet yang tidak habis-habis berusaha selagi mana boleh untuk menjatuh dan memburukkan manusia lain, dan dalam kes ini ke atas Khairy Jamaluddin.

Ini bermula daripada laporan muka 2 Utusan Malaysia pada 9 Disember lalu yang merujuk kepada satu tulisan di Malaysia-Instinct yang menyebut akan kemungkinan rombakan kabinet melibatkan perlantikan Khairy, dan di dalam artikel tersebut sebagai Timbalan Menteri Pendidikan Tinggi.

Tak lama selepas itu, laju bak angin yang lalu dan bingkas umpama mata yang bekerdip maka berduyun-duyunlah satu gerakan blog yang di bawa oleh Parpu Kari, BigDog, Piggy Singh (antara lain), serta gerombolan komen di Facebook yang mengguna segala daya upaya, dan cebisan argumentasi (walaupun dangkal dan cetek) yang ada untuk menolak kemungkinan Khairy dilantik. Pelbagai omongan, tahyul dan cerita di guna pakai, di recycle bagi tujuan ini dengan lancaran bom anti kabinet pada KJ.

Sesiapa yang membaca pasti terasa jijik dan kesian dengan tahap kesihatan mental dan emosi mereka kerana tampak begitu taksub sekali serangan tanpa logik dan ketajaman akal yang di guna.

BigDog mengomel dengan temberangnya yang kata pengundi akan lari kalau KJ dilantik sebagai ahli kabinet. Apa buktinya? Apa hujahnya? Let me remind BigDog that KJ’s call for the Malays to get themselves escape from the siege mentality is a notion that is tenable, parallel and compatible with PM Najib’s 1Malaysia. Further, KJ’s speech for a magnanimous and inclusive leadership for all is a good narration of what 1Malaysia is about. That’s from the compatibility stand point, and if 1Malaysia, as observed by Merdeka Poll Centre and other research firms, have gained the traction of supports from the public – would it not wrong to argue that KJ’s statement and position are in actual fact, an asset for the PM.

Lagi pula, kalau kita kaji kekuatan pembangkang berbanding BN, hasil daripada kajian beberapa research firms adalah disebabkan oleh peranan mereka yang dianggap lebih membela rakyat dan jaguh di dalam isu kesamarataan dan keadilan sejagat. Tidak ada yang kata sebabnya adalah KJ.

BigDog mencacai lagi dengan kata PM Najib akan kelak penat nak dok menjawab-jawab pada rakyat – come on lah BigDog, if you are really Big as what BigDog name suggests, then I hope that such a size is true for your brain too. Apa yang BigDog et al buat adalah nak create persepsi huru hara dan pecah belah, supaya akan ada intervensi. Sebenarnya depa-depa inilah yang dok buat perpecahan dan bukannya rakyat. Depa yang sebenarnya tak setuju, wahai pembaca. Kenapa? Wallahu Alam dan saya harap Allah dapat menyelematkan mereka daripada tergolong dengan kelompok yang bergotong-royong membuat dosa dan perlanggaran serta perpecahan sesama umat.

Bukan sahaja rakyat, malahan mereka yang menyokong pembangkang juga akur KJ memang ada leadership material dan layak sangat berada di dalam kabinet. Rakyat tak heran kalau dia masuk jadi Menteri atau Timbalan Menteri, yang heran sebenarnya adalah depa – kerana depa tak kan senang melihat perkara yang macam ini.

Rasulullah SAW pernah ditanya apakah kita boleh berdengki kepada orang? Rasulullah kata dalam Islam boleh kita berdengki dengan cara kita berusaha untuk menjadi sama dan lebih baik dari orang yang kita observe itu. Ini suatu yang positive, sustainable dan membawa progress dan modernization pada society kerana menggalakkan persaingan dan perlumbaan untuk jadi baik. Tetapi dengki yang dikeji adalah PhD yang penyakit hasad dengkinya tidak lebih dari bermodalkan usaha menjatuh dan mentaik-kan orang.

Parpu Kari pulak menggunakan pendekatan character assination berdasarkan kepada Majalah Harper’s Bazaar. Come-on lah Parpu, Hang Tegar faham yang Parpu mungkin oversized atau bukan front-page or model-like material tetapi cara hentam sebegini low-class amatlah menjijikkan. Semua maklum bahawa akan ada hampir 4 juta pengundi baru dan 80% daripadanya adalah pengundi muda yang begitu kontemporari, kosmopolitan dan urbanite. Semua maklum bahawa kekuatan BN amat lemah di kawasan bandar. Ini semua menuntut pendekatan penuh segmented dari Pemuda dan juga pimpinan Pemuda. Tidakkah Parpu sedar, atau sudah tidak larat bangun kerana terlalu banyak makan ayam dan ikan masak kari, bahawa tindakan KJ adalah bagi memenangi niche segment majalah tersebut. Ia tindakan berani, mengalun ombak, melawan arus pada kacamata segilintir pihak, tetapi kita kena ada daya empati untuk melayan bacaan dan mood segmen orang muda yang pelbagai.

Juga, Hang Tegar nak tanya kalau nak hentam tindakan very unconventional KJ dalam Harper’s Bazaar, kenapa Parpu tak komen pula lakonan KJ dalam filem pendek 15Malaysia sebagai pemandu teksi yang banyak membawa mesej sarat sosial. File mini menampakkan bakat dan karisma KJ dalam bidang lakonan dan mendapat pujian tinggi orang ramai serta penggiat seni. Ini adalah salah satu vote-winning iniatives.

Seterusnya Piggy. Hang Tegar sedih juga sebab Piggy ni orang baik, alim lagi reasonable. Tapi nampaknya, dan saying sekali, beliau begitu giat menyerang KJ kebelakangan ini – bukan sahaja di laman blog malahan di dunia Facebook. Seperkara mengenai Facebook ini, ia adalah satu social instrument, bukan sahaja bagi utiliti peribadi, malahan juga komuniti, yang mempunyai ramai penyertaan. Ok, hold that thought.

Seperkara lagi adalah mengenai muka-muka. Hang Tegar sebut muka-muka sebab pastinya setiap orang mempunyai muka-muka yang suka atau menyokong dan juga muka-muka yang tidak gemar atau menentang. Itu lumrah, semua orang ada – baik dalam kelompok keluarga, pejabat, kampung etc. Jadinya, adalah lumrah bagi seorang pemimpin, apatah lagi pemimpin politik muda seperti KJ, mempunyai penyokong dan yang kurang atau tidak menyokong. Its so simple…. And hold that thought too.

Bila dah hold the two, combine kan with an analysis of Piggy’s compilation of Facebook comments. Semua yang komen tu adalah komen negatif pasal KJ. Come on lah, ini bukan teka teki tahap tadika tapi lawak tahap gaban. Mestilah ada yang kurang setuju with KJ, and mestilah ada bagi komen and mestilah kalau kita copy-paste and page-screenkan komen depa, yang keluar adalah a compilation of blended and biased comments. That’s it. Itu aja, so ini bukan cerita ramai yang kutuk KJ etc dan ada facebook profile and identity etc. Malah BJ telah membuktikannya dengan bukti komen-komen yang ada menyokong KJ.

Kalau nak tahu pasal sokongan KJ, beliau ada KJFC yang ada hampir 4 ribu ahli serta 2 Facebook accounts. Satu dah penuh (i.e. 5 ribu) and the other, menurut maklumatnya dah hampir penuh (so close to another 5k). Ini tak masuk facebook groups yang lain yang sokong KJ. Mungkin ada yang balas kata ada ramai juga yang tak sokong KJ di Facebook dan memberi stats and numbers of the members, well… so what? Memanglah hidup lagu tu, ada yang sokong and ada yang tak sokong. Depa ni nak buat kita heran pada benda yang tak ada menghairankan pun. Nak memelikkan menda yang tak pelik.

So, konklusinya: Hang Tegar nak balik semula pada seruan Allah SWT supaya kita semua bergotong royong ada perkara kebaikan dan jangan bergotong royong membuat dosa dan perbalahan. Hentikanlah…

Pemuda BN kecam hina Dr. Mahathir

2009-09-15T14:39:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR 14 Sept. - Pergerakan Pemuda Barisan Nasional (BN) mengecam kenyataan seorang perwakilan MIC yang mencadangkan agar kalungan selipar diletakkan ke atas gambar bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad sebagai sesuatu yang tidak rasional dan tidak adil.

Pengerusinya, Khairy Jamaluddin berkata, walaupun itu bukan pendirian rasmi MIC tetapi cadangan itu nyata tidak sensitif terhadap semangat BN.

Katanya, isu mengenai kalungan selipar itu telah dibincangkan secara prinsip iaitu sebarang tindakan oleh mana-mana parti komponen BN tidak sepatutnya melukakan atau merosakkan hubungan dengan parti lain.

''Inilah contoh kenyataan yang boleh mengguris hati parti kita," katanya selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Pemuda BN di sini hari ini.

Tambah Khairy, pihaknya bagaimanapun berpuas hati bahawa apa yang diperkatakan perwakilan berkenaan bukan pendirian MIC yang sebenar.

Source: Utusan Malaysia

A Beautiful Mind

2009-09-11T11:20:00.000+08:00

The beautiful mind of Richard P. Feynman, a Nobel laureate in physics, as elucidated in the following extract from his book: What do you care what other people think, published in 1988 by Unwin Hyman Limited (page 13).

“I have a friend who’s an artist, and he sometimes takes a view which I don’t agree with. He’ll hold up a flower and say, “Look how beautiful it is,” and I’ll agree. But then he’ll say, “I, as an artist, can see how beautiful a flower is. But you, as a scientist, take it all apart and it becomes dull.” I think he’s kind of nutty.

First of all, the beauty that he sees is available to other people – and to me, too, I believe. Although I might not be quite as refined aesthetically as he is, I can appreciate the beauty of a flower. But at the same time, I see much more in the flower than he sees. I can imagine the cells inside, which also have a beauty. There’s beauty not just at the dimension of one centimetre; there’s also beauty at a smaller dimension.

There are the complicated actions of the cells, and other processes. The fact that the colors in the flower have evolved in order to attract insects to pollinate it is interesting; that means insects can see the colors. That adds a question: does this aesthetic sense we have also exist in lower forms of life? There are all kinds of interesting questions that come from a knowledge of science, which only adds to the excitement and mystery and awe of a flower. It only adds, I don’t understand how it subtracts.”

The audio visual version of the above is available in You Tube

A Conversation

2009-09-11T11:17:00.001+08:00

Abu: Ok guys, let’s have a topic to discuss.

Lim: Great, what do you think Samy?

Samy: Mmmmm, let’s discuss on whether the Government

should change the roads, that are presently on tarmac

to cement.

Abu: Good topic, but it’s a too broad thing to

discuss, hence we need to establish the scenarios and

thereafter set the parameters.

Samy: But we do not have facts and figures, everything

is purely on intuitive thinking.

Abu: No problem Bro. This is just a teh tarik

discussion, what matters is the structure and

framework of thinking. With that, we can use some

logical numbers and assumption.

Lim: Agreed. So, let me start first. When we talk

about roads, there are three types of roads namely

tarmac roads, non-tarmac and non-cemented roads and

cemented roads. Or you can also divide it into

highways, urban roads and rural roads.

Samy; I like the approach to divide it into highways,

urban roads and rural roads. For a few reasons…

Lim: What are they?

Samy: It gives us the opportunity to segment it on

priority basis at later time, two, road is a means

towards point to point connectivity and hence

geographical segmentation is the way to go and

thirdly, its more focussed.

Abu: Great but big picture big picture guys, hold your

thoughts on the details. Having said that, I have got

issues with your third point, as a statement like “its

more focussed”, could be interpreted as over

simplification or brushing statement.

Samy: Wait a minute Abu, what you said is also over

generalisation. I could expand my points, if you

want.

Abu: No need. The other parameters would be cost.

Lim: That is when we do cost benefit analysis. But

now, it’s still on the issues.

Samy: Yup, ok by the way, from what I read, Malaysian

road system is pretty extensive and covers 63,445 km.

Lim: Ok, assuming the ratio of highways to urban to

rural is 1: 10 : 9, then the breakdown would be

3,1725.25 km for highways, 31,725,5 km for urban roads

and 28, 550.25 km for rural.

Abu: Good. So lets start on why do we need to change

from tarmac to cement or concrete roads, then we think

about the advantages and disadvantages of doing so.

Samy: I think the two parts you said are interrelated

to one another, answering one would indirectly answers

the other.

Lim: I disagree as we have to be structured here.

Second, the advantages and disadvantages can include

and be expanded to implementation issues.

Samy: Ok.

Abu: The debates are not new, thus far the arguments

have always be in favour for cement roads, especially

roads that are subject to extensive and heavy traffic.

According to our Government, the road maintenance cost

is 30 to 40% lower than tarmac roads.

Lim: Further, tarmac, as an internationally traded

commodity has increased in price. Concrete roads

require less maintenance, have a longer life span and

do not crack easily.

Samy: But the cost to build them is more expensive.

Abu: Precisely. The cost can be divided into several

parts. One is cost of material, second is the

engineering works and the third is time cost. I was

made to understand that the time taken to build

concrete roads is longer than tarmac.

Lim: By how long?

Abu: I do not know, but let us assume that the cost to

build concrete roads in total is about 3 times more

than tarmac roads. We….

Samy: What do you mean by three times more? Is it from a

ratio or 3:1 or the delta cost is tripple than that

for tarmac.

Abu: The ratio is 3:1. Ok, let me just continue.

Lim: Go ahead

Abu: We know that the cost of maintenance is about 40%

lower, ok. Assuming that annual maintenance cost for

tarmac is about 5% of the road-building cost, then the

savings for concrete roads would be 2%.

Lim: So… it takes 100 years to even out the marginal

spending for concrete roads. That is quite long.

Unless, the share of maintenance is higher, for

example if its 10%, we can reduce it to 50 years.

Samy: There is another cost that you forgot to factor

in and that is the re-layering cost. For tarmac roads,

you need to put another layer after few years.

Abu: Which mean, short life span. According to Indian

Public Works Department study, average life span for

tarmac roads is about three to five years. The

corresponding period of cement or concrete roads is

twenty to twenty three years, and it can withstand not

only the monsoon but also the hear and the drainage

systems better.

Lim: This is great, lets go back to the numbers. This

means that you can actually knock out the marginal

cost for cement roads by year 6, even without

factoring in 12% savings you made for that 6 years.

Samy: And reduction in maintenance and cost of

re-layering means more than the numbers as you will

require less organisational and institutional supports

for maintenance, one, and two, you need not to tender

out the work again and again, three, the cost will

jump over time due to inflation and the works of

demand and supply and you are shielded by this long

term hedging you made by building a long term roads.

Abu: But, is it for all roads? By the way, that is a

stupid question as the answer is definitely not.

Lim: I agree. What the government should do is to come

out with a policy on concrete and tarmac roads. Then

set up selection criteria for concrete and tarmac

roads. For example, concrete roads are meant for heavy

traffic roads and the one that cannot tolerate

frequent maintenance.

Samy: do not forge that concrete roads are suitable

for risk-prone areas such as those that are

susceptible to flood etc.

Abu: Good point. Also, this policy can be used as a

guide in selecting which of the present roads that

need to be cemented, as a matter of prioritisation and

which should remain as tarmac roads. It can also be

used in the formulation of terms for highways

construction.

Lim: I think, by the criteria we discussed, majority

of the roads that need to be cemented are that on the

highways. Second would be urban and the last would be

that in the rural areas. Its probably further

justified by the economics of it.

Samy: The implications?

Abu: Good views. First would be budgetary constraints,

given high one-off expenditure. Second, impacts to

cement market and third, impact to small-time

contractors who do the tarmac roads.

Lim: I don’t think impact no 3 is high, as they are

mostly serving low targets for cement roads. What I am

more concerned about is on the cement market.

Abu: You know what to do when we are not sure.

Lim: Sce….

Samy: Scenarios brother, scenarios.

Lim: Ok, lets say three scenarios. One: supply is

sufficient, two, supply is tight and three supply is

abundant. Lets assume that they are generated

internally.

Abu: You are insulating us from international markets,

which I do not think is a fair assumption.

Lim: I know, but lets us just assume that. And, my

base case is a sufficient supply. Hence, on this

scenario, it might move to scenario one of tight

supply and hence increase in domestic cement prices.

This is bad, if not managed properly as it will affect

construction industry, road building cost and economic

growth.

Abu: Thus, if the government wants to implement a

policy for cement and tarmac roads, they have to look

into this aspect as well. They should also look into

elements like ways to increase cement production

capacity or ways to import more cement. But, I think

things should go well, unless the government wants to

implement a drastic and quick change.

Samy: do not forget that tarmac producers will not

simply let their business down so easily. They might

do research and development and come out with a very

high quality tarmac, at a relatively fair price, long

life span and able to endure heavy traffics and bad

weather better.

Lim: Yup, we should not discount that possibility.

Abu: What a good discussion we just had. Excellent

Khairy mahu Pemuda jaga sensitiviti

2009-09-11T11:15:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR 9 Sept. - Sayap Pemuda komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) diingatkan supaya menjaga perasaan serta sensitiviti kaum lain dalam setiap tindakan.

Pengerusi Pemuda BN, Khairy Jamaluddin berkata, sebagai sebuah parti yang disertai pelbagai kaum, mereka mempunyai kesefahaman di antara satu sama lain.

''Kadang-kadang kita terlupa mungkin semasa ingin mempertahankan kepentingan agama dan bangsa sendiri, kita tidak sedar tindakan kita itu membuat bangsa lain terluka hati.

''Membangkitkan isu-isu sensitif yang mungkin boleh buat pihak lain terguris hati perlu dielakkan supaya permuafakatan di antara parti komponen dapat dikekalkan,'' katanya ketika berucap pada majlis berbuka puasa anjuran Pemuda MIC di sini hari ini.

Turut hadir ialah Ketua Pemuda MIC, T. Mohan dan Ketua Pemuda Gerakan, Lim Si Pin.

Mengulas lanjut, Khairy berharap sebarang konflik yang timbul di antara sayap Pemuda BN dapat diselesaikan mengikut saluran dalaman.

''Andai terdapat masalah, saya seru atas semangat BN, kita selesaikan secara rundingan supaya maruah parti kita ini sentiasa dipandang tinggi oleh rakyat,'' jelasnya.

Beliau turut menghargai majlis berbuka puasa anjuran Pemuda MIC itu kerana ia lambang penghormatan kepada UMNO dan ahli-ahli komponen BN lain yang beragama Islam.

Jelasnya, apa yang dilakukan oleh MIC itu ternyata menyahut seruan 1Malaysia yang ingin dilihat oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

''Pemuda BN perlu menjadi pemangkin kejayaan konsep 1Malaysia, kita jangan melihat ia hanya sebagai satu konsep retorik semata-mata,'' katanya yang juga Ketua Pemuda UMNO.

(Source: Utusan Malaysia)

15Malaysia - "Meter" with Khairy Jamaluddin as a taxi driver

2009-09-09T10:13:00.000+08:00

15Malaysia - "Meter" Head of UMNO youth Khairy Jamaluddin plays a taxi driver in this surprising social comedy. Jason Lo, Amber Chia, Matthew George, Namewee and Baki Zainal are amongst the cameos.

Sak: Japan’s late LDP- object lessons for UMNO- 1

2009-09-04T12:08:00.002+08:00

I am very thankful to be given some material on Japan's LDP defeat, by a well respected UMNO veteran. He views with great concern at political developments in this region and their possible ramifications on our own political landscape. I am adding just a little bit in this area. This essay is a first installment of a fuller version.

The LDP which ruled Japan for 54 years is broken. It just lost massively in the recently concluded Japanese elections. LDP's politics is founded on 3 pillars:-

A party that claims a natural right to rule since the end of WW2.
A dominant bureaucracy
Cooperation turned into Collusion with big business interests.

Japan's LDP's exit is similar to the fate of ruling parties in France, Italy and India. Japan's election on Sunday marked the end of an era that started not long after World War Two and saw Japan rise from the ashes of defeat to a global economic power. Japan's rise to economic prominence is therefore closely associated with the LDP. Given such association, almost any Japanese LDP politician can't be faulted if he claims that LDP is Japan's destiny. To us in Malaysia, LDP's eminence and its position as bedrock of Japan's destiny finds an almost surreal parallel to UMNO's role and possibly future fate. What is disturbing is that those people around PM Najib are continuing on a business as usual mode. Yet, up to a time, there's not much anyone can do or object, to any UMNO politicians' claim that UMNO is Malaysia's destiny. No one has therefore pressed the panic button.

Let me put it in street talk- hey yo! UMNO can suffer the same fate. It seems to me UMNO is led more by people who are street-smart at a time when such specialty is no longer suited to a changing battle ground. The battle ground has shifted to the winning of the mind. If PM Najib thinks he doesn't need upstairs-smart UMNO generals, he is clearly mistaken.

Just compare the election war machinery of the PKR. They are managed by intelligent generals compensating perhaps Anwar's overrated intellectualism. In all the by elections thus far (excluding that in Sarawak) we, UMNO have lost. Their election machinery with a retinue of sympathetic and supportive alternative media luminaries will be there ahead, exploiting every issue available using the almost ubiquitous electronic apparatuses. During the Kuala Terengganu by election for example, not less than 5 SMS messages were sent to ALL the Malay teachers in KT accusing UMNO of abandoning the cause of Bahasa Melayu. UMNO is always short in terms of issues. In the recent Permatang Pasir, UMNO was caught with its pants down revealing not a horse's filly but a baby carrot. Thus UMNO was preoccupied with defending a felled candidate who can't be defended. The by election made UMNO looked very silly. UMNO people achieve full KPI marks in terms of hurling personal abuses, vile languages, ill mannered characterization and name callings.

The PKR election machine is superior to UMNO in many ways. One, they are directed by respectably intelligent people. Zulkefli Ahmad the MP of Kuala Selangor is worth watching and studied. UMNO on the other hand thinks it can survive with just the hail fellow well met characters to win elections. It can be very off-putting and even revolting to have FLCE (failed LCE) people come before you and put forth arguments or trying to lecture you on the future of Malaysia. The UMNO leadership cannot afford to be filled up with below average material. PM Najib must abandon the ill-advised notion that UMNO needs the Syed Razak( former Kedah MB known for his hail fellow well met personality) personages in order to convince a thinking public.

The myopic UMNO people have NOT sighted the panic button. In terms of grey matter just compare UMNO's secgen to PKR's son of Hashim Gera, PAS's secgen, DAP's secgen. I mean no disrespect to him, but his kind is less relevant today. The UMNO information chief is a laughing stock even among UMNO members. UMNO people are just fed up about his self congratulatory recollections of how he came appointed as information chief and deputy minister. PM Najib must abandon this addiction with sub standard generals if UMNO were to stay relevant. The other side can offer better products. National politics is not a carbon copy of Pekan politics. Here, the UMNO division can still afford to have a former time taker be its secgen and office boy is permanent chairman. At national level, if the same standard is replicated, UMNO is marking time.

If UMNO is Malaysia's LDP then, DPJ is PKR led PR. It was formed some 10 years ago which is also similar to PKR. Indeed, the PKR people can even claim that relative to DPJ, PKR is more substantial that DPJ. In Malaysia DPJ- the party that humbled and devastated Koizumi's LDP is almost unknown. Its leader is no Anwar Ibrahim- our own political maverick whose overdriving political ambitions are matched by an equally overarching grab for world attention. Anwar Ibrahim seeks and needs world attention and is in turn sought out by the world which is always on the side of the perceived and victimized underdog. You see, the crafty bugger will continue to be relevant and be always in people's mind if he continues to milk the idea of being an underdog and victimized. Stupid UMNO goons are playing his game.

The usual tricks of demonizing Anwar and vilification of the man for questionable but yet unproven sexual deviances are so very passé. The people are so fed up with the nauseating pornographic debauchery dished out by UMNO apparatchiks and functionaries. The 24/7 caustic and insanely abusive language poured out by overtime working UMNO's propaganda storm troopers with the usual artillery of the vilest of language and outlandish salacious tales are alienating the people further from UMNO.

Back to Japan. Now the LDP tastes the same bitter fruit as paramount parties in other countries whose voters decided a few decades in power for one party were enough. There is not even a rat's ass of a chance the BJP can fulfill its outlandish welfare-ish ideas. How will they finance such utopian ideas? The Japanese public knows this, but the prevailing sentiment now is anything-but LDP. The same sentiment is building up in Malaysia. The sentiment is anything but UMNO.

The circumstances in each country were different, but the democratic impulse was similar and the result much the same. In 1981 Francois Mitterrand became the first leftist president of France since the Fifth Republic was created in 1957. France then trembled as this imperious socialist did the impossible by sharing power with his Gaullist rivals.

The Indian National Congress spearheaded that nation's independence movement and then became the dominant political party led by the Nehru-Gandhi family. Eventually corruption allegations caught up with Congress and it had to yield power first to Hindu nationalists, then to a coalition of upstart leftists and regional parties. The world watched sullenly at the sight of chastened ex-Congress leader P.V. Narasimha Rao standing in the dock in a Delhi court accused of corruption charges, for which he was later acquitted.

Capitalizing on Cold War tensions, Italy's Christian Democratic Partywas that country's ruling party for almost 50 years until corruption allegations felled it, too, in the early 1990s.

Now Japan's voters have dealt a staggering blow to the LDP, an amalgam of factions which except for a few months has held power for more than half a century. The ruling party loss ended a three-way partnership between the LDP, big business and bureaucrats that turned Japan into an economic powerhouse after the country's defeat in World War Two. That strategy foundered when Japan's "bubble" economy burst in the late 1980s and growth has stagnated since.

Our government has recently revised our economic contraction rate from a bigger minus value to a lower minus vale. Hello- it's still a negative growth and nothing to be jumping up and down about. Just study the implications of the emboldened section of the above paragraph.

Source: Sak Mongkol

Tanjung Dawai

2009-09-04T12:01:00.003+08:00

Tanjung Dawai @ Sungai Petani is one of Kedah’s most treasured and best-kept secrets, though unintentionally. It offers the best and the freshest seafood you can ever find at unbelievably cheap prices, attributable to its rural location and abundance of seafood supply from the fishermen's village.

I was there three years back with the whole troop comprising my wife, my son, our Kak Nah and my sis in law, and we all had the best seafood dinner accompanied by a clearly and romantically nostalgic sunset view at one of the many seafood restaurants along the beach of Tanjung Dawai.

With RM60, we had the table fully and unimaginably conquered by prawns, oysters, scallops, crabs, fishes, vegetables, drinks and plates of rice, and with all the foods served, we got ourselves busily engaged devouring them (with exaggeration). Well, we should be pardoned, for we were bloodily starved and the aromas of the fervently waited meals were very tempting.

The whole atmosphere was very serene and calm - the soft winds whispered into our ears with songs of the waves gently stroking the shore, as the sun quietly and slowly sank into the waters for a day gone by; it was heavenly and wonderfully unforgettable ... until now.

The Strong and The Weak

2009-09-04T11:56:00.003+08:00

Question:

What did Walmart-Stores, Exxon Mobil, General Motors, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, General Electrics, Ford Motor, Citigroup, Bank of America Corp and American International Group, the top 10 companies in the 2007 US Fortune 500 have in common?

Answer:

Based on the 2006 International Monetary Fund’s World GDP Ranking:

(i) With revenues totalling USD1.98 trillion, the top ten corporations were stronger than the combined GDPs of two of the largest countries in the world namely Brazil and Russia or even a consortium of three strong emerging economies like India, Mexico and South Africa.

(ii) Close to home comparison, the giants’ total revenue was 13.15 times richer than Malaysian’s GDP. On individual basis, each of the top seven companies’ revenue (Walmart-Stores, Exxon Mobil, General Motors, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, General Electrics and Ford Motor) was higher than our country’s GDP. In fact the no 8th, (Citigroup), was just USD4 billion short of passing the threshold.

(iii) Assuming that these companies could ‘buy’ any countries, priced on the values of their GDPs, then a superpower company like Walmart-Stores could straightforwardly get hold of 81 countries, including Samoa, Solomon Island, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Mauritius, Madagascar, Namibia and Papua New Guinea, and still have USD2.07 billion left to spend

That is how powerful these corporations have become and how weedy the poor countries are now.

Ulang Tahun ke-60 Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia

2009-08-26T15:03:00.003+08:00

Bersempena dengan genapnya enam puluh tahun penubuhan Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia yang jatuh pada hari ini, saya dan seluruh kepimpinan Pemuda UMNO peringkat nasional dan negeri mengucapkan salam perjuangan dan selamat menyambut ulang tahun pergerakan kita yang ke enam puluh.

Bertitik tolak daripada penubuhan rasminya pada 26 Ogos 1949, dengan persidangan wakil-wakil UMNO dari seluruh bahagian beserta wakil-wakil pemuda bagi membincangkan hala tuju dan masa depan peranan pemuda, organisasi dan institusi kita telah mengharungi helaian sejarah dari era pra kemerdekaan hingga ke pasca kemerdekaaan - bukan sebagai pemerhati zaman namun sebagai pencetus sejarah dan makna dengan pelbagai peranannya yang, antara lain, sebagai pendesak dan penuntut kemerdekaan, pembela pembentukan Malaysia, pendesak bagi pembangunan generasi muda, wira dan hulubang pembela bangsa dan tanahair serta pengangkat martabat ilmu dan pengisi jati diri bangsa. Namun apa yang pasti, dalam tempoh enam puluh tahun itu – manhaj dan pendekatan Pemuda UMNO tidak pernah luntur dan longlai sebagai pembela dan pemangkin masa depan anak muda bangsa dan tanahair.

Enam puluh tahun yang diukir dan berlalu bukan bermakna bahawa Pemuda UMNO sudah diragut usia dan luntur kekuatannya. Enam puluh tahun juga bukan bererti Pemuda UMNO sudah kecut semangat dan lusuh jati diri perjuangannya. Enam puluh tahun ini sebenarnya telah mematang, menguat dan mempersiapkan kita merentasi halangan zaman serta tuntutan generasi yang semakin mencabar mutakhir ini.

Jesteru, lanjutan daripada aset perjuangan Pemuda UMNO yang telah dibina oleh kepimpinan terdahulu dan peranannya sebagai pemimpin dan pembela generasi muda tanahair dalam konteks politik tanahair, saya telah menggaris dan menetapkan misi dan lima rukun perjuangan kita, yang mana misi kita adalah bagi memenangi sokongan generasi muda Melayu, Cina, India dan dari kelompok etnik yang lain kepada Barisan Nasional dan digabung dengan lima rukun yang menjadi paksinya iaitu Bersatu, Berprinsip, Inklusif, Relevan, dan Proaktif.

Di atas kesempatan ini, saya juga ingin menzahirkan rasa syukur dan bangga dengan lafaz tahniah dan terima kasih di atas kesungguhan dan pengorbanan seluruh jemaah warga Pemuda UMNO yang telah menjadi nadi dan wira bangsa serta rakyat seluruhnya dari dahulu hingga sekarang.

Disamping itu, bertetapan dengan bulan Ramadhan Al Mubarak ini, saya juga mengucapkan selamat mengerjakan ibadah puasa dan berbuka kepada seluruh wirawan Pemuda UMNO, walau di mana anda berada.

Source: Rembau Dot Net

Chocolate by Yasmin Ahmad

2009-08-21T14:32:00.001+08:00

Synopsis

A quiet tale that reminds us that, despite the multifaceted contradiction of Malaysia, life goes on – even if not all of it is sweet.

Gandhi

2009-08-20T14:00:00.000+08:00

Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi : "The things that will destroy us are: politics without principle; pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character; business without morality; science without humanity; and worship without sacrifice"

Anugerah Skrin for Khairy?

2009-08-19T15:30:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 — It is not every day you hear the name Khairy Jamaluddin being mentioned followed by rounds of applause.

Then again, today’s event was no ordinary event. It may even have been historic to a certain degree, but one thing's for sure... it was certainly unique.

15Malaysia, a joint effort between 15 independent film-makers and Packet One Networks (P1), a wireless broadband company, had its official launch here today.

Teo (left), Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and Lai (right) at the launch of 15Malaysia. — Picture by Choo Choy MayAmong the familiar faces present were actor Harith Iskandar, director Amir Muhammad, as well as Batu MP Tian Chua, who is the lead in one of the 15 films. ("One Future" by director Tan Chui Mui.)

“The films use us as material and try to put forward issues to the public,” said the PKR parliamentarian.

15Malaysia’s producer Pete Teo told the media that the films in the project deal not only with the issue of race relations but also various social and political issues faced by Malaysians today.
However, the question of whether these films will drastically alter people’s perceptions of issues is still uncertain.

“I dare not go so far as to say that things will change after watching these movies. The issue of racial conflict and tension requires more effort and time; the most this project does is to create a space for individuals to voice out their concerns and opinions,” quipped Chua.
The one condition the project required was that total "creative freedom" be given to the artistes and the directors, said Michael Lai, CEO of P1.

"15Malaysia is aimed at bridging gaps between the arts and broadband service," he said.

Tian Chua stars in one one of the 15Malaysia short films.According to Teo, most of the films have already been picked to compete in international film festivals.

So how did Umno Youth chief Khairy fit into the picture? Although he was not present at the event, his portrayal of a lamenting taxi driver in "Interview With The Taxi Driver" by Benji Lim and Bahir Yeusuff has earned him lots of praise and applause.

A few people who attended the launch went so far as to say that if politics does not work out for Khairy, acting is definitely something he can fall back on. Indeed.

Starting today, three films will be released each week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday over five weeks — so go to 15malaysia.com to watch the films.

Source: Malaysian Insider

Smash Me!

2009-08-19T14:45:00.000+08:00

Make a game | My Smash! | Free games | Pictogame

Kick His Ass

2009-08-19T13:22:00.000+08:00

Make a game | Share | Free games | Pictogame

An astonishing rebound

2009-08-19T12:46:00.002+08:00

IT NEVER pays to underestimate the bounciness of Asia’s emerging economies. After the region’s financial crisis of 1997-98, and again after the dotcom bust in 2001, outsiders predicted a lengthy period on the floor—only for the tigers to spring back rapidly. Earlier this year it was argued that such export-dependent economies could not revive until customers in the rich world did. The West still looks weak, with many economies contracting in the second quarter, and even if America begins to grow in the second half of this year, consumer spending looks sickly. Yet Asian economies, increasingly decoupled from Western shopping habits, are growing fast.

The four emerging Asian economies which have reported GDP figures for the second quarter (China, Indonesia, South Korea and Singapore) grew by an average annualised rate of more than 10%. Even richer and more sluggish Japan, which cannot match that figure, seems to be recovering faster than its Western peers. But emerging Asia should grow by more than 5% this year—at a time when the old G7 could contract by 3.5%. Western politicians should brace themselves for more talk of economic power drifting inexorably to the East. How has Asia made such an astonishing rebound?

Out of smoke and mirrors, say some Western sceptics. They claim China’s bounceback is yet another fake. The country’s numbers are certainly dodgy: the components of GDP do not add up, and the data are always published suspiciously early. China’s economy probably slowed more sharply in late 2008 than the official numbers suggest. But other indicators, which are less likely to be massaged, confirm that China’s economy is roaring back. Industrial production rose 11% in the year to July; electricity output, which fell sharply last year, is growing again; and car sales are 70% higher than a year ago.

And surely the whole of Asia cannot be engaged in a statistical fraud. South Korea’s GDP grew by an annualised 10% in the second quarter. Taiwan’s probably increased by even more: its industrial output jumped by an astonishing annualised rate of 89%. India was hit less hard by the global recession than many of its neighbours because it exports less, but its industrial production has also perked up, rising by a seasonally adjusted rate of 14% in the second quarter. Output in most of the smaller Asian economies is still lower than a year ago, because they suffered steep downturns late last year. But at economic turning points, one should track quarterly changes.

Thrift in the boom, stimulus in the slump

Asia’s rebound has several causes. First, manufacturing accounts for a big part of several local economies, and industries such as cars and electronics are highly cyclical: output drops sharply in a downturn and then spurts in the upturn. Second, the region’s decline in exports in late 2008 was exacerbated by the freezing up of global trade finance, which is now flowing again. Third, and most important, domestic spending has bounced back because the fiscal stimulus in the region was bigger and worked faster than in the West. India aside, the Asians entered this downturn with far healthier government finances than rich countries, allowing them to spend more money. Low private-sector debt made households and firms more likely to spend government handouts; Asian banks were also in better shape than their Western counterparts and able to lend more. Asia’s prudence during the past decade did not allow it to escape the global recession, but it made the region’s fiscal and monetary weapons more effective.

Western populists will no doubt once again try to blame their own sluggish performance on “unfair” Asia. Ignore them. Emerging Asia’s average growth rate of almost 8% over the past two decades—three times the rate in the rich world—has brought huge benefits to the rest of the world. Its rebound now is all the more useful when growth in the West is likely to be slow. Asia cannot replace the American consumer: emerging Asia’s total consumption amounts to only two-fifths of America’s. But it is the growth in spending that really matters. In dollar terms, the increase in emerging Asia’s consumer-spending this year will more than offset the drop in spending in America and the euro area. This shift in spending from the West to the East will help rebalance the world economy.

Beijing, Bangkok and Bangalore: beware boastfulness

It is easy to boost an economy with lots of government spending. But Asian policymakers now face two difficult problems. Their immediate dilemma is how to sustain recovery without inflating credit and asset-price bubbles. Local equity and property markets are starting to froth. But policymakers’ reluctance to let their currencies rise faster against the dollar means that their monetary policy is, in effect, being set by America’s Federal Reserve, and is therefore too lax for these perkier economies. The longer-term challenge is that once the impact of governments’ fiscal stimulus fades, growth will slow unless economic reforms are put in place to bolster private spending—something Japan, alas, never did.

Part of the solution to both problems—preventing bubbles and strengthening domestic spending—is to allow exchange rates to rise. If Asian central banks stopped piling up reserves to hold down their currencies, this would help stem domestic liquidity. Stronger currencies would also shift growth from exports to domestic demand and increase households’ real spending power—and help ward off protectionists in the West.

Hubris is the big worry. With the gap in growth rates between emerging Asia and the developed world heading towards a record nine percentage points this year, Chinese leaders have taken to warning America about its lax monetary policy (while Washington has stopped lecturing China about the undervalued yuan). But it would be a big mistake if Asia’s recovery led its politicians to conclude that there was no need to change their exchange-rate policies or adopt structural reforms to boost consumption. The tigers’ faster-than-expected rebound from their 1997-98 financial crisis encouraged complacency and delayed necessary reforms, which left them more vulnerable to the global downturns in 2001 and now. Make sure this new rise is not followed by another fall.

Source: The Economist

Lim Guan Eng's Muddled Logic

2009-08-12T19:24:00.000+08:00

On Sunday, August 8, I called on PAS to withdraw from the state Pakatan Rakyat if it wins the Permatang Pasir by-election and the DAP-led Penang government still refuses to appoint its assemblyperson to the state Exco.

Yesterday, Chief Minister YAB Lim Guan Eng, perhaps fatigued from the Kg Buah Pala fiasco that has exposed his shortcomings as a leader for all Penangites, utilised bewildering logic when he retorted by asking me to resign from all party posts since I was not appointed to the Cabinet despite my election as leader of Umno Youth.

As Chief Minister, I am certain YAB Lim is aware that there is a stark difference between a party as an institution – what PAS is – and one individual who leads a party’s wing – yours truly.

And in any case, Umno Youth, the institution, is represented in the Cabinet – my Deputy YB Dato’ Razali Ibrahim is Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports. It is an honour for Umno Youth to have a place in the Federal Government. PAS, on the other hand, is completely unrepresented at the state government level.

I suspect the Chief Minister sacrificed plain truth in order to taunt me and in his eagerness to deliver that elusive sucker punch which landed miles wide, YAB Lim may have tripped over himself.

In comparing PAS’s absence from the Penang Exco with that of the leader of Umno Youth from the Cabinet, he has not merely insulted PAS and the people’s intelligence to distinguish one from the other, but also sent out an implicit message to PAS that he does not intend to change the status quo.

The Penang State government will remain a DAP-PKR affair, and not a genuine Pakatan Rakyat partnership.

My initial challenge to PAS remains and is not affected by the DAP’s Secretary-General sticking his beak in with an incongruent comparison and incoherent logic. If PAS is indeed happy to be left out of the government, let its own leaders say so.

Source: Rembau Dot Net

Why Piggy?

2009-08-11T11:39:00.006+08:00

Piggy is a blogger who dislikes my idol, Khairy. We interacted and engaged on a number of subjects, especially during the KP UMNO campaign period.

Piggy’s resuscitated rampant attacks against Khairy emerged as a suspect to me, especially when Khairy is gaining support for his progressive and middle ground politics of empathy, that entails the vision of moving forward.

He magnanimously allocated 83 percent of his August blog piece (at time of writing) to denounce and revile Khairy.

And talking of vision moving forward, it’s abysmally malodorous that Piggy had to flip through pages of history for ancient personal ammunitions (of photos and newspaper cuttings) against Khairy when the subject of the day is on issues and debates of the future.

Such a production can only deduce amplified degree of personal malevolence and disgust against rational judgment and reasons.

A smart bloke like Piggy should understand the cause-and-effect relationship between the virtual and real worlds. Therefore, as a person who aspires to be a good muslim in the real world, Piggy should be aware that what ever he is bad-mouthing about Khairy in the virtual world is vigorously observed and noted by Malaikat Atid in the real world, especially on stories he captured on its face value without details and discipline towards certainty.

Raksasa BN came out with an explanation to answer some of Piggy’s simple minded and broad brushing attacks, as highlighted by the following extracts:

“Piggy not only misrepresents facts, but also misleads the reader with fairy tales of Gelang Patah and Rantau Panjang when we all know KJ won the nomination in Rantau Panjang UMNO Youth Division by a show of hands. To be exact, the ones whom voted were asked to stand outside after the show of hands to get a visible count on. It baffles me that this unresearched findings were posted by Piggy in the comments box of his blog. Maybe you are trying to emulate Rocky or JMD, but i am afraid you do not have the capacity to reach their heights. Although your ambition clearly is to rid of KJ, I can only think that your work will just make you a laughing stock to what RPK has relegated himself today.”

And

“Another example of Piggy's lack of research is that he accused KJ of having a hidden agenda with Anwar. Well as far as i remember, KJ was the one who said in the Permatang Pauh '...saya akan kuburkan pengkhianat bangsa dan negara Anwar Ibrahim di tempatnya sendiri...' and after combing through the world wide web, KJ was also being sued by Anwar for RM100 million for calling Anwar a Jew puppet (Malaysiakini report Feb 20th 2007) and batting for the other team (Gay). So like DPM, Nallakaruppan, Chandra Muzaafar... KJ joins the list of potential 'defamation' cases of the century.”

The other point is the problem of face value association stemmed from a photo of Khairy and Shahrin that was abused by many, including Piggy. First of all, that photo was snapped at random and Shahrin is known as a guy whose self-profiling tactics includes taking photos with people or leaders. He is a young leader of Kota Baru UMNO Division, led by an established local politician holding essential supportive position to the number One. So, siapalah Khairy in this context and why the double standard?

And why succumbing to simple minded appraisal or generalisation to chastise Khairy without facts and evidences, for all the wrong things as if Khairy was or is the answer to everything?

Lastly, why the attacks on family members, Piggy? Why are you positioning yourself in the same category of Husin Lempoyang, whose attack on Khairy’s son was utterly gross, horrid and disgusting? In response to his post, I wrote: “Pada hemat Hang Tegar, walau bagaimana bencinya seseorang pada seseorang yang lain – janganlah sampai ke makam yang begitu hina hatta menyentuh dan mempersenda anak orang, walaupun sekadar cerita rekaan. Apatah lagi seperti Husin Lempoyang yang mempersenda bahagian sulit anak orang. Itulah makam yang hina sehina-hinanya.”

Piggy, you are better and can be better than this and to you I say two words: Husnol Dzon.

Bell's Telephone - For The Love of His Mabel

2009-08-08T12:01:00.003+08:00

The Love

Innovators are rarely motivated merely by the thought of their final product. Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone transformed the world. Yet in the Boston, Massachusetts of the 1870s, he was just a young Scottish immigrant, whose mother had been deaf, and who now worked as a tutor of the deaf, keen to help them succeed in life.

His favourite student was older than the rest, already close to 20. This was Mabel Hubbard. He’d regularly taught his students to touch their own throats lightly, and then his, to feel different sounds being produced. With Mabel that formal contact was different. Each of them - though embarrassed to say anything – later described in letters what they had felt. He had complimented her on her voice (“Nobody had told me that before,” she wrote overwhelmed), and as the weeks went by they communicated more and more – racing happily through the snow to and from the carriage bringing her to his classes.

But she was wealthy and he was not. He was one of the immigrants who had arrived on one of the new-style steam ships. Her family, by contrast, owned a good deal of downtown Boston, and her father seems to have made an even greater fortune through judicious investments during and after the civil war. When Bell had gone to their summer home on Nantucket to declare his hand, her mother had not let him in. Her daughter was uninterested in his affections, she insisted, and the family would appreciate it if he accepted their wishes and stayed away.

In time he discovered that the mother had been lying. Young Mabel was desperate to spend more time with this kind man, who treated her so gently. But how could he convince the family to let him try again?

That was when he resolved to come up with a great invention. It would make him rich and famous, and, most importantly, allow him to get through the front doors of the Hubbard family’s grand Nantucket home, finally giving him the chance to court young Mabel. For a young male on his own in a new country, that’s one of the most powerful motivations there can be.

The Invention

For Bell, it was clear what the hot new thing of the mid 1870s was. Telegraphs had been around for decades, transforming the world – in the words of the estimable Tom Standage – acting like a Victorian internet. With telegraphs, centralised headquarters could run hugely be synchronised across time zones; grain could be traded across oceans.

But building telegraphs lines was expensive, which is where the hot new thing came in. what if someone could find a way to improve the telegraph, so that several distinct signals could be jammed down a single line at once? Instantly the world’s communication infrastructure would be doubled, or perhaps even tripled? In all the years until Bell fell in love with Mabel, that largely had remained just a dream.

That is what Bell resolved to solve.

The Success

In 1876, at the age of 29, Alexander Graham Bell invented his telephone, and in 1877, he formed the Bell Telephone Company being the same year he married Mabel Hubbard and embarked on a yearlong honeymoon in Europe.

References:

Bodanis D., Sparks Flew, FT Magazine, 27 May 2007

Bellis M., Alexander Graham Bell –Biography, About.com

Unknown, Alexander Graham Bell, Garden of Praise.com

MI: Khairy to PAS youth - Come join us to defend Islam

2009-08-08T11:51:00.001+08:00

MARANG, Aug 7 — The Umno Youth movement today invited its PAS counterpart to be together with the movement in a ceramah to be held in Shah Alam on Aug 14 to lash out at certain parties that had been insulting Islam.

Umno Youth head Khairy Jamaluddin said the movement wanted to see to what extent PAS Youth would go to criticise its coalition partner, the DAP, which was becoming more bold in insulting Islam lately.

“Umno Youth will organise a ‘ceramah perdana’ in Shah Alam, Selangor next Friday to counter the (DAP) insults against Islam and I am inviting PAS Youth to be with us on the Umno Youth stage that night.

“This is has nothing to do with ‘muzakarah’, it has nothing to do with any discussion or ‘wacana’, it has nothing to do with any unity government, that is later...I don’t care if PAS wants to go against Umno in Permatang Pasir.

“We still have differing approaches, we are still not united, but on this issue (religion), the Muslims are offended at their (DAP leaders’) attitude and this needs a joint effort,” he said.

Khairy, when approached by reporters after the opening of the Marang Umno Youth division meeting, here today, said he had personally contacted PAS Youth chief Nasaruddin Hasan Tantawi on the matter.

Khairy said he had been informed that the matter would be discussed and decided at a meeting of the national PAS Youth movement to be held tomorrow or the day after. — Bernama

Source: Malaysian Insider

If Today Was Your Last Day

2009-08-08T10:42:00.005+08:00

My best friend gave me

The best advice

He said each day's a gift

And not a given right

Leave no stone unturned

Leave your fears behind

And try to take

The path less traveled by

That first step you take

Is the longest stride

If today was your last day

And tomorrow was too late

Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you live each moment like your last?

Leave old pictures in the past

Donate every dime you have?

If today was your last day

If today was your last day

Against the grain

Should be a way of life

What's worth the prize

Is always worth the fight

Every second counts 'cause there's no second try,

So live like you'll Never live it twice

Don't take the free ride

In your own life

If today was your last day

And tomorrow was too late

Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?

Leave old pictures in the past

Donate every dime you have

Would you call old friends you never see?

Reminisce of memories

Would you forgive your enemies?

Would you find that one you're dreamin' of

Swear up and down to God above

That you finally fall in love

If today was your last day

If today was your last day...
Would you make your mark
By mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late
To shoot for the stars,
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes'cause you can't rewind
A moment in this life
Let nothin' stand in your way'cause the hands of time
Are never on your side

If today was your last day

And tomorrow was too late,

Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you live each moment like your last?

Leave old pictures in the past

Donate every dime you have?

Would you call old friends you never see?

Reminisce of memories

Would you forgive your enemies?

Would you find that one you're dreamin' of

Swear up and down to God above

That you finally fall in love

If today was your last day

Big Family

2009-08-08T10:10:00.004+08:00

Few nights back, I joined my wife and my four-year old boy to watch our favourite TV programme, Bersamamu, on TV3. The show is dedicated to highlight the plight and quandary of poor families in Malaysia, and the noble works of munificent individuals and bodies in helping the poor, provides an excellent opportunity for someof us to understand and appreciate the life of those, whom are immobilised and deprived from full participation in the competitive and atrocious race of capitalism.

On personal account, Bersamamu has been an effective and perfect tool for me to remind my son not to waste his food during meal time, as there are folkswho had to ration theirs, let alone having few choices on the table. The show was about a family of nine children. The father performed all kind of jobs to make ends meet that includes rubber tapping, TV repairing and gardening. His wife was a full time homemaker and the family needs were hardly sustained by their average gross income of just around RM500 per month; that eventually impelled them to let go three of their members to adopted families.

Emotionally: it was a sad episode and my son nearly cried when I explained to him some of the children had left their parents and stayed with strangers. But, objectively and structurally, there are patterns, characteristics and distinguishing identities shared by that family and other families featured on Bersamamu, and one of that is a positive correlation between family size and poverty level.

But how true is that?

The answer to this obvious question is perhaps anobvious yes, as one can always apply the law of averaging. For example, for a family of three with an income of RM500 would result in income per capita of RM167, while an enlargement of that family to seven; will condense that average income from RM167 to RM71 or 57% reduction.

Another easiest and most obvious fashion to demonstrate the relationship between poverty and family size is to show the extent of poverty incidence by size of family.

On this depiction, Asian Development Bank Institute carried out a survey on the incidence of poverty by family size from 1985 to 2000 in Philippines, using the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) and official poverty lines, and found a clear, constant and positive correlation between poverty level and family size. For instance, in 1985 the poverty incidence for a three-member household is 26.6 while it is 59.9 for a 9 or more-member household. Hardly surprising, fifteen years later in 2000, the incidence of poverty for athree-member household is 18.6, while the corresponding incidence for a 9 or more-member household is 57.3. This relationship has not changed over that 15 years, the study observed.

The study also found that the picture is virtually duplicated when one looks at both poverty gap and severity by family size as the average proportionate distance between the poverty line and the average income of the poor (the poverty gap) doubles as one moves from a four-member household to a 9 or more-member household. All of these indicators, thus show that no matter what poverty measure one uses, there is clear indication that poverty worsens as one moves from smaller to bigger family size households.

Then, why do poor people have big family size?

A poor family is more likely to have bigger size family size simply because of its poverty. The poor have no savings and no cushy, pensionable positions so they need children as an insurance against old age for more than the rich. If they own land, they can less easily afford to hire workmen at harvest time, or to mechanise, so they must rely more on the muscle power of their sons. If they are landless, they need the extra income that working children and youths can bring.

The poor lack education, and, by implication, become ignorant about effective method of birth control. In most southern Asia, Africa and the Middle East, birth rates have not come down for a reason: people actually want large families, and believe it is in their interest to have them. Too often, it is assumed that people out of each of clinics, condoms and pills are like rabbits, helplessly generating uncontrollable number of offspring.

They are not.

Every culture has some method of family planning,whether it is abortion, infanticide, prolonged breast-feeding or the universally known method of coitus interruptus and abstention. These were the means by which European countries dragged their birth rates down long before the advent of the pills.

The fact that they are not widely practiced points to one conclusion: these people are planning their families and they are planning for large ones.

On top of the above, some people choose to marry early and this contributes to population growth. Social researchers also agreed that one of the factors include low education level among the females.

The Chinese have a proverb on this: "One son is no son, two sons are an undependable son, and only threesons can be counted as a real son".

In conclusion, family size contributes to poverty level and propensity to poverty. What is needed is policy approach and comprehensive action plans to address this correlation, encompassing family planning education, supporting infrastructures, target group approach, female educational enhancement, support from religious bodies, policies to disincentive oversized family (as being practised by the Government and some companies on limitations for taxation allowance and medical benefit claims), among others.

The abandoned Ooi

2009-08-07T13:02:00.003+08:00

Jeff Ooi’s obtuse and scornful remark of labelling JIM as an extremist organisation was opposed and shot down not only by PKR and PAS, but also by his own party leaders, including the two Lims and Penang DAP Youth head.

For a blogger who was touted as the most powerful blogger by Malaysiakini, and the one who went around – boasting and bragging his so-called eminence in converting new media appeal to actual election votes, such a despise must have hurt him to his bone.

If you read his blog, you will notice that Jeff is a guy whose knowledge and argument are pretty much endowed by Wikipedia and I am “bewildered” that he got it so damn wrong on this issue. I suspect that he committed a fatal error of reading Razali’s JIM, Jemaah Islah Malaysia as the other JIM, Jemaah Islam Malaysia or a gross error of not checking what Jemaah Islah Malaysia really is – all these illustrate that a greenhorn politician like him should appreciate the limits of what Wikipedia can provide.

On another shot, there is an English saying that says: you can’t hide your true colours as you approach the autumn of your life. And in the case of Jeff, he can’t hide his prejudices against Islam and other races as he devours politics and power.

Democracy v Capitalism

2009-08-07T10:47:00.000+08:00

If you plot a scatter diagram with democracy representing the X-axis and capitalism as for the other – you will have countries like US and UK positioned somewhere on the top right corner and some developing countries that have low economic creation with political conflict, civil wars and less developed democratic institutions such as those in the South African parts at the lower left end corner. In between you will have scattered dots of countries and few extremes that reside beyond the majority population.

All in all, you will, roughly, find a straight 45 degree line that denotes a positive relationship between democracy and capitalism. The higher the level of democracy – the more prosperous the countries are. That is something that you can interpret and reckon from that relationship. However, what is more important is to understand whether the relationship is independent or dependent with each other? In other words, whether democracy causes and pushes capitalism or vice versa or you can not have good capitalism without democracy or vice versa.

Is it a chicken and egg question or something that is more than just that? I opt for the latter and would argue that it is a question of correlation and causation. The fact that democracy and capitalism are correlated to one another does not mean that they both act as the opposite-causation agent for that correlation ( i.e. capitalism causes democracy and vice versa). I would like to argue that it is all based on the motivation or the key drivers for each part. Capitalism is motivated by wealth creation and for wealth creation to take place you need some degree of economic liberalisation in the forms of capital ownership, resource mobilisation etcetera etcetera.

The same goes to democracy in which the main motive of democracy is freedom. And for freedom to exist, you need political liberalisation in the form of freedom to choose and freedom to vote etcetera etcetera.What we can conclude is that both democracy and capitalism share a common trait or denominator in the form of liberalisation.

Because capitalism needs economic liberalisation to prosper and because democracy requires political liberalisation for it to develop, you will find, as a result, an underlying positive relationship between capitalism and democracy due to commonly shared denominator of liberalisation – be it economics liberalisation or political liberalisation.

Mathematically, we can illustrate them as follows (having said that, to those who are good in maths – please correct me on any mistake):

Where, C = capitalism, D = Democracy, EL =Economic Liberalisation and PL = Political LiberalisationLet say that capitalism is a function of economic liberalisation and henceC= f(EL)

(1)Let say that democracy is a function of political liberalisation and hence D = f(PL)

(2)From the scatter diagram, we can observe a positive relationship between capitalism and democracy and henceC = D

(3)By combining and exchanging equations (1) and (2) into (3), we will getC = Df(EL) = f(PL)

By doing simple elimination, we will getEL = PLE = P (4)The final equation says that economics is equal to politics and vice versa. It would be ethically wrong to argue that economics is an equivalent unit of politics, vice versa and hence the interpretation of this equation is more important than its face value.

I think we should not take it as a mere equation or identity (if you like), I think we should take the lateral meanings and relationship – in other words the dependency value.

We know that: 1 = 1 (right), 1 = 3 (wrong), 1 = 5 – 4 (right), 3 – 2 = 1 (right) i.e. the value of the left side is dependent on the correct existence of the value of the other side.

From the above, we can say the value of economics is mutually interdependent upon the value of politics, vice versa. IT IS NOT THAT ECONOMICS IS EQUAL TO OR THE IDENTITY OF POLITICS, vice versa, it is the values of them that are mutually interdependent.

Rent Seeking Is Good

2009-08-07T10:30:00.003+08:00

Those who read the title might scream of how oxymoronic it sounds.

Well, let me say that the term rent seeking has been massively applied in public policy debates and welfare economic literatures to illustrate, in essence: inefficient, unfair and unproductive economic parasitism behaviours or activities leading towards waste and disequilibrium resource allocations. In short and in practice, it is normally associated with corruptions, crony or oligarchic capitalism, lobbying and means of seeking and exploiting unfair advantage. This is understandable given the price of government failures to, effectively and efficiently, make resource allocations for the whole economy.

I am not going to dispute the aforesaid.

But, I wish to say that rent seeking is what all private enterprises should compete and strive to achieve. In fact I cannot figure out how CEOs would function without any rent-seeking brains. The term was introduced by Ann Krueger, based on the works of Gordon Tullock that addressed active creation of monopolies, with the aim of achieving supernormal profits or market control in competitive conditions; which means that the term actually originates from studies on market and firm structures and not on public policy and welfare economics.

Back to Tullock, supernormal profit is also known as economic profit or producer surplus, which corresponds to the difference between the floor price that is incentive-able for a producer to produce and the price paid by consumers. The target is therefore, for a profit maximisation company, to bring down the floor price level by cost minimisation strategies and increase the price level by making the demand to be more inelastic and expanding i.e. differentiation strategies, which in order words, ways to enlarge the gap. In the process, firms will try to bring down the transaction costs incurred by customers in getting to know and in findings the product and hence, the sales and marketing strategies as well as the distribution plans. Also, firms endlessly endeavour to ensure high level of quantity demanded in the market place in addition to ensuring enough, efficient and flexible production capacity to meet them. When CEOs say we want to capture more values, they are actually saying we want to have more shares of the producers’ surplus either as a result from present industry or location or from growth opportunities elsewhere.

The above is what business teachers and gurus such as Porter, Peters and Hamel will tell you.

All the Poter’s competitive strategies, competitive advantages, generic cost leadership and differentiation strategies as well as other people works on barriers to entry, first mover advantage etcetera etcetera reminisce on a common ground i.e. means to achieve and protect producers’ surplus. Other teachers like Kim and Mauborgne introduce new concept such as Blue Ocean strategies for ways to find new producers’ surplus opportunities.

In essence, it is all about producers’ surplus.

Now, assuming that you are a shareholder; you will certainly expect your CEO to create values and deliver double digit revenue and profit growth. In a way, you are in agreement that rent-seeking is what is expected in industrial capitalism. When I say this, I mean by way of competitive strategies, market scanning, superb branding, excellent customer service, human capital development etcetera etcetera as I am not here to advocate corruption and illegal activities, but to shed some light that rent-seeking is good in private enterprises.

It is also good for the whole economy as other profit maximisation firms will join in the industry as soon as huge producers’ surplus is detected, assuming fluid firms’ entry and exit. As a result, customers will benefit from firms’ rivalry, leading towards higher quality goods and services with affordable pricings.

Because of the crowding out, some firms might decide to walk out and search for a better and new producers’ surplus opportunities. Thus, the whole cycle will generate fluid, regenerative and dynamic economic activities.

In conclusion, rent-seeking is good, and is expected in industrial capitalism.

Goodhart's Law

2009-08-07T07:39:00.004+08:00

Kerajaan telah memperkenalkan sistem KRA dan KPI bagi meningkatkan kecemerlangan service delivery system dan penerapan performance achievement culture di kalangan penjawat awam. Parti UMNO juga bercadang untuk menggunapakai sistem yang sama bagi parti tersebut, ujar Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

I have no objections against the adoption and implementation of KRA and KPI systems by the government or UMNO and I sincerely support the moves. My only concern is on its implementation, especially on the trapping of performance targeting and problem solving – commonly known as Goodhart’s Law, yang di perkenalkan oleh Prof. Charles Goodhart.

In essence, Goodhart’s Law says that if you control an indicator to a particular problem, or target, then that indicator ceases to become a good indicator. The law has many applications in economics, politics, financial management as well as our social lives. Imagine a scenario of a group of students whom is asked to rate the performance of their teachers in class. Given its importance, some of the teachers might feel the pressure to bilk the system by offering incentives for certain students to rate them highly. As a result, the rating is now tempered or regulated by an incentive scheme that effectively ruins its accuracy and representation – and that’s when Goodhart’s Law start to operate, i.e. to control is to distort.

Job Design of Maids

2009-08-07T07:03:00.006+08:00

Two important dimensions of job design are the variety of tasks and scope of discretion and decision authority. Employers can observe the two dimensions in order to understand their maids' performance level.

The above figure illustrates four possible combinations (black dots).

Traditionally, many firms especially factories created jobs like Point 1, which involve few tasks and limited decision authority. Lately there has been a trend toward jobs like Point 4, which involve many tasks and broad decision authority. A prominent example of this would be the Chief Executive Officer or the Boss. However, it is easy to give examples of jobs like Point 2, which involve many tasks and limited decision authority – for instance certain clerical jobs. Similarly, it is also easy to point to examples for jobs like Point 3, which involve few tasks and broad authority – for instance, certain sales jobs.

As regards the job design of maids, as many would have pointed it out, the same is located at Point 2, which represent many tasks and few discretion and decision authority. The mismatch of the two could explain the inconsistencies of the maids’ performance.

The mismatch is a statement of observation and not a statement of problem as maids could not be granted massive discretion and decision authority very quickly without other considerations.

There are few ways that employers could do about this:

The first is to appreciate and understand the hurdles faced by the maids. An understanding is the precondition for a rationale and wise judgment.

The second is to break the tasks of the maid into smooth tasks and discretionary tasks. Smooth tasks are simple tasks that are routine in nature such as watering the plant, ironing the clothes and sweeping the floor. Discretionary tasks are tasks that require a bit of judgment such as cooking; imagine Maid A who has to cook a fish curry for Mr B who likes salty curry and Ms C who prefers healthy non salty cooking. The same also include a zero sum time-competitive tasks such as having to deliver demands of two persons at the same time, which one goes first?

By doing this, employers are then able to judge their maids fairly and wisely instead of a broad-brush generalisation. Underperformance in smooth tasks might infer tiredness, laziness, boredom or attitude issues. However underperformance in discretionary tasks might be due to lack of knowledge, fear of making mistakes or confusion.

The third is to slowly move the maid from Point 2 to Point 5, the red dot. However, the bridging of the gap is determined by trust which is a function of performance, consistency, time and personality. The maids are of course needed to show a consistent result of performance level over a period of time and time means periodic attempts and opportunities to learn and make mistakes. Personality is also key as no matter how good the person is, a bad personality does not normally yield trust.

The above dimension works within the clustered context of maids working environment. External issues such as family of financial problems of the maids, or the issues within the family of the employers, are also influential in determining their performance level.

Divorce v Wealth

2009-08-07T06:47:00.005+08:00

Divorce is defined by Wikipedia as the ending of marriage before the death of either spouse. Using data sourced from Divorcemag.com, World Bank, Malaysian divorce and population statistics, I tried to analyse the relationship between divorce rate and personal wealth and accordingly ranked a selected group of 33 countries based on the following spheres: [1] Divorce per 1,000 population, [2] Gross National Income per capita.

The findings depict two dominant clusters of countries. The first, as seen on the low left end side of the diagram, shows countries [that include Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Jamaica and El Salvador, among others] with low rankings of divorce rate and personal wealth level while the second, on the top right end of the diagram, represents countries [that include USA, UK, Denmark and Finland, among others] with high rankings of divorce rate and personal wealth level.The face value of the findings seems to suggest that the higher the income level, the higher the propensity to dissolute the marriage.

However, this is just a face value of the diagram and hence, one has to differentiate the contexts between correlation and causation as well as to appreciate exclusive reasons to divorce on country to country basis.Nevertheless, it is a good starting point to explore the subject further.Italy seems to epitomise an ideal coordinate, high income with low divorce... has it got anything to do with the myth of Italian romanticism?

Khairy on ISA

2009-08-06T10:39:00.003+08:00

Khairy Jamaluddin's piece on ISA, as published on his blog Rembau Dot Net

Demonstrasi jalanan membantah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) pada hari Sabtu lepas telah menyemarakkan lagi perdebatan mengenai akta ini. Pada asasnya, saya menyokong keputusan Kerajaan untuk mengkaji semula ISA agar sesuai dengan keperluan semasa, sepertimana yang saya sebut sewaktu membincangkan ISA dalam rancangan 101 East di saluran Al-Jazeera (tayangan dijadualkan Khamis, 8.30malam).

Pertama sekali, perlu ditegaskan bahawa Malaysia memerlukan mekanisme penahanan pencegahan (preventive detention), dalam erti kata seseorang individu boleh ditangkap dan ditahan bagi mengelakkan kesalahan atau jenayah yang belum diperlakukan, sebagai salah satu usaha pengurusan ketenteraman secara proaktif. Dalam pada dunia mengalami ancaman ekstrimis dan pengganas, ditambahpula dengan sensitiviti unik dalam negara Malaysia yang berbilangkaum, kita tidak boleh menanti sesuatu bencana terjadi sebelummengambil tindakan. Oleh itu, saya yakin rakyat Malaysia sejagat boleh memahamiperi pentingnya kuasa sebegini diberi kepada Kerajaan.

Walau bagaimanapun, agenda keselamatan dalam negeri perlu juga diimbangi dengan tuntutan demokrasi, yakni hak asasi manusia,kebebasan sivil dan keadilan. Maka, ISA atau sebarang undang-undang pencegahan tidak boleh sama sekali digunakan untuk menghentikan bantahan yang sah (legitimate dissent) atau melenyapkan cabaran politik dengan cara ‘mudah’. Dalam erti kata lain, agenda keselamatan negara tidakboleh dijadikan sebagai alasan untuk kepentingan politik mana-manapihak. Antara lain, skop definisi ancaman keselamatan kepada negaraperlu diperketatkan untuk mengelakkan penyalahgunaan kuasa ISA.

Selari dengan komitmen untuk memartabatkan sistem demokrasi negara, UMNO dan BN peka kepada kemahuan ramai di kalangan generasi muda yang tidak selesa dengan ISA. Saya tidak bersetuju kita melabelkan golongan ini sebagai buta sejarah atau seolah-olah memecah-belahkan bangsa Melayu semata-mata tentangan mereka terhadap ISA; sebaliknya kita perlu mendengar dan memahami pandangan mereka sejajar dengan proses pembaharuan yang ingin dijalankan parti dan Perdana Menteri, YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak.

Oleh sebab itulah maka kita harus mengkaji dan menghalusi ISA agar mengambil kira pertimbangan dan juga pandangan dari masyarakat umum. Saya ingin mengambil pendekatan yang lebih konstruktif dan membina di dalam perdebatan mengenai ISA dan menyoal akan hala tuju peruntukan undang-undang ini – samaada mahu dikekal, dimansuh atau dipinda? Dalam konteks ini, saya berpendapat bahawa YAB Perdana Menteri telah memberi isyarat yang jelas bahawa akta ini tidak harus dikekalkan sepertimana ia sekarang. Samaada ISA akan dipinda atau diganti dengan suatu peruntukan undang-undang yang baru adalah satu keputusan politik. Dalam hal ini, ada kemungkinan yang ISA ini sudah penuh dan sarat dengan beban politik yang menuntut satu penghijrahan dari legasi lampau. Oleh sebab itu, selain dari pindaan kepada ISA satu pendekatan adalah dengan memansuh dan menggantikannya dengan suatu akta penahanan pencegahan yang mengimbangi aspek keselamatan negara serta hak asasi dan kebebasan rakyat, melalui proses penggubalan undang-undang yang merangkumi konsultasi dan maklum balas dari masyarakat umum.

Namun, sebelum itu, beberapa isu penting berkenaan peruntukan sedia ada harus diambil kira dan diberi perhatian terlebih dahulu termasuklah aspek paling hangat dibahas mengenai ISA, iaitu berkenaan kuasa yang diberikan kepada Kerajaan untuk menahan seseorang tanpa perlu dibicara. Secara khususnya, saya mendapati bahawa ramai yang kurang selesa dengan kuasa mutlak Menteri Dalam Negeri di bawah seksyen 8 akta tersebut untuk menandatangani arahan penahanan selama dua tahun – dan boleh diperbaharui setiap dua tahun – tanpa perlu melalui proses semakan kehakiman atau ‘judicial review’. Khususnya, selepas pindaan kepada ISA pada tahun 1989, perintah tahanan Menteri Dalam Negeri langsung tidak boleh disemak oleh mahkamah. Hasilnya, Menteri Dalam Negeri secara teori boleh menahan seseorang itu untuk jangkamasa yang panjang kerana Lembaga Penasihat yang diperuntukkan oleh ISA untuk mengkaji status tahanan tidak mempunyaikuasa untuk menidakkan keputusan Menteri. Justeru, tidak hairanlah sekiranya ada yang tidak selesa dengan kuasa hampir mutlak yang diberikan kepada seorang Menteri – tidak kira siapa pun yang memegangportfolio itu – untuk menahan seseorang tanpa perbicaraan.

Bagi memastikan bahawa individu yang ditahan kerana disyaki membawa ancaman kepadakeselamatan negara mendapat perbicaraan yang adil dan tidak disimpanbertahun-tahun tanpa diberi peluang untuk membela diri, sistem kehakiman perlu diberi ruang untuk mengadili kes-kes sebegini. Namun, memandangkan banyakancaman keselamatan negara ini berkisar hal-hal sensitif yang tidak mungkin boleh dikendalikan dengan kaedah biasa seperti kes-kes yang melibatkan maklumat dari badan-badan risikan, barangkali ada baiknyajika mahkamah khas disediakan untuk mengadili kes sedemikian melalui perbicaraan tertutup (in camera), misalnya.

Disamping itu, seksyen 73 ISA membenarkan seseorang individu ditangkap oleh Polis dan dihalang dari berhubung dengan dunia luar – kadangkala keluarga si tahanan juga tidak dimaklumkan tentang penangkapan itu sendiri inikan lagi tempat di mana individu itu ditahan. Malah, hak mendapat khidmat peguam juga tidak dijamin. Sungguhpun terdapat kes di mana tahanan ISA dibebaskan oleh mahkamah melaui permohonan habeas corpus, kebanyakan kes ini terhad kepada skop permohonan yang terbatas kepada isu-isu prosedur penangkapan sahaja dan tidak mencakupi semakan kehakiman mengenai sebab-sebab dan asas penangkapan. Di sini, saya percaya perlu ada pembaharuan supaya khidmat guaman diberi kepada mereka yang ditangkap bawah ISA di samping kelonggaran untuk berhubung dengan anggota keluarga.

Ini adalah antara cadangan yang boleh dibincangkan demi kebaikanbersama dan untuk menyelesaikan kemelut kontroversi ISA. Pada hemat saya, demonstrasi pada hari Sabtu lepas langsung tidak memberi impakpositif kepada perbincangan ini kerana hanya menuntut pemansuhanmutlak ISA tanpa menyumbang apa-apa cadangan realistik yangmengimbangi tuntutan demokrasi dan keselamatan negara yang memerlukankuasa penahanan pencegahan. Jika kita ingin budaya masyarakat terbuka sejajar dengan kematangan berpolitik yang jitu, maka semua pihak perlu mengambil tanggungjawab dengan menaikkan mutu perdebatan kita.

Tidak lagi boleh kita mengambil pendirian yang mudah – yakni mutlak pro atau anti ISA. Sebaliknya kita perlu kepada satu pendirian yang lebih matang, syumul dan kompleksyang mengambil kira segala keperluan demi kebaikkan rakyat.

Low Cost - High Impact

2009-08-05T12:02:00.005+08:00

One of the key features of Khairy Jamaluddin’s new leadership in Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO, I am told, is a novel discipline of how proposed programs are manufactured, evaluated and selected – and that is referred to as “low cost – high impact”. It’s a familiar term or glossary deployed by business leaders to gain the equipoise of maximum asset’s utilisation rate that delivers high impact result with the least possible spending.

The workings of the new approach can be summarised by the diagram above, of which;

[1] Yellow block represents low cost-low impact programs
[2] Red block is for high cost-low impact programs
[3] Blue block embodies low cost-high impact initiatives
[4] Green block stands for high cost-high impact activities

Strategies that correspond to the aforesaid shall be as follows:

[a] To improve the impact of low cost-low impact activities, to the Blue segment area: eg, D to A
[b] To avoid Red block activities that only yield low impact and yet financially burdening: eg, E
[c] To creatively think on how to enhance spending-productivity of the Green segment to the Blue segment, whilst maintaining its high impact: eg, C to A
[d] To improve current positioning and result of Blue segment activities: eg. B to A.

The ideas behind it are numerous and include:-

[i] A reform agenda. To explain this point – a BAU or Business As Usual situation would mean that activities that fall under Green Block would gain the advantage of leadership approval. However, the present approach involves leadership challenge in the form of thinking on how could the same initiative be implemented with lesser cost.
[ii] Productivity driven thinking, be it in resource management as well as on programmes’ impact.
[iii] A more selective and focussed orientation for high impact as well as low cost spending. That shall be the rule of thumb - nevertheless, due considerations would also be given to certain programs that fall under Green and Yellow blocks, on case-to-case basis.

Laman Web Baru Pemuda UMNO

2009-08-04T10:03:00.000+08:00

Hang Tegar mendapati yang Pemuda UMNO baru sahaja menukar layout serta content management bagi laman webnya. Jika dahulu, web ini agak statik dan crowded. Kini ia lebih contemporary dan ada professional outlook, dan standing dengan web parti-parti politik utama baik di Amerika mahupun di United Kingdom.

Syabas!

Anwar - Malaysia's chameleon

2009-08-04T09:45:00.003+08:00

ONE evening in mid-July Anwar Ibrahim was deep in the rubber-tapping state of Kelantan in northern Malaysia, urging a crowd of rural folk to vote for a devout fishmonger. The candidate was from the conservative Islamic Party (PAS). A tiny by-election for the state assembly PAS already dominates is ordinarily small beer (or would be, if PAS allowed such a beverage, which it does not). But Mr Anwar needs PAS. For the paradox is that without the Islamists, the alliance he leads of Malay modernisers, Indians and secular Chinese has little chance of driving the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) from power. The coalition that UMNO dominates has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957. Mr Anwar longs for UMNO’s destruction. The feeling is mutual.

That morning, Mr Anwar had been in Perth where he had met Australia’s foreign minister. What had he been doing with Stephen Smith? “Plotting,” replies Mr Anwar, with a conspiratorial wink. Mr Anwar spends a lot of time abroad with national and religious leaders whose names he drops slightly too easily into an engaging conversational style. He moves like quicksilver from one intriguing subject to the next, but you get the uncanny sense that he is speaking to what interests you.

Mr Anwar thinks he will soon need international support. Two days after stumping in Kelantan, pre-trial hearings began in a case in which Mr Anwar stands accused of sodomising a political aide “against the order of nature”. Mr Anwar vigorously denies the charges. He says he is the victim of a political stitch-up. International outrage might help him. Much is fishy about the case. Photographs of the former aide who brought the accusations show him with UMNO members, including people close to the current prime minister, Najib Razak. The charge has been changed from sexual assault to “consensual sex”, yet his accuser has not been charged. (All homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia.)

Mr Anwar has been here before. In 1998 he was charged with corruption and homosexual acts. In custody, he was beaten up by the chief of police. He spent six years in jail, mostly in solitary confinement, until his conviction was overturned. Upon release, his political career seemed over.
It is easy to forget now but for many years Mr Anwar led a charmed life. He made his name as an Islamist student leader in the 1970s and was even jailed under the draconian Internal Security Act. Then he shocked his former colleagues by joining UMNO, where his rise was spectacular. By 1993 he was deputy prime minister and heir to Mahathir Mohamad, the country’s long-serving leader. Malaysia seemed about to fall into his lap. “Ah,” says Mr Anwar, “the good old days.”

But during the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, Mr Anwar moved too soon against his mentor, who after 16 years in power was not ready to bow out. Mr Anwar railed against the UMNO cronyism from which he had benefited. Livid, Dr Mahathir threw him out of the cabinet and launched Mr Anwar’s persecution. Mr Anwar’s reformasi movement sputtered out with his jailing.

Yet the hopes which that movement represented surged again after the general election of March 2008, and especially after August 2008 when Mr Anwar won a seat in Penang. In the election the ruling coalition lost its precious two-thirds majority which gave it power to change the constitution. It has since lost five out of six by-elections to Mr Anwar’s forces, which also control four of 13 states. In getting out its message, the opposition has been helped by an explosion of internet opinion that has undermined the influence of the UMNO-controlled mainstream media.

UMNO’s back is against the wall. Even its own officials admit to its arrogance, with corruption bound into the fabric of its power. The New Economic Policy (NEP, introduced in 1971) instituted racial preferences for majority Malays, when ethnic Chinese and Indians owned much of business. But instead of helping the poor, the NEP has enriched rent-seekers around the ruling party, while dragging down economic growth. Resentment has spread from Chinese and Indians to poor or pious Malays.

This has made possible Mr Anwar’s strange alliance. In calling for the end to the NEP, he says poor Chinese and Indians need help as much as Malays—but because there are more poor Malays than other races, they will still get the lion’s share of government help. It is a possible way out from the baneful influence of race on Malaysian politics. But the real strength of this alliance is that Mr Anwar’s charisma and political nous holds it together. Alas, that it is potential weakness, too.

Trials and tribulations

The challenges for Mr Anwar and his alliance will now multiply. For a start, Mr Najib, prime minister since April, has said the NEP must adapt, stealing some of his opponent’s thunder.
Then there is the time-consuming trial. Mr Anwar says he will win whatever the verdict. If he is acquitted, the government which brought the case will be discredited. If found guilty, tens of thousands of supporters will take to the streets. Mr Anwar hints tantalisingly at new information in a murder case that has gripped the country partly because of its links to Mr Najib. This, he suggests, gives him ammunition to fight back.

Intriguing, but it is unlikely to be enough. If Mr Anwar does go to jail, the alliance may not survive the loss of its leader. If he calls out his supporters—for something of the martyr lurks in him—he may be blamed for the ensuing chaos. And if he appeals to international opinion, his local supporters may question that.

This points to a trap waiting to catch the silver-tongued Mr Anwar, who deftly tells different audiences—religious or secular—what they like to hear. The same blogosphere that helped his meteoric rise may one day pay more attention to his chameleon qualities. Malaysians would then come to ask more closely: who and what exactly does Anwar stand for?

Source: The Economist

Politics of Empathy

2009-08-03T22:08:00.004+08:00

"POLITICS OF EMPATHY"

SPEECH BY SAUDARA KHAIRY JAMALUDDIN
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, REMBAU AND UMNO YOUTH LEADER
AT THE BANKERS’ CLUB BUSINESS FORUM
22TH FLOOR, PENTHOUSE, AMODA, JLN IMBI, KUALA LUMPUR
ON 16 JUNE 2009, AT 12.30 PM

YBhg. Dato’ Abdul Rahim Rahman
Board of Governor (BOG) of the Bankers Club – Introducer
YBhg. Dato’ Nik Mohamed Din (BOG)
Board of Governor (BOG) of the Bankers Club
YBhg. Dato’ S. Kulasegaran (BOG)
Board of Governor (BOG) of the Bankers Club
Mr. Michael Dearman
General Manager of the Bankers Club
Excellencies and Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am honoured to be speaking at The Bankers Club, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur; with some of the best of Corporate Malaysia as my audience. For over 20 years, this Club has served as an important venue for social leaders to congregate, for the purposes of business or leisure. To be a member of this Club is to be a successful and privileged member of society – a marker that one has arrived. Most importantly, it also signifies one’s position to be able to inspire others; and the Malaysian story is at a juncture where inspirational ideas and inspirational figures may decide if it takes a path towards fulfilling the promise so apparent during different points in our journey.
And in a nutshell, inspiration is what 1Malaysia hopes to achieve. I won’t stand here today to offer a lengthy and descriptive take on what 1Malaysia means conceptually, lest I fuel the debate about the supposedly elusive definition of the term, except to say this: Perhaps some level of personalisation of the concept isn’t all that bad – 1Malaysia, as a state of mind, can mean slightly different things to different people, without us having to fear that it wouldn’t work, or that social foundations will crumble. I am much more interested to speak about the context under which, and the reason why, 1Malaysia is gaining traction, even if its precise trajectory is yet uncertain, and for us to take hold of.

And the context, ladies and gentlemen, is that of change and more importantly, the struggle to dominate the space of change. As an avid student of history I have always understood Malaysia as a land of contestations – a land where different visions of the country were, and continue to be, played out in the battleground of ideas, charting the course of history. Malaysia’s diversity lends itself to these different narratives. Malaysia’s diversity has encouraged the charting of different paths with different signposts. We have been serenaded by ideologies and thoughts that appeal to our ethnicity, our religion, our income, and all the different things that make us different.

But beneath grand political visions made glorious by the soundbite culture of our time, lies the true battle that needs resolving – the question of identity. The question of who we are is at the core of our national conversation. It defines and dictates our politics. It forces us to confront gray areas where there sometimes isn’t a right answer. Why does one young Malaysian get a scholarship to go to university and another with the same grades doesn’t? How do we bury the remains of one of our citizens who has converted to another religion without telling his family? These are some of the tough calls at the centre of our crisis of identity.

And to resolve this requires nothing less than a new political language, a new political approach, a new politics within the overarching and loose framework of 1Malaysia. I call this new politics the politics of empathy, which has immense potential to inspire and rally all Malaysians through a new narrative of mutual understanding, appreciation and respect. This is the change I am promoting.

As a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, we have for far too long, failed to properly address this identity impasse. Specifically, the reconciliation of ethno-religious identities with the national character that all Malaysians share hasn’t been pursued with adequate vigour. In articulating our ideas for Malaysia’s future, many ascribe ourselves either an ethno-centric perspective, or relegate ethnicity to the sphere of irrelevance, often for political expediency. We either pursue a narrative that divides us by our faiths and culture or appeal to a notion that our respective heritage is not important and we must create something confusing like a Malaysians Malaysia.
The trouble with such tendencies is this: not only does either extreme result in an inaccurate picture of our society at its present; it surely cannot be the way forward if we are to find the equipoise that has eluded us thus far.

For non-Bumiputra citizens, this country is the only one they know, and the only one they wish to call home. The politics of empathy means that Malays and Bumiputras must understand the gravity of perceived second-class treatment amongst the non-Bumiputra community. Having to go against a public system that one believes, rightly or otherwise, is quasi-exclusively pro-Malay/Muslim can only yield hurt and exasperation – if this feeling is left ignored, or worse, ridiculed, then at some point members of some communities will ask the painful question, do I really fit in this country that I love?

But if the politics of empathy is to work for all, those same groups who may harbour discontent must also appreciate the collective consciousness of the Malay community in which exists a sense of heritage and identification with the origins of this country’s civilisation and the pivotal role that the Malay culture and system of governance played in it. This feeling towards and appreciation of the origins of this nation, the sense that while this nation is for all Malaysians but has its roots firmly within the Malay community, the sense of sacrifice that this community still feels for agreeing to create a nation where everyone could belong and call this land our home, is not something that exists only in the imagination of UMNO leaders and Utusan Malaysia readers. It is a collective Malay feeling that may never dissipate, not even with the passage of time.

There is no disputing that these facts are pertinently clear in the public sphere. The problem however, is that they are clear only within enclosed communal conversations and perspectives – almost as though there is one reality for a group and one for another. The ethnic Chinese in Bangsar who demands absolute meritocracy in admissions into public universities seldom properly appreciates that there is an ethnic Iban in the interiory of Sarawak who may justifiably require some form of hand-up to enter university, leaving behind the longhouse and proud parents who never had a taste of formal education. The ethnic Malay who prescribes sacrosanct status to the 30-percent rule does not always do so with constant awareness that there are many ethnic Indians living in poverty, Malaysian-Indians who feel they haven’t been given a fair go at the pie. In the absence of empathy and a national dialogue encompassing a broad perspective for all Malaysians, it is little wonder each group seems to know only of its own grievances.

As one, I must admit that politicians and political commentators are sometimes not helpful in bringing about this new politics of empathy. Politicians from both sides of the aisle have spent entire careers mastering the art of selective fact-presentation, tragically designed to win only a section of the people and leave out the rest. The same day one may fall back on the race card to boost popularity within his own party, another laments why we have so few non-Malay
Headmasters whilst conveniently disregarding the perceived exclusion of ethnic Malays in the private sector. Needless to say, this goes against the agenda of promoting an empathetic society: to see things not as they are according to you, but as they are according to others.

I therefore cannot overstate how strongly I feel about the need to change how we conduct politics, to do away with poisonous and unhealthy segmentation and replacing it with a philosophy of inclusion, a starting point from which a national conversation grounded on compassion can ensue over important policy matters that shape our collective future. Out of this honest conversation, may develop a new national consciousness; a thumping reaffirmation of what we already know in our better moments; that Malaysia will never achieve its potential without all elements working in tandem; that we cannot be all we can be without all of us. That this country is not for any one group to monopolise and dominate – in whatever field – but for all to prosper; Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan, Eurasians, Sikhs, Dayak, Murut and all the proud different people that make up Malaysia. Let us not forget, the quintessential Malaysian experience is derived from the contributions of all the different communities in this country. And let us not ignore that the only future that we can have, the only future that will ensure that this ideal that is Malaysia survives, is one in which we value each and every one of us. It’s a Malaysia where no group is left behind, where meritocracy is as important as social justice and compassion, where the poor and the rich are not identified by certain ethnic groups. It is a Malaysia where we if one of us falls, all of us picks him up. This is the only way we’re going to make this ideal work.

Our task is daunting; for it to work, the politics of empathy must permeate all spheres of our institutions and breathe in the cultural psyche of ordinary Malaysians. As with any such new way of thought, dynamic leaders are important as vehicles for the message to take hold. I speak of a moderate leader as someone who can confront the many forces that pull our country in sometimes differing directions and hold them all together to produce Malaysia’s ‘Third Way’, instead of one who stubbornly ignores realities that may contradict his ideology, singing away to his choir. I am reminded of the words of Shakespeare, “They are sick that surfeit with too much, as they that starve with nothing”.

I believe moderates understand the complexities of the younger generation today. By and large this generation want a more progressive Malaysia, but it is still not completely disengaged from cultural and communal backgrounds or sensitivities, either. These ironies are visible in simple, everyday observations. The same voices who call for an end to racial profiling in the name of national unity aren’t ready to let go of vernacular schools that teach students in their mother tongues instead of the national language. It is not moderate to exploit these paradoxes to create instability by engaging in an old exclusivist politics to gain mileage on the cheap. Instead, moderates need to argue that progress must happen within the hardened realities of today, and not through a juggernaut of change shoved down Malaysians’ throats, workable or not. True and positive change cannot just serve the interests of some, it must work for all.

Again I must say, resisting the temptation of pandering to any one extreme is a monumental test; it is much simpler to score political points operating from a clear side. And contrary to popular belief, standing up against the establishment and shouting revolution or “Reformasi” isn’t the most difficult position to take in Malaysian politics. Instead, it is the moderates that have it the toughest, partly because if you don’t play it right, you may end up pleasing nobody. But our country demands for leaders to make that sacrifice; it is hungry for those who can step up to the plate and advocate change, whilst firmly placing it on a continuum of past Malaysian struggles – appreciating and internalising the contributions of our past leaders; from the fight for Independence by Tunku Abdul Rahman to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s bold steps towards greater democratic space. Granted, these men, and the decisions they made weren’t perfect, but today calls for leaders who understand that whilst change is necessary, it does not entail a rupture from the past – ripping away at the social fabric, sensitivities, institutions and the recipe that has served us relatively well for 50-odd years.

The scale of this task requires moderate leaders to be steadfast in holding their ground. Moderation does not mean we water down our positions or settle for the easy compromise – too many potentially great leaders have fallen short this way. In facing our great challenges of the day, the catchy old saying, “Everything in moderation, including moderation” rings true. Oxymoronic as it may sound, to ensure that moderate politics contests and dominate our political and social consciousnesses, leaders must be hardline and dynamic moderates, able to tread the thin line between the deceptive comforts of conservatism and the dangerous lure of unbridled transformation, and do so with dogged conviction.

Nothing less than our long term political stability rests on the radical centre – the unifying paradigm – gaining a strong foothold in the system. Radicalism needn’t be reserved for extreme ideas confined to the fringes of society, but can be applied in crafting the middle-ground to make it a viable alternative to the politics of either/or. Our stability depends on the radical centre because if and when the old cleavages threaten to implode, a strong centre will hold. If and when things fall apart, or are being torn apart at the edges, the centre must hold and pick up the pieces.

From a strictly party-political perspective too, this battle for the centre stands out as the one that will decide who gains the trust of the electorate in the foreseeable future. Securing the centre ground is the name of the game. A year ago, many would have thought that the Opposition bloc had this contest in the bag – ushering a new era of hope, latching on the bandwagon of a rhetoric-laced brand of change to stunning electoral effect. Many wrote off Barisan Nasional – they continue to do – saying it is now rendered irrelevant with Pakatan’s imposing arrival on the scene. But seeing the tone set by Pakatan Rakyat and the internal bickering about where exactly the unofficial coalition of convenience stands, I’m not convinced there isn’t a space there still to be won using the BN formula. Quite the opposite, I believe that with discipline and guidance of the new leadership under Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak, Barisan Nasional can rebrand and populate the centre of Malaysian politics where it rightfully belongs.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This new politics of empathy located in the centre of the Malaysian political spectrum can help in solving the identity impasse that has been a stumbling block towards greater progress. To resolve the question of identity is to finally embrace the idea that one can be ethnic Malay and Malaysian, ethnic Chinese and Malaysian, or ethnic Indian and Malaysian– it is never a matter of ‘us’ and ‘them’. Once we start trying to see things as they are from the perspective of others, and operationalise realistic change mindful of context, Malaysians will see that our differences and interests, even those along communal lines, criss-cross one another – it is not a zero sum game. Let us not forget the promise of this nation’s unwritten foundation: unity in diversity; out of many histories, one future.

Ultimately, a return to a more stable political equilibrium will spell good news for Malaysia’s economy in a time of great crises. The new narrative that 1Malaysia allows for carries the hope that we can halt the constant politicking and harping on discontent, not by pretending they do not exist, but by mutual engagement and empathy as a pre-requisite to genuine harmony. This will grant us the opportunity to collectively work on the things that really matter to our country’s long-term survival and competitiveness.

We can take heart however, in the fact that glimpses of that empathy and genuine concern for one another are found throughout this land. In my political travels over the past decade, I have witnessed incredible stories of kindness between races. In one such instance, I know of a Malay man in a northern state, confined to a wheelchair by illness, receiving weekly visits from his Indian friend who comes just to spend moments together and assist with basic necessities. And in the eyes of our children we can see the hope of a more harmonious tomorrow – where joyful experiences in times of youthful innocence are shared with friends from different backgrounds, without sacrificing one’s own unique cultural heritage. There is a foundation for us to work on. In these stories of hope and compassion, the promise of Malaysia is well and truly alive.

Ladies and gentlemen,

his country has had its failings in the past, but in just over half a decade of Independence it has offered us ample opportunities to succeed and build lives within a peaceful backdrop of stability. With old mores and traditions now challenged by internal and exogenous factors, we must remain calm and reflective of the kind of future we want. In our intense and sometimes surprising journey to the present crossroads, let us not lose sight of the fact that when it’s all said and done, this is about building a better tomorrow for our children. How we choose to navigate our way from this juncture – in terms of politics and how we view each other in society – will determine if we do right by both our past and our future.

Source: Rembau Dot Net

Makam yang hina sehina-hinanya

2009-08-03T16:28:00.005+08:00

Mungkin ada di kalangan pembaca yang tertanya-tanya mengapa Hang Tegar menyepi dan kembali aktif menulis? Jawapannya adalah kerana Hang Tegar sibuk dengan perkara lain, apatah lagi selepas menyambut kelahiran anak baru-baru ini. Atas kasih sayang kepada anak maka komitmen Hang Tegar sedikit terjejas kepada blog ini.

Namun, Hang Tegar rasa terpanggil apabila Penulis Goblok seperti Husin Lempoyang menyindir KJ dengan cerita rekaan beliau yang menyentuh anak KJ. Pada hemat Hang Tegar, walau bagaimana bencinya seseorang pada seseorang yang lain – janganlah sampai ke makam yang begitu hina hatta menyentuh dan mempersenda anak orang, walaupun sekadar cerita rekaan. Apatah lagi seperti Husin Lempoyang yang mempersenda bahagian sulit anak orang.

Itulah makam yang hina sehina-hinanya.

Siapa Kudakan Siapa?

2009-08-03T15:28:00.004+08:00

Berdasarkan statistik Buletin Utama TV3 malam tadi, 99.3 peratus atau 585 daripada 589 yang ditahan adalah mereka dari etnik Melayu, yang ramai digolongi oleh ahli dan penyokong PAS.

DAP pulak hanya diwakili oleh segelintir pemimpin mereka. Pun begitu ada juga dikalangan pemimpin DAP, seperti Jeff Ooi, yang hanya merujuk kepada laporan Malaysiakini.

Fikir-fikirlah...

Khairy lands on his feet

2009-08-03T12:36:00.002+08:00

By: Joceline Tan, The Star

Life is quite different for Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin now that he is no longer a Prime Minister’s son-in-law but he has worked to put the Youth wing in a fresh direction.

THERE have been several sightings of Khairy Jamaluddin in the economy class of MAS flights.
And no, it is not a joke. The Umno Youth chief flies economy nowadays when on party programmes.

Coming down to earth: The former high-flier has had a hard landing but he has not crashed. Instead, Khairy Jamaluddin, seen here at a BN Youth press conference, has worked at mapping out a new direction for the Umno Youth wing.

“He carries his own bag, checks in himself. You can see the surprise on people’s faces when they see him in economy. He chats with them, they say hello and shake his hand,” said Umno Youth secretary Megat Firdouz Megat Junid.

According to Megat Firdouz, it is economy class from now on for all the wing’s officials, including the Youth chief.

In the old days, this would have made the news but Khairy has not been much in the news since winning the Umno Youth leadership.

When asked about his “low profile” in an interview with a Chinese daily, he said the media was “not interested in me”.

Actually, he is still a newsmaker. He is the Umno Youth chief and one of Umno’s more controversial faces. But he is no longer a Prime Minister’s son-in-law and his boys complain that supporters do not wait for him at airports and that the VIP treatment is gone.

The goal posts have shifted, as they say, and he has to compete on a more level playing field these days.

The former high-flier has had to come down to earth. It has been a tough landing but he has not crashed.

"Programmes cannot be ‘syiok sendiri’ and we have to adopt new methods" - Megat Firdouz Megat Junid.

And despite the “low profile,” he has been serious and diligent about his duties as Umno Youth leader. His new team has put into place the new course of direction and action for the wing. The challenge now is to translate it on the ground.

At their retreat three months ago, the team took a hard look at themselves, at their failures and achievements, at how the ground had shifted under their feet and how they have to change or end up as the next political opposition.

“The opinion was that the old style of doing things had not worked, we have to listen to the ground, programmes cannot be ‘syiok sendiri’ (self-serving) and we have to adopt new methods,” said Megat Firdouz.

Khairy, said Megat Firdouz, has since revamped the wing’s focus areas, setting up new secretariats and units to cope with the new political landscape.

For instance, a secretariat on urban affairs headed by Bukit Bintang Youth head Tengku Azman Tengku Zainal Abidin will tackle issues facing young urban Malays.

Umno does not have many seats to contest in Kuala Lumpur but Tengku Azman feels the party has to reach out to this overlooked social enclave who live and work in the city but whose base is still in their kampung in other states.

Umno Youth exco member Tun Faizal Ismail is heading the new media unit, where Umno badly trailed its opponents and which will be a frontline area in the next general election.

There are also committees dealing with young professionals, government servants, young workers, psychological warfare, involvement with NGOs and training and education. All these were areas where Umno lost out to their opponents in the last general election.

Recently, Nasir Hussin Akhtar Hussin, who heads the young workers secretariat, went up to Penang to meet workers who had been retrenched from a factory.

“We cannot sit and wait for people to come to us, we want to go to them,” said Tun Faizal.
Another exco member Lokman Nor Adam is heading a unit on oratory skills and public discourse because a politician’s message is more effective if he speaks well.

Khairy has come up with some sort of road map for the wing in his first three months.
“We’ve put the new foundation in place, we have to make it happen,” said Megat Firdouz.
Tun Faizal, a supporter of Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, admits that Khairy has “brought in some transformation”.

“There is new thinking and the work is spread out to empower people,” he added.
Khairy is an on-the-ball sort of guy and sends text messages to his officials late at night to remind them of things to do especially when there are programmes the next day.

Treasurer Datuk Rozabil Abdul Rahman said it is not uncommon to get instructions and reminders via text messages from Khairy at 1am or 2 am.

They joke that he caught the “disease” from his predecessor Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein who is still doing it to his staff.

It has not been an easy inception period for Khairy especially after being left out from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s Cabinet set-up.

The positive side to this is that he is able to be a full-time Youth chief. The minus side is that he lacks the clout of a government post and the perks that come with it.

“People should not under-rate the Umno Youth position. It is a powerful post and he can do things even without being a deputy minister. Party leaders need the cooperation of the three wings,” said Wanita exco member Suraya Yaakob.

The disappointment has passed but the frustration is probably still there.

The advantage of reduced media coverage is that it averts attention and leaves people with less to say or gossip about him. He has also been able to campaign in Manek Urai whereas he had to stay away from the earlier by-elections because of image issues.

“He seems to have passed a critical point in this because he is leading the by-election campaign,” said Subang Youth head Harrison Hassan.

The wing had a Pemuda Masuk Kampung programme in Manek Urai where they put up overnight in the homes of local residents.

His image problem aside, Khairy’s biggest challenge remains his struggle to consolidate his support in the wing.

He won only 40% of the votes in the three-way fight to lead the wing and his detractors call him the “minority leader”.

His win was controversial and the scene outside the Dewan Tun Hussein the night he won, when police had to be called in to control the crowd, is something that journalists will remember for a long time.

“People are still trying to close ranks. It is not easy because of the battle scars,” said Harrison.
Few were surprised when Khairy appointed his loyalists as key office-bearers and as Youth state chiefs. However, the appointment of Megat Firdouz to the crucial secretary post initially puzzled people because he had supported Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo in the Youth chief fight.

It was a strategic decision because Khairy is hoping that Megat Firdouz will help to rally Dr Khir’s supporters. Moreover, Megat Firdouz is also the son of the late Umno strongman Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayob.

Khairy will probably have more problems winning over the Mukhriz camp because their rivalry ran deeper and was more personal than that between him and Dr Khir. It was also complicated by the very public fall-out between their respective father-in-law and father. Khairy is probably relying on his deputy Youth chief Datuk Razali Ibrahim, who is aligned to Mukhriz, to do his part in winning over the Mukhriz boys.

“Khairy really wants to engage everyone. I pray to God we will come together in the spirit of Umno,” said Rozabil.

But members talk about the difficulty that some of the state Youth chiefs he appointed are having on the ground especially in states like Selangor where the urbanised membership has clear-cut opinions about who is the more worthy leader.

Being censured for money politics at the height of the Umno election campaign still hangs on him like a black mark.

At the PAS muktamar last month, speakers made disparaging remarks about him and recently a shouting match erupted in Parliament when Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh kept shouting “Rembau, corrupt!”

Khairy is still weighed down by his political baggage. But his edge is that he is smart, has contemporary ideas and those who come into contact with him can see that he is a cut above.
In Manek Urai, young people gaped at him wherever he went, asked to have their photographs taken with him and milled around to hear what he had to say.

“He has charisma, he is still tall, dark and handsome even if he does not have the same kind of clout he had before,” said Suraya.

Khairy has mapped out the road ahead for the Youth wing but his own political path is still cluttered with hurdles.

PERUTUSAN KETUA PERGERAKAN PEMUDA UMNO MALAYSIA

2009-08-03T12:25:00.004+08:00

PERUTUSAN KETUA PERGERAKAN PEMUDA UMNO MALAYSIA

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Dengan nama Allah yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Mengasihani; selawat dan salam buat junjungan besar kita Nabi Muhammad S.A.W.

Alhamdulillah, bersyukur saya ke hadrat Allah S.W.T. kerana dengan izin, limpah dan kurnia Nya jua dapat saya menyampaikan sepatah dua kata-kata aluan bagi Mesyuarat Perwakilan Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Bahagian seluruh negara. Sebagai institusi akar umbi parti keramat UMNO, Mesyuarat Perwakilan Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Bahagian setiap tahun sentiasa menjadi pentas maklum balas dan penjana nilai kepada perjuangan Pemuda UMNO.

Bersesuaian dengan cabaran dan perkembangan politik semasa serta harapan dan amanah dari ahli parti dan rakyat, amatlah wajar bagi UMNO untuk merangka pendekatan dan strategi bagi memastikan kelangsungan peranannya sebagai parti yang menjadi tunggak pemerintahan negara.

Sehubungan dengan itu, semasa merasmikan Khemah Kerja Pemuda UMNO di Janda Baik, Pahang yang diadakan dari 30 April hingga 3 Mei yang lalu, saya telah menggariskan bahawa misi kita adalah jelas dan nyata iaitu bagi memenangi sokongan generasi muda Melayu, Cina, India dan dari kelompok etnik yang lain kepada Barisan Nasional. Untuk, itu saya telah menetapkan bahawa misi dan gerak kerja kita haruslah berpaksikan kepada lima rukun iaitu Bersatu, Berprinsip, Inkusif, Relevan, dan Proaktif.

Sebagai penjelasannya, BERSATU bermaksud bahawa asas kekuatan kita adalah perpaduan dan gerak kerja berpasukan semua ahli Pemuda UMNO di dalam saf perjuangan yang kukuh. BERPRINSIP pula bermakna bahawa Pemuda UMNO tetap berpegang teguh kepada perjuangan asas UMNO bagi menegak, mempertahan dan memartabatkan agama, bangsa dan tanah air, sejajar dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan, Rukun Negara, kontrak sosial dan formula perkongsian kuasa di dalam Barisan Nasional. INKLUSIF pula bermakna aktiviti dan program kita harus bersifat inklusif dan menjangkau parti dan batas agama dan bangsa. RELEVAN membawa maksud bahawa segala program, medium penyampaian, gaya bahasa, masa, jenis aktiviti dan sebagainya hendaklah relevan dan menepati citarasa golongan yang disasarkan. Akhir sekali, PROAKTIF pula merupakan piawai budaya kerja di mana segala perancangan dan tindakan hendaklah di buat tanpa menunggu-menunggu arahan terutama dalam hal ehwal kebajikan rakyat sebelum ia menjadi kronik dan ditawan pembangkang sebagai isu perjuangan mereka.

Kesemua elemen tadi bukan sahaja menjadi nadi dan paksi kepada pendekatan Pemuda UMNO di dalam gerak kerjanya malahan konsisten dan menepati kesemua ciri-ciri 1Malaysia yang diperkenalkan oleh Presiden parti dan juga Perdana Menteri Malaysia, YAB Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak.

Rukun Pemuda penting bagi parti keramat kita ini kerana UMNO bertitik tolak daripada satu perkataan iaitu berkhidmat – dan sebab itulah cogan katanya memerlukan orang UMNO untuk bersatu dan bersetia bagi bersama-sama berkhidmat untuk rakyat demi agama, bangsa dan tanah air.

Bak kata Pendeta Za’aba, UMNO adalah bahtera perjuangan bangsa yang diwariskan untuk generasi akan datang. Ini bermaksud bahawa UMNO bukanlah untuk dan milik kita pada hari ini - kita adalah pemegang amanah parti untuk generasi yang akan datang dan adalah tanggung jawab kita memastikan bahawa UMNO kekal hayatnya serta relevan untuk diwarisi oleh generasi seterusnya sebagai parti yang mengamalkan budaya khidmat cemerlang untuk rakyat.
Saya doakan agar perjalanan semua Mesyuarat Tahunan Perwakilan Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Bahagian akan sempurna, berjaya dan mencapai matlamatnya yang selaras dengan amanah dan tuntutan untuk kita berkhidmat untuk agama, bangsa dan tanah air. Disamping itu, saya mengucapkan syabas dan terima kasih kepada semua di atas segala komitmen, pengorbanan dan kerja keras yang telah dicurahkan bagi menjayakan perjalanan dan urusan mesyuarat kita kali ini.

Salam Perjuangan dan Selamat Bersidang

KHAIRY JAMALUDDIN ABU BAKAR

Sumber: Rakan dari Pemuda Bahagian Selayang

Pemuda UMNO "Samurai" Tempa Kejayaan Pertama, Muncul Juara Terbuka Pahang

2009-08-03T12:15:00.002+08:00

Kuantan -- Hebat……Pasukan Ragbi Pemuda UMNO Malaysia memulakan langkah pertamanya dengan menempa kejayaan muncul juara pada Kejohanan Ragbi 10 Sepasukan Terbuka Pahang anjuran bersama MPK/KRNP di Padang MPK di sini, Ahad petang.Dalam perlawanan akhir, pasukan Pemuda UMNO “Samurai” mengalahkan pasukan JLJ “A” dengan keputusan 10 – 0.

Malah pemain Pemuda UMNO, Mohd Fairus Ab Rahman turut diumumkan sebagai pemain terbaik perlawanan akhir.Sebelum itu pada peringkat Separuh Akhir, pasukan Pemuda UMNO telah mengalahkan Pasukan X Lions, 14 – 0.

Kejohanan selama dua hari itu telah disertai 24 pasukan dari seluruh negara dan ia merupakan penampilan sulung pasukan Pemuda UMNO yang dilancarkan pada Khamis lepas.Hadiah kejohanan telah disampaikan oleh YM Tengku Hasanal Ibrahim Ibni Tengku Abdullah. Turut hadir Exco Sukan Pahang, Datuk Wan Adnan Wan Mamat.

Bagi Pengurus Pasukan yang juga Exco Pemuda UMNO Malaysia, Suffian Awang kemenangan ini merupakan satu suntikan semangat yang cukup bermakna buat Pemuda UMNO untuk terus menyemarakkan sukan ragbi bukan sahaja di kalangan ahli pergerakan itu malah golongan muda yang meminati sukat terbabit.Jelasnya kejayaan yang dicapai adalah hasil komitmen bersungguh-sungguh bukan hanya di kalangan pemain tetapi kepimpinan Pemuda UMNO sendiri iaitu Ketuanya, Khairy Jamaluddin dan Naibnya, Datuk Razali Ibrahim.

"Ini adalah permulaan langkah kita dan kejayaan ini sudah pasti mendorong kita untuk lebih bersungguh-sungguh melangkah jauh ke hadapan terutama menyemarakkan lagi sukan ragbi di peringkat akar umbi."

Sukan ini mempunyai peminat yang tersendiri selain ia merupakan sukan yang bukan sahaja lasak tetapi perlu mempunyai tahap displin yang tinggi. "Perlu ditekankan di sini sukan bola sepak dan sepak takraw sememangnya sinonim dengan kita namun kita perlu ingat ramai pemain dan peminat ragbi yang ada di kawasan bandar di kalangan profesional, pelajar universiti yang meminati sukan ini perlu diberi perhatian", katanya.

Source: Pemuda UMNO

Sak: Stephen Doss - Its no enigma

2009-08-03T12:10:00.001+08:00

Stephen Doss, is a blogger who is supportive of KJ. He blogs under his post Renovatio. I too am supportive of the ideas that KJ represent and the idea behind KJ. I have argued about this many times especially during the ketua pemuda elections. I am not going to repeat my arguments which of course have been refuted; sadly I should say less by reasoned analyses and more by gutter arguments. The later came mostly from the wakakaka and muahahaha crowd. They know who they are. These are people who can't argue ideas with ideas and finding themselves losing an argument will go for the throat and accused opponents as lapdogs and paid hirelings. In the course of my arguing for KJ the last time, I had no problems reading counter arguments from bloggers like A Voice or the cerebral JMD. For instance when I wrote about KJ giving a speech to Pemuda demonstrators in Perak, JMD put up a very believable riposte.

Speaking about a speech, I am going to write about a speech which KJ gave which should answer S. Doss's uneasiness about KJ being an enigma. It's no enigma, Mr Doss. KJ will continue to be an enigma only as long as the mainstream media refuses to accord him a deserving place as a Ketua Pemuda of UMNO. He will remain an enigma as long as the UMNO ultra conservatives remain fearful of the unfolding forces besieging UMNO to change. KJ represents the idea of change.
The debate has become clearer. On one side are the ultra conservatives. These are the people insisting things are all right and so must remain as they are. All that was necessary was to throw out the sleeping on the job PM. That has been accomplished. Unfortunately for the conservatives, i.e. those romanticising the good old days, during the good old times where the elite get richer, the cronies were singled out as saviours of the race etc, the remaining thorn is KJ.

I can't predict the future. Maybe KJ will be around or he may be forced out. He remains a threat to UMNO conservatives because of his ideas on change and his articulation about these ideas. The majority of UMNO conservatives are silent and dumbfounded by the ideas leading me to question whether they actually understand what this young man is saying. The MSM appears intimidated to debate his ideas probably out of misreading the sensitivities of the UMNO leadership. I say to them- give the Ketua Pemuda UMNO his media space and given the libertarian views of the PM, what KJ says will be tolerated. Its not like he is calling for the toppling of the leadership is he?

I am not unaware of the accusations of corruption against KJ which were bandied around and continue to be stoked presently. This must come to a closure and the UMNO president must apply his leadership on this issue. Either exonerate KJ or punish him. The UMNO disciplinary committee has punished him and meted out a judgement which proved to be insufficient to convince the Pemuda delegates that KJ is not good for them. Like it or not, KJ IS the ketua Pemuda.

Now, the more I think about this- I think the whole wish to make the accusations about corruption stick to KJ is all politically motivated. They are prompted by a general rage and anger that a man so young can beat UMNO old hands at their own game!

Now,let us read the speech given by KJ to the audience at the Banker's Club in KL. It was made on the 16th of June 2009. It was titled POLITICS OF EMPHATY.

I have yet to come across a coherent analysis of what 1 Malaysia stands for. KJ is at least an initiator for further glosses over this concept. I don't understand it yet. TDM says he doesn't know what the heck OneMalaysia stands for. Of course listening to Rais Yatim's pathetic pronouncement is a definite turnoff. I think listening to the singer Roy's rendition of the song SATU MALAYSIA makes the concept easier to understand. OneMalaysia stands for Rukunnegara and loyalty. At least RUKUNEGARA and SETIA are repeated over and over in that song.

1Malaysia is the story about the Malaysia to be unfolded. The Malaysian story as KJ rightfully stated is at a juncture where inspirational ideas and inspirational figures may decide if it takes a path towards fulfilling the promise so apparent during different points in our journey. And in a nutshell, inspiration is what 1Malaysia hopes to achieve.

Hence the question before us, how do we define 1Malaysia in the absence of a comprehensive definition which in itself is elusive? Maybe the starting point as KJ said "some level of personalisation of the concept isn't all that bad –1Malaysia, as a state of mind, can mean slightly different things to different people, without us having to fear that it wouldn't work, or that social foundations will crumble. I am much more interested to speak about the context under which, and the reason why, 1Malaysia is gaining traction, even if its precise trajectory is yet uncertain, and for us to take hold of."

1Malaysia encapsulates the idea of change. I can only deduce the silent treatment from UMNO ultra conservatives on the idea of change signifies their fear about change. The most significance change that is taking place now is that in the world of change, people engage one inother through the contest of ideas, visions, reasoned arguments and so forth. KJ spoke of:-

Malaysia as a land of contestations – a land where different visions of the country were, and continue to be, played out in the battleground of ideas, charting the course of history. Malaysia's diversity lends itself to these different narratives. Malaysia's diversity has encouraged the charting of different paths with different signposts. We have been serenaded by ideologies and thoughts that appeal to our ethnicity, our religion, our income, and all the different things that make us different.

We have different ideas and ideological inclinations, but how do we reconcile these and if possible how do we synthesise these? KJ's solution is to offer the idea of a

...new political approach, a new politics within the overarching and loose framework of 1Malaysia. I call this new politics the politics of empathy, which has immense potential to inspire and rally all Malaysians through a new narrative of mutual understanding, appreciation and respect. This is the change I am promoting.

The UMNO conservatives and the conservatives in the other political parties travel along the more common trodden road. This is the road most commonly travelled- the familiar and the unchanged. They use the same language about race and religion, leaning more towards the natural differences rather that forging ahead on common grounds.

The credo of the conservatives:-

As a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, we have for far too long, failed to properly address this identity impasse. Specifically, the reconciliation of ethno-religious identities with the nationalcharacter that all Malaysians share hasn't been pursued with adequate vigour. In articulating our ideas for Malaysia's future, many ascribe ourselves either an ethno-centric perspective, or relegate ethnicity to the sphere of irrelevance, often for political expediency. We either pursue a narrative that divides us by our faiths and culture or appeal to a notion that our respective heritage is not important and we must create something confusing like a Malaysian Malaysia.

Some may not like KJ for a variety of reasons and some haven't gotten over the fact that he won the ketua Pemuda post. But intellectual honesty demands us to acknowledge that this young man has got something relevant to say about Malaysian politics. In a world of flux and change where ideas dominate, it is very difficult to discount such a person without acknowledging a place for such in a future Malaysia.

So Mr Stephen Doss, look at the ideas. No enigma there.

Source: Sakmongkol AK47

Pengurusan Perubahan

2009-06-03T13:43:00.002+08:00

Pengurusan Perubahan

Banyak telah diperkatakan mengenai transformasi atau perubahan yang perlu di lakukan oleh UMNO, di mana Perdana Menteri selaku Presiden UMNO sendiri telah mengingatkan akan kepentingan ini dengan memberi nasihat: berubah sebelum diubah atau change or be changed.

Dalam aspek ini salah satu kunci kejayaan atau key success factor bagi misi perubahan yang ingin dicapai adalah pengurusan perubahan atau change management. Sehubungan dengan itu saya ingin berkongsi bersama pembaca salah satu kerangka model pengurusan perubahan organisasi yang dicetuskan oleh Professor John P. Kotter dari Harvard Business School yang mengandungi lapan langkah iaitu:

Pertama: Membina keperluan yang mendesak.

Di sini para pemimpin haruslah memapar dan mengenalpasti senario semasa yang begitu memerlukan perubahan segera samaada dari tren dan saiz ancaman mahupun peluang yang perlu diambil segera dan seterusnya membina sistem komunikasi dan penerangan untuk memupuk kesedaran dan kepekaan organisasi terhadap keperluan mendesak untuk berubah.

Kedua: Membina jaringan agen dan pemimpin perubahan

Usaha-usaha bagi meyakini orang-ramai, apatah lagi dalam sebuah organisasi politik seperti UMNO, untuk berubah bukan suatu tugas yang enteng. Sehubungan dengan itu ia perlu kepada gabungan kepimpinan yang kuat dan sokongan dari semua pihak, terutama mereka yang penting dalam organisasi.

Pengurusan perubahan yang berjaya menuntut sokongan dan pembinaan jaringan agen dan pemimpin perubahan yang efektif dan menyeluruh bagi memastikan mesej, gelombang perubahan dapat diteruskan disamping membantu menangani segala halangan dan cabaran perubahan tersebut.

Ketiga: Visi untuk berubah

Di sini organisasi haruslah mempunyai visi yang jelas mengenai perubahan yang ingin di bawa dengan konsep dan gambaran jelas mengenai rupa dan bentuk organisasi yang bakal terhasil setelah melalui proses perubahan. Dalam aspek ini Dato Seri Najib telah menegaskan bahawa parti UMNO haruslah menjandi sebuah parti yang kuat dan relevan dengan zamannya serta mewakili kepentingan semua rakyat. Beliau juga telah memperkenalkan pendekatan One Malaysia dan juga sistem nilai pendekatan tersebut yang inklusif dan berdaya maju.

Keempat: Komunikasi

Kepentingan untuk berubah serta visi organisasi hendaklah diterangkan kepada semua ahli melalui sessi-sessi komunikasi atau penerangan parti secara berterusan dan menyeluruh bagi memastikan kesemua ahli faham, menghayati serta membeli idea-idea perubahan yang perlu dilakukan untuk diterjemahkan kepada tindakan semua ahli. Disamping itu sessi latihan hendaklah dibuat dan mengambil kira elemen-elemen penting bagi kejayaan perubahan tersebut.

Kelima: menangani halangan atau tentangan

Secara umumnya terdapat empat halangan bagi perubahan iaitu pemikiran self-centric yang hanya menerima perubahan yang menguntungkan kepada diri sendiri, pendekatan status quo yang secara lumrahnya menolak sebarang perubahan, kurang komunikasi berkesan dan akhir sekali adalah tanggapan yang berbeza tahapnya. Bagi halangan yang ke empat, sebagai contoh: satu kajian yang telah di buat ke atas sebuah Bahagian UMNO mengenai tahap sokongan rakyat kepada UMNO di kawasan Parlimen bahagian tersebut di mana jawapan tahap sokongan yang diberi oleh ke empat-empat peringkat adalah berbeza di antara satu sama lain. Jika kita membuat kesimpulan mudah bahawa peringkat keahlian yang memberi tahap sokongan yang rendah pastinya mahukan tindakan dan gerak kerja yang lebih dan pastinya ini bertentangan dengan kumpulan yang beranggapan bahawa tahap sokongan masih tinggi. Ini adalah antara pencetus kepada tentangan kepada perubahan dan tindakan yang mahu diambil parti dan memerlukan keseragaman dari semua pihak.

Jesteru itu satu menu yang tersusun dengan kaedah, struktur dan perancangan bagi menghadapi setiap segmen tentangan haruslah dibuat.

Keenam; Menonjolkan kejayaan jangka pendek

Kejayaan adalah satu sumber yang kuat untuk memotivasikan seseorang. Sehubungan dengan itu perancangan perubahan yang dibuat haruslah mengambil kira kepentingan untuk menonjol dan meraikan kejayaan jangka pendek secara berkala selaras dengan tahap pencapaian. Untuk itu, perancangan perubahan haruslah mempunyai KPI atau target jangka pendek dan jangka panjang dan setiap kejayaan haruslah diraikan. Tidak kurang penting juga untuk mengkaji kegagalan mana-mana pencapaian jangka pendek dan juga peringatan bahawa kejyaan jangka pendek itu haruslah diteruskan bagi kesinambungan jangka panjang.

Ketujuh: Jadikan perubahan yang bermakna

Di sini Kotter mengingatkan bahawa banyak program perubahan gagal kerana bersifat hangta-hangat tahi ayam dan juga apabila perubahan itu bersifat episodical. Oleh itu, mana-mana organisasi yang mahukan perubahan berterusan haruslah mengamalkan amalan kaizen, iaitu pembaikan yang berterusan dalam apa jua yang dilakukan.

Kelapan: Menjadikannya satu budaya

Yang terakhir sekali, segala sistem nilai, keiltizaman, perancangan serta kesungguhan di dalam menzahirkan perubahan tersebut hendaklah diserapkan sebagai budaya organisasi bagi memastikan roh dan DNA organisasi yang bersinambung dan mampan dengan perubahan yang telah dicapai, supaya ia menjadi teras yang tahan lama dan mencetus penjanamaan dan perubahan organisasi yang bermakna.

The story of three black men

2009-04-03T15:13:00.000+08:00

There was once three black men. One day they were walking on a sandpath and found a lamp. They started rubbing it and a genie came out. The genie granted one wish for each one of them. The first, following his dream, wished to be white. With a snap of his finger, the genie turned him white. Instead of thinking big, the second got jealous and wished to be whither than the first guy, and, with the genie’s magic, he turned white too – as white as snow. The third black man, angry and jealous by his friends' wishes, wished both of them to turn back to their original colour.

At the end, the three black men missed the golden opportunity of their lifetime to effect monumental changes or breakthroughs. They could have asked for knowledge, money or a kingdom to rule, etc etc. but instead succumbed to jealousy and eventually gained nothing

Bersatu dalam Barisan Perjuangan

2009-03-31T13:34:00.000+08:00

Saya begitu menghargai dan mengucapkan berbanyak terima kasih kepada Dato' Mukhriz Mahathir dan Datuk Seri Dr. Mohamad Khir Toyo yang telah menyahut seruan penyatuan dan memberi sokongan terbuka kepada kepimpinan saya dalam Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO.

Penyatuan semua ahli Pemuda UMNO amatlah penting apatah lagi pada masa kita menghadapi tiga pilihanraya kecil, sebaik selepas berlangsungnya Persidangan UMNO dan proses pemilihan parti.

Kepada semua ahli Pemuda UMNO, marilah kita bersatu hati dan bekerja bersungguh-sungguh dalam satu barisan bersama ahli-ahli komponen parti yang lain di bawah Barisan Nasional dalam ketiga-tiga pilihanraya kecil di Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau dan Batang Ai dengan semangat yang berani untuk membawa perubahan di atas landasan setiakawan untuk rakyat, dari rakyat dan demi rakyat.

Source: Rembau Dot Net

Khairy Sedia Terima Teguran Demi Matlamat Pemuda

2009-03-31T10:32:00.000+08:00

Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia, Khairy Jamaluddin berkata beliau sedia menerima teguran semua peringkat kepimpinan UMNO agar matlamat pergerakan sayap di bawah kepimpinannya tidak tersasar dari landasan sebenar.

Katanya lagi teguran itu perlu terutama bagi membolehkan semua ahli Pemuda dapat bersatu hati dan mempertunjangkan matlamat demi agama, bangsa dan negara.

"Saya kerdil dan insaf untuk memimpin sayap. Banyak yang perlu dipelajari untuk menjayakan pergerakan Pemuda.p>"Pemuda harus diberi pedoman, kalau tak kena tegur-tegur saya, perbetulkan saya supaya saya tidak tersungkur dan Pemuda tidak tersasar," katanya dalam ucapan penggulungannya sebagai Ketua Pemuda UMNO yang baru di Dewan Merdeka di sini, hari ini.

Pada masa yang sama beliau turut menyatakan pendekatan yang akan diambil bagi menarik sokongan golongan muda terhadap UMNO.

"Kita akan mengadakan dialog, perbincangan agama dan sukan untuk menarik sokongan anak-anak muda. Anak-anak muda ini akan kita dampingi sebagai rakan untuk memberi penjelasan kepada mereka dan menyusun langkah-langkah untuk melembutkan hati mereka," ujarnya.

Dalam ucapan penggulungannya juga beliau turut merayu kepada Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir dan Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo supaya bersama membantunya merapatkan semula barisan pergerakan Pemuda.

"Khidmat dan tunjuk ajar Mukhriz dan Mohd Khir amat diperlukannya. Walaupun mungkin selepas ini kedua-dua mereka akan meninggalkan barisan Pemuda, saya merayu mereka membantu saya menggembalikan kekuatan Pemuda", ujarnya.

Source: ProKhairy

Dugaan Pemimpin

2009-03-31T09:09:00.001+08:00

Alhamdulillah, segala penat lelah akhirnya membuahkan hasil dengan KJ dinobatkan sebagai Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia. Sepertimana yang diucapkan oleh KJ, kemenangan ini begitu manis dan bermakna sekali memandangkan pelbagai dugaan dan cabaran dari merata tempat, pelbagai penjurudan lapisan serta dari berbilang isu dan pihak.

Ada pihak yang tidak dapat menerima kemenangan beliau dan mengeboo beliau terus menerus sepanjang persidangan UMNO. Hang Tegar berada sempat pergi ke PWTC bagi upacara majlis penutup pada hari Sabtu lepas dan apabila nama KJ disebut oleh Dato Seri Najib dan kemudiannya di balas oleh boo oleh perwakilan, beberapa orang yang berada bersama Hang Tegar di hadapan layar TV besar di PWTC menggeleng kepala. Seorang berkata: “Tak apa, ini baru-baru lagi. Biasalah dugaan pemimpin… Ini akan buat dia kerja lebih kuat lagi”. Seorang lagi turut bersimpati dan cakap: “Perjalanan dia masih jauh. Kena kuat semangat”.

Ya, betul. KJ, kuatkan semangat.

Dan kepada yang mengeboo beliau. Berilah dia peluang untuk membuktikan kebolehannya.

Amanah Dijunjung Tanggungjawab Dikendung

2009-03-31T08:53:00.001+08:00

Saya bersyukur ke hadrat Allah SWT serta berterima kasih kepada semua perwakilan Pemuda UMNO di atas sokongan yang diberi dan dengan rasa penuh rendah diri dan tawadduk, saya menerima amanah dan tanggungjawab besar yang diamanatkan sebagai Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia.

Saya berikrar untuk menunaikan tanggungjawab dan amanah yang diberi ini di atas panji-panji setiakawan bagi memperkasa dan mengakar umbikan Pemuda UMNO, memperkukuh ikatan dan kekuatan Pemuda dalam Barisan Nasional, menjaga kebajikan dan membela kepentingan seluruh generasi muda negara dalam menangani cabaran dan tuntutan masa kini dan masa hadapan.

Proses pemilihan dan kemenangan ini juga menzahirkan amalan demokrasi yang sihat di dalam institusi dan parti UMNO serta kematangan setiap perwakilan Pemuda UMNO memilih pemimpin di kalangan mereka. Sehubungan dengan itu, saya menyeru kepada semua ahli Pemuda UMNO untuk bersatu hati dan bersama dengan saya bagi merapat dan menyatukan barisan serta bekerja lebih rajin dan keras membawa perjuangan parti - untuk agama, bangsa dan negara.

Sesungguhnya kemenangan ini begitu manis dan saya ingin mengucap dan merakamkan penghargaan tak terhingga kepada ahli keluarga yang begitu memahami dan menyokong saya sebagai ahli politik, rakan-rakan seperjuangan dalam parti dan Barisan Nasional serta sahabat-sahabat rapat yang begitu komited bersama.

Source: Rembau Dot Net

DUGAAN DATANG KIRI DAN KANAN TAK HENTI-HENTI

2009-03-18T12:55:00.000+08:00

Kini tinggal 7 hari sahaja lagi sebelum para perwakilan Pemuda UMNO akan memilih Ketua mereka di peringkat kebangsaan, dan di dalam debaran menanti hari penentuan ini pelbagai onak dan duri telah pun direntasi oleh Khairy … malahan mungkin ada lagi dugaan berupa last-card or last kopek yang akan menghujani beliau.

Paling baru adalah keputusan Lembaga Disiplin yang memberi hukuman amaran kepada beliau atas kesalahan penglibatan tidak langsung melalui ejen. Khairy jelaskan bahawa beliau tidak bersalah dan tiada bukti kukuh yang sabitkan beliau dengan perkara yang adu, malahan ianya berlaku tiga bulan sebelum beliau membuat pengunguman untuk bertanding jawatan Ketua Pemuda UMNO.

Ini umpama ada satu gerakan mahu menjatuhkan beliau. Paling nyata, adalah ada sesetengah pihak dengan cepatnya menyatakan rasa tidak puas hati apabila Khairy hanya diberi amaran sedangkan Dato’ Ali dilarang dari bertanding jawatan Timbalan Presiden UMNO sedangkan keduanya didapati bersalah atas klausa kesalahan yang sama. Untuk ini, Hang Tegar tegaskan semua pihak hendaklah rujuk kepada penjelasan Pengerusi Lembaga Disiplin, Tan Sri Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen, yang mengatakan tiada bukti kukuh sabitkan Khairy dan tahap kesalahan mereka yang disifatkan ejen pun berbeza. Malahan dalam kes Khairy, tiada arahan atau ketetapan bahawa mereka yang terlibat adalah ejen beliau. Sebab itu Khairy kekal dengan pendirian yang beliau tidak bersalah.

Namun, bagi mereka yang menaruh harapan agar Khairy dilarang bertanding – keputusan ini umpama tidak mencukupi. Malah ada desas desus yang ada pihak mahu laporkan kepada SPRM, kerana tak puas hati.

Sungguhpun demikian, jika aduan dibuat untuk menyerang peribadi dan public smearing untuk mencalar or to blemish Khairy, ia memang nampak sebegitu… Namun, Hang Tegar yakin dan percaya yang para perwakilan mahukan calon yang bertanding menang atau kalah di gelanggang pertarungan dan bukannya melalui taktik kotor atau strategi menang free.

Kepada perwakilan, saudara semua telah berjumpa dengan Khairy dan mendengar dan mendapat tahu wawasan serta penjelasan beliau yang mahu membawa Pemuda ke satu era baru disamping menjaga kebajikan Pemuda dan seluruh generasi muda. Bawa dan sokonglah beliau.

Jika saudara semua tidak menyokong taktik kotor segelintir pihak yang mahu menang mudah, maka sokonglah calon Setiakawan 03.

Merakyatkan Pemuda UMNO: Wawancara Mingguan Malaysia dengan Khairy Jamaluddin

2009-03-16T15:23:00.001+08:00

Mukadimah

‘‘Jangan burukkan kawan-kawan’’ Itulah pesanan Ahli Parlimen Rembau, Khairy Jamaluddin kepada jentera yang membantu beliau berkempen merebut jawatan Ketua Pemuda. Beliau membuat peringatan itu kerana tidak mahu pemilihan yang bakal menyaksikan persaingan antara beliau dengan dua lagi calon iaitu Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir dan Datuk Seri Dr. Mohamad Khir Toyo membawa perpecahan kepada Pemuda. Bagi Khairy dalam keghairahan untuk memenangkan calon masing-masing semangat setiakawan dalam Pemuda harus dikekalkan. Dalam wawancara dengan wartawan Mingguan Malaysia, ZULKIFLEE BAKAR, beliau yang kini menyandang jawatan Naib Ketua Pemuda secara terbuka menjawab pelbagai persoalan berkaitan dirinya dan perebutan jawatan dalam Pemuda. Apapun beliau amat berharap perwakilan akan membuat keputusan berasaskan kepada realiti dan bukannya persepsi terhadap seseorang calon. Khairy juga turut memaparkan apa yang ingin beliau lakukan dalam usaha merapatkan hubungan Pemuda dengan rakyat.

MINGGUAN: Bagaimana penerimaan perwakilan, ketika YB berkempen?
KHAIRY: Alhamdulillah, maklum balas dan sokongan yang diterima terhadap gagasan setiakawan daripada perwakilan sangat positif dan saya harap akan diterjemahkan kepada undi pada 25 Mac nanti.

Kempen dalam Pemuda kali ini turut menyaksikan peribadi YB diserang sekali lagi, apa pandangan YB?
KHAIRY: Saya berpendapat, faktor paling besar yang menyemarakkan perbincangan dan tuduhan terhadap saya selama ini ialah “isu menantu”. Tuduhan utama ialah karier saya dipercepatkan kerana saya menantu Perdana Menteri. Bahaslah apa pun. Persepsi bahawa laluan saya dipermudahkan cepat merebak. Apakah salah dan dosa saya, sebenarnya kerana menjadi menantu? Jodoh, ajal maut, semuanya di tangan Tuhan. Tetapi yang pasti isu menantu ini akan hilang dengan sendirinya apabila Pak Lah menyerahkan kuasa kepada Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Selepas itu berlaku, saya tidak akan dilihat sebagai seorang yang dibayangi oleh isu ini dan tidak boleh dipersalahkan lagi atas segala yang berlaku dalam pentadbiran kerajaan.

Tetapi apakah semua persepsi itu betul?
KHAIRY: Tidak. Saya menjadi sasaran mudah umpama kambing hitam. Kita mesti akui setiap pemimpin apatah lagi Perdana Menteri mempunyai ramai pengkritik. Mereka ini akan cari sasaran mudah untuk menyerang, memandangkan saya menantu Perdana Menteri dan kebetulan pula terlibat dalam politik, segala permasalahan pentadbiran negara dikatakan berpunca daripada KJ.

Persepsi ini menjadi mengarut sampai harga minyak naik pun saya disalahkan. Pemilihan calon-calon pilihan raya pun salah saya juga. Semua tuduhan ini bersifat sensasi, umpama menjelmakan insan kerdil seperti Khairy Jamaluddin menjadi punca segalanya. Sampai hari ini apabila saya mencabar mereka yang menuduh saya untuk kemukakan bukti, mereka gagal. Jadi saya percaya, semua itu adalah agenda politik untuk melemahkan Perdana Menteri dan menguburkan kerjaya politik saya.

Bagaimanapun saya pasrah dan reda dengan dugaan ini dan berharap perwakilan yang berjumpa saya mengenali KJ sebenarnya dan boleh memisahkan antara realiti dan persepsi.

Difahamkan YB sekali lagi akan menjadi sasaran penulis-penulis buku politik?
KHAIRY: Secara peribadi dan prinsipnya, saya menghormati hak setiap orang mengkritik, menegur, menyokong atau menyatakan beliau tidak gemar pemimpin tertentu. Cuma kalau boleh elakkan perbuatan mencerca dan menghindari perkataan yang terlalu kesat. Ini kerana, apapun perbezaan pandangan, jangan kita meletakkan tahap kita serendah mereka yang dijelaskan oleh Rasulullah umpama memakan daging saudaranya sendiri.

Saya harap perwakilan tidak dipengaruhi oleh buku-buku politik yang jelas berat sebelah dan menyerang calon-calon secara peribadi. Mereka sudah ada masa yang agak lama untuk menilai setiap calon. Penilaian yang dibuat secara langsung in person adalah lebih sahih daripada cerita dalam sesetengah buku-buku politik yang berniat menjatuhkan pemimpin.

Apa masalah utama yang harus diselesaikan oleh seorang Ketua Pemuda?
KHAIRY: Masalah utama berhubung kemerosotan sokongan kepada UMNO dan Barisan Nasional (BN). Ini adalah cabaran utama Pemuda UMNO.

Dalam hal ini, saya akan mantapkan lagi gerak kerja Pemuda dalam dua aspek. Pertama, dari segi latihan dan pendidikan politik. Ia bertujuan memperkuatkan jati diri ahli dan merakyatkan Pemuda. Maksudnya, dalam setiap tindakan Pemuda selepas ini akan membawa kesan positif kepada rakyat kerana Pemuda harus dilihat sebagai pembela nasib rakyat.

Perkara kedua, mengembalikan peranan aktivis dalam Pemuda. Saya akan menubuhkan kor penceramah dan imam muda iaitu lima penceramah dan lima imam muda dari setiap bahagian. Mereka akan menjadi aktivis kita di peringkat akar umbi dan memastikan dalam dua aspek yang mungkin kita nampak ada sedikit kelemahan iaitu penyampaian maklumat dan aktiviti keagamaan.

Saya juga akan menubuhkan unit penyampai maklumat yang akan menggunakan teknologi terkini bagi memastikan setiap ahli dan rakyat sentiasa dibekalkan dengan maklumat dan keputusan terkini yang dibuat oleh pemimpin. Ini termasuk unit perang siber yang lebih agresif melalui kaedah seperti blog dan juga portal rangkaian sosial seperti Facebook dan MySpace yang begitu popular di kalangan generasi muda. Maklumat yang kita sampaikan mesti terkini, tepat dan padat. Barulah ahli kita memahami bagaimana nak berdepan dengan sesuatu isu di kawasan masing-masing.

Tetapi dikalangan Pergerakan Pemuda sendiri dikatakan berlaku jurang antara ahli dengan pemimpin?
KHAIRY: Sebab itulah saya ingin membawa pendekatan mengakar umbikan kepimpinan Pemuda. Yang pertama, saya akan pastikan mesyuarat exco Pemuda dibuat di setiap negeri. Ini akan memperlihatkan pemimpin Pemuda turun ke bawah dan sentiasa bersama ahli-ahli. Saya juga berharap mesyuarat Pemuda negeri juga akan dibuat di setiap bahagian dan bukan di ibu negeri sahaja.

Saya juga akan hidupkan kembali program Pemuda masuk kampong supaya Pemuda dilihat bersama dengan masyarakat setempat. Kita perlu kikis imej Pemuda UMNO sebagai satu institusi yang dilihat elit melalui langkah turun kebawah bersama rakyat. Saya bercadang untuk sentiasa bergerak kebahagian-bahagian untuk memahami masalah rakyat secara langsung tanpa bergantung kepada laporan ibu pejabat. Kita perlu kepada kepimpinan yang hands on dalam keadaan politik hari ini. Bagi menaikkan martabat Pemuda di akar umbi, saya akan mencadangkan satu pindaan kepada Perlembagaan parti bagi membolehkan ketua-ketua Pemuda cawangan menjadi perwakilan secara automatik kepada mesyuarat perwakilan bahagian. Ini akan mengurangkan jurang antara Pemuda cawangan dan bahagian induk dan memberi suara kepada Pemuda di peringkat akar umbi. Ia juga merupakan harapan ahli akar umbi yang rasa diri mereka tidak dibela kerana tidak ada kuasa politik.

Ramai generasi muda terjejas akibat kegawatan ekonomi, apa visi YB dalam hal ini?
KHAIRY: Bagi saya, yang penting adalah kita dapat menjanakan ekonomi di peringkat akar umbi. Saya akan bekerja kuat dalam memantau agensi-agensi kerajaan agar pakej rangsangan ekonomi RM60 bilion yang baru diumumkan sampai ke golongan muda supaya mereka ini mendapat pekerjaan, memperolehi modal pinjaman serta peluang bagi menjana ekonomi. Banyak masalah yang dihadapi dalam ekonomi hari ini adalah disebabkan oleh birokrasi dan kerenah institusi kewangan dan jabatan kerajaan. Perkara ini perlu perhatian dan antara tugas Pemuda adalah untuk memudahkan generasi muda mendapat akses kepada kemudahan dan peluang ekonomi yang disediakan oleh kerajaan.

Jika dilantik sebagai Ketua Pemuda, salah satu tanggung jawab saya adalah menjaga kebajikan orang muda. Dan saya akan pastikan Pemuda bukan hanya memainkan peranan sebagai pendesak tetapi juga pemudah cara untuk memastikan pemerkasaan ekonomi orang muda di peringkat akar umbi berjalan dengan baik. Isu utama bagi saya adalah pengangguran dan peluang untuk memulakan perniagaan bagi generasi muda.

Antara tiga kelompok yang saya telah kenal pasti dan memerlukan perhatian iaitu generasi ke dua bagi Felda dan Felcra, generasi kedua dari kampung-kampung tradisi dan golongan muda yang berasal dari keluarga yang berpendapatan rendah di bandar. Jika Pemuda dilihat mengambil berat masalah ekonomi mereka dengan inisiatif menarik, saya percaya kita dapat mengembalikan keyakinan mereka terhadap gagasan politik yang dibawa oleh UMNO.

Institusi Melayu nampaknya semakin diperkotak-katikkan, apakah komen YB?
KHAIRY: Saya cukup sensitif terhadap suatu konspirasi yang seolah-olah mahu memperkotak-katikkan institusi asas negara iaitu institusi raja-raja Melayu dan juga kontrak sosial yang telah dimeterai oleh semua kaum.

Saya percaya Pemuda harus berada di barisan hadapan mempertahankan institusi ini, malah saya sendiri secara lantang bersuara bagi memastikan bangsa dan institusi raja-raja tidak diperlekehkan. Bila Pemuda disifatkan sebagai ‘celaka’, rasanya sayalah antara yang paling awal tampil mencabar orang itu mengeluarkan bukti yang Pemuda UMNO ada mengirimkan peluru hidup pada beliau. Apabila kemuliaan institusi Raja Raja Melayu dipersendakan saya tampil mempertahankannya. Saya meramalkan serangan terhadap bangsa dan institusi Melayu akan bertambah hebat. Saya akan membawa kepimpinan yang mempertahankan bangsa dan institusi Melayu bukan dengan cara konfrontasi dan beremosi tetapi dengan intelek, kewarasan dan hikmah.

Pemuda UMNO perlu tewaskan mereka yang memperlekehkan kita dengan akal dan ketajaman pemikiran. Saya bersedia berdepan dengaan mana-mana pihak termasuk pembangkang demi mempertahankan maruah bangsa dan negara.Sekarang sudah tiba masa kita berdepan secara terbuka dengan musuh-musuh kita dan Pemuda perlu kepimpinan yang bukan hanya berani tetapi juga mampu mengatasi serangan tersebut dalam medan politik.

Jika dilihat dari segi umur, YB adalah yang termuda, apakah ia akan memainkan peranan dalam pemilihan?
KHAIRY: Saya rasa faktor umur penting kerana hanya orang muda dapat memahami jiwa orang muda. Sebagai seorang calon yang masih dalam umur Pemuda, sudah pasti visi saya adalah untuk Pemuda dan bersifat jangka panjang. Saya tidak melihat jawatan Ketua Pemuda sebagai batu loncatan. Kalau nak singgah untuk sepenggal, kita takkan dapat membawa pembaharuan berkekalan. Saya menawarkan diri sebagai calon yang mempunyai wawasan jangka masa panjang untuk Pemuda.

Itulah sebabnya, mengapa saya memilih slogan Setiakawan supaya saya dapat menubuhkan satu rangkaian yang seangkatan dengan saya dan akan terus maju bersama dalam politik.

Begitu juga apabila saya lebih senang bergerak dipanggil KJ. Panggilan KJ memudahkan saya bergerak tanpa protokol tertentu dan bagi mendekatkan diri dengan golongan sasar Pemuda. Bagi saya, ahli Pemuda dan semua golongan muda perlu diyakini bahawa mereka mempunyai akses kepada pemimpin mereka. Inilah pegangan saya.

Dua lagi calon tidak mahu menerima jawatan dalam Kabinet, jika mereka dipilih sebagai Ketua Pemuda?
KHAIRY: Saya menghormati keputusan kedua-dua sahabat saya itu. Bagaimanapun soal pelantikan sebagai anggota pentadbiran adalah hak mutlak Perdana Menteri. Tetapi jika Ketua Pemuda dilantik, saya melihat ini sebagai satu penghormatan kepada orang muda dan memberi ruang kepada Ketua Pemuda menterjemahkan inspirasi dan wawasan Pemuda UMNO dan juga kepentingan golongan muda di dalam Kerajaan.

Apa harapan YB berkaitan peralihan kuasa yang akan berlangsung tidak lama lagi?
KHAIRY: Saya yakin proses peralihan kuasa akan berjalan lancar kerana ia melibatkan dua pemimpin berjiwa besar. Saya mempunyai keyakinan tinggi terhadap kepimpinan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak sebagai bakal Perdana Menteri dan Presiden UMNO walaupun beliau mengambil alih dari seorang pemimpin yang juga bapa mertua saya. Saya berikrar untuk member sokongan dan kesetiaan yang tidak berbelah bagi kepada Najib.

Satu nasihat penting yang Pak Lah berikan kepada saya, kita perlu menjadi orang parti yang kuat. Contohnya, pada tahun 1987, dalam pemilihan parti, apabila ada team B kalah… Pak Lah tidak keluar dari UMNO walaupun dipecat dari jawatan kabinet. Di situ beliau membuktikan kesetiaannya kepada parti. Jadi, bagi saya yang diajar untuk menjadi orang kuat parti UMNO, saya akan terus memberi komitmen kepada kepimpinan parti. Saya juga percaya bahawa Najib is the right man at the right time. Beliau adalah seorang pemimpin yang diangkat tepat pada masanya.

Akhir kata jika ditakdirkan YB kalah. Apakah YB akan terus menyumbang pada parti?
KHAIRY: Saya dipilih menjadi Ahli Parlimen Rembau atas tiket UMNO-BN. UMNO adalah wadah perjuangan bagi saya. Saya tidak sekali-kali akan kecewa dengan UMNO. Kalau saya menang pula, pertama sekali saya harus rapatkan barisan dan beri keyakinan kepada penyokong-penyokong Mukhriz dan Mohamad Khir bahawa saya bersama mereka sejajar dengan tema dan falsafah kempen ‘Setiakawan’.

Saya tidak sama sekali akan mengenepikan Mukhriz dan Mohamad Khir, sebagai contoh; kalaulah berlaku satu pilihanraya kecil di Selangor, kita sangat memerlukan peranan dan sumbangan Mohamad Khir manakala Mukhriz pula mempunyai idea-idea yang boleh disumbangkan untuk Pemuda.

Adalah menjadi tanggung jawab saya menyatukan kesemua elemen dan ahli dalam Pemuda.

(Sumber: Mingguan Malaysia)

Siapa bakal pemimpin generasi baru?

2009-03-16T15:20:00.001+08:00

Oleh Zulkiflee Bakar (15 Mac 2009)

Hari ini, Mingguan Malaysia menyiarkan wawancara dengan calon-calon yang akan bertanding bagi jawatan Ketua Pemuda dan Ketua Wanita UMNO.

Bagi jawatan Ketua Pemuda, tiga calon akan bersaing iaitu Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, Datuk Seri Dr.Mohamad Khir Toyo dan Khairy Jamaludin manakala bagi jawatan Ketua Wanita pula ia menyaksikan pertarungan antara penyandang jawatan, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz dan Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Sudah pastilah wawancara yang disiarkan akan memberikan sedikit pendedahan kepada perwakilan kedua-dua sayap itu untuk mengetahui serba sedikit mengenai calon-calon berkenaan. Melalui cara sedemikian, perwakilan akan memahami dan membuat pertimbangan yang sewajarnya berhubung siapa paling layak memimpin mereka.

Hakikatnya, dalam kedudukan UMNO sekarang selepas apa yang berlaku dalam pilihan raya umum lalu serta kemunculan hampir 2 juta pengundi baru yang terdiri daripada generasi muda, pemilihan ketua yang tepat bagi kedua-dua sayap berkenaan amat penting.

Keputusan yang dibuat haruslah berasaskan kepada keyakinan bahawa pemimpin yang dipilih mampu menerajui sayap-sayap penting UMNO bagi meraih sokongan rakyat terutamanya generasi muda.

Atas sebab itulah, dalam membuat keputusan, para perwakilan tidak harus terjebak dengan sebarang taktik kotor yang mungkin digunakan oleh penyokong-penyokong calon bagi meraih kejayaan.

Sebaliknya, mereka perlu memperhitungkan dari semua segi sama ada pemimpin yang hendak dipilih itu benar-benar berwibawa dan serasi dengan kehendak generasi muda serta rakyat.

Dalam soal ini, keputusan berasaskan kepada persepsi, buruk sangka dan andaian harus diketepikan sama sekali. Penilaian tidak harus dilakukan secara lahiriah semata-mata tetapi juga melalui kajian yang mendalam mengenai kemampuan seseorang calon.

Mereka juga tidak harus terpengaruh dengan dakyah penulis-penulis buku politik yang akan muncul bagi melahirkan idea songsang bagi menjatuhkan mana-mana calon.

Bagi perwakilan Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO, mereka mempunyai tiga pilihan sama ada memilih Mukhriz, Mohamad Khir atau Khairy. Ketiga-tiga mereka mempunyai track record dan pencapaian tersendiri.

Namun apa yang perlu difahami ialah cabaran yang menanti Pemuda UMNO amat getir. Pemuda memerlukan seorang ketua yang bukan sahaja mampu memimpin malah lebih penting berupaya mengatur strategi bagi memastikan generasi muda menyokong BN. Mereka tidak boleh memilih pemimpin yang dilihat mudah mengalah dan tidak tahan dengan tekanan memandangkan apabila menjadi ketua nanti, tekanan yang bakal diterima adalah lebih hebat berbanding segala senario yang berlaku ketika pemilihan.

Kriteria Ketua Pemuda yang diperlukan bukan sahaja berwawasan malah cukup bertenaga bagi melayan kehendak dunia generasi muda, ertinya bak kata orang di waktu pagi mampu hadir mesyuarat bersama Perdana Menteri, tengah hari menghadiri pertemuan peringkat antarabangsa, sebelah petang bermain futsal bersama para belia dan sebelah malam melayari internet bagi mendapat perkembangan terkini.

Justeru dalam membuat pilihan, perwakilan Pemuda perlu melihat kekuatan dan kelemahan seseorang calon. Mereka tidak boleh terperangkap dengan segala tohmahan, fitnah, persepsi dan buruk sangka. Kesemua calon harus diadili dengan seadil-adilnya dan bukannya dikorbankan hanya kerana persepsi atau andaian. Apa yang paling penting dalam mencari kemenangan semangat setiakawan di dalam Pemuda harus dikekalkan.

Jangan kerana berebut jawatan maka segala taktik kotor digunakan sehingga ia akhirnya akan menguntungkan pembangkang. Biarlah pertandingan berjalan secara adil dan saksama.

Pemuda hanya ingin memilih yang terbaik antara tiga calon yang bertanding dan bukannya mengundi untuk menguburkan karier politik sesiapa. Ketua yang akan dipilih harus mampu diterima oleh generasi muda selari dengan kehendak dan aspirasi mereka.

Tidak perlulah mana-mana penyokong calon memperkecilkan antara satu sama lain, ini adalah pemilihan dalam parti, ia hanya bersifat sementara sebelum barisan kepimpinan Pemuda turun ke gelanggang sebenar menentang barisan pembangkang.

Penyokong-penyokong calon tidak harus dalam pemilihan ini `mengumpul’ sebanyak mungkin ‘peluru’ untuk digunakan oleh pembangkang dalam pilihan raya. Kerusi Ketua Pemuda hanya satu, ertinya dua calon pasti akan kalah, persoalannya apakah kerana perebutan dalam parti segala-galanya harus ‘ditelanjangi’ yang akhir mengakibatkan UMNO kehilangan pemimpin?

Oleh itu kalau pun hendak menunjukkan keberanian dalam berkempen janganlah sampai semangat setiakawan dikorbankan kerana ketiga-tiga calon tersebut pun sudah pasti tidak akan merestuinya. Apa yang penting pemilihan ini harus bertujuan bagi memperkukuhkan parti dan bukannya menghancurkan UMNO.

Kepada perwakilan, mereka perlu sedar amanah yang ada pada diri mereka. Jangan terlalu mengambil kesempatan dengan menganggap persaingan sengit antara tiga calon itu akan membuka laluan kepada mereka untuk ‘menuai keuntungan’. Sikap terlalu melihat kepada ganjaran sehingga tersilap memilih ketua akan mendatangkan kesan yang amat buruk kepada pergerakan itu.

Bagi Wanita UMNO pula, setelah berlaku kontroversi berhubung bagaimana seharusnya jawatan ketua diwarisi, akhirnya penentuan akan dilakukan antara Rafidah dan Shahrizat.

Perwakilan Wanita akan membuat keputusan siapa yang mereka fikir layak untuk menerajui sayap berkenaan dan paling penting melalui keputusan itu, ia akan memaparkan bahawa mereka bijak memilih pemimpin.

Dalam soal ini, walaupun kaum wanita sememangnya dikenali sebagai golongan yang mempunyai emosi yang tinggi tetapi dalam membuat keputusan tersebut mereka perlulah matang. Ia bukan pertandingan untuk menyelamatkan karier politik sesiapa sebaliknya satu pemilihan bagi memastikan Wanita mempunyai pemimpin yang benar-benar layak bagi membantu UMNO dan BN dalam pilihan raya.

Oleh itu seperti juga pertandingan dalam Pemuda, perwakilan Wanita yang sudah tentu terdiri daripada mereka yang lebih tua daripada perwakilan Pemuda perlu matang dalam membuat keputusan.

Kalau mereka memikirkan bahawa era salah seorang calon sudah berlalu maka putuskan dalam pemilihan kali ini, begitu juga kalau mereka merasakan salah seorang calon tidak berkeupayaan untuk mengemudi Wanita bagi berhadapan cabaran getir yang menanti UMNO dan BN.

Segala-galanya diputuskan dengan matang dan bijak bukan berasaskan kepada persepsi apatah lagi terperangkap dengan sikap hipokrit mana-mana calon. Pemilihan ini bakal menentukan masa depan UMNO bukannya soal karier politik atau keserasian antara satu pemimpin dengan pemimpin yang lain. Apa guna keserasian dalam parti, kalau akhirnya UMNO ditolak oleh rakyat?

Oleh itu perwakilan Wanita perlu memikirkan semasak-masaknya siapa yang mereka mahu menjadi ketua mereka. Tidak perlulah buruk memburuk antara satu sama lain atau mana-mana calon yang merebut jawatan dalam pergerakan itu terlalu banyak bersandiwara.

Wanita UMNO adalah salah satu sayap terpenting dalam parti itu, selama ini ia sudah banyak memberi sumbangan kepada kejayaan BN. Justeru jangan sampai pergerakan berkenaan menjadi lemah hanya semata-mata kerana perebutan jawatan. Dalam soal ini kesemua calon yang bertanding tidak kira apa pun jawatan perlu ikhlas. Janganlah berpuak-puak atau merasakan diri kita sahaja hebat. Sama ada seseorang pemimpin itu hebat atau tidak, rakyat yang akan menentukannya dalam pilihan raya.

Jika rakyat merasakan Wanita UMNO sudah menyediakan barisan kepimpinan yang mantap sudah pasti mereka akan menyokongnya tetapi kalau mereka melihat ada sesuatu yang tidak kena kepada calon yang dipilih maka BN akan menerima pembalasannya.

Apa pun keadaannya, rakyat sedang memerhati apa yang berlaku dalam UMNO sekarang termasuklah di dalam Pemuda dan Wanita. Sama ada kedua-dua sayap itu akan mampu meraih sokongan rakyat atau tidak ia bergantung kepada saf kepimpinan yang bakal dipilih.

Pemuda dan Wanita memerlukan suntikan bukan sekadar untuk melihat ia cantik dari luar sahaja tetapi lebih penting berdaya tahan dalam berhadapan cabaran mendatang. Terserahlah kepada perwakilan untuk menentukannya tetapi apa yang diharapkan jangan sampai kerana terlalu taksub menyokong seseorang calon ia sampai mengorbankan calon yang benar-benar layak.

Sumber: Mingguan Malaysia

KHAIRY CETUS IDEA DAN KOMEN MEMBINA TENTANG MINI BAJET

2009-03-14T08:10:00.006+08:00

Klik disini untuk menyaksikan rakaman siaran langsung dari Parlimen [Video]

Saudara Khairy Jamaluddin telah muncul bersama YB Ahli Parlimen Batu Pahat, Dato’ Dr Moh Puad Zarkashi dalam program Lintas Langsung Dari Parlimen yang disiarkan secara langsung selama sejam dari pukul 10.00, 10 Mac 2009.

Bertepatan dengan tarikh pembentangan mini bajet nasional oleh YAB Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Kewangan, Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak, perbincangan pada pagi tersebut lebih menjurus dan berkisar kepada pakej ransangan ekonomi.

Ketika ditanya pada awal siaran tersebut mengenai harapan untuk mini bajet, Saudara Khairy menjelaskan bahawa mini bajet ini dibentangkan dengan berlatar belakangkan kemelesetan dan kegawatan ekonomi dunia yang meruncing dan ini menunjukkan komitmen dan tindak balas dari
Kerajaan yang sentiasa peka kepada keadaan semasa dan kebajikan rakyat. Dari segi perinciannya pula, haruslah dihalusi akan jumlah, sektor yang ditumpukan, kaedah serta mekanisme pembayaran jumlah mini bajet tersebut, ujar beliau.

Sebagai selingan, hos bagi rancangan itu Saudara Sabaruddin Ahmad turut meminta pandangan Khairy mengenai PPSMI. Menurut Khairy, pendirian dan ketetapan beliau adalah konsisten dan jelas di mana beliau sejak dahulu lagi tidak bersetuju dengan dasar dan perlaksanaan PPSMI. Namun, pada masa yang sama juga beliau tidak bersetuju dengan usaha-usaha yang mempolitikkan PPSMI sekarang ini. Beliau berharap Kerajaan akan mengumumkan keputusan berkenaan halatuju PPSMI dalam masa terdekat dan pada masa yang sama berharap agar rakyat semua dapat bersabar dan menunggu keputusan tersebut.

Bercakap mengenai perlaksanaan mini bajet tersebut, Saudara Khairy menghuraikan bahawa, pertamanya, setiap perbelanjaan Kerajaan memerlukan kesan gandaan atau multiplier effects kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia. Keduanya pula, dari segi jumlah – ia hendaklah berkemampuan untuk memberi anjakan bagi menghindari risiko krisis ekonomi, terutama apabila kadar pertumbuhan suku ke empat 2008 hanya pada 0.1 peratus. Beliau menjelaskan bahawa Kerajaan telah memperuntukkan sebanyak RM10 bilion untuk mini bajet, dan sekiranya ia dinaikkan kepada RM20 bilion, ia masih pada tahap 3 peratus GDP. Selanjutnya, beliau menerangkan bahawa Kerajaan memerlukan kaedah perbelanjaan yang boleh memberi impak serta merta kepada rakyat kerana jika ia sekadar kerja-kerja atau projek infrastruktur – ia akan menelan masa yang agak lama untuk sampai terus kepada rakyat. Jadi, Kerajaan perlu juga memperuntukkan inisiatif berbentuk subsidi atau banturan terus yang boleh meringankan beban rakyat.

Menyentuh mengenai isu pengangguran, Saudara Khairy menegaskan bahawa isu pengangguran adalah isu generasi muda kerana kebanyakan mereka yang bekerja dan menganggur adalah dari golongan tersebut. Beliau juga menekankan bahawa perlu ada usaha-usaha untuk membantu syarikat-syarikat yang dilanda tekanan ekonomi mengurangkan kos mereka seperti pengurangan cukai atau pengurangan sementara bayaran balik hutang.

Seterusnya beliau mengutarakan cadangan sekim insuran pengangguran atau unemployment insurance scheme yang boleh membantu dan meringankan beban mereka yang diberhentikan kerja. Sekim yang sudahpun diamalkan di negara-negara maju itu melibatkan sumbangan dan penglibatan dari pihak majikan, pekerja serta Kerajaan dan amat bersesuaian dengan senario semasa. “Kita tidak boleh beranggapan bahawa negara kita selesa dengan full employment lagi,” ujar Khairy. Beliau juga berpendapat bahawa sekim berkenaan lebih sesuai digunakan bagi membantu golongan penganggur daripada pengeluaran dana KWSP, yang pada asasnya adalah simpanan untuk hari tua.

Saudara Khairy juga mejelaskan bahawa pendekatan bersifat ekonomi makro semata-mata tidak akan dapat membantu kita melepaskan diri dari krisis ekonomi dunia sekarang. “Kita juga perlu pendekatan mikro atau setempat”, jelas beliau. Sebagai contoh, perlaksanaan mana-mana projek pertanian di Rembau amat menekankan aspek kesan gandaan seperti penjanaan pekerjaan.

Menyentuh mengenai latihan pada pekerjaan, Saudara Khairi menegaskan bahawa latihan pada dasarnya hendaklah mengikut dan reflektif kepada kehendak pasaran.

Dari segi perbezaan ekonomi dunia dan Malaysia pula, Saudara Khairi menjelaskan bahawa terdapat dua perbezaan utama iaitu, pertamanya, sektor kewangan kita masih adalah kukuh dan keduanya, kita mempunyai kadar simpanan yang tinggi. Maka, kita haruslah mencari jalan untuk penggunaan produktif dana simpanan tersebut dalam bentuk pelaburan. Institusi-institusi kewangan pula hendaklah mengurangkan kerenah birokrasi dalam pinjaman. Selanjutnya Khairy menjelaskan bahawa, mini bajet ini juga berperanan untuk membina keyakinan pengguna untuk berbelanja bagi menjana ekonomi.

Dalam aspek pekerja asing, Saudara Khairy berpendapat bahawa ia melibatkan isu penyelarasan kerana ia berkait rapat dengan isu permintaan buruh dari sektor-sektor tertentu dan juga aspek
penguatkuasaan. Khairy menegaskan bahawa dasar pekerjaan negara hendaklah pro-rakyat tempatan.

Semasa sessi Lintas Langsung tersebut, YB Dato’ Dr Puad memberi beberapa ulasan dan cadangan seperti kempen membeli barangan buatan tempatan, pengurangan kerenah birokrasi serta sistem penyampaian yang dapat memberi kesan dan impak terus kepada rakyat.

Semasa ulasan penutup beliau, Saudara Khairy menjelaskan bahawa keadaan ekonomi kita masih lagi kukuh dan sihat dan mini bajet ini merupakan satu respon dari Kerajaan bagi menangani impak krisis ekonomi dunia. Beliau berharap mini bajet ini akan dapat sampai terus
kepada rakyat dan mencapai impak serta merta. Di samping itu beliau juga mengingatkan semua yang dua rakan utama ekspot negara iaitu Amerika Syarikat dan Singapura sudah pun dilanda kemelesetan ekonomi. Seterusnya beliau menekankan kepentingan untuk Kerajaan membela kebajikan rakyat serta menangani pengangguran.

UMNO kena bersetiakawan, saran Najib

2009-03-08T13:24:00.002+08:00

Sumber: Berita Harian (7 Mac) - Umno mahu pastikan BN menang

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno menghormati semangat setiakawan Barisan Nasional (BN) dan tidak akan mempertikaikan soal calon sama ada dari MIC atau sesiapa pun yang bertanding pada pilihan raya kecil Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Bukit Selambau, Kedah pada 7 April depan.

Timbalan Presiden Umno, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, berkata Umno negeri, termasuk bahagian Merbok akan bekerja keras bagi memastikan calon dipilih pucuk pimpinan BN merampas semula kerusi DUN berkenaan.

"Saya ingin nyatakan Umno Kedah dan Umno bahagian Merbok akan memberi kerjasama sepenuhnya dan komited untuk memastikan calon BN pada pilihan raya kecil ini mencapai kemenangan. "Soal calon tidak timbul. Sesiapa dari mana-mana parti sekali pun yang diputuskan oleh pucuk pimpinan parti akan diterima oleh Umno Kedah dan bahagian Merbok," katanya pada sidang media selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Umno dengan Badan Perhubungan Umno Kedah di ibu pejabat parti, di sini, semalam.

Mesyuarat bagi membincangkan persiapan parti untuk pilihan kecil Bukit Selambau itu dihadiri dua Naib Presiden Umno, Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam dan Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin; Ketua Wanita, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz; dan Ketua Pemuda, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein; Ketua Penerangan, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib serta Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Kedah, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

Kerusi DUN Bukit Selambau, dalam Parlimen Merbok itu kosong berikutan peletakan jawatan wakil rakyatnya, V Arumugam pada 9 Februari lalu.

Najib Setuju Semangat Setiakawan

2009-03-08T13:03:00.003+08:00

Timbalan Perdana Menteri , Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak setuju dengan Semangat Setiakawan sebagai teras falsafah kerjasama sesama ahli komponen parti BN. Ini juga selari dan sejajar dengan tema Setiakawan KJ.

Sumber: UTUSAN MALAYSIA: UMNO hormati semangat setiakawan BN

KUALA LUMPUR 7 Mac - UMNO sentiasa menghormati semangat setiakawan dalam Barisan Nasional (BN) dan bersedia menyokong sesiapa sahaja yang dipilih oleh pucuk pimpinan parti sebagai calon kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Bukit Selambau termasuk daripada MIC.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, komitmen yang sama juga telah dinyatakan oleh Badan Perhubungan UMNO Kedah dan UMNO Bahagian Merbok bagi memastikan calon BN mencapai kemenangan pada pilihan raya kecil 7 April ini.

Beliau yang juga Timbalan Presiden UMNO menjelaskan, tidak pernah timbul dalam UMNO sebarang pertikaian mengenai calon parti mana yang lebih layak, sebaliknya semua pihak akan bekerjasama sebagai satu pasukan.

"Saya ingin nyatakan UMNO Kedah dan UMNO Merbok akan memberi kerjasama sepenuhnya dan akan komited untuk memastikan calon BN mencapai kejayaan dalam pilihan raya kecil kali ini.

"Bagi UMNO, tidak timbul pertikaian mengenai calon. Kita boleh menerima sesiapa sahaja termasuk daripada MIC. Itu terserah kepada pucuk pimpinan BN dan kita sentiasa menghormati semangat setiakawan dalam BN," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang akhbar selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat antara Jawatankuasa Pengurusan UMNO Pusat dan Badan Perhubungan UMNO Kedah di sini hari ini.
Kerusi DUN Bukit Selambau kosong setelah wakil rakyatnya, V. Arumugam daripada Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) meletakkan jawatan pada 8 Februari lalu dan menghilangkan diri sehingga hari ini.

Sebelum ini, Ketua UMNO Bahagian Merbok, Datuk Tajul Urus Md. Zain berkata, kerusi DUN Bukit Selambau yang diserahkan kepada MIC 14 tahun lalu wajar dikembalikan kepada UMNO kerana parti itu mempunyai peluang yang lebih cerah untuk menang.

Mengenai calon BN yang akan diumumkan, Najib berkata, terserah kepada pucuk pimpinan BN untuk memutuskannya.

"Boleh jadi sehari sebelum penamaan calon atau lebih awal dari itu," katanya.

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, Najib memberitahu, agenda mesyuarat berkaitan dengan pembahagian tugas dan penyelarasan berkaitan pilihan raya berkenaan.

Katanya, dengan kerjasama yang lebih erat di dalam UMNO sendiri dan di antara parti komponen, pihaknya akan berusaha memastikan gerak kerja jentera BN berjalan dengan lancar

Winning and Winnable Team

2009-03-04T10:02:00.000+08:00

Source: SakMongkol AK47

A few months back, I started blogging about KJ. He has announced his intention to go for the ketua pemuda post. It was a logical step considering he is the Naib Ketua Pemuda. It's not good for a young man to stifle his ambitions. A few years serving as deputy head of Pemuda has allowed him to gain firsthand knowledge and experience.

Can anyone deny that for better or for worse, KJ has been at the forefront of many Pemuda outings that were required to show its existence? UMNO consented to whatever Pemuda was doing at that moment. Those were necessary for UMNO's armour propre. Can anyone imagine, UMNO without the rambunctiousness of Pemuda? Otherwise, what is it? Is it just an organisation headed by the very much subdued Hishamudin Hussein?

That reality is, UMNO youth would not be UMNO youth without some characteristics associated with the recklessness of youth. So, I will just dismiss these Johnny-come-lately censorships of what should have been done right. We are burdened with what is. These criticisms which were mostly directed of course at KJ are just noises from the chisel after the house is already completed. The point is, no one UMNO youth leaders, KJ or non KJ need apologise for UMNO youth being UMNO youth.

I started with my own apprehension of KJ. He has been pictured as an ogre whose ambitions know no bounds. To worsen things, he has been the centre of the Khairy chronicles. The author of the KJ chronicles is none other than the notorious RPK. I use the term notorious to signify an open ended reputation. When he is politically gone, you may wish to assign him any epitaph you desire. It is similar to the prefix of notorious BIG, the rap singer.

I have written well over 40 articles on why I support KJ. I have received criticisms on my stand. Some even questioned my moral compass. One very virulent commentator even said KJ and I have no business to be in UMNO. I am saddened by this kind of attitude. Just what kind of people is fit to be in UMNO? The docile and muted kind who never question the basis of power held by the UMNO leadership? Are they the unquestioning ever trusting 'digits' that will forever be used as fodder to the political canons in UMNO? Used when needed and glorified when intended to be used as shield? For too long the majority in UMNO have been dead in their loyalty. Now it is time for the majority to be alive even though in rebellion.

What is the basis of UMNO's power? Islam has never been its raison d'être. Please don't insult our intelligence by insisting it is so. Have you been to any of the UMNO General Assemblies? If you have, then the behaviour of the rambunctious UMNO delegates would dispel any notions that UMNO's raison d'être is Islam.

The basis of UMNO's power is power itself couched in the concept of nationalism. The basis of UMNO's power is economic patronage. To me these are the twin pillars on which the foundation of UMNO power rests.

So when one commentator recently asked-UMNO needs a winning team, or dream team, which team does she want to lead UMNO? Is that the team that perpetuates the traditional basis of UMNO's power- which is power itself and economic patronage? The problem of such a foundation is that it is hollow and lacks legitimacy.

By the first pillar, UMNO imposes its power by using the instruments of power itself. It legislates its will through. Perhaps the more appropriate term is it bulldozes its way through. As a result, such attitude fails to instil conviction. A belief without conviction is hollow.

Power through economic patronage fails to secure legitimacy because such power is not supported by the merits of the recipient. Because it is not funded on intrinsic strengths, it suffers from lack of legitimacy and that makes power that is achieved through that way, weakly defensible.

What we actually need is a winnable team, not a winning team. The concept of winnable suggests that you win because of something you can achieve and do. You win people over by the force of reasoned arguments and not the application of physical force or the coercive instruments of power. The concept of winning team suggests that UMNO leadership is given. That at once places us as the mute and docile majority.

It is back to my old argument of ascriptive and achieving norms. The subscribers to ascriptive norms will want a team held together by clubbish instincts. You are inducted into its fraternity because of who you are. You are inducted into the club because of your status. Emphasis on this belonging-ness therefore disqualifies others who challenge the age-old system. More worrisome is that a team founded on ascriptive norms, legitimizes itself through the instruments of power and economic patronage. Because it is founded on these pillars, it perpetuates the system in which UMNO presently finds itself in troubled waters.

The attempt to link UMNO's winnable prospects to KJ or specifically to the EXCLUSION of KJ is a flawed argument. What more when the basis of exclusion is based on private perception that KJ is young and impatient etc.etc. That renders such arguments, unconvincing. I can use other unflattering description of such an argument but will exercise restraint in the name of civility.

In UMNO, the dominant power source is always the party- never its wings. The pemuda or any other wings play a supportive role only and their relative prominence depends on the earnest endeavours of their respective leaders. If you have a docile and meek leader, his organisation will reflect his timidity.

The traits of a winnable team consist of those features associated with achieving norms. You are chosen because of what you can achieve and contribute. Included in the features should be the ability to appeal to the broadest spectrum of Malaysians as possible.

The only candidate among the three (not the thousands of UMNO youths) who has an appeal broad enough to make UMNO a winnable party is KJ.

The elevation of KJ as ketua pemuda represents our best chance to break the glass ceiling. It will be the singular signal that anyone can become a leader in his organisation. Otherwise, UMNO leadership will forever vests with the genetic elite. It will forever rest with the groups most identified with the nebulous concept of tradition. Which in reality simply means, you are in the inner circle, enjoying close proximity with the existing powers that be, patiently waiting for your turn, don't rock the boat types. Well, this type of leadership is good for yesterday's setting.

This kind of thinking finds resonance in today's call for KJ to be patient. Why can't he wait his turn? UMNO needs a winning team? So I ask, what is UMNO's dream team? Your dream team might be a nightmare team for me. Why should KJ wait?

In my estimation, this kind of passivity driven thinking is more likely to be linked closely to people who depend on fortuitous events and on providence to shore up the leadership that we badly need. If UMNO rejects a more deterministic and purpose-driven search for its leadership and instead fall back on chance and providence, hoping willy-nilly, the right leaders will emerge, then I believe UMNO will be doomed. A new UMNO needs a conscious process to seek leadership.

The elevation of KJ represents a part of that conscious and purposeful effort and deterministic one to define what kind of leadership UMNO requires. It represents the first serious UMNO effort to foist a conscious system to find the leadership it needs.

Lawatan Ke Rumah Mangsa Banjir Di Kawasan Parlimen Rembau

2009-03-04T09:23:00.001+08:00

Source: Rembau Dot Net

2 Mac 2009 - Beberapa kawasan di dalam kawasan Parlimen Rembau telah dilanda banjir besar akibat daripada hujan lebat yang turun pada malam sebelumnya. Setelah mendapat maklumat daripada pemimpin-pemimpin tempatan dan ahli-ahli Pemuda UMNO Rembau, Sdr. Khairy yang simpati dengan nasib mangsa-mangsa banjir di kawasannya telah turun ke padang untuk melihat bdan memberikan bantuan kepada mereka yang terlibat.

Kehadiran Sdr. Khairy pada jam 4.00 petang di Kg. Paroi, iaitu salah sebuah kampung di DUN Paroi yang dilanda banjir, telah menaikkan semangat dan motivasi para penduduk yang dalam keletihan akibat tidak tidur semalaman kerana membersihkan kediaman mereka yang diliputi lumpur tebal. dalam ucapan Beliau, Sdr. Khairy memaklumkan kejadian banjir yang berlaku pada kali ini amat besar dan merupakan satu bencana alam yang tidak dapat dielakkan. Beliau juga menasihatkan agar para penduduk menjaga kesihatan masing-masing dan memantau keselamatan anak-anak sepanjang masa.

Dalam majlis ringkas yang diadakan di hadapan rumah En. Shamsul, Ketua UMNO Cawangan Kg. Paroi, Sdr. Khairy telah menyumbangkan bantuan wang tunai manakala pihak JKM telah menyumbangkan bantuan makanan kepada 31 buah keluarga yang terlibat di kampung tersebut. Selaku Ketua Pemuda UMNO Bahagian Rembau, beliau juga telah meminta seramai 50 orang ahli Pemuda Cawangan Kg. Paroi, Kg. Paroi Barat, Kg. Sentosa, Kg. Tok Dagang dan Taman Tasik Jaya Bandar untuk turun membantu membersihkan rumah-rumah yang dilanda lumpur tebal.

Terima kasih diucapkan kepada kakitangan Majlis Perbandaran Seremban dan Pejabat Daerah Seremban kerana telah sama-sama membantu penduduk membersihkan rumah dan membaiki kerosakan infrastruktur dengan segera.

Pada jam 5.45 petang pula, Sdr. Khairy telah pergi melawat kesan kejadian banjir di DUN Chembong dan menyampaikan sumbangan kecemasan di Kg. Kundur Hulu. Pada majlis tersebut, YB. Tuan Zaifulbahri Idris, ADUN Chembong telah mengumpulkan seramai 35 buah keluarga dari kampung tersebut dan 3 buah kampung lain yang turut terlibat iaitu Kg. Kundur Tengah, Kg. Pilin dan Kg. Pedas Hilir untuk menerima sumbangan daripada Ahli Parlimen Rembau dan Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat.

Antara yang hadir di majlis tersebut adalah Tn. Haji Mohd Rawi, Pegawai Daerah Rembau dan kakitangannya, Puan Rohaizal, Pegawai Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat dan beberapa agenssi kerajaan yang turun membantu sepanjang hari tersebut. Menurut daripada maklumat penduduk di sana, banjir besar yang terakhir berlaku adalah pada 13 tahun yang lepas dan penduduk tidak menjangkakan, selepas 13 tahun banjir besar tersebut berlaku lagi dan merosakkan kediaman mereka.

Lawatan Sdr. Khairy di Parlimen Rembau berakhir di Pusat Pemindahan Mangsa Banjir di Balairaya Kg. Lubok Cina pada jam 7.00 malam, dimana terdapat 6 buah keluarga yang masih tinggal di pusat pemindahan tersebut. Selain daripada menyampaikan sumbangan, beliau turut berbual dengan para penduduk dan menasihatkan mereka agar bersabar dan tidak tergesa-gesa untuk pulang ke rumah selagi keadaan banjir tidak surut sepenuhnya.

Sdr. Ijam dan Pemuda UMNO Cawangan Kg. Sentosa sedang sibuk membersihkan salah sebuah rumah yang teruk dilanda banjir lumpur.

Pemuda UMNO Cawangan Kg. Paroi bertungkus lumus membuang lumpur di sebuah rumah yang paling teruk dilanda banjir.

Petugas Parlimen Rembau melihat kesan-kesan kejadian banjir yang berlaku malam sebelumnya untuk dilaporkan kepada Pejabat DaerahSeremban.

Menyampaikan sumbangan kecemasan kepada semua mangsa banjir di Kg. Paroi

Menyampaikan bantuan makanan kepada 15 orang penduduk yang paling teruk dilanda banjir

Mengunjungi rumah penduduk yang rumahnya terletak di sebelah sungai dan paling teruk dilanda banjir

Bertanyakan khabar dan menasihati tuan rumah agar menjaga kesihatan walaupun sibuk membersihkan rumah

Mengucapkan tahniah dan terima kasih kepada ahli Pemuda Rembau yang sedia membantu apabila diperlukan khidmat mereka

Melihat kesan bencana banjir yang memusnahkan tebing sungai untuk dilaporkan kepada Pejabat Daerah Seremban bagi diambil tindakan pemulihan tebing sungai.

Berucap di hadapan mengsa banjir Kg. Kundur Hulu, Kg. Kundur Tengah, Kg. Pilin dan Kg. Pedas hilir

Besara YB Tuan Zaifulbahri Idris, ADUN Chembong menyampaikan sumbangan kewangan dan makanan kepada mangsa banjir

Menyampaikan bantuan kepada warga emas dari Kg. Kundur Tengah

Menyampaikan sumbangan kepada Ketua UMNO Cawwangan Lubok Cina yang turut tinggal di Pusat Pemindahan Banjir di Balairaya Kg. Lubok Cina

Melayan kanak-kanak yang sedang menikmati makan malam mereka di pusat pemindahan.

Pemuda dinasihat tidak lakukan konfrontasi - Malaysiakini

2009-03-02T09:34:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR 1 Mac - Naib Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO, Khairy Jamaluddin hari ini menasihatkan 700,000 anggotanya supaya tidak membuat konfrontasi atau keganasan secara fizikal yang boleh mencetuskan kekacauan.

Beliau berkata, pergerakan itu tidak pernah menggalakkan atau mengizinkan perlakuan sedemikian di kalangan anggotanya.

"Tetapi pada masa yang sama, saya ingin katakan bahawa semua ini tercetus kerana keceluparan Karpal Singh di Dewan Rakyat.

"Saya rasa Karpal Singh perlu berhati-hati, jangan main-main dengan Pemuda UMNO, dengan sentimen akar umbi sebab saya rasa kemarahan ini memang serius dan beliau harus berhati-hati dengan apa yang dia cakap," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Kejohanan Futsal Terbuka Belia Seputeh di sini.

Khairy yang juga Anggota Parlimen Rembau berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas insiden kekecohan di Parlimen, Khamis lepas yang membabitkan 30 anggota Pemuda Selangor dan Karpal, yang juga Anggota Parlimen Bukit Gelugor dan pengerusi DAP.

Karpal minggu lepas melabelkan Pemuda UMNO sebagai 'celaka' dan mendakwa pergerakan itu menghantar dua butir peluru melalui pos ke rumahnya.

"Tapi kita kena mengakui bahawa kemarahan ini berpunca daripada kenyataan yang dibuat Karpal Singh di Dewan Rakyat dan saya telah mencabar beliau untuk membuktikan bahawa peluru pistol yang dihantar kepadanya itu datang daripada Pemuda UMNO," kata Khairy.

Beliau berkata, Karpal diberi tempoh 24 jam untuk membuktikan tuduhan itu tetapi sehingga kini beliau gagal berbuat demikian, sebaliknya peguam veteran itu menyifatkan Khairy sebagai seorang 'budak kecil' yang juvenile (kanak-kanak).

"Terdapat kesilapan contoh yang dibuat oleh Karpal Singh, mungkin kepada beliau saya budak kecil, tetapi sekurang-kurangnya saya tidak mengikut seperti beliau... Saya tidak buat tuduhan yang tidak berasas... dan kalau saya budak kecil yang juvenile, mungkin beliau adalah seorang orang tua yang senile (nyanyuk)," katanya.

Beliau berkata, keceluparan Karpal di Dewan Rakyat telah mencetuskan keadaan tegang sehingga mengakibatkan sekumpulan 30 anggota Pemuda UMNO Selangor mengambil tindakan nekad untuk berdepan dengan ahli politik veteran itu bagi meminta penjelasan mengenai perkataan 'celaka' dan tuduhan terhadap Pemuda UMNO.

"Ini tuduhan yang cukup serius, cukup kesat... ini saya istilahkan sebagai politik longkang dan macam mana kita hendak kawal emosi dan sentimen sebilangan daripada 700,000 ahli Pemuda, itu baru 30 orang, jadi saya rasa Karpal Singh perlu berhati-hati dengan apa yang dia cakap selepas ini," katanya.

Khairy berkata, beliau percaya Pemuda UMNO bukanlah pihak yang memulakan kekacauan dalam insiden di Parlimen itu dan terpulanglah kepada Parlimen untuk mengambil tindakan terhadap mereka yang didapati bersalah.

Beliau juga berkata, Pemuda UMNO telah menyediakan peguam untuk membela anggotanya yang terlibat dalam insiden itu.

Source: Utusan Malaysia

Jangan Korbankan Khairy Kerana Persepsi - Malaysiakini

2009-02-26T13:39:00.000+08:00

SAYA tertarik untuk mengulas tulisan saudara Feriz Omar dalam Utusan Malaysia, semalam yang memaparkan mengenai perebutan jawatan dalam Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO.

Sebenarnya adalah menjadi hak Feriz untuk menyokong sesiapa termasuklah kepada Ahli Parlimen Jerlun, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir. Sebagai seorang pemerhati politik saya berpendapat, adalah tidak wajar jika kita hanya menilai kemampuan seorang calon sahaja.

Dalam soal ini, secara terus-terang saya katakan bahawa dari segi karisma dan kemampuan untuk mengetengahkan suara generasi muda, Ahli Parlimen Rembau, Khairy Jamaluddin juga dilihat lebih layak.

Adalah tidak wajar jika Feriz menggunakan ayat ''Walaupun Khairy dan Mohd.Khir dapat menepis tanggapan ramai terhadap mereka, peringkat akar umbi sememangnya mengenali siapakah mereka sebenarnya.''

Kita tidak tahu maksud di sebaliknya ayat ini tetapi apa yang diharapkan sebagai seorang yang memimpin sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan, Feriz perlu bertindak neutral dan tidak terlalu mencampuri urusan pertandingan dalam UMNO.

Biarlah ahli-ahli Pemuda menilai dan memilih siapa yang mereka mahu. Namun dalam keadaan UMNO berhadapan dengan cabaran yang begitu hebat termasuklah berusaha meraih sokongan generasi muda, adalah lebih baik kemampuan setiap calon yang bertanding bagi jawatan ketua Pemuda dinilai sejujur-jujurnya dan bukannya berasaskan kepada persepsi.

Pada pendapat, saya berbanding dengan calon-calon lain, Khairy adalah satu-satunya calon yang sering sahaja menjadi mangsa persepsi tidak baik. Malah apabila BN mencatat keputusan buruk dalam pilihan raya umum lalu pun nama Khairy dikaitkan.

Persoalannya kenapakah orang seperti Feriz hendak mengikut rentak pembangkang dalam menilai Khairy. Kenapakah perlu Khairy hanya dilihat dari sudut negatif? Kenapa tidak kita melihat banyak lagi kelebihan yang ada kepada Khairy?

Jika diperhatikan, Khairy sememangnya seorang pemimpin muda yang tidak disenangi oleh pembangkang kerana beliau dilihat begitu lantang dalam memperjuangkan nasib orang Melayu. Cadangan menambah kuota biasiswa dan sentiasa ke hadapan dalam mengetengahkan isu-isu melibatkan orang Melayu adalah kelebihan beliau.

Pembangkang sememangnya mengharapkan karier politik pemimpin seperti Khairy berakhir dan cara terbaik ialah memastikan beliau tewas dalam pemilihan Pemuda bulan depan. Oleh itu dalam keadaan UMNO memerlukan pemimpin yang berwibawa dan mampu menarik generasi muda menyokong parti itu, Khairy adalah pilihannya.

Ingin ditegaskan, pandangan saya ini bukanlah bermaksud saya penyokong setia Khairy malah saya tidak menyokong mana-mana calon. Cuma sebagai orang Melayu, saya sentiasa mengkaji setiap tindak tanduk pemimpin UMNO dan mahu pemilihan pemimpin UMNO dilakukan melalui pemikiran yang terbuka dan bukannya berasaskan kepada persepsi.

Kita harus lihat langkah Khairy yang mencadangkan semua calon Ketua Pemuda dan Naib Ketua bersemuka bagi membincangkan pilihan raya kecil di Bukit Gantang dan Bukit Selambau serta bersedia untuk berkhidmat dengan UMNO biarpun tewas dalam pemilihan parti nanti sebagai jiwa besar seorang pemimpin muda.

Janganlah kerana persepsi kita akhirnya mengorbankan mereka yang dilihat pemimpin masa depan UMNO. Kita seharusnya tidak terperangkap dengan hujah dangkal soal sudah diberi peluang atau tidak, hakikatnya ketiga-tiga calon masih belum berpeluang menjadi Ketua Pemuda.

Oleh itu penilaian sebaik-baiknya perlu dilakukan, kenapa perlu Khairy seolah-olah dihukum dan terus diburukkan sedangkan beliau masih belum diberi peluang menjadi pemimpin nombor satu Pemuda?

Apakah kita hendak mengajar rakyat negara ini terus berpolitik melalui pendekatan persepsi semata-mata?

Justeru adalah lebih wajar jika kita menyerahkan kepada kebijaksanaan perwakilan Pemuda untuk menentukannya. Kita percaya mereka lebih arif untuk membuat keputusan yang berasaskan kepada fakta dan realiti, bukannya persepsi seperti mana dilakukan oleh Feriz.
Berilah peluang kepada Khairy mengetengahkan visi dan misinya. Jika beliau gagal, ahli-ahli Pemuda sudah pasti tahu apa yang patut mereka lakukan dalam pemilihan akan datang.

ZULKARNAIN BAKAR

Sungai Petani, Kedah

Sumber: Utusan Malaysia