A Kadir Jasin: On Visit of Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
posted by din merican–June 14, 2009
June 11, 2009
Lawatan LKY: Fahami Yang Tersurat Dan Tersirat
A Kadir Jasin @http://kadirjasin.blogspot.com

Kadir Jasin dan Rakan
Melihat kepada laporan media massa, saya rasa tidak keterlaluan kalau saya ibaratkan lawatan bekas Perdana Menteri Singapura, Encik Lee Kuan Yew ke Malaysia sekarang seperti lawatan seorang Maharaja China. Sungguh istimewa sambutannya.
Tetapi ia sebenarnya lebih hebat kerana Maharaja China tidak pernah membuat lawatan ke luar negara sebab mengikut kepercayaan orang China dahulu kala, hanya bumi China bertamadun dan manusia di luar Empayar China adalah orang liar (barbarians) dan orang tidak beragama (heathens). Kalau tidak silap saya, hanya Pu Yi , Maharaja terakhir China yang menjadi boneka Jepun yang pernah melawat ke luar negara.
Mengapa saya berkata begitu? Lihat sajalah siapa yang membuka pintu rumah dan hati mereka kepada Menteri Mentor Singapura itu – Yang di-Petuan Agong, Perdana Menteri, Sultan-Sultan, Menteri-Menteri, Menteri Besar dan Ketua Menteri.
Dalam Utusan Malaysia hari ini saya tengok tiga Naib Presiden UMNO begitu “sopan” bergambar dengan beliau. Terlintas di fikiran saya adakah seorang negarawan Malaysia seperti Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad akan mendapat penghormatan dan keistimewaan yang serupa kalau beliau melawat Singapura?
Tentunya tidak. Di Singapura tidak ada Raja. Di Singapura tidak ada Kerajaan Negeri Pas, DAP atau PKR. Di Singapura hanya ada Kerajaan PAP. Di Singapura tidak ada berbagai parti. Di Singapura ada PAP saja. Singapura adalah sebuah negara demokrasi yang tidak ada pembangkang. Lihatlah apa yang mereka buat kepada pembangkang!
Tapi tak apalah. Bukankah kita ini bangsa yang sangat menghormati tetamu apatah lagi orang tua seperti LKY yang datang untuk mengubati nostalgia?
Pembaca blog ini yang muda mungkin tidak tahu dan yang tua pula mungkin sudah lupa bahawa LKY pernah menjadi warganegara Malaysia dan pernah menjadi Ahli Parlimen Malaysia antara tahun 1963 dan 1965.
Saya tidak tahu secara langsung apa yang tersirat dan tersurat dalam lawatan itu kerana tidak dijemput menghadiri sebarang pertemuan atau taklimat mengenainya. Tetapi saya yakin LKY pastinya tidak menjelajah Semenanjung Malaysia sekadar untuk bernostalgia dan mengubati rindu.
Pada pandangan saya, LKY dengan rombongan anak muridnya menjelajah Semenanjung atas tujuan dan sebab berikut:
1. Singapura bimbang dengan perkembangan politik di Malaysia, khasnya kelemahan UMNO-Barisan Nasional dan kemungkinan kemunculan Pas sebagai parti induk politik Malaysia;
2. Singapura bimbang sokongan orang bukan Melayu, khasnya pengundi Cina, kepada Pakatan Rakyat akan memperkukuhkan kedudukan dan peranan Pas;
3. Kalau boleh, LKY mahu mempengaruhi masyarakat Cina Malaysia supaya kembali menyokong BN; LKY sedar bahawa Malaysia yang stabil adalah penting kepada kestabilan politik dan ekonomi Singapura;
4. Dengan suasana Ekonomi Harimaunya dalam keadaan yang sangat lemah, Singapura perlu berbaik-baik dan berpakat dengan semua negara jiran;
5. LKY sedar bahawa pembatalan rundingan isu-isu tertangguh antara kedua-dua negara seperti Perjanjian Bekalan Air, Tanah Keretapi Tanah Melayu di Singapura dan simpanan rakyat Malaysia dalam Tabung Simpanan Pusat (CPF) Singapura akan menjejaskan perhubungan jangka panjang; dan
6. Singapura masih menaruh harapan yang Malaysia pada suatu hari nanti bersedia memulakan semula penjualan pasir kepadanya dan membuka ruang udaranya kepada kapal terbang tenteranya.
Jadi lawatan LKY ini bukanlah lawatan nostalgia. Ia adalah lawatan mencari maklumat dan risikan. Lawatan untuk mengenali dan mengukur kepintaran para pembesar Malaysia. Lawatan untuk mengajar anak buahnya untuk mengenali barisan baru kepemimpinan Malaysia.
Inilah keistimewaan Singapura. Ia sangat mengutamakan maklumat dan risikan. Dan tidak seperti negara kita yang meminggir dan mencemuh Dr Mahathir, Singapura memaksimumkan penggunaan LKY sebagai guru dan diplomat luar biasa untuk menarik pelaburan asing dan menebarkan pengaruh Singapura sebagai kuasa ekonomi serantau.
LKY bukan sahaja melawat Malaysia. Dia juga melawat negara-negara jiran yang lain dan menjadi kepala kepada usaha Singapura menarik pelaburan dari negara-negara Asia Barat. Jadi, harap-harapnya para pembesar kita daripada pelbagai peringkat dan parti tidak sekadar bersalaman dan bergambar dengan LKY sahaja.
Kalau pun mereka keberatan belajar daripada Dr Mahathir, sekurang-kurangnya belajarlah daripada LKY kerana kedua-duanya adalah pemikir dan pelaksana teragung panca penjajahan di rantau kita ini. Kedua-duanya berjaya kerana mereka mengutamakan maklumat dan risikan.
…. negara kita yang meminggir dan mencemuh Dr Mahathir, Singapura memaksimumkan penggunaan LKY sebagai guru dan diplomat luar biasa untuk menarik pelaburan asing dan menebarkan pengaruh Singapura sebagai kuasa ekonomi serantau
—– malang sekali TDM bukan seperti LKY, ramai penuduk Malaysia hendak melupakan TDM, kerana beliau melingkupkan Malaysia bukan membina Malaysia kearah negara maju seperti Singapura. TDM, tanpa segan silu membelasah PakLah dalam wawancara dengan BBC selepas Persidangan UMNO baru baru ini. Apakah teladan yang ditunjuk oleh beliau? Perlukah kita menghormati bekas PM seperti TDM? Dato’ Kadir juga antara penerima manafaat dari regim kroni kapitalis TDM! Memang lah Dato’ Kadir tidak mudah lupa jasa jasa TDM..
Respect.
Everyone wants it, few can get it, certainly not TDM!
Why? I’ll tell you why. Respect is earned, never given. And nowadays, with our rush to do everything yesterday, few have the will, patience, or perseverance needed to be truly respected. Like drinking a good Kopi O , building up respect requires time and an appreciation of the fine details needed to achieve a perfect result.
Respect is also directly related to your reputation. Build up a rep as a “stand-up guy,” and respect will follow as a result.
That said, there are ways to speed up the process — at least in the short-term — with a few shortcuts. For example, get into any position where you can wield power ( real power, like to be a PM) and a certain level of respect is awarded to you, not because you deserve it but because it’s part of the package of your position.
So now, TDM is no longer in power; he did not show any respect to his successors and predecessors, why should we respect him now. TDM made things difficult for us. He made enemies with leaders and yet, on the other hand, tried to sneak and paid to see one of them, Bush JR. He is a hyprocrite. Someone told me that he maintained private channel to Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, while hugging Yassir Arafat
It is also a lesson to those in power now like the AG, IGP, KSN, DGs, politicians and big bully academicians. Once you are no longer in power, you are despised for your abuse of power, and you were only respected while you were in power because of the harm that you can inflict on those who have the conviction and courage to dissent…
eiz235 - June 14, 2009 at 10:18 pm
LKY is a statesman recognised by the world. TDM isn’t. Thats the difference.
Batu Ferringhi - June 14, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Excellent analysis by Kadir J.
LKY is already touching base, as he senses the imminent demise of his nemesis (take it any way you want). In fact i think what he doesn’t say or do, is the key to understanding what he thinks.
While DAP is vehemently denying their roots in PAP, LKY’s approach with PKR and Pas should be seen as a gambit, which his ‘murid-murid’ will pursue.
Can one imagine the head of a nation preferring to visit another visiting head in his hotel – as had happened when LHL went to Naif’s suite in S’pore recently? (e.g. Lil’ Bush instead invited Putin and Jin to his ranch instead). The Lees’ can see the bad ‘joss’ – no matter whatever form of Guru Ji (Bean’s Rasputin, haha) takes.
Wisma Putra flurs nowadays are malformed. Would never have happened during Ghaz’s time!
Menyalak-er - June 14, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Che Det is a tragic figure in the twilight of his years. He is now fighting to keep his legacy alive. Fortunately, he has a handful of Melayu tak lupa types like Kadir Jasin, Dollah Kok Lanas and others who are defending him. But they are fighting a losing battle since many Malaysians are now convinced that the PM No.4 behaved like a feudal lord when he was in power. He emasculated the Judiciary and destroyed other institutions of governance.
Mahathir could give away land and projects under privatisation to his cronies. For example, Kedahans know that he gave Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary one of the islands in Langkaw!!. He had so much power. —Din Merican
dinobeano - June 14, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Wasn’t Kadir Jasin the unofficial voice of Che Det when Che Det was the PM when Kadir was penning his other tots. I clearly remember when Che Det make a statement, it will be repeated at least three times by Kadir Jasin. On top of that he Kadir will elaborate through and through to make sure his readers understand Che Det. If Che Det breaks wind even softly, Kadir will magnify the fart for all the world to smell and hear.
shrek - June 15, 2009 at 2:51 am
Dato Kadir Jasin is my good friend. That he is a fan of Mahathir is a fact (and I was once too). But he can be pretty convincing and very subtle.
We can differ, often joke and laugh at each other as from one Kedahan to another, but he and I can have occasional tea tarik at Raju’s in Petaling Jaya or Devi in Subang Jaya ( Shrek will remember this place). He is very well read and writes punchy stuff. He also gets on well with members of the Opposition and is well respected as a scribe. AJK the scribe writes well and thoughtfully and I enjoy his writings (now available in book form). He is, after all, a business man.
Che Det has many sides to him: he is a complex but highly driven individual. He is the role model for Kedahans of my generation. I admire his drive and acknowledge his crisis management skills and guts; I respect him as a professional doctor; I respect his business acumen; I respect him as a fellow Kedahan who made good and became Prime Minister; I remember him as a kind human being (when you deal with him person to person) and as a friend of my parents; I also respect him as he was kind to them, especially my late mother; but when he assumes the role of politician, then I see him in a totally different light: he takes no prisoners and have no qualms about using his power to quell dissent and send his opponents to Kamunting under ISA. Without this Machiavellian streak, he would not have lasted a day in office. Of late, he has, however, been contradicting him and saying the very opposite of what did when he is power. He should let his record speak for itself and leave history to decide his legacy.
For him as a politician, the end justifies the means (how more Machiavellian can one get!). It is for this reason I have become critical of his politics and crony capitalism. For me, politics can be a noble calling and has its morality and ethics. He was a Caesar when he could have been Malaysia’s Frankiln Delano Roosevelt because like FDR he saved Malaysia from economic collapse in 1997-1998. So, we cannot deny that he achieved a lot in his 22+ years as Prime Minister. He should now retire and devote his time to complete his memoirs and make Perdana Leadership Foundation as his post politics legacy.
Din Merican - June 15, 2009 at 8:59 am
Everything ended when Che Det revealed who were the cronies and AKJ name came to the forefront especially in IPP and first generation IPA including Malakoff.
All lallangs blowing in the wind.
Che Det had grandoise ideas in the beginning but somewhere along the line power got to his head and he listened to the wrong advisors. He even forgot his friends that took care of him when he was in political wilderness. Remember Pak Chat?
shrek - June 15, 2009 at 11:24 am
Din
How can Shrek forget Devi in Subang Jaya. Afterwards we took a cab to Mid-Valley MegaMall and Din took off to Bangsar to see his “dentist”. Shrek swallowed the excuse even though Din had a perfect set of chompers.
shrek - June 15, 2009 at 12:54 pm