September 1, 2012
Merdeka 2012: “Janji Di Tepati” is an affront to the rakyat
by Mariam Mokhtar@http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com
The nation is 55 years old today (August 31, 2012). To read some newspapers you’d think that it was Barisan Nasional, and not the people, which achieved independence from Britain.
To learn that the Merdeka Day celebrations at the Bukit Jalil Stadium is “by invitation only”, is appalling. Who decreed that the rakyat had to be members of the “select” BN club to celebrate Merdeka? If Merdeka is exclusively BN, then the slogan “1Malaysia” is rendered meaningless.
As with many things in UMNO, the taxpayers are made to pay for the prizes and the ceremony, but they are denied the opportunity to win any of the prizes or even attend the event.
If the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his Information, Communications and Culture Minister, Rais Yatim, cannot even organise a Merdeka event that is inclusive of all Malaysians, then they are not fit to run the country after the 13th general election.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that it was not Merdeka we were celebrating but Hari BN. Rais’ foray into composing the Merdeka song makes you wonder: which is he worse at – songwriting or being a Cabinet minister?
The biggest disappointment is Najib. He is weighted by personal and political
baggage. Even if he listened and learnt (from his and others’ mistakes), he cannot be rescued politically. He was not elected into office and is now vilified by the man who put him there, former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Najib has made a lot of mistakes and has reneged on many promises. His Merdeka slogan, “Janji Di Tepati” is an affront to the rakyat. He is insecure and is desperate to win the affection of the rakyat. His reputation locally and abroad is tarnished.
Wasting taxpayers’ money
At the beginning of the week, it was reported that The Guardian had sacked its journalist, Joshua Trevino, for conflict of interest and for bringing the media industry into disrepute.
Trevino had belonged to FBC Media, a public relations company, which had been paid by Najib to bathe Malaysia in a good light, to whitewash the misdeeds of its government, and to criticise Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. Using taxpayers’ money, Najib paid overseas PR companies such as Apco, FBC and CNBC millions of ringgit to promote him and his administration.
Why does Najib need to spruce up his image? Why waste taxpayers’ money when he only needs to act responsibly at home? If he is not sure of his duties, they are to lead, to listen and to learn.
Najib holds on to the illusion of power, but the real power is in the hands of a man, who is sitting pretty in The Mines Resort, just outside Kuala Lumpur.
Najib thought he could win the hearts of the overseas Malaysians with the promise of enfranchisement, but his promises have remained an illusion.
The Home Ministry, the Police and Pemandu CEO Idris Jala, all gave us the illusion that crime was falling, but the truth is people are being raped, mugged, killed, abducted and robbed, on a daily basis.
The illusion that Najib presents to overseas leaders is that he is a champion of the “moderates”, but Malaysians beg to differ. At home, race and religion are used to divide the nation. Thus, the illusion of racial and religious harmony is just that. An illusion.
Periodically, Malays are scared into thinking that Muslims are covertly being converted to Christianity, en masse. The controversial raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) sparked off the formation of Himpunan Sejuta Melayu to defend Islam.
Himpunan reported that it had the support of four million Muslims and 200 NGOs. Last October, a mere 5,000 people turned up for the rally, at the 100,000-capacity Shah Alam stadium. Another illusion was broken.
Last May, the government held a “Million Youths Rally 2012” in Putrajaya, an event which some alleged was the government’s attempt to try and rival the success of the BERSIH 3.0 rally.
The illusion of mass support by the youth was crushed with allegations of money and free food for those who attended. To make matters worse, several people were injured when a drag race car tore into the crowds.
The illusion that the government looks after its youth was shattered when the Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek asked that the event not be politicised. Both he and the organisers refused to be held responsible for the lack of safety at the event.
The 11th National Cooperative Day Expo 2012 held in mid-July at the National Stadium was another flop. Many seats were unoccupied. Old-age pensioners who had been bused in to fill the seats started to disperse as Najib started to speak. Bored schoolchildren blew their vuvuzelas and were reprimanded by Najib for drowning him out.
The illusion that the prime minister draws crowds wherever he goes is false. It is also alleged that several government servants were transferred because of the dismal attendance.
The doctored photo
Perhaps, the most glaring example of using the media to create the illusion that Najib is a man of the people and a much loved leader, was when DAP Senator S Ramakrishnan alleged that The Star newspaper’s front-page photo of Najib’s Hari Raya open-house, on August 21, was a “blatant lie”.
The photo has come under intense scrutiny and the allegations that Bernama doctored the photo, raises serious doubts about the ethics of Bernama. If the allegations are true, why did they do it?
From a personal viewpoint, why would well-wishers wave Malaysian flags at a
Raya open-house?Is Najib so insecure that he needs to be reassured of his popularity (or lack of) by the presence of rent-a-crowd? Najib has failed to live up to his promises – transparency, control of public spending and an end to corruption. Everything he has done in his tenure as prime minister is just a fairy-tale.
For the rakyat, the fairy-tale story of a nation gaining its independence is not quite over. We may have gained our sovereignty, but the Malaysian identity is proving elusive. The plots and sub-plots are about to reach a zenith. Our Merdeka fairy-tale could have a happy ending, but only if we allow it. Or will there be a twist in the fairy-tale?
Politics aside (and Mariam is being very political here), Merdeka Day has meaning to all Malaysians. 55 years old Malaysia is mature and ready for change. That change can come from who ever forms the next government after GE-13. Thank God, it was a peaceful and festive day. There were no incidents and Malaysia was on display for the world to see.
Rais “Randy” Yatim and his team deserves some credit for staging the event well. The propaganda chief for the government was creative and despite severe criticisms for politicizing the event including from me, he did a credible job for Najib and UMNO-BN. Isn’t that what he is supposed to be doing? Congrats. Bean, what is your take?–Din Merican
There’s so much going on in this one article, events going in all directions that even Clint Eastwood would not know if it “makes his day”.
Come on Mary, be realistic. Since when did the ORDINARY marhaen appointed you as their spokeswoman? Your pulse-beat is not on the same level as the ordinary rakyat nor is your way of thinking. You could’ve changed the topic to,”Merdeka Since 57 Janji Di Tepati Is An Affront To Me and My Anglophiles Collegues” which is more like it. You know, we of the peasant species did not get the chance to go to higher educational institutions, what more over the seas to whitemen countries. Our worldview is limited to what we heard from your type, see. So pleeeze, don’t be too accomodating and over protective of us the village-village idiots!
A rose in whatever name is still a rose. Original roses, sweet smelling. Artiificial roses must surely be bland!
Many of us are simple folk who like to celeberate our Merdeka Day once a year with fond memories of those who have worked hard in contributing towards the success and continued development of Malaysia. Although Mariam is free to express her opinions, she should know better to choose what & when the right occasion to do so.
Hamdi, you are right. We must learn to respect our national day. It is intended to remind us our freedom from colonialism and remember an honour of our founding fathers and our forebearers who worked hard to develop our country. It certainly not an occasion to dampen our moods. Merdeka Day is like a festival, yet it is solemn occasion. All national days are like that. I am surprised that Mariam chose to write this piece, bringing out old issues to spoil the party.–Din Merican
Independence? From what? Tyranny?
Public relations? For whom? Bonobos?
Gladness and Joy? To what end? Syiok Sendiri?
I agree with the writer, a monumental waste of resources – but then, the poor we’ll always have with us. Btw, RM 500 nowadays lasts about one week of groceries, even if spent in 1KRM runcit store. Jibs should buy a coupla tins of infant formula with randy Rais pushing the cart.
Do you really think anyone marching under the scorching sun really enjoys it, or is it pride, pocket money and sense of duty? A truly united, civil nation will have the Opposition leader sitting in the head-honcho’s box. But who says we’re civilized?
True merdeka spirit was not at merdeka stadium. It was where I went shopping for groceries on merdeka day. I always go to the same supermarket, but things were a little different on that day. I first thought my marbles were playing tricks with me but hubby went the other way with a trolley and so we could only exchange notes at on the way home. He too experienced a different atmosphere. What you ask? Here goes :
1. shorty me tried to reach for an toilettry product and before I could ask from the lady next to me (mind u lady not man), she said “come let me take it for you” (NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN THIS SUPERMARKET)
2. another lady which I kept running into in various sections of the supermaket smiled at me so often that by the end of the shopping we started speaking at the vege weighing counter (NEVER HAPPENDED BEFORE)
3. hubby whose often grouchy in long queues did not have a supermarket discount card and when the counter clerk asked if he had one he promptly turned and ask the couple behind if they had one and so he gave that n of course they were happy to get the RM 300 + purchase on their card (NEVER HAS HUBBY DONE A NICE THING BEFORE)
4. while in the same queue another couple from the apposite queue started talking on why brown paper bags could be given as an alternative on saturdays (NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE)
The big joke is all this took place at UMNO CRONY SUPERMARKET and not at merdeka square. HA HA HA
“I first thought my marbles were playing tricks with me but hubby went the other way” — Peekaboo
Wah, you got marbles meh??
Esther Varsity Queen of SU in ’69 ran away with Randy Rais’ marbles which explains why he ends up kissing everybody’s ass to get what he wants – not knowing when to stop. Poor Randy. We had good times together at Bugis St.
I support Mariam Mokhtar’s views.
Why ? Read this piece by Hishamuddin Haji Yahaya, a lawyer and former MP for Temerloh.
His article is entilted ” Lembu punya susu, sapi dapat nama”
Excerpts:
The attendance at the rally at Bukit Jalil Stadium were FORCED upon CIVIL SERVANTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, READ THIS MEMO from the Sec-Gen of the Ministry of Higher Education to ALL THE HEADS OF DEPTS OF THE MINISTRY…
It is all a set-up to make as though it was a rally for all Malaysians.
It was a hyped up illusion of INDEPENDENCE DAY.
You should celebrate Merdeka but NOT in the way which the UMNO-BN Govt wants to create that false impression it is a day for all Malaysians.
Go have your one day holiday with your friends… but what Mariam Mokhtar said is true.
Is the timing right what she said? Of course. If not now, when? Two months time???
Merdeka day is not only a day for us to have an orgy of a time with our one day holiday. It is also a time for Malaysians to REFLECT somberly
–on those who gave their lives and livelihood for what we have today,
– what it SHOULD mean to us and to our future generations,
– how we should NURTURE the spirit and intentions of our forefathers so that their aspirations stay alive,
– to condemn those who would ABUSE the power and influence to manipulate this day for their own ends and
- to expose those who cloud the truth of the history of the birh of this nation,.
To those who criticise Mariam Mokhtar for her article, get this one fact straight: It is not Mariam Mokhtar who spoilt your Merdeka weekend holidays.
The festive mood of Merdeka was POISONED by the UMNO-BN Govt having fools like Rais Yatim with that stupid Merdeka logo, that politically-motivated theme song Janji Ditepati, forcing CIVIL SERVANTS attend the rally, and by Hishammudin Hussein who got the police to declare at the last minute the Janji Demokrasi rally illegal but with about 10,000 who came despite that.. and by creating phantom tweets to prove that the people support the way that Najib and UMNO-BN organised the Bukit Jalil rally.
If the truth hurts and spoils your Merdeka holidays, go have a cold shower or go get drunk,
Truth hurts, whether you say it on Merdeka day or 3 months from now.
It is not only Mariam Mokhtar who got a bitter taste on the mouths about THIS YEAR’S MERDEKA CELEBRATION.
(a)(Azrul Mohd Khalib said almost the same thing ans succinctly READ HERE In fact he expressed the very sentiments many people have, like myself, on how THIS YEAR’S Merdeka celebration was HIJACKED espeically by that fool, Rais Yatim.
(b)None said better about how the Merdeka mood was POISONED than Zan Azlee in his short and sharply written piece. READ HERE “My top 10 reasons for celebrating National Day”
Go feel sorry for yourself if the truth hurts. I feel relieved and enlightened by what Mariam Mokhtar wrote.
We own this country (to borrow the words of Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood). Not UMNO. UMNO didn’t build it. We did.
https://dinmerican.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/congratulations-negara-ku-malaysia/#comment-164242
Clint Eastwood said one thing memorable at the Republican Convention, despite making a fool of himself talking to an empty chair:
He said, ” Politicians are EMPLOYEES of the people”.
People like Hishammudin Hussein, Rais Yatim and even Najib tend to forget that THEY ARE PAID from the sweat of the TAXPAYERS, for their perks, their orgasms with their mistresses and their obscene lifestyle.
a rose by any other name smells as sweet – thanks Mariam, I always enjoy reading your articles. if we are not anglophiles we wouldn’t be using the English language.
you are correct in pointing out how umno/bn hijacked our Merdeka Day Celebrations for their own selfish needs. that should be seen as an insult to all malaysians.
the celebration should be non-political, it should be a day on which the rakyat celebrates the Birth of their Nation and not any one particular political party. one who points out this mistake should not be slighted.
while watching the speech by Clint Eastwood (a brilliant idea) I thought of Najib in that chair. I’m not for Romney, but that speech was marvellous.
our country is on auto-pilot at the moment.
Clint Eastwood also said to the invisible President Obama seated on that empty chair that he (Obama) should not be asking Romney to do that to himself because it is not possible to do it to yourself.Figure out what that could be.
In the end, Clint Eastwood made his day but Mitt Romney didn’t. Thanks to him.
“Lembu punya susu, sapi dapat nama.” Hishamuddin Yahya MP
I thought lembu punya susu, Sharizat dapat nama??
Whay not read this article by Carolyn Hong Malaysia bureau Chief for the Straits Times.” promises Kept? Malaysians sceptical about Najib’s Slogan”, which appeared in its Saturday edition Septembet 1st.
Begin Quote: With eight months to go before his mandate runs out, Prime Minister Najib Razak wants every Malaysian to know that he has kept his promise to them.
Malaysians travelling on the highways cannot miss the billboards shouting “Jangi Ditepati”. The slogan is also plastered on trains and buses and aired on television.
And it was the theme of Datuk Najib’s address yesterday, on the 55 Independence Day, during which he told that the nation was at a “monumental time” in its history.He reminded them that the government had kept its promises at this critical juncture turning anxiety into hope.
But do Malaysians agree? Analysyst have their doubts, noting that many people are challenging and parodying the slogan.
Political Analyst Ibrahim Suffian, who runs the Merdeka centre, an independent pollster, said he was unsure if the strategy would have the impact hoped for.
” Like everything else these days, the claim has been contested by others,” said Ibrahim.
” Over the past few weeks, for instance, people have called into question governments’s statistics om crime”.
Improving public safety was one of the chief promises made by Mr. Najib when he took office. However, in the recent weeks, his government has been hit with aleegations that crime statistics – which showed a steady fall each year- had been manipulated to present a rosier picture.
Soon after he became Prime Minister in 2009, Mr Najib made an extensive array of promises. His predecessor stepped down after Barisan National suffered record losses in the 2008 general election, and Mr Najib was eager to show that he wpould be more effective.
He began by transforming public services and upgrading rural infrastructure. A year later, he launched economic reforms that included rolling back some pro-L+Malay policies and roling out mega progects such as the construction of a much needed underground train system for Kuala Lumpur.
The last stage- political reforms – saw the repeal of laws such as the ISA, which allowed for the detention without trial, and the Sedition Act,- which was seen as repressing dissenting views.
In Mr. Najib’s view, he has kept his end of the bargain. Malaysians are not sure.
When his ” promise kept” slogan was made this year’s national day theme, public outrage was such that the government was forced to drop it.
Some Malaysians hijacked his slogan to rally thousands to the historic Merdeka Square on the eve of national Day.
The protesters gathered under the banner “Janji Democracy” reminding Mr. Najib that he has yet to undertake electoral reforms such as cleaning up the voters’ roll by ridding it out of dubeious names.
Many have yet to forget the police crackdown on the electoral reform rally in April – the harshness of which rendered hollow Najib’s promise to allow greate freedom of assembly.
Poltical consultant Ram Karthigasu, who runs his own firm , said the Jangi Ditepati campaign was probably targeted at the rural areas, whee the needs were more basic and thus more easily met.
” It also does put the spotlight on the oppositions’s undelivered promises,” Mr Kartigasu said. As an example he cited the opposition’s pledge to hold open tender for State projects in Selangor and Kedah. Still, in the cities this sort of campaign can easily backfire, said economist Hafiz Noor Shams, whose newspaper column focuses on socioeconomic issues.
” The Prime Minster has barely begun fulfilling some of his promises, and there are already major disagreements about weather those promises have indeed been fulfilled,” he said, citing the crime debate. End of Quote.
I hope that our High Commision in Singapore will reply to this article.
To imply that PKMM was FOR Independence and UMNO Against is to tell only part of the story.
I always thought that the real reason PKMM was banned was its leaning towards communism – mostly under the influence of Ahmad Boestamam. To have such leanings so soon after the war was asking for trouble and they got it.