October 3, 2012
Budget 2013: NO SHOW at Opposition Leader’s Reply in Parliament
by Terence Netto (10-02-12)@http://www.malaysiakini.com
“There was no evidence among the ministerial set of the curiosity that economics is not just the dismal science of Thomas Carlyle’s observation; it is the study of rational choice between alternative visions of how to appropriate and gainfully use finite resources”–Terence Netto.
“Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.” –President Harry S Truman
COMMENT: There was not only a no-show by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak at the Opposition leader’s response in Parliament yesterday to the Budget address, there was also the absence of upscale members of his ministerial cohort to contend with.
Skipper and subalterns decided that they had better things to do and gave the miss to the disputation-cum-alternative version of procurement and spending that usually constitutes the lead Oppositionist’s reply.
There was no evidence among the ministerial set of the curiosity that economics is not just the dismal science of Thomas Carlyle’s observation; it is the study of rational choice between alternative visions of how to appropriate and gainfully use finite resources.
One has to look at the alternatives for a keener evaluation of the scheme one has elected for oneself.
By their absence at the Opposition Leader’s reply to the Budget, the government’s ministerial cohort was suggesting they have no taste for what writer F Scott Fitzgerald proposed as the test of a first-rate intelligence: the ability to hold to two opposed ideas at the same time and still retain the ability to function. In a sense, Anwar Ibrahim had already prefigured this scenario of crass governmental indifference to ideas opposed to regnant ones.
‘Anything from you is gold’
A few days before the Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister’s Budget speech on September 28, Anwar told a packed audience at the Royal Selangor Club that the questions he was willing to tackle after his luncheon speech to them would have to allow for a quick wind-up because he had to attend his coalition’s alternative budget session scheduled for 3pm that day at the offices of the Parliamentary Opposition leader.
“You know,” revealed Anwar, “it is not easy sitting-in with Kit Siang and Hadi (his fellow Pakatan Rakyat leaders, Lim Kit Siang of DAP and Abdul Hadi Awang, the PAS President). They come with their questions and proposals and one has to be alert to all of them or you can’t cope.”
Recalled Anwar: “It was so much easier when I was with UMNO and Barisan Nasional. They don’t bother to study cabinet papers and when you propose something new, they don’t care to know how it will affect things. It’s like whatever that’s on the table for discussion is approved with little or no debate or discussion.”
Anwar said this was not the case within the leadership circles of Pakatan. Things were not exactly like a Socratic club but close, inferred the opposition supremo. “They question what you propose and they come up with suggestions for changes,” disclosed Anwar. “You have always to be on your toes.”
And then Anwar did a very good pantomime of a former cabinet minister whose identity was obvious from the accent the PKR leader mimicked: “Anything that comes from you is gold, Datuk Seri … anything that comes from you.” An irrepressible rictus of delight was visible in an audience that could make no mistake as to the object of Anwar’s caricature.
Tiptoeing around tough decisions
With a subservient mainstream media available to spin the government’s Budget as if it were manna from heaven, one supposes there was no real need for the UMNO-BN ministerial troupe to grant the opposition leader a modicum of attention. As for the PM himself, the past may well be prologue.
It is useful at this stage to recall a feature of his deportment when he was Youth and Sports Minister and then Education Minister before he became Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
Whenever there was a tough decision to make, he would tiptoe around the need to make it. And, then, when decision time was no longer avoidable, the announcement would be made by the Deputy and not the principal holder of the portfolio who would contrive to make himself scarce.
On the other hand, whenever a decision was not hard to do, and appeared likely to draw bouquets more than brickbats, Minister Najib made himself conspicuous in announcing it amid adornments to his public image as a politico of mostly rounded edges.
The ministerial past of the Prime Minister has indeed been predictive, which is why all the fancy managerial jargon about ‘transformation’ he readily employs comports so oddly with the past image and current reality of a leader who has never heard of US President Harry Truman’s brusque advice to the clay-footed: “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
The absence of MPs from the Government side at Anwar’s Response to the 2013 Budget shows that there is no respect for Parliament, the legislative arm in our democracy where important issues of the day are deliberated and decided upon. It gives the wrong impression to us and the rest of the world of our MPs whose duty is to represent the views and concerns of their constituents on matters of policy. How more irresponsible can our elected representatives be.–Din Merican
What’s this about Najib Razak being subpoenaed to appear before a French court? And so elections have been delayed??
Bean,
You think najib will go to France for testimony meh? If like asking bush to go for criminal trial for crime against humanity in Iran.
Din,
Correction! The government front benchers! Frankly even Singapore doesn’t do that. Not when oppos only got 1 parliament
Potong gaji MP’s yang tak hadhir. Kalau pekerja bergaji, majikan potong gaji jadi samalah dengan MP.
Bean no erection sebab kecot teloq.
Again and again Jib & Co are running scared. How can you explain to the rakyat of this coordinated absence just like delinquent students skipping class for not doing homework. One can explain Jib’s absence but his 2 deputies and other hench men? It sure looks like the desertion somewhat has already begun. Parliament has again been reduced to a trapping of democracy when it suits the ruling oligarch.
I can’t help to think that the end is near. But are they willing to face the final curtain?
__________________
aa, for them the sun never sets and the culture of impunity will be perpetuated until they run our country to the ground.–Din Merican
Apabila seorang PM dan Menteri tidak hadir di Majlis penting sedemikian, ia memberikan peraturan tak bertulis kepada semua generasi dan pentakbir awam bahawa adab dan kebertanggungjawapan adalah suatu yang boleh dicabuli.
Aisehman ! Its very simple the reason for their absence.
Its that the bedjet was outsourced to apco.
The PM and ministers in tow No UNDERSTAND wtf it was all about.
It clearly reflects on the civil mentality of bn.
ABU ABU ABU we must.
Well, Jibs n FLOM were ‘gracing’ a Woman empowerment something or other. That’s definitely much better than facing Vitriol and Rancor from the likes of Anwar and the phalanx of inquisitors. Kecut telok syndrome is defined as purposeful avoidance of further ‘pickling and salting’, along with squeezing.
It’s really a wonder, how these entitled flurs see themselves – as mythical Santa Clauses and demigods – without any sense of responsibility and priority. I guess the Laws of Retribution or even Newtonian Laws of Motion don’t apply to them. In this life.
As for the Parisian soap-opera, don’t hold your breath. They will stymie it with their considerable array of tuggu sekejap. I’m more interested in the innuendos than the peccadilloes. The Hague would end up involved.
Dont dream of ABU. The crooks with their fingers in the cookie jar are well entrenched and they have all the tricks in the books to retain power at all cost. These crooks know well the rakyat’s anger is easily contained, (PDRM,RELA and what have you not) . Najib and Co has been fully briefed the process of NOT lossing the GE13. The poor rakyat are in dream land for a change.
And I’ll bet my RM250 bounty from Jibbo, that the no-sho ministers will think they have made a smart move. To them this is strategic thinking, outmaneuvering the enemy and all that. And they must be slapping themselves on their backs for being so clever.
Such puerile behaviour. They should actually be ashamed of themselves. That is if that word exists in their vocabs.
It showed just how low Jibby and his stooges have stooped. Shameless, total lack of responsibility and accountability. Do not have any confidence in his own Budget to face scrutiny and went on AWOL. All those boast of making Malaysia tha “best democracy” in the world!
to the elected victor go the spoils and rights not to attend any Q&A esp. from the opposition. Msian deserved the 1gomen they elected. And with the goodie$ di$hed out in the recent ‘badget’, and the accolade$ piled on it by the $o-called ’1leader$’, they are $et for another 4year$…sedih tapi benar.