Dear Friends,
I will be away in Singapore from today (March 31) and will be back in town on April 2. I will try to blog from there so that my webblog is active. I will also have a short report for you on the ISEAS (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies) seminar on the New Economic Policy (NEP), where I will be one of the panelists.
I am sure my views will be criticised by the media here. But frankly, I believe that we must not live the past, and instead we must move forward into a new era of good governance.
Malaysia is not a hotel. It must be a place where we all can call our home, a place where we belong and there will opportunities for all who are willing to work hard. But we must have compassion for the less fortunate among us. The poor Malaysians need help and given their dignity back; and they must be given the help so that they can be empowered to take care of themselves and their families. This is possible in PKR’s constitutional state (negara madani).
So, Affirmative Action Policy, YES, but NEP, as it is now and has been for the past 37 years, NO. I support Anwar Ibrahim’s Malaysian Economic Agenda because it is the way forward. Let us not be afraid of change, especially when it is positive. There must be “Justice for All”.—Din Merican.
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
Dear Din
I attended the thanksgiving ceremony at Kelana Jaya last Saturday. Was encouraged to see the various leaders espousing that we have a new Malaysia now – Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Dayaks, all of us, are one. Have a good trip. God bless.
Malaysia is home for all of us, Shanker. Home is the place we belong and one which we build together. I am here in Singapore at the Institute of South East Asian Studies to talk about Anwar Ibrahim’s Malaysian Economic Agenda and the politics of unity, where affirmative action policy will be just and inclusive. In the end, it is Malaysians who can make a new Malaysia by ignoring the politics of race and economic discrimination which is being perpetrated by UMNO with the help of MCA, MIC and Gerakan.—Din Merican
Dear Din,
Have a good trip to Singapore. I agree with you, the Malaysian Press will try to have a field day talking about you condemning the country while in Singapore. They soon will change tune – not to worry.
I agree with you on the Malaysian Economic Agenda – it must be the way forward for the good of our country. We have to now work out the mechanics of implementation.
Din Ahmad, do you think I really care what the pro-Badawi/UMNO papers at home like Utusan Malaysia say about me? I have been damned before. We have a job to do . We must do it in the interest of all Malaysians. Let us not be torn by politics of divide and rule.—Din Merican
Hi Din,
Have a good trip, speak your mind but keep the Malaysian flag flying! Take care, cheers!
Thanks, beankadok. —Din Merican 😀
Malaysia for all Malaysians, that’s the way forward! Have a good trip my friend!
😀 😀 😀 , well, thanks. Din Merican
salam perjuangan…
terima kasih kerana sudi turun ketempat kami kelmarin.kehadiran saudara memberi inspirasi pada kami terutama angkatan muda untuk terus berjuang mempertahankan keADILan dan hak rakyat.
semoga selamat sampai ke destinasi yang ditujui serta kami menanti kepulangan anda.
REFORMASI!!!
Eddieputra, Terima kasih atas layanan yang istmewa untuk saya Anggap saya sebagai rakan karib dan ahli keluarga kepada semua kaum dikawasan yang saya melawat semalam, tidak kira kaum Melayu, Cina dan India. Makkal sakti untuk semua. Jentera kita kena kerja kuat untuk menunaikan janji Pak Anwar. Hidup dengan semangat bergotong royong. Kita bersatu padu demi keamanan negara. Salam kepada Eddie, Naim, Din Bunga, Wak Botak, Jono dan kawan saya yang lain di Sungai Buloh dari saya di Singapura, Berjuang tetap berjuang.—Din Merican
Good luck Pak Din.
Suka juga mahu tahu pandangan Pak Din tentang ini 🙂 Demokrasi Sosialis memang bersetuju dengan Affirmative Action, cuma elok juga bentuknya dijelaskan bagaimana. MB Selangor, Tan Sri Khalid nampaknya cenderung dengan proposal Demokrasi Liberal, dan itu akan menambah resepi kepada rancaknya Malaysia Baru. Inilah rahsia kehebatan PKR.
Terima kasih, Amin. Kita kena kerja kuat.—Din Merican
Selamat Datang ke Kota Singa.
Hope your visit will be a fruitful one and open new frontiers for Malaysia & all Malaysian. Jangan lupa try ‘sop tulang’ or Bone Steak Deen Biasa. Ask any SG guys and they will route u to Beach Road. Latest attraction is SIngapore Flyer. Enjoy your stay.
Thanks, hang kebun. Kebun mana ini? Bukan Jebat atau Tuah. —Din Merican
Have a safe trip and looking forward to reading what you and other panelists have to say about NEP. The Singapore papers will at least give a fair and unbias report.
Jude, thanks. let us see what happens tomorrow.—Din Merican
Kebun mana? …try Arab Street!
Susah, 😀 loh. Saya tak mahu lawan sama Alab.—Din Merican
Waaa this “reluctant blogger” is no joke, one minute he turned DJ, next he’s globe trotting! He’s reluctant no more. 😀
Got to think of another label, then…Din Merican
Don’t worry, just pick up some cheap skirts from People’s Park and wrap round those lamp-posts, the Alabs be distracted! 😀
Whoa serious man, our “Reluctant Blogger” now dropped
“Reluctant” for “Malaysian”! A truly Malaysian identity, that’s great . Hahaaaha! 😀
What about “The Malaysian DJ Blogger” – first if its kind, cool eh? I notice you’ve close to 154,000 hits now. Not bad Din, congrats your blog getting very popular but too bad not everyone’s contributing.
Thanks, Kojak. I could not have done it without the support of all our friends in the cyberworld. My “success” is very much theirs. It is wonderful to know that there are many people of goodwill around who share a common concern for Malaysia. Their contributions make this blog. I am humbled by their interest in the affairs and future of our country.
Malaysia is our home and we must be build it together. Nation building is too serious an undertaking to be left in the hands of corrupt politicians. That is why we must not be afraid to speak up and express our views. Stand up by what is right and insist that our leaders do it right. Otherwise, these C-politicians win by default. If there is any lesson we learned from the 2008 elections, it is that we can make a difference individually and collectively. We changed the politics of our country on March 8, just overnight and created a political tsunami which stunned the UMNO-BN regime which held power for the last 50 years. Badawi did not know what hit him and now he is trying to stay awake. A bit too late, don’t you think? Tun Dr. Mahathir’s good friend,Robert Mugabe too is paying the price for his arrogance and abuse of power. Makkal Sakti applies in Zimbabwe as well.
Please continue to visit this blog, and respond with your comments. We in PKR do not have all the right answers, for that reason, we value your views and concerns. The feedback I get is useful to us in PKR and can have a big influence on the shaping of policies in the 5 states which we, PAS and DAP as the peoples’ coalition govern. We are committed to listening and learning from our constituents and want to serve them well. Thank you very much. —Din Merican
ps I have accepted your suggestion and acted on it without hesitation. Music is always great. It makes us human again.
Hi Din,
Speaking of a bygone era as you rightly characterized it, and which I choose to refer to as those halcyon years, I missed Bugis Street! Can you please talk to Harry Lee to revive the Bugis Street of old? I was introduced to it in the late 60s by guess who? Rais Yatim who later graduated and became Negri Sembilan MB. We had to push his old MGB GT from Dunearn Road Hostel near Newton Circus, where budding legal eagles made their home once upon a time – including University of S’pore Freshie Queen for that year. Now who says where you find brains you cannot find beauty?!
The Selangor state government gave me a paltry sum of $7,200 so I could continue my studies and that is not for one year but the entire course plus living expenses! A sum which my employer paid in one lump sum when I broke my contract with the state government to join the private sector. That’s the only benefit I got out of the NEP. Since then I never tried to use the benefits of the NEP for my children who were schooled in the U.K. at their father’s expense. My kids today reside in the ‘land of the free’ and ‘home of the brave’ with their American spouses, proud to join a growing breed of Malay Americans where they have to compete like everyone else and where words like NEP smacks of racism, where ‘tongkat’ is a word that has meaning only in the many homes for seniors dotted across the country – never mind about Ali’s tongkat which is a topic for another day.
Kawan Wat Siam,
I got a Kedah State scholarship, but there was no NEP in the early 1960s. Our leaders then invested in developing intellectual capacity with talking too much about pembangunan model insan (human capital development). We have one great University of Malaya in Singapore (and later in Kuala Lumpur but which is now ranked 249 in THES ranking). But I repaid the state since I did not serve in the Kedah Civil Service.
Yes, competition strengthens people. Paternalism as in the NEP weakened the Malays; they are subject to UMNO political control.The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave is for those who are not afraid of competition. Good to know Malaysians like you and Bakri and other Malaysians are doing fine. We must learn to help ourselves and create a system that rewards the honest and hardworking. In Malaysia, corrupt UMNO politicians decide what our destiny should be with they themselves taking the biggest share of the loot. I rather leave my destiny to myself, with God’s Help.—Din Merican
UMNO has long lost its legitimacy to rule. The blame rests squarely on the Malay intelligentsia for not wanting to assume their role. You and I must take some of that blame.
kawan mat siam, our whole gang is to blame. Malay intelligentsia!! Is there such a thing? Talking about intelligentia, they populate Boston, New York, Washington DC and Chicago, Apsen and Palo Alto. Kuala Lumpur does not promote them.—Din Merican
Today, we wake up to a “Malaysian DJ Blogger” in our midst, a first of its kind, CONGRATULATIONS Din Merican!
That’s really cool, keep fine-tuning, great. Spreading the message thru your music and songs, how interesting and effective!
Hi Din Merican,
Hope it’s here to stay, not an April Fool’s joke eh?
Hahahahaaaaaaaaaa! That’s what I thought many will think it is. 😀
Sori lah Jong
I takda kebun pun… cuma kena sipi2 si husin lempoyang punya blog. I tak tahu nak pakai apa nama.. sekali teringat si hang kebun kat cerita seniman bujang lapok.
Kalau si Husin tu dah tentu sibuk jual orang dari unta.. jgn marah lah
Thanks Din, you are now one cool trendy DJ Blogger! Hey one suggestion, have some younger upbeat music for the young people who’d hop in to read your articles. I see you have
156,713 hits now, two thousand hits in 2 days? Wow, that’s fantastic!
What about Celine Dion’s “I’m Alive” ?
Celine Dion, siapa dia? Pak Lah punya kawan kah? Kojak, I am told you also are a Badaw ampu bodek!!—Din Merican
Not bad, you got my message! hahaha! 😀
He’s alive, alright.
Yeah Pak lah said “I am not stepping down. I am here. I am here. I am here. They speculate that I want to run away. I have resigned. Why should I resign? My govt has got a strong majority(although) not the two-thirds(majority), but very strong, Why must I run away from my entrusted responsibilities?”
What responsibilities was he talking about? I don’t think he knows its meaning!
What is strong majority? No wonder they say he’s mentally challenged.