Anwar Ibrahim: Amanat Harapan


posted by din merican

Ucapan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kepada kepimpinan PKR “Amanat Harapan” 28 Februari 2009 di Hotel Quality, Shah Alam, Selangor  Darul Ehsan

Hadirin Sekalian,

Himpunan hari ini menjadi bukti kepada bulatnya tekad serta matlamat kita semua untuk berbakti kepada negara dan rakyat negara ini. Bersama rakan-rakan dalam Pakatan Rakyat, kita akan pastikan Perubahan mengambil tempat dan menyempurnakan janji untuk membawa Harapan Baru kepada negara ini.

Tidak lama dahulu ramai yang percaya parti ini tidak ada masa hadapan. Mereka mentertawakan hasrat serta cita-cita kita. Muncullah nujum-nujum politik yang meramalkan kepupusan PKR kerana tidak percaya politik baru yang kita bawa; sebuah negara yang benar-benar bersatu dan tidak terperangkap dengan politik sentimen perkauman yang sempit.

Kepada rakan-rakan sekalian percayalah bahtera perjuangan ini tidak akan karam. Jangan sesekali keutuhan tekad perjuangan kita melonggar lemah.

Kepada mereka yang masih tersemat keraguan, percayalah kepada keluhuran akal budi rakyat, bukannya nujum-nujum yang sebenarnya masih terus mendokong regim korup. Parti ini sudahpun memasuki tahun yang ke 10 dan perjuangan kita mulai menunjukkan hasil. Yakinilah haluan tepat negara ini berada di tangan-tangan kita.

Masa Yang Sukar

Ini adalah saat-saat sukar buat Malaysia. Ekonomi negara berada di ambang kemelesetan. Kita lihat kilang-kilang ditutup, perniagaan mulai terkesan akibat merudumnya ekonomi dan pengangguran pastinya mencecah ratusan ribu di akhir tahun ini. Rakyat Malaysia akan menempuh saat-saat sukar.

Malangnya Menteri Kewangan sekonyong-konyong terpinga-pinga dan hanya semalam terkejut menyatakan bahawa tidak ada yang menjangka kedudukan ekonomi sebegini parah. Walhal kita bersama mengungkap permasalahan ini enam bulan sebelumnya ketika membahas belanjawan tahun lalu.

Namun ketegangan kaum yang direkayasa demi meraih keuntungan politik masih berlaku. Nilai-nilai yang menjadi teras masyarakat Malaysia; kepercayaan kepada Tuhan dan menghormati Sistem Raja Berperlembagaan dimanipulasi oleh politik sempit untuk melaga-lagakan di antara satu kaum dengan yang lainnya serta digunakan untuk mempertikaikan kesetian terutamanya pendokong Pakatan Rakyat terhadap Negara. Sedangkan mereka pada masa yang sama menginjak-injak Semangat Keperlembagaan negara ini, yang menjanjikan kepada seluruh rakyat negara ini hak untuk bebas bersuara dan berhimpun.

Perkembangan politik tanah air mutakhir ini meletakkan Pakatan Rakyat di persimpangan jalan. Kita berdepan dengan propaganda yang menggembling emosi tiga R – Race, Religion and Royalty – bangsa, agama dan raja. Tiga isu emotif ini bertapak  dan memunyai akar yang meresap dalam dalam psikologi orang Melayu. Sekiranya rakyat tidak mendapat penjelasan yang kukuh dan persuasif tentang isu hakiki ini mereka akan diperdayakan dengan pujukan simbol-simbol tentang bangsa, agama dan raja dan akan mengakibatkan pemikiran mereka kembali sempit, mundur dan kembali ke zaman feudal, bertentangan dengan semangat perjuangan pahlawan dan pendita bangsa- Dr Burhanuddin al Helmy, Dato’ Onn Jaafar, Ahmad Boestamam dan Pendita Bangsa.

Kita menyakini kita mempunyai hujah-hujah yang  cerah, jitu dan persuasif untuk menangani propaganda UMNO yang memperolok simbol-simbol bangsa, agama dan raja yang semata-mata digunakan untuk mengekalkan kekuasaan dan menutup pekong rasuah, jenayah dan penyalahgunaan kuasa. Sebaliknya kita mempunyai iltizam yang ikhlas dan sahih terhadap kepentingan dan kedudukan istimewa bangsa Melayu dan bumiputera, serta agama Islam yang dihuraikan dari perspektif sejagat dan berteraskan prinsip keadilan, tradisi ilmu, Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa rasmi dan prinsip raja beperlembagaan.

Rakyat benci dengan sikap sombong pemerintah, rasuah dan pembohongan yang dilakukan dengan berterusan. Tindakan ini perlu dimulai dengan membina muafakat yang berlandaskan ilmu di kalangan pimpinan dan penggerak parti. Justeru itu kita perlu menggembleng semua idealisme,cita-cita dan hasrat rakyat untuk berdepan dengan momokan dan putar belit sentimen perkauman sempit UMNO.

Keadilan telah mula mengambil langkah-langkah untuk mengungkap persoalan Islam dari perspektif sejagat dan inklusif yang berlandaskan tradisi ilmu. Sekarang propaganda UMNO telah memutarbelit  isu raja-raja Melayu untuk menimbulkan kekeliruan dan kekeruhan di dalam pemikiran rakyat. Kekeruhan ini perlu dijernihkan kembali.

Isu raja-raja Melayu perlu ditangani dengan sikap serhana, berhikmah tetapi tegas. Ia juga harus mencermin pemikiran arus perdana, dan bukannya retorika yang terpinggir. Selain dari hujah-hujah Islam dan keadilan sejagat,  perspektif progresif dalam sejarah dan kebudayaan Melayu perlu dinukilkan. Dalam konteks ini tiga sikap terhadap raja perlu dibentangkan: pertama sikap Hang Tuah yang setia membuta tuli, kedua sikap Hang Jebat yang menderhaka dan menumpahkan darah rakyat yang tidak berdosa, di antara keduanya adalah Bendahara Paduka Raja, yang setia lagi bijaksana.

Sikap Bendahara Paduka Raja boleh dibandingkan dengan pendirian Edmund Burke yang berdepan dengan revolusi Perancis, dan Hang Jebat seorang Jacobin.  Kaitannya pemikiran Edmund Burke kepada kita adalah kerana beliau seorang reformis, mendukung Glorious Revolution( Revolusi Gemilang), revolusi parlimen yang membataskan kuasa raja, dan ahli parlimen yang menentang penyalahgunaan kuasa yang dibuktikan dalam sikap beliau menuntut  Warran Hastings meletakkan jawatan.

Perlu disebutkan juga tafsiran Bernard Mandeville dalam The Grumbling Hive terhadap ungkapan rex non potest peccarre – the king can do no wrong – dengan bait: But Kings, that could not wrong, because their Power was circumscribed by Laws.

Kerajaan UMNO-BN menjadikan negara ini lumpuh. Mereka tidak mampu untuk membuat keputusan demi kesejahteraan rakyat kerana apa yang diperjuangkan adalah keuntungan politik semata-mata. Apa tidaknya harga barang terus melonjak tinggi; tol dinaikkan dan hanya ditangguhkan sejenak menjelang pilihanraya kecil. Keutamaan bagi memastikan negara terus makmur serta kebajikan rakyat dipelihara ternyata diabaikan sedangkan kemelesetan mula memberi dampak.

Penubuhan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia dan Suruhanjaya Perlantikan Kehakiman gagal memenuhi harapan rakyat untuk melihat sebuah badan yang bertindak bebas dari pengaruh UMNO–BN. Rasuah masih berleluasa dan kedaulatan undang-undang seperti dicabut taringnya.

UMNO-BN lebih mementingkan politik kabilah ketimbang menyelesaikan masalah sebenar yang dihadapi oleh rakyat Malaysia. Manakala itu suratkhabar arus perdana masih tidak mahu memaparkan maklumat tepat berhubung salah guna kuasa mahupun keadaan ekonomi negara, sedangkan pemuka-pemuka negara gagal melaksanakan tanggungjawab mereka.

Ini menjadikan tanggungjawab yang digalas kita semakin berat; untuk menyahkan segala bentuk rasuah dan kemunduran, untuk bangkit agar tidak terperangkap dengan permasalahan titik bengit serta kebencian yang disebabkan kekeliruan ciptaan politik jijik.

Sudah Tiba Masanya Untuk Sedar Dari Lamunan (Day Dreaming)

Menjelang ulangtahun 8 Mac 2009, marilah kita semua merenung kembali samada kita sudahpun berusaha sedaya mungkin untuk memenuhi cita-cita Perubahan yang kita jana. Adakah kepimpinan parti melakukan yang terbaik bagi menyampaikan mesej Ketuanan Rakyat kepada rakyat.

Janganlah kerana kejayaan yang sedikit itu membuatkan kita berpuas hati. Jangan lah pula sesekali kita menyerah kepada serangan demi serangan yang datang segenap penjuru, direkayasa demi mencemar imej parti.

Kekecewaan jangan dibiarkan hinggap, penat lelah berjuang pasti disusuli kemanisan kemenangan.

Kita tidak boleh lagi bersikap sambil lewa dalam menunaikan amanah yang dipertanggungjawabkan. Ini bukanlah masanya untuk mendabik dada siapa kah yang paling banyak berkorban. Masih segar dalam ingatan apabila dipasung dalam penjara, betapa saya terkesan dengan keberanian saudara, tersentuh akan kesetian para pendokong serta didorong dengan pengorbanan rakan-rakan seperjuangan menentang kezaliman. Kita mesti kembali menggilap semangat perjuangan bagi memastikan Perubahan terlaksana dan parti yang dicintai ini diperkasa.

Masa untuk berbulan madu sudah tamat. Banyak lagi peperangan yang kita mesti menangi. Raikanlah kemenangan kita dengan penuh sikap tawaduk dan bersedia menghadapi cabaran yang lebih getir. Bulan-bulan mendatang menjanjikan halangan-halangan baru yang memperlihatkan wajah sebenar regim Umno-Bn yang sanggup menggunakan undang-undang kuku besi demi menghalang kemaraan kita.

Membaharui Tekad

Rakyat Malaysia dahagakan Perubahan. Mereka mahukan ianya direalisasikan. Mereka mahukan pemimpin yang menjadikan rakyat sebagai agenda utama serta sebuah negara yang bersih dari rasuah serta salah guna kuasa.

Apabila rakyat memilih kita, mereka mahukan iklim politik yang berlainan; memimpin dengan penuh sikap tawaduk serta berbicara dengan penuh hemah. Oleh itu kita mesti berusaha bukan sahaja sekadar memenuhi harapan mereka bahkan mesti lebih baik. Kita mesti belajar untuk mengakui kesilapan dan memastikan ianya tidak lagi berulang.

Kita percaya politik adalah wadah buat kita berbakti kepada rakyat. Makanya kita bertanggungjawab baik terhadap sesama kita dan juga terhadap rakyat. Perjuangan kita berasaskan keyakinan untuk memastikan negara ini kembali berada di landasan yang tepat.

Izinkan saya menukil sepotong ayat dari esei tulisan Vaclav Havel yang berjudul “Paradise Lost”:

Those who find themselves in politics therefore bear a heightened responsibility for the moral state of society, and it is their responsibility to seek out the best in that society, to develop and strengthen it.” (“Mereka yang berada dalam politik sesungguhnya memikul tanggungjawab besar terhadap apa jua keadaan masyarakat dan adalah kewajipan mereka membangunkan masyarakat itu dengan  segala kekuatan dan yang terbaik darinya”)

Saya menyeru kepimpinan Keadilan untuk membaharui komitmen mereka kepada rakyat. Tidak kira mereka yang berkhidmat dalam Biro Politik, MPT, Ahli Parlimen mahupun ADUN, juga kepimpinan parti di seluruh negara, kita mesti memastikan rakyat adalah agenda kita. Tunaikanlah amanah dengan berkesan dan penuh tanggungjawab.

Ingatlah perjuangan Parti Keadilan Rakyat tidak berasaskan ideologi kabilah, teras kita adalah perjuangan menegakkan keadilan dan merangkul semua tanpa mengira batasan kaum mahupun kepercayaan. Ini juga tentulah tidak asing dari seruan li-ta’arafu yang berasaskan ayat Al Quran Wahai umat manusia! Sesungguhnya Kami telah menciptakan kamu dari lelaki dan perempuan, dan Kami telah menjadikan kamu berbagai bangsa dan bersuku puak, supaya kamu berkenal-kenalan( Al Hujurat: 13)

Manakala Confucius di dalam Analect, Buku 12, dan dirumuskan oleh pengarang terkenal Han Su Yin, ada mengatakan Si hai zhi nie jiexiong di, yang bermaksud “Empat lautan terbentang luas, Semua manusia bersaudara.”

Oleh yang demikian, kita punya ruang yang luas bagi semua suku kaum di negara ini untuk bersama merealisasikan impian ketuanan rakyat yang merupakan  harapan baru untuk Malaysia.

Dari Perlis ke Johor merentasi lautan hingga kesabah dan Sarawak, Keadilan harus bergerak dengan kesungguhan memperjelas serta meraih keyakinan rakyat agar tiada lagi keraguan untuk melakukan perubahan bersama kita kearah masa depan yang lebih gemilang.

Strategi

Justeru itu, kita perlu memperkukuhkan jentera serta memperkuat semangat, kita juga  harus memikirkan secara bersama bagi mendapatkan dana untuk parti.

Untuk itu, saya telah meminta setiausaha agung parti agar membawa parti ke hadapan untuk menyahut cabaran tersebut. Mulai saat ini juga, pihak sekretariat akan lebih memberi tumpuan kearah pengukuhan akar umbi diseluruh negara.

Bagi mencapai tujuan itu, kita akan memastikan sekurang-kurangnya satu mesyuarat dan ceramah diadakan pada setiap bulan oleh setiap negeri dan bahagian. Manakala ketua penerangan di setiap negeri akan diminta untuk melaporkan kepada ibu pejabat parti setiap bulan bagi membincangkan perkembangan terkini serta arahan dan langkah selanjutnya.

Pengambilan ahli-ahli baru harus ditingkatkan kerana ia adalah salah satu strategi kita  bagi menghadapi pilihanraya di masa depan.

Tahun-tahun kebelakangan ini, anda telah mempamerkan semangat kesungguhan dalam perjuangan. Namun demikian kita seharusnya akur bahawa masih terdapat kekurangan dan kelemahan, masih ada ruang untuk kita memperbaiki serta melakukan peningkatan. Kita juga mahukan penyertaan yang lebih berkesan daripada rakan-rakan yang baru menyertai parti. Kita mesti terus melangkah ke hadapan, manakala mereka yang ada bersama kita pada hari ini adalah mereka yang komited dan sanggup berkerja keras untuk membawa parti ini ketahap yang lebih tinggi.

Perjuangan ini akan mencapai matlamatnya jika setiap daripada kita mengerti akan pentingnya semangat kerja berpasukan.

Bahtera telahpun menarik sauh tanda pelayaran sudah bermula, ayuh bersama kita melakar sejarah yang penuh gemilang. Kepada anda yang telah meraih undi daripada rakyat, adalah teramat penting mendapatkan sokongan berterusan dari rakyat untuk terus bersama melayari bahtera perjuangan. Buat anda yang telah diberi tanggungjawab dengan memegang jawatan-jawatan dalam parti, diharap dapat menjalankan amanah tersebut dengan berusaha lebih gigih demi memartabatkan perjuangan keadilan.

Masa semakin berlalu , ia telah membawa kita hampir kepada Pilihanraya Umum sekali lagi, oleh itu amatlah penting buat kita merebut setiap detik bagi membina kekuatan perjuangan menegakkan keadilan.

Dengan situasi ketidaktentuan ekonomi serta kerapuhan dalaman pihak lawan, ia seharusnya  memberi kita kelebihan untuk terus mara kehadapan. Tambahan pula, keyakinan yang ditunjukkan rakyat terhadap kepimpinan Pakatan Rakyat masih tetap utuh. Ini semua hasil dari kesungguhan kita yang selama ini senantiasa menumpukan untuk terus berkhidmat demi masyarakat.

Isu Kewangan

Menyedari bahawa kita tidak mempunyai kekuatan kewangan seperti BN, namun kita tidak akan sesekali tunduk kepada politik wang apatah lagi menyalahgunakan kuasa yang diamanahkan bagi mencapai matlamat  perjuangan.

Penutup

Kita akan tetap bergantung kepada dukungan rakyat yang menyokong agenda membawa perubahan untuk terus memberikan bantuan kewangan bagi membolehkan kita menjana kemenangan. Adalah menjadi prinsip kita selama ini bahawa kualiti kepimpinan serta komited melakukan perubahan dan pembaharuan dalam memperjuangkan kehendak rakyat adalah merupakan asset terpenting demi merealisasikan impian membina Malaysia Baru.

Is ASEAN relevant, we may wish to ask.


posted by din merican—February 27, 2009

Asean’s relevancy questioned

by Pokpong Lawansiri*

Finally, the Thai government under the leadership of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajiva is able to hold the 14th ASEAN Summit after it was postponed in December 2008 after the turbulent seizure of the country’s airport by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

There was earlier speculation that a re-scheduled summit would face great difficulties after attempts by the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship had petitioned Myanmar and Singapore to boycott the summit claiming that the government is undemocratic.

As ASEAN will celebrate its 42nd birthday this year – it was established on August 8,1967 – a lot of ASEAN observers are wondering if the organisation is truly relevant to the ASEAN population.

During the period of the adoption and ratification of the Asean Charter in 2007 and 2008, many Asean governments, including Thailand, insisted that the ASEAN Charter will make the body a more “people-oriented” organisation.

The actual text of the charter, however, does not detail how the people can be involved in ASEAN’s decision-making processes. The Jakarta-based think-tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies and Indonesian lawmakers had spoken in favour of the non-ratification of the charter, seeing no benefit in the charter.

ASEAN’s relevancy has been questioned in many instances. First, Asean policies have proven to be mostly rhetoric rather than actual implementation. The 1997 document, ASEAN Vision 2020, talks about ASEAN’s aim “to build a community of caring and sharing societies”. However, PM Abhisit of Thailand as the current chair of ASEAN reiterates the quote on one hand and at another, continues to label the Rohingya refugees from Burma as illegal migrants who should be detained and “pushed-out” from the country.

Relevancy in question

This totally contradicts the essence of a caring and sharing community. It has been noted that less than 50 percent of Asean agreements are actually implemented, while ASEAN holds more than 600 meetings annually.

Secondly, ASEAN members themselves do not take the organisation seriously. Last year, when Thailand and Cambodia were at their most critical dispute in decades over the ownership of the Preah Vihear Temple – which was stirred up by the PAD’s ultra-nationalism fervor – Samdech Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodia ignored ASEAN and took the issue directly to the UN Security Council. He surely must have been aware that there is a dispute settlement mechanism in ASEAN to which he could refer the issue.

The writer was recently told by a former senior staff of the ASEAN Foundation, an integral body which is tasked to promote greater awareness of Asean and interaction among the peoples of ASEAN, that the Asia-Europe Foundation has been receiving far more funding from ASEAN  governments than ASEAN’s own foundation. He said, “ASEAN governments want the foundation to stand on its own”.

Similarly, the Asean People’s Assembly (APA), a yearly forum that has been organised by the ASEAN think-tank network known as the Asean Institute for Strategic and International Studies since 2001, which attempts to bridge the gaps between the policymakers and civil society groups by bringing the two groups together to a same forum, is also facing a similar problem.

While in the ASEAN Vientiane Action Programme adopted in 1999, it recognises APA as an “important consultative mechanism for developing more people-oriented policies”, ASEAN is still not supporting the initiative as this mechanism is facing large financial constraints on continuing its operation.

Thirdly, participatory democracy is a foreign term known among ASEAN governments. The ASEAN Charter which is the first document that talked about a people-oriented ASEAN was discussed discreetly, while there have been calls by civic groups to make it public for general discussion or to have it voted in a referendum. Three documents accompanying the charter, namely the Economic, Political-Security, and Socio-Cultural Blueprints were also discussed in private.

Meeting human rights challenges

Last and most importantly, civil society and observers are viewing ASEAN as being unable to meet human rights challenges. While ASEAN bureaucrats often credit ASEAN for having created peace in the region since its establishment, they forget to acknowledge that ASEAN stood still during the genocide in Cambodia, which then was not a member of ASEAN.

Similarly, ASEAN allowed Indonesia to take extreme measures against East Timor in 1974 to 1999, which Jakarta then viewed as a renegade province. The conflict in Cambodia and East Timor claimed approximately two million and 102,800 lives respectively. Not to mentioned the human rights situation in Myanmar which has not improved since it was admitted to Asean in 1997.

Although, the ASEAN Charter is coming up with a plan to establish an Asean human rights body (AHRB) by appointing a high-level panel which is currently drafting a terms of reference of the AHRB, there is very little hope for those who have been following its development.

The confidential text of the terms of reference highlights that the body has to respect the principle of non-interference and will work to defend ASEAN from external interferences on human rights issues. Furthermore, it is known that the body will focus on promotional roles rather than protecting human rights victims; that it will only serve as a window-dressing mechanism for ASEAN.

Earlier this month, close to 1,000 civil society representatives gathered under the banner of the ASEAN Peoples’ Forum in Bangkok, Thailand, to discuss issues affecting them. One question discussed was the relevancy of ASEAN. A statement will soon be delivered to ASEAN leaders outlining how they can better serve the people.

As ASEAN claims to be a ‘people-oriented’ body, it surely must implement policies and ensure that ASEAN will be able to respond to the needs of its people on issues such as democracy and human rights.

*Pokpong Lawansiri  is a Bangkok-based independent scholar and an analyst on ASEAN and related foreign policy issues. This article appeared in http://www.malaysiakini.com on February 26, 2009

Civic Governance


posted by din merican–February 27, 2009

http://www.malaysiakini.com

Civic governance
Dr. KJ John
Febrauary 24, 2009

Some time past, I had asked the rhetorical question, “What is the colour of the air we breathe?” In Petaling Jaya it used to be foul smelling, dirty, corrupted air, especially when related to billboard advertising.

Thanks to the breath of fresh air brought by Pakatan Rakyat-appointed councilors, The Sun newspaper ran an editorial entitled “A great clean-up” on Febraury 12. Thank you, The Sun, for recognising good clean-ups.

What was most interesting was that the new guidelines for cleaner air were approved by the Committee for Sustainable Development of Petaling Jaya. If I am not wrong, PJ started the pilot project of the Local Agenda 21 (LA 21) programme about eight years ago. MPPJ was one of five local authorities specially selected under the United Nations Development Programme’s LA 21 programme. There was a lot of rhetoric and little real work to show serious sustainable development planning and approvals.

In fact, I even made a complaint to the then MPPJ president that there was ‘a lot of talk and very little walk’ under this agenda. The most surprising thing was, I even received an answer from the then MPPJ president assuring me that the LA 21 agenda was alive and well.  Today I say, “Shame to you Mr President as it was during your tour of duty that the corruption vide the backdoor of donations to sports clubs started”. It is now obvious that you created and supported the tolerance for the foul air culture within the MPPJ.

So it is with great delight as a member and rate-payer in MPPJ for me to accord accolades, respect and honour to the MPPJ councilors which The Sun declared had “firmly yet fairly, promulgated the guidelines and pushed through their agenda despite hurdles placed in their midst”. I am indeed grateful.

Allow me to then ask again, “What is the colour of the air we breathe in Petaling Jaya?” Let me try and expound one philosophy or approach towards civic governance that the current MPPJ president and councilors can consider as they move the LA 21 agenda towards a natural conclusion.

I have called it the 3W2R1A approach for sustainable development. Let us begin with the1A. It is the common agenda that all MPPJ councilors have to agree for it to become the guidelines for the billboard arena.

Seeking a win-win situation

Most organisations cannot claim to have such a clear and unequivocal agenda which all organisational actors subscribe to. In this instance, it is obvious that MPPJ found their one voice and common agenda; and therefore, now the rewards of recognition.

The second and equally important is the 3W. I have always called this the ‘triple win’. Too often in transactional management techniques, the promoters only talk about a win-win. Even corruption is a double win: for the advertisers it was cheaper to bribe and for corrupt staff, they saw the benefits.

But as always in the non-sustainable agenda, it is the third win of public interest that is always sacrificed. MPPJ was cheated by insiders and outsiders for their own and private win-win agendas!

The 3W worldview of sustainable development is something like the 360 degree management model being promoted today. All interested stake and share holders in any enterprise must be included and involved in the development agenda.

Therefore in the case of billboards, the component that was sadly missing in the older way of doing it was the ‘third win’ of public interest, which every citizen, elected government and local authority exists to protect and preserve. Unfortunately, in the current model of ‘greed is good’ worldview of capitalism, the third win of public interest is the first principle to be sacrificed for personal interests; whether one calls it a CEO being paid millions, or a president who closes one eye to wrong-doing or authorities who are blind to the real issues.

How else can the so-called most developed country in the world, the US, and the so-called most developed state in Malaysia, Selangor, have such foul smelling air? It now befalls on the new CEO’s to clean out years and years of dirt and filth accumulated under the watch of poor and inept leaders of the past.

The third and final aspect of this philosophy of operational leadership is what I call 2R. The two Rs stand for risk-taking and reward sharing.All parties in any enterprise, whether the so-called owners, or merely share-holders, or even only the customers or beneficiaries, are all joint stakeholders of the enterprise.

They all have and hold a stake in what that enterprise does or does not do, for the future belongs to them and their children. That is posterity and prosperity today cannot deny the posterity of the future which gives hope to all who come later.

Therefore, any contract between two parties never involves only two parties. There is always the need for some kind of third party insurance for the larger good of all third party stakeholders. Usually these come in the form governments and for good governance mechanisms.

New role-model in governance

Democracy is our only current best alternative for selecting a model of power-sharing that seemingly allows for good governance. But, as is evident in the so-called best democracy in the world, oversight cannot be left only to so-called private sector authorities or the so-called market.

As is becoming obvious, even markets need the governance oversight of governments. But like everything else in life, any extremes in one direction or another, either with democracy or with free-market capitalism, unless the third party interests are well overseen, public interest will always be denied.

Greed and the love of money is at the root of the fall of mankind. Greed, therefore, always needs to be moderated against ugly self-interested utilitarian individuals and their allies. In fact, Amitai Etzioni the well-known organisationalist and sociologist addressed this very issue vide a book called ‘The Moral Dimension: Towards a New Economics’.

The challenge for all of us then in seeking good governance is to search out and establish civil or civic rules and guidelines that meet the needs of all parties and interests. These, the MPPJ councillors have done well. We can only watch and observe as they seek to improve their governance with cleaning of the air on billboards.

My prayer is that the rest of the country will also watch and learn as MPPJ experiments with a new economics of development and a new model of improved governance of the public space.

Royalty and Loyalty: A View from the Outside


posted by din merican–February 27, 2009

http://www.malaysiakini.com

Royalty and loyalty

by Dean Johns
February 25, 2009

Royalty has been much in the news lately. Australian expatriate Harry Nicolaides has just been granted a royal pardon after serving five months of a three-year sentence for committing the Thai crime of lese majeste in his self-published 2005 novel, ‘Verisimilitude’.

And both sides of the constitutional contretemps in Perak are accusing the other of insulting Sultan Azlan Shah. Barisan Nasional (BN) claims that the opposition is showing disrespect for the Sultan’s legal judgment by going over his head, so to speak, to seek the opinion of a British QC over constitutional matters.

sivakumar and perakAnd, as I understand it, BN is accusing Perak assembly speaker V Sivakumar of contempt of royalty by not only refusing to accept the sultan’s replacement of ousted Menter Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin with Zambry Abdul Kadir, but also subsequently suspending Zambry and six BN-appointed executive councillors from the House.

As always when royalty is under discussion, I find myself impossibly prejudiced. Not so violently so, perhaps, as French cleric Jean Meslier, or Messelier (1664-1729), who famously wrote in his last will and testament that he “would like the last of the kings to be strangled with the guts of the last priest”.

But I’m most certainly against inherited power and privilege on principle, on the grounds that it’s almost always at the expense of the people.

At this point I have to say that, from what little I know of it, the Thai royal family has been unusually benevolent and enlightened, and may well deserve the high regard in which it is popularly and legally held. Certainly, from all I’ve heard of him and his good works, reigning monarch King Bumiphol, seems to be justly respected and admired. But to judge by unsavoury rumours long surrounding the crown prince, the royal figure allegedly defamed in Nicolaides’ book, he’s no chip off the old block.

Of course the very word “block” sends shivers down the spines of royals and royalists, as it recalls the unhappy if richly-deserved fate of Charles 1 of England. He was beheaded, you may recall, for the treason of waging war, not only once but twice, on his own people.

A great many other kings have done this in their time, under the guise of protecting the populace. This protection racket worked a treat for centuries as – witness Meslier’s remark linking kings and priests – people believed in their ignorance or blind faith that kings were divinely appointed, much as some still fancy figureheads like the Pope or the Dalai Lama to be today.

Purging of Royal Houses

But some monarchs made such a mockery of their ‘divine right’ to rule that the whole idea eventually lost all credibility. Henry VIII of England was to me one of the key figures in bringing kingship into disrepute and disbelief.

Dubbed ‘Defender of the Faith’ by the Catholic church, the seat of his original religion, he later founded the Church of England in the name of popular nationalism. But it was actually for the sordid twin purposes of divorcing several wives and even murdering a couple of them, then stealing the Catholic monasteries’ land and property for himself, his ‘nobles’ and other cronies.

The British monarchy survived both Henry and the hapless, headless Charles 1, of course, but only by gradually becoming as powerless and people-friendly as all get-out.

There were also PR stunts like changing the family name from Saxe Coburg Gotha to Windsor to seem more British during World War 1, and forcing Edward VIII’s abdication for threatening to marry a divorced woman, let alone doing a Henry VIII. All these self-preserving efforts have since come to naught, however, thanks to the dim Princess Di and a string of pubic relations disasters ending with Dodi Fayed.

Most other monarchies have dwindled to insignificance or have entirely disappeared. Some have met a sticky fate. The French people butchered their royal family and thousands of assorted aristocrats centuries ago in a frenzy of ‘liberty, equality and fraternity’.

Some other royal purges have been more peaceful. The Nepalese recently dispensed with their king without much bloodshed beyond an earlier mass-shooting of his relatives by a male member of the royal family. And the ruler of Bhutan himself took the initiative to declare his country democratic.

Some nations that have dispensed with their royals have found themselves ruled by replacements that have proved as bad or even worse. The Russians got rid of the czars only to be re-enslaved themselves under a series of totalitarian dictators.

In China, thousands of years of hellish rule by ‘heavenly’ emperors were succeeded by a 60-year reign of terror and error by Mao Tse Tung and his political heirs.

India, on the contrary, was doubly fortunate in achieving its independence in 1947, taking the opportunity to rid itself of not only its imperial oppressors, but also the Maharajahs who, as corrupt puppets of the British, had been so disloyal to their own people.

Earn loyalty

And on much the same grounds, Ihave often thought it a pity that Malaysia failed to similarly avail itself of the opportunity to dispense with its royals. Most if not all of the sultans of colonial times co-operated if not collaborated with the British in their exploitation of the people of then Malaya.

And, with all-too-rare exceptions, the sultans since 1957 have shown themselves more dedicated to their own interests than to the well being of their loyal subjects.

No wonder so many Malaysians applauded then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad when, if for his own reasons rather than those of the rakyat, he seized on the excesses of some sultans to curtail royal privileges and immunities. The current Perak sultan, it seems to me, is among the more worthy and distinguished members of Malaysian royalty. But surely it’s not disloyal, as some have been suggesting lately, to question his legal opinion.

Malaysia, like Great Britain, is a constitutional monarchy these days. So the rakyat’s loyalty is no longer for royalty to command, demand or expect as its birthright, but to earn and inspire by its care and concern for the common good.

In other words, royalty these days is more a matter of worth than birth, and only deserving of our loyalty if it puts principles before pride, position and possessions.

As in the case, for example, of that prince of a guy, Raja Petra Kamarudin, a Malaysian of such rare royalty of spirit and loyalty to freedom and justice that the robber-barons of BN can’t rest until they shut him up.

Eli Wong and The Palace: HRH Sultan of Selangor,Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah,is above Politics


posted by din merican—February 26, 2009

February 25, 2009

THE following is the full statement by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, over the controversy involving Bukit Lanjan state assemblyman Elizabeth Wong, issued by his private secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani:

I am pleased to inform that Yang Amat Berhormat Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Bin Ibrahim, the Mentri Besar Selangor, has sought an audience with His Royal Highness, The Sultan of Selangor, on Wednesday, 25th February 2009 and duly informed His Royal Highness on the political development and the issue which involved Yang Berhormat Elizabeth Wong Keat Ping, the Selangor State Assemblyman for Bukit Lanjan who is also the State Selangor Exco Member.

His Royal Highness, The Sultan of Selangor, has commanded me to inform that His Royal Highness could not offer any guidance or advice to the Mentri Besar in the matter related to the issue of Elizabeth Wong as it was still under police investigation and it involved her political position.

It is His Royal Highness’ stance as the Sultan of Selangor to be above politics. His Royal Highness believes that whatever decision that is going to be made by the Mentri Besar will be made with accurateness, fairness and with wisdom by taking into consideration the interest of the rakyat ,in particular and the State of Selangor generally.

His Royal Highness is upset and worried as of late the intrusion of someone’s privacy and private rights was being used to destroy one’s dignity and reputation. It is a sad thing as one’s life and private rights were being made public and subject to public scrutiny by publicising in the mass media.

To Elizabeth Wong, His Royal Highness felt sad and sympathised with her as to the unfortunate event she had suffered and hoped that she will remain calm and be patient in continuing with her life henceforth.

Perak: It’s hilarious, says Che Det in www.chedet.com, and weird too


posted by din merican–February 26, 2009

http://www.malaysiakini.com

PM Badawi’s advice to Dr. Zambry: It’s hilarious, says Che Det ( Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad)
February 25, 2009

There is nothing more hilarious than Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s advice to Perak Menteri Besar Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir to file a police report over his suspension from the state assembly.

mahathir pc 260608 05This was the summation by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who offered his opinion on the current political misadventure in Perak. “We are seeing many weird episodes happening in Perak which was once renowned for its tin,” said the 84-year old statesman in his latest blog posting.

As for Zambry’s suspension, Mahathir said if the decision by the Perak speaker could be considered a crime, then what about the Dewan Rakyat speaker suspending opposition members of Parliament for various reasons? “This (being suspended from the Dewan Rakyat) happens often. Will opposition MPs file a police report as well? If they do, then we can assume that the police have power over the speaker,” he added.

Stating that the speaker is capable of committing crimes, Mahathir, however, noted that suspending a member of the house does not fall under the ambit of crimes which the police could act upon.

Where will Zambry sit?

The former premier also raised several questions in response to reports that a defiant Zambry will attend the state assembly sitting, which must be held by April.

“According to the rules, the speaker can order the officers of the house to remove him (Zambry) from the house. Will the officers, who are not from Pakatan Rakyat, do so?”

“Where will Zambry sit (in the house)? What if (Pakatan Rakyat’s ousted MB) Mohamed Nizar Jamaluddin sits in the menteri besar’s seat?” he asked. “Will Nizar be forced to vacate the seat? Will Zambry be in the house or outside the house. Let us, the rakyat, wait and see what
nizar jamaluddin dr zambry abdul kadir perak will happen,” he added.

Last Wednesday, the Perak crisis took a new twist when speaker P Sivakumar slapped Zambry and his six exco members with a 18 and 12- month suspension respectively for contempt of the state assembly. This has effectively put Barisan Nasional as the minority in the state assembly which has to convene in April.

UMNO is currently seeking the opinion of a Queen’s Counsel (QC) on the constitutional issues which have plunged Perak into a political stalemate. Earlier this month, BN seized power in the state with the help of four defectors who upset the delicate balance of power.