UMNO, PAS can’t stand in the way of progressive Malay politics

December 29, 2019

https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/458191

by  Dr. Rais Hussin

 

COMMENT | A train will eventually carry less and less cargo when the single track on which it operates begins to sag. But this is not a problem with a double-track system.

UMNO and PAS have erred by using such a single-track system( Money Politics). The mechanisms which they have used or intend to use to take Malays, Muslims and Malaysians forward will falter – either before they can reinvent themselves as parties that put the people’s welfare first, or before they perish from hauling too much for too long while struggling for their survival.

Similarly, if Bersatu sticks to the mentality of old, it too will fail. By privileging cash, connections, contracts and concessions, UMNO has become nothing but a cabal – a party defined and driven by the politics of what political scientists call kaumiyah or tribes.

These tribes may align themselves to current, former or prospective presidents of UMNO, but they will all sink as Umno is now officially a party associated with thieving and thuggery.

Even when the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd) was not ratified, UMNO still insisted on a street rally. By urging its remaining war horses to take to the streets of Kuala Lumpur, the party has become a throbbing and bleeding sore.

And as the above was done, another elite group of UMNO putera and puteri, also working for their own benefit, are hard at work trying to upstage their elders in the party – making UMNOo Youth into a spear against the shield of the old aristocracy.

With such internal warfare, UMNOo can no longer vouch for bangsa, agama dan negara (race, religion and country). It is now hollowed out, with its only legacy the attempted misuse of every GLC and GLIC under its watch, from Permodalan Nasional Bhd to Lembaga Tabung Haji to Ministry of Finance Inc.

PAS, having formed a quasi-pact with UMNO that seeks to salvage what remains of the former’s vote bank, has either directly and indirectly tried to sanitise the soiled legacy of the former ruling party.

Instead of speaking out against the excesses of 1MDB, and the many ‘mini 1MDBs’, PAS has chosen to remain solemnly quiet on all fronts. Such connivance is done in order to benefit PAS, both as the future kingmakers and spoilers of parliamentary democracy of Malaysia.

Bersatu cannot claim to be a white knight. As a new party, it is bound to have many chinks in its armour. Nor can it claim to be invincible and undefeatable. If May 9 demonstrated anything, it is the power of the people to get rid of the old and tiresome kleptocrats.

But as a Malay party – whose associate members can be non-Malays – Bersatu understands the importance of creating a ‘New Malay’ mindset to steer Malays, Muslims and Malaysia forward. This is where Bersatu has a double-track system in every single endeavour.

In the public sector, Bersatu is not obsessed with dominating every branch and twig of the government. No Malay cronies have sprung up in Bersatu. Indeed, Bersatu believes a strong and stable government that is also smart. As and when needed, a government led by Bersatu, with the blessing of Pakatan Harapan, will be pro-private sector.

In the private sector, Bersatu does not want to dominate the entire business landscape. Bersatu wants Malay entrepreneurs of all stripes to flourish together with people of other races in Malaysia.

The fact that Bersatu can work with the Finance Minister from DAP is a case in point. Whatever pro-Malay agenda Bersatu may have, it has the option to stick by its allies that are also pro-Malaysia.

Insofar as Islam is concerned, Bersatu has also worked closely with Amanah, a party that believes in rahmatan lil alamin (Islam as a blessing for all). Neither Bersatu nor Amanah believes in any ideas that are racially chauvinistic: both parties believe in working closely with people of all faiths, not just ‘other’ faiths.

Thus, when the unrest in Seafield erupted, Home Minister and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin was quick to condemn the incident, indeed to contain it as a non-racial issue stemming from a land dispute that was politicised by Umno and PAS as an affront to Malayness.

The only thing Malay in the riots was the heroism of the late Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim and his colleagues to rush in to douse the fire of the burning cars where none dared to tread.

If Bersatu in the post-May 9 landscape has any specific inspiration, it is the courage and bravery of Muhammad Adib. Unsurprisingly, Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali even dedicated a violin recital to him. Why? Precisely because of his selflessness to live up to the creed of New Malaysia.

Prime Minister and Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad hasn’t said much, for he too believes that mere words would have tarnished Adib’s deeds, and how he led by example just weeks prior to the second annual general assembly of Bersatu.

‘Berani kerana benar’ (in truth we find courage) the old Malay proverb goes. And ‘Bersatu kerana benar‘, as the New Malaysia and all Malays must be.

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RAIS HUSSIN is a supreme council member of Bersatu. He also heads its policy and strategy bureau.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

 

 

 

Xmas in New Malaysia-2018

December 28, 2018

By Ambassador Dennis Ignatius

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2018/12/27/hope-hate-in-the-season-of-goodwill/

 

Christmas is a special time of year for many Malaysians.

For Christians, Christmas is, of course, much more than coloured lights and tinsel; it is about remembering and commemorating the birth of Jesus the Messiah, the cornerstone of faith. It is both a sacred and secular occasion. For others, it is a non-religious festive occasion, a time to enjoy the festivities, the decorations and shopping bargains.

Whatever one’s take on Christmas, however, in Malaysia it is also an opportunity to celebrate our diversity and reaffirm our commitment to a nation of many peoples, cultures and religions all bound by common citizenship. It is what makes us unique.

Hate

But Christmas invariably brings out the bigots as well. In times past, they have complained that there were too many Christmas lights, too many Christmas trees, too much Christmas carolling. To them, every little coloured light is an affront to their faith, a provocation. Thankfully, there was none of that this year.

True to form, however, the PAS youth chief (and the son of the PAS president Hadi Awang) insisted that Muslims should not only refrain from participating in the Christmas festivities, they shouldn’t even extend Christmas greetings to Christians. Going by his comments, Christmas itself is apparently haram.

While the son was spewing divisiveness and discord at home, the father was doing likewise in the UK. At a dialogue session in London, Hadi rallied against local council elections saying that it might result in non-Malay mayors who might “make alcohol and gambling permissible” and result in another May 13. It’s nonsense, of course, but that is the kind of rabid racism we have come to expect from Hadi and his ilk.

 

Former political dissident Tan Wah Piow (L) and Malaysian activist Hishammuddin Rais pose for a picture with Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammad on Aug 30, 2018.

Hope

What makes this year – the year of Malaysia Baru – special, however, was that the voices of hate were overwhelmingly drowned out by the voices of hope, tolerance and respect.

In keeping with tradition, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad wished “all Malaysians a joyous and blissful Christmas,” while Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah wished “every single one of you celebrating Christmas this year a wonderful and joyful celebration.”

The Sultan of Johor, always an outlier on such matters, went a step further by issuing his own Christmas card via Facebook wishing all his subjects celebrating Christmas “love, joy & peace and a wonderful time with families and friends.”

And then there were a number of state muftis and Islamic religious groups who, in effect, rubbished claims that wishing Christians was somehow haram. The Mufti of Penang even called for a fatwa to put an end to the nonsense about greeting others on their festive occasions. Even PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan ignored his youth chief’s warning and wished Malaysians a Merry Christmas.

A particularly welcome development was a video of police officers at a police station in Kota Kinabalu singing Christmas carols against the backdrop of a Christmas tree. It may or may not be recent but it was widely circulated and brought much cheer to Christians. Given all the past reports of police officers demonising Christians at closed-door seminars, it was particularly heartwarming to see them honouring Christians this way. For many Christians, that one single act did more to inculcate and foster national unity than all the political speeches on the subject combined.

Simple gestures speak volumes

The Pakatan government must now build upon these expressions of hope and do more to break the cycle of mistrust and disunity that has plagued our country for so long.

Some years ago, we had national-level celebrations for all the main religious and cultural festivals. There were national-level open house events for Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Gawai, Deepavali, and Christmas. There was even a national Christmas tree. And no less than His Majesty the Agong and the entire cabinet were present at these functions. Tens of thousands of Malaysians responded to these events.

Restoring that practice will be a major step forward. After all, in their Christmas messages, all our political leaders emphasized that coming together to celebrate each other’s holiday festivals is a manifestation of mutual respect for our unique diversity. It will speak powerfully to all Malaysians to see our leaders themselves demonstrate this respect for diversity by hosting national and state-level celebrations on festive occasions and yes, by lighting a national Christmas tree in Putrajaya. It would certainly set the tone for the rest of the country and silence the voices of bigotry and divisiveness.

Restoring that practice will be a major step forward. After all, in their Christmas messages, all our political leaders emphasised that coming together to celebrate each other’s holiday festivals is a manifestation of mutual respect for our unique diversity. It will speak powerfully to all Malaysians to see our leaders themselves demonstrate this respect for diversity by hosting national and state-level celebrations on festive occasions and yes, by lighting a national Christmas tree in Putrajaya. It would certainly set the tone for the rest of the country and silence the voices of bigotry and divisiveness.

In the end, it is the simple gestures of love, togetherness and mutual support shown by Malaysia’s First Couple (pic above)  that express respect, tolerance and inclusivity that do more to enhance national unity than anything else. Let’s hope that in Malaysia Baru the voices of moderation, tolerance and respect will grow louder and louder. And that the message of Christmas – peace and goodwill to all – will become a permanent feature of our Malaysia Baru.

 

Let’s hope that in Malaysia Baru the voices of moderation, tolerance and respect will grow louder and louder. And that the message of Christmas – peace and goodwill to all – will become a permanent feature of our Malaysia Baru.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.