It was an expected news that Ngeh Koo Ham the Sitiawan state assemblyman was appointed the Perak State Senior Exco. The key point is that other than chairing the Finance, Infrastructure and Public Facilities, Energy and Water committees, he is also chairman of the newly set-up Non-Muslim Affairs Committee.
This is indeed refreshing and hoped the other state governments especially those ruled by the non-BN parties will follow suit. What are you waiting for, Lim Guan Eng and Teresa Kok?
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Impak PRU 12 kepada masyarakat
Saya telah dijemput sebagai tetamu dalam rancangan Isu Semasa Khas di RTM 1 pada 12 Mac 2008 (Rabu). Walaupun ini bukan kali pertama saya menjadi tetamu dalam program TV yang disiarkan secara langsung tetapi kali ini adalah berbeza kerana topik yang dibincangkan masih lagi sangat panas.
“Pilihanraya Umum ke 12: Kesan kepada Masyarakat”. Itulah bunyi isu yang dibincangkan kali ini. Tetamu lain termasuklah Timbalan Dekan dari Universiti Putra Malaysia, Professor Dr. Raduan Che Ros dan Encik Balakrishnan pensyarah kanan dari Uiversity Malaya. Saya telah diperkenalkan sebagai penasihat Pergerakan Pemuda Malaysia (YMM), sebuah pertubuhan belia peringkat kebangsaan.
Agak janggal juga bila difikirkan semula hal ini kerana saya bukannya dari kalangan ahli akademik dan pastinya saya tidak akan memberikan pendapat saya dari perspektif akademik. Walaupun saya mempunyai pandangan sendiri mengenai topik ini, saya merasakan ia lebih baik jikalau saya mendapatkan pendapat dari kalangan kawan-kawan dengan latarbelakang yang berbeza untuk mendalami kesan PRU12 kepada masyarakat.
Antara perkara-perkara yang dilontarkan oleh hos program, Sayed Munawar Sayed Mustar ialah berkaitan impak PRU 12 terhadap hubungan etnik, sistem dwi-parti, peranan belia, kerajaan tempatan dan sebagainya.
Antara respon saya ialah mengenai pengaruh pengundi muda dalam PRU 12 yang telah memilih untuk membuat perubahan. Golongan muda yang pertama kali mengundi dan mereka yang mengundi kali kedua sejak 2004 telah membuang undi perubahan. Bagi mereka yang berasa tidak puashati dengan pelbagai isu kebelakangan ini, tiada ruginya untuk mereka membuang undi protes kerana bagi mereka tidak akan berlaku perkara yang lebih teruk dari yang sedia ada. Jika mereka tidak pilih untuk protes, keadaan mungkin lebih teruk lagi.
Mengenai sistem dua parti yang mungkin berlaku hari akan datang, saya telah menekankan beberapa perkara demi kepentingan rakyat, iaitu betapa perlunya setiap wakil rakyat mengundi berdasarkan pegangan dan prinsip mereka dan bukannya untuk kepentingan parti sahaja. Wakil rakyat harus sedar bahawa mereka dipilih untuk berkhidmat untuk rakyat dan bukannya untuk parti mereka semata-mata. Mungkin singkatan YB seharusnya bermakna Yang Berkhidmat bukannya Yang Berhormat!
Satu perkara utama diperbincangkan ialah sebab musabab berlakunya angin perubahan di PRU 12 hinggakan pakatan pembangkang tawan 4 buah negeri dan BN hilang majoriti 2/3 keanggotaan Dewan Rakyat.
Beberapa alasan telah diberikan oleh ahli panel termasuk isu kenaikan harga minyak dan barangan lain; isu berkaitan kepentingan golongan minoriti; parti kerajaan yang leka dan “over confident”, peranan media perdana dan alternatif seperti laman web dan blog, serangan bertubi-tubi pimpinan kanan BN terhadap Anwar Ibrahim yang membawakan rasa simpati terhadap Anwar dan ketidakpuasan rakyat yang berterusan tidak diuruskan dengan sebaik-baiknya.
Penggunaan media cetak dan eletronik perdana yang bertujuan menarik undi telah mengakibatkan reaksi sebaliknya. Pengundi berasa mereka dicabar kematangan mereka dalam mentafsirkan sesuatu perkara dan harus menerima sahaja apa yang disalurkan. Suntikan propaganda yang berlebihan telah menyebabkan rakyat rasa muak dan semacam diperolokkan dan akhirnya telah menolak segala mesej yang hendak disampaikan termasuk perkara-perkara yang bernas dan ikhlas.
Rata-ratanya, dari komen dan SMS yang saya terima selepas program itu, para penonton berasakan saya telah menyuarakan isihati mereka. Mengenai komen orang ramai, saya teringat semasa saya membawa keluarga saya ke sebuah taman tema di ibukota, seorang wanita dari Melaka telah mengucapkan terima kasih kepada saya di atas komen saya semasa rancangan tersebut yang merupakan pandangan beliau juga.
Dah banyak kali saya terlibat dalam perbincangan dalam program TV, tetapi kali in saya menerima respon yang paling hangat dari penonton!
“Pilihanraya Umum ke 12: Kesan kepada Masyarakat”. Itulah bunyi isu yang dibincangkan kali ini. Tetamu lain termasuklah Timbalan Dekan dari Universiti Putra Malaysia, Professor Dr. Raduan Che Ros dan Encik Balakrishnan pensyarah kanan dari Uiversity Malaya. Saya telah diperkenalkan sebagai penasihat Pergerakan Pemuda Malaysia (YMM), sebuah pertubuhan belia peringkat kebangsaan.
Agak janggal juga bila difikirkan semula hal ini kerana saya bukannya dari kalangan ahli akademik dan pastinya saya tidak akan memberikan pendapat saya dari perspektif akademik. Walaupun saya mempunyai pandangan sendiri mengenai topik ini, saya merasakan ia lebih baik jikalau saya mendapatkan pendapat dari kalangan kawan-kawan dengan latarbelakang yang berbeza untuk mendalami kesan PRU12 kepada masyarakat.
Antara perkara-perkara yang dilontarkan oleh hos program, Sayed Munawar Sayed Mustar ialah berkaitan impak PRU 12 terhadap hubungan etnik, sistem dwi-parti, peranan belia, kerajaan tempatan dan sebagainya.
Antara respon saya ialah mengenai pengaruh pengundi muda dalam PRU 12 yang telah memilih untuk membuat perubahan. Golongan muda yang pertama kali mengundi dan mereka yang mengundi kali kedua sejak 2004 telah membuang undi perubahan. Bagi mereka yang berasa tidak puashati dengan pelbagai isu kebelakangan ini, tiada ruginya untuk mereka membuang undi protes kerana bagi mereka tidak akan berlaku perkara yang lebih teruk dari yang sedia ada. Jika mereka tidak pilih untuk protes, keadaan mungkin lebih teruk lagi.
Mengenai sistem dua parti yang mungkin berlaku hari akan datang, saya telah menekankan beberapa perkara demi kepentingan rakyat, iaitu betapa perlunya setiap wakil rakyat mengundi berdasarkan pegangan dan prinsip mereka dan bukannya untuk kepentingan parti sahaja. Wakil rakyat harus sedar bahawa mereka dipilih untuk berkhidmat untuk rakyat dan bukannya untuk parti mereka semata-mata. Mungkin singkatan YB seharusnya bermakna Yang Berkhidmat bukannya Yang Berhormat!
Satu perkara utama diperbincangkan ialah sebab musabab berlakunya angin perubahan di PRU 12 hinggakan pakatan pembangkang tawan 4 buah negeri dan BN hilang majoriti 2/3 keanggotaan Dewan Rakyat.
Beberapa alasan telah diberikan oleh ahli panel termasuk isu kenaikan harga minyak dan barangan lain; isu berkaitan kepentingan golongan minoriti; parti kerajaan yang leka dan “over confident”, peranan media perdana dan alternatif seperti laman web dan blog, serangan bertubi-tubi pimpinan kanan BN terhadap Anwar Ibrahim yang membawakan rasa simpati terhadap Anwar dan ketidakpuasan rakyat yang berterusan tidak diuruskan dengan sebaik-baiknya.
Penggunaan media cetak dan eletronik perdana yang bertujuan menarik undi telah mengakibatkan reaksi sebaliknya. Pengundi berasa mereka dicabar kematangan mereka dalam mentafsirkan sesuatu perkara dan harus menerima sahaja apa yang disalurkan. Suntikan propaganda yang berlebihan telah menyebabkan rakyat rasa muak dan semacam diperolokkan dan akhirnya telah menolak segala mesej yang hendak disampaikan termasuk perkara-perkara yang bernas dan ikhlas.
Rata-ratanya, dari komen dan SMS yang saya terima selepas program itu, para penonton berasakan saya telah menyuarakan isihati mereka. Mengenai komen orang ramai, saya teringat semasa saya membawa keluarga saya ke sebuah taman tema di ibukota, seorang wanita dari Melaka telah mengucapkan terima kasih kepada saya di atas komen saya semasa rancangan tersebut yang merupakan pandangan beliau juga.
Dah banyak kali saya terlibat dalam perbincangan dalam program TV, tetapi kali in saya menerima respon yang paling hangat dari penonton!
Religious Committee for non-Muslims
Now with the dust already settled in Selangor with the appointment of the state executive councillors amongst members of the PKR-DAP-PAS coalition government, the time has come for the coalition elected leaders to address outstanding issues affecting the non-Muslims of the state. One of the critical issues is allocation of land for non-Muslims to build places of worship.
The previous Selangor state government has a Jawatankuasa Rumah Ibadat bukan Islam chaired by the State Secretary with members from non-Muslims state excos to address issues related to the development of places of worship for the non-Muslims. But the functions of this committee are limited and cases referred to it took a long time to be settled.
Many still remembers the incident of the group of non-Muslims Ministers in the previous Cabinet, when they were asked to withdraw the memorandum they submitted to the Prime Minister on situation of the non-Muslims community. Incidents of body-snatching and debatable conversion were also widely known all over. Another matter is the reluctance of the federal government to set up a working body within the PM department for the non-Muslims. The rejection of this proposed body, which is to be a channel for them to seek for solutions and help on matters affecting their freedom of religious practice, is perceived as non-accommodating to the needs of the non-Muslims.
If the newly established coalition government in Penang, Perak, Kedah and Selangor are serious in walking the talk, this is the time for them to put into action their commitment towards a balanced society and religious freedom as enshrined in the constitution. This is their golden opportunity to take the lead by setting up a State Committee for non-Muslims Affairs chaired by a non-muslim senior Exco in Selangor and Kedah, deputy Menteri Besar in Perak and Chief Minister in Penang.
The previous Selangor state government has a Jawatankuasa Rumah Ibadat bukan Islam chaired by the State Secretary with members from non-Muslims state excos to address issues related to the development of places of worship for the non-Muslims. But the functions of this committee are limited and cases referred to it took a long time to be settled.
Many still remembers the incident of the group of non-Muslims Ministers in the previous Cabinet, when they were asked to withdraw the memorandum they submitted to the Prime Minister on situation of the non-Muslims community. Incidents of body-snatching and debatable conversion were also widely known all over. Another matter is the reluctance of the federal government to set up a working body within the PM department for the non-Muslims. The rejection of this proposed body, which is to be a channel for them to seek for solutions and help on matters affecting their freedom of religious practice, is perceived as non-accommodating to the needs of the non-Muslims.
If the newly established coalition government in Penang, Perak, Kedah and Selangor are serious in walking the talk, this is the time for them to put into action their commitment towards a balanced society and religious freedom as enshrined in the constitution. This is their golden opportunity to take the lead by setting up a State Committee for non-Muslims Affairs chaired by a non-muslim senior Exco in Selangor and Kedah, deputy Menteri Besar in Perak and Chief Minister in Penang.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Youth Organisations as training ground
I was very keen in observing this GE as some of the candidates from both side of political divide were involved in the same organisation as I did, the Malaysian Youth Council(MYC). Some were there before my time, some served together with me. There are those who managed to win while some did not succeed.
There are quite a number MYC former leaders whoo stood in the election.
1. Tajol Rosli - former president-Umno-former Perak MB-won his state seat but lost his State
2. Ali Rustam- former president-Umno-Melaka CM-won his seat and retain Melaka CM
3. Khir Toyo-former president-Umno-former Selangor MB-won his seat but lost his State
4. Hasan Malek-former president-Umno-Kuala Pilah MP-won his seat and appointed Deputy Minister
5. Saifuddin Abdullah-former president-Umno-Temerloh MP-won his seat and appointed Deputy Minister
6. Shamsul Annuar-Current President-Umno-Lenggong MP-won his seat in first bid
7. Mustaffa Kamil Ayub-former VP-PKR-former political secretary- lost in his third bid for parliament
8. Idris Haron-Current Deputy Pres-Umno- Tangga Batu MP- reelected and appointed Deputy Minister
9. Abdul Azeez-former Exco-Umno-lost in his first bid for Baling parliamentary seat.
10. Noh Omar-former council member-Umno-reelected Tanjung Karang MP and promoted as Minister.
11. Faisal Abdullah-former council member-UMno- was not re-elected for Beserah state seat in Pahang.
12. Tan YokeCheng-former council member-MCA-lost in his first bid for Air Putih state seat in Penang.
Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto PKR leader was a former MYC president. He is expected to stand in a by-election after April 15. What will be his destiny?
There are quite a number MYC former leaders whoo stood in the election.
1. Tajol Rosli - former president-Umno-former Perak MB-won his state seat but lost his State
2. Ali Rustam- former president-Umno-Melaka CM-won his seat and retain Melaka CM
3. Khir Toyo-former president-Umno-former Selangor MB-won his seat but lost his State
4. Hasan Malek-former president-Umno-Kuala Pilah MP-won his seat and appointed Deputy Minister
5. Saifuddin Abdullah-former president-Umno-Temerloh MP-won his seat and appointed Deputy Minister
6. Shamsul Annuar-Current President-Umno-Lenggong MP-won his seat in first bid
7. Mustaffa Kamil Ayub-former VP-PKR-former political secretary- lost in his third bid for parliament
8. Idris Haron-Current Deputy Pres-Umno- Tangga Batu MP- reelected and appointed Deputy Minister
9. Abdul Azeez-former Exco-Umno-lost in his first bid for Baling parliamentary seat.
10. Noh Omar-former council member-Umno-reelected Tanjung Karang MP and promoted as Minister.
11. Faisal Abdullah-former council member-UMno- was not re-elected for Beserah state seat in Pahang.
12. Tan YokeCheng-former council member-MCA-lost in his first bid for Air Putih state seat in Penang.
Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto PKR leader was a former MYC president. He is expected to stand in a by-election after April 15. What will be his destiny?
Stop Gap Measure Cabinet?
The Cabinet list already out from the stove but before it was served to the rakyat, there are already rumblings followed by aftershocks. Two deputy ministers declined appointments, one of them citing he has been too long on the job as deputy. Meaning if he is appointed a full minister, he will gladly accept it.
The oft-repeated drama played by the AP minister was replayed after been discarded from the cabinet is nothing extraordinary. Its the usual story. Maybe she should take the cue from former Umno sec-gen Sheikh Radzi and quit as well. If she did she would surely do Pak Lah a favour. She will be quickly replaced by Shahrizat as the acting wanita head. The writing already on the walls when Pak Lah appointed Shahrizat as the Special adviser with ministerial status even though she lost in Lembah Pantai. Why procrastinate? Change them while its still hot!
Pak Lah is in manouvering mode before the next Umno election by placing the people he wants in cabinet positions. This will strengthen his position as Umno president since those newly appointed Cabinet ministers will be expected to support him. Furthermore, expect a drastic change in the Umno supreme council as new ministers will be bidding for higher positions in Umno.
MCA will be having their AGM in October and sparks are expected to fly. Many has said, in politics there is no permanent friends or foes. Just look at MIC Samy Vellu and S. Subramaniam. Do not be surprised if political foes from the pre 2003 Team A and Team B establish a Reform Team. The Reform Team will link dropouts like the two former Minister of Health Chua Soi Lek and Chua Jui Meng with the losing PJU candidate vice president Lim Siang Chai forming the triple axis. This Reform Team are expected to challenge the current top leadership led by the Ongs(Huang) clan, namely Ong Ka Ting, Ka Chuan and Ng Yen Yen. Ong Tee Keat will be watching this developments closely and his move will be monitored by both sides too.
The Reform Team cannot be underestimated. Johore is still under the grip of Chua Soi Lek and Lim Siang Chai influence in Selangor cannot be discounted. Add that with the invisible hand of a former president whose son lost in his bid in the recent general election.
Is the recent Cabinet is just a stop gap measure? Will there be a major Cabinet re-shuffle after the AGM of the two main parties in BN? That will depends on the results of the respective parties election. The aftershocks is not over yet!
The oft-repeated drama played by the AP minister was replayed after been discarded from the cabinet is nothing extraordinary. Its the usual story. Maybe she should take the cue from former Umno sec-gen Sheikh Radzi and quit as well. If she did she would surely do Pak Lah a favour. She will be quickly replaced by Shahrizat as the acting wanita head. The writing already on the walls when Pak Lah appointed Shahrizat as the Special adviser with ministerial status even though she lost in Lembah Pantai. Why procrastinate? Change them while its still hot!
Pak Lah is in manouvering mode before the next Umno election by placing the people he wants in cabinet positions. This will strengthen his position as Umno president since those newly appointed Cabinet ministers will be expected to support him. Furthermore, expect a drastic change in the Umno supreme council as new ministers will be bidding for higher positions in Umno.
MCA will be having their AGM in October and sparks are expected to fly. Many has said, in politics there is no permanent friends or foes. Just look at MIC Samy Vellu and S. Subramaniam. Do not be surprised if political foes from the pre 2003 Team A and Team B establish a Reform Team. The Reform Team will link dropouts like the two former Minister of Health Chua Soi Lek and Chua Jui Meng with the losing PJU candidate vice president Lim Siang Chai forming the triple axis. This Reform Team are expected to challenge the current top leadership led by the Ongs(Huang) clan, namely Ong Ka Ting, Ka Chuan and Ng Yen Yen. Ong Tee Keat will be watching this developments closely and his move will be monitored by both sides too.
The Reform Team cannot be underestimated. Johore is still under the grip of Chua Soi Lek and Lim Siang Chai influence in Selangor cannot be discounted. Add that with the invisible hand of a former president whose son lost in his bid in the recent general election.
Is the recent Cabinet is just a stop gap measure? Will there be a major Cabinet re-shuffle after the AGM of the two main parties in BN? That will depends on the results of the respective parties election. The aftershocks is not over yet!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)