Betrayers of the Rakyat - 1st. Anniversary.

Presenting the entire "out'' cast of the tragic downfall (in order of appearance) of what Malaysians, the gullible and naïve tax-paying rakyat, who only 20 months before a year ago, were made to believe, with hopes dashed, a year today. 

And I had warned years before this day (if you care to go and read my earlier postings from 2007!) of why everyone was especially so forgiving of the numero uno character in this dastardly produced 'play' who I continue to focus and refer to as always, The MahaFiraun. 

It was a most painful day for many a year ago like me, who had tirelessly fought the system ala 'David against Goliath' for years and had taken to the streets like me too, so many many times, I forget now, only to be betrayed by a fork-tongued racist, who cleverly conned every politician of the then PH to appraise him up to the highest position in government again. And to have all their trust sold and their "hopes" betrayed by this same  scheming old man! 

I have never forgiven Anwar and Lim Kit Siang nor their families who fell prey to this lying old man, the MahaFiraun. I noticed the unease and fore-brooding body-language of both Anwar and Kit Siang every time they were in this monster's presence. A hypocrisy of sorts. 

But then, so too were the entire PH politicians and their supporters taken in and pitied this harmless old man with a 'blurred-vision' when he cunningly released the photo of his dear old wife, Siti Hasmah, (honestly, I have nothing against this fine old lady.) seated with her head hung low during an investigation in a police station and bingo!... all hearts was "SOLD"! And that folks, is how the devil works.

But who'd have been bothered to have taken a mere blogger's views, thoughts, warnings and voice in the wilderness, seriously then? Really!

         

P.S.- I don't know who created these posters below, with an apt summary therein but I, for one, tip my hat to this  candid literary critic. Remember thine faces. Thank you, who ever you are!  

 

My February Guest writer - Rahim Hj. Zainun

 

Nafsu and the Malays

Because of nafsu some people became very resourceful - nafsu nak bini  orang (other people's wife), some would seek the help of bomoh siam, nafsu nak cepat kaya, they work around the system, beat the system, and became corrupted. Nafsu nak jadi cantik, they resorted to susok.

Its all "nafsu". 

So, what is nafsu? Its quite difficult  to describe nafsu in one word. Goggle says its "lust".

Yes, if we talk about sex. Some says its greed; but then I think greed is a direct result of nafsu. 

To me, nafsu is the strong desire for something - (either material or emotional) - beyond ones means or ability to handle such desire.

For example, a person yearns to own a brand new Mercedes Benz despite ones low monthly income  - thats nafsu; spending way above ones income - its nafsu; having meals more than what is normal - its nafsu.

Having wild, multiple sexual relationship - its nafsu buas. Nafsu made an ustaz 'terlajak' to another nearby opening. 

According to a dear friend, some aunties, while already have a cupboard full of tupperwares, would still insist on buying more whenever they attend a parti tupperware; that too is nafsu. 

As earlier mentioned, nafsu led to greed - nothing seems to be enough; nafsu made people lose their common sense and forget their purpose in life. Nafsu brings out the worst of a person. 

Yes, nafsu is a global thing, but in this write up, I am confining myself to the Malays.

A dear friend shared with me an article on how, in early 1906, nafsu bankrupted my home state, Kedah. It was said that HRH Sultan Kedah at the time, held a three months long wedding celebrations for a few of his children. In doing so, he bankrupted the state when he borrowed heavily from Siam to cover the cost of the said celebrations (amount borrowed: about three million dollars). 

That three million dollars in 1906 is probably worth hundreds of millions of ringgit today. If that is not nafsu, what is it then ?

Its sad; when the English were negotiating with Siam towards Anglo Siamese treaty 1909, Kedah was made to cede a big chunk of her territories to Siam.

It was implied that there was no way Kedah would have a say in that agreement; she had huge debts to settle with Siam.

I have always wondered; the Malays, from a young age, were brought up with Islamic indoctrinations - that nafsu is the mother of all evil, and yet corruptions, abuse of power, drugs and rape cases among the Malays is so wide spread.

The number of ongoing corruption cases, or ongoing investigations gives you the full spectrum of the Malays involved; ministers, deputy ministers, senior politicians, KSUs, heads of departments, DOs, army and police senior officers, right down to the lower district level administrators.

Another friend reasoned out that though Malays were exposed to Islam from the early age, most of such exposures were limited to rituals - how to pray, how to puasa, how to take wudhu etc - very little is done to inculcate the deep understanding and appreciating of why certain things were done in a certain way. 

As we were bombarded with rituals, we forget about values of being a good human being and a good Muslim. Thus, the Kelantanese has no qualm about distructions to their eco system, which led to a near non existence of proper supply of clean water for the last sixty years.

Today, Kedah is sliding down into that direction. 

It surely doesn't help when the political party forming state government in Kedah and Kelantan are fast becoming the political chameleons of the country - interpreting basic islamic principles at their own whimps and fancies, conveniently suiting to their position and environment - what was unislamic yesterday is OK today. 

I too have always wondered; why do petty corruptions are almost non existance in certain advance countries. 

I meant, do you dare to offer "duit kopi", say £50, to a UK cop who caught you speeding? or some of the country's commitment towards eco system and environment related issues. 

Another dear friend cautioned me: do not run down the Malays....well, I do not run down the Malays. Its just that I am so very sick and tired of some Malays who are destroying the Malay society.

From the days of Bank Rakyat scandal early 70s, to Bank Bumi scandal in the 80s to todays scandals in Tabung Haji, Felda and MARA, its all the doing of the Malays - its self inflicting - to the extend that others in the country are making fun of the Malays.

It all boils down to nafsu of wanting to get rich in the shortest time possible that some, have no qualm in selling ones dignity and principle in life. 

Yes, the Chinese are corrupted, and the Indians are equally corrupted as well, but using that fact as a reason will never never justify why the Malays should also be corrupted. 

Ketuanan Melayu is never about the keris but its all about how one conduct himself in public office, and how one respect law and order, and how one control ones nafsu. 

Nafsu made people do the unthinkable, and when nafsu rule, everything can be bought. Its just a matter of how much.

Rahim Hj Zainun

Alumni 2nd College, UM

My January Guest Writer - Sukhdave Singh

The Burden of Privilege on the Malaysian Economy

Published on January 27, 2021

Sukudhew (Sukhdave) Singh

Former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Malaysia | Former Independent Director, Khazanah Nasional Berhad 

There are three systems of privileges that are operating in Malaysia: race, religion and titles. All of them are intended to confer privileges to certain groups and come with exclusive economic benefits for those who are favored by these systems.

There is no problem with earned or deserved privilege because such privilege is based on a significant contribution to society and the economy. Such privilege is justifiable given the contribution to the greater good. Also, extreme inequality never benefits a society and cannot be justified. Therefore, extending certain privileges that would enable the economically disadvantaged groups in a society to progress and make a better living are also justifiable. What is not justifiable is when the system of privileges is abused, as is clearly the case in Malaysia, and unearned and undeserved privileges are bestowed. There are social and economic costs to any privilege system and the abuse of these systems only increases those costs.

The Privileges of Race and Religion

Let me deal with race and religion first, which by design, have fractured Malaysian society and created a system of privileges that is hard to justify. Let me illustrate with a couple of examples:

When a Malay tycoon can buy a string of houses in Malaysia at discounted prices while middle income non-Malays have to pay full prices to buy their family homes (effectively subsidizing the tycoon), such discriminatory and unwarranted privilege is justified by a system of privileges related to race.

When a Muslim man can walk into a supermarket and demand that it removes the section containing the “non-halal” products consumed by non-Muslims, there is a religious privilege system that is empowering such inconsiderate and uncouth behavior and its associated belief that the customs and practices of one part of society supersede those of the others.

Race and religion have been used to enshrine a privilege system that has created different classes of citizens in the country. Political shenanigans like the large-scale giving of blue ICs to foreigners in Sabah have elevated those foreigners, because of their religion, to enjoy privileges that are denied to other long-standing citizens of the country. When race and religion are the determinants of privilege, merit has a much smaller role in society and in the allocation of economic opportunities.

As it is, the privileges of race and religion have elevated mediocre minds to where they can tell the rest of society what it can and cannot do. The privileges of race and religion have lifted unqualified and incompetent individuals into positions of leadership. The privileges of race and religion have provided opportunities for individuals to enrich themselves through dishonest means, to betray public trust, to loot public funds – all with impunity. The privileges of race and religion have legitimized rent-seeking as an economic activity. The privileges of race and religion have allowed exclusive access to economic resources through institutionalized discrimination. It is primarily to safeguard these privileges that Malaysia has been unwilling to sign up to some very basic international conventions on human rights, including the International Conven­tion on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and Inter­national Convention on Eco­nomic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

The New Economic Policy was misguided. Instead of focusing on economic need, it decided to focus on race. Had it focused on economic need, it would have achieved superior outcomes in reducing all forms of economic inequality, it would have led to far less distortionary policies, and it would not have entailed the massive waste of taxpayers’ funds. Most important of all, it would have cemented a Malaysian identity where all citizens in need are treated equally. By making the NEP race-based, it has allowed unscrupulous individuals to hijack the benefits to enrich themselves while enacting self-preserving policies that are definitely not in the interest of the Malaysian economy, and may not even be in the interest of those that the NEP was supposed to help.

I am very pessimistic that the Malaysian economy will ever be unshackled from the fetters of the NEP. It has proved to be too profitable for those who have hijacked its benefits and a large deluded sector of our society continues to be fed the narrative of “us against them,” that has been the foundation of such policies. This means that the economic distortions created by these policies will continue to undermine the Malaysian economy at a time when the global competitiveness of the Malaysian economy is being challenged as it never has been before. It is a burden of privilege that the Malaysian economy can ill-afford.

The privileges of Titles

I have nothing against titles and I do believe that a well-managed system of awards can help better society and the economy by recognizing and highlighting individuals with outstanding character that have done great service to the society and country. It provides a beacon for the rest of society by highlighting the behaviors and values we want to encourage. Regrettably, this is not the case with Malaysia’s system of titles. There are certainly deserving individuals who have served the country and continue to do so even today and I personally know a few of them. However, they are just a few drops in a bucket full of title holders for whom no one can tell why they carry the titles they do.

It is the consequences of profligate and undeserved privileges of titles that worry me, certainly due to the effect on the economy, but also in terms of the type of society we have become. Let me mention a few personal experiences:

I recall when I was a deputy governor at the Central Bank, people who did not know me will often call me “Datuk”, implying a safe assumption that anyone in my position must have that title. When I went to meetings in Putrajaya, some staff there will invariably refer to me as “Datuk.” At first, I tried to correct them but after a while I gave up and so I was often a “Datuk” without the title ever having been conferred upon me.

On other occasions, someone will call me “Datuk”, and when I told them that I was not, the consistent response was to try to console me with words like: “Don’t worry. Your time will come. I am sure that your contributions to the nation will be recognized.” They seemed to be embarrassed for me. Nobody ever asked me if I wanted a title in the first place. It was just assumed that I did, and the fact that I did not have one, was a matter of embarrassment.

I also recall experiences at dinners and functions where someone will introduce themselves in this way: “Good evening, I am X,” and then leaning closer as if sharing a secret, “That is, Datuk/Dato/etc. X.” I presume that these individuals were trying to impress me with their modesty by not announcing their titles out loud, but yet not too modestly in still wanting me to know that they had a title.

So, in Malaysia, the definition of success is the type and number of titles attached to your name rather than the real effort you have put into achieving professional and economic success. Even an unsuccessful business person with a title can be seen as successful. Successful businessmen/women and professionals are unsatisfied unless that success is complemented with a title. The likes of Elon Musk and Steve Jobs will be nothing in Malaysia unless they have a "Tan Sri" attached to their name. It has perpetuated and exacerbated the high level of hypocrisy that we see in our society. For example, individuals who have no problem accepting a title, or have put great effort and expense into obtaining one, then make a great public show of not using that title in a false display of modesty. Individuals who claim to be religious and to be “man of god” show no hesitation in embellishing their names with “earthly” titles. It has led to sycophantic behavior among the population with frequent chanting of “Datuk, Dato Seri, Tan Sri, etc.” at any function or event. More insidiously, it has created a culture of subservience and unquestioning obedience to people with titles, even when witnessing their misdeeds and criminal acts.

From a broader societal and economic perspective, it is worth asking if these titles incentivize individuals to great achievements and whether they are a recognition of such achievements. My sense is that they are neither. Let me illustrate with a few examples.

Why should civil servants with guaranteed incomes and lifetime employment, and guaranteed pensions upon retirement, need to be rewarded with titles? What outstanding service beyond the call of duty is being recognized? Why are politicians showered with titles when they are clearly failing in their responsibilities to the rakyat that elected them? Why should businessmen who have done nothing but enrich themselves be given titles? What societal achievement of theirs is being recognized? Why do academics have titles? Have they published academic work that has brought global renown? Have they produced outstanding students that are the pride of the nation? What is exactly the merit that is being recognized? Does anyone know? So, when there are so many individuals walking around with titles and no one can say why they got them, how can such a system be the basis of recognizing and inspiring great achievement?

No one can deny the proliferation of titles in our country, and if they were indeed all based on merit, we are truly blessed to have so many meritorious people among us. We should be one of the top performing economies in the world and our society should be the envy of the world. But we are not the top performing economy and our society is not the envy of the world.

What the proliferation of titles has done is to create a caste-like system of social and economic hierarchy. If you do not believe that, just attend any official function and listen to the speaker rattle of a long hierarchy of titles of attendees, and only at the bottom of the ladder will come “tuan-tuan dan puan-puan” or “ladies and gentlemen.” It is a system that has a clearly defined hierarchy and differentiation based on your title and where you got it from. You may joke about the large number of people in Malaysia with titles, but jokes aside, what it also means is that we have a large vested interest group with a strong interest in defending and perpetuating the system. As with any caste system, the underlying rational is always economic. It is not the only reason (ego and status are also part of it), but it is the key reason. People primarily want titles because of the economic benefits that are presumed to flow from them. This has had the sad outcome of making us a superficial society. Instead of seeking fame through real accomplishments, many are fixated with getting a title, and hoping to achieve fame and fortune through that.

It is a common perception in Malaysia that there are two sets of rules in the country: there is a harsher set that applies to ordinary citizens and a more lenient set that applies to people with titles. If this was not apparent before, numerous incidents during the current pandemic should have made this fact very clear. Titles have also created a sense of entitlement and over-inflated egos. The social media is rife with examples of people with titles behaving in an uncouth and brutish manner in their dealings with ordinary people. It is the same sense of entitlement that makes some think that they can take what is not rightfully theirs. Reflect on the major corporate, political and financial scandals in our country. More likely than not, a person with a title, or often a group of people with titles, were at the heart of these scandals and breaches of public trust. Is it any wonder then that even with so many people with titles among us we are still climbing the rankings of global corruption charts?

The caste-system of titles has, in my view, worked against creating a dynamic competitive economy and has added to the inequality of economic benefits and opportunities that exist in our society.

The Burden of Privilege on the Economy is Heavy

It is unsustainable when a large class of people demand privileged access to the resources of an economy. The largest burden always falls on those who are excluded from these privileges. Great societies have fallen into decay when the excesses of the privileged class behaving in an opportunistic manner created an unbearable burden on the economy and intolerable misery on ordinary citizens. Only last week I was reading about the decline of some Mayan cities. In these civilizations, the size of the ruling class and elites swelled in size with each generation to the extent that the elite become increasingly parasitic as they hogged an ever-increasing share of resources. While the kings and nobles were busy enriching themselves, competing with each other, the peasants and lower classes had to work harder and harder to provide for the ever-increasing demands of the elite while they themselves suffered from hunger and deprivation. The consequent depopulation of the cities was further motivated by the environmental degradation (deforestation, erosion and soil exhaustion) that resulted from the increasing demands of the privileged class.

To Malaysians, this story should have some ring of familiarity. Today, we are similarly seeing our large class of “nobles” fighting among themselves for a share of the slower-growing wealth of the country. The ordinary citizens are bystanders watching this spectacle even as their lives become harder. Talk about GDP growth is meaningless if the fruits of that growth are captured by the privileged class while the rest of the population see their standards of living stagnate, experiencing very little of the benefits of that growth. Like the Mayans, we are also seeing environmental degradation all around us to feed the rapacious appetite of our “nobles.” We are seeing an ongoing “depopulation” in the form of a brain drain of those unwilling to waste their talents in a system where the odds are stacked against them and when there are better opportunities outside the country. We cheer when Malaysians who have made other countries their homes are recognized for their achievements, but feel no shame and do not weep for similar talent at home that is being wasted away because our privilege systems deny them opportunities. Over the long term, a sustained “depopulation” by talent fleeing the country will have only one outcome – the rise of mediocrity leading to a mediocre society and mediocre economic outcomes.

Unearned privilege based on race, religion and titles has transformed our society in a negative manner. It has corroded our value systems (with widening divergence between what we profess and what we practice). It has legitimized rent-seeking. It has given the loudest voice to mediocrity. It has calcified economic inequality. It has weakened us economically; indeed, it has exacted a heavy toll on the Malaysian economy. This is nowhere more evident than when those in power start comparing Malaysia not to countries that are better than us but to those that are worse than us. We are no longer providing a vision of progress but rather trying to explain away our under-achievement. It is an open admission that the Malaysian economy has a problem and that it is not advancing competitively.

The question now is whether Malaysia can overcome its addiction to privilege and reset the economy on the right path? I doubt it, but I would be happy to be proven wrong.

My December Guest Writer-Yusuf Hashim-

Yusuf Hashim

HAIL, THE PRIME MINISTERS OF MALAYSIA

I am really getting a bit tired of the antics of our Wannabe PM, our Backdoor PM, our Ex PM & our Convicted PM, and all our Frog Master CMs. 

I am at a loss to find sub-flattering adjectives to describe them. Seems to me they are all a lot like the insane Nero, playing his fiddle while Rome burns. 

Our country is in dire straits from this Covid menace, yet our not so honourable PMs think nothing of precipitating by-elections, snap elections, and flaccid dick erections to further their selfish, dishonest, dishonourable and even immoral objectives. 

They are a terrible example to our children, as to what Leaders (I hate that word) and Leadership are all about. They will resort to everything, and anything at all, to further their selfish interests. Nothing is sacred. I suspect, they will probably even consider selling their mothers too, if it contributes to their objectives. 

I believe none of them really have our interests, and our country’s interest, in their black hearts and warped minds.  

The Backdoor PM’s methods of buying support for his shaky government by creating one of the world’s biggest cabinet (last I checked about 70 ministers and deputy ministers), and  appointing sycophants, frogs and incompetent MPs as heads of our GOCs and GLCs, are not easy to forgive. How he came to be the PM should be a textbook lesson in treachery. 

The Ex PM burst into the scene on an enthusiastic wave and hope of Reformation and Renaissance, but sadly, he failed to pluck even the low hanging fruits. His over riding aim seemed to have been to stop the Wannabe PM from ever becoming PM, and under the cloak of a new Malaysia, he was still the same. For crying out loud, resigning without first discussing with his PH team about what is in the best interest of the PH govt and the country, apart from resigning, is what I would have done if I were the PM. But no, he had to resign, and in one fell swoop, he destroyed the hopes of all those Malaysian people who elected him and the PH government. Downright silly, I would say. Sadly, history will now remember him for his failures, rather than what he did for our country.

I have nothing to say about the only Malaysian PM who has been charged, tried, and convicted. You have heard it all. But in some countries like Japan, not only would they have immediately resigned, they would have committed hara-kiri in shame, as a last mitigating act of honour. But what amazes me even more, are the hordes of mindless and unthinking people, who continue to kiss the ground he walks on, zombie-like, chanting, “what is there to be ashamed of, my boss.“ What on earth have infected these people? Even Covid won’t make you lose your mind like this.  The Convicted PM says its dedak, whatever that is. As to his position in Parliament, I will simply draw your attention to the provisions of Article 48 (1)(e) of the Federal Constitution, and leave it at that.

My last observation is directed to the party hopping MPs and ADUNs who are easily enticed to hop from one party to another, causing the collapse of governments, no doubt for  substantial  financial and other gains, and nothing to do with  honour and what is right. They are called frogs, but I sincerely believe this is an injustice to frogs, because the behaviour of these MPs and ADUNs, are definitely sub-human, sub-animal and sub everything that is despicable. The polite term for them is, they are snollygosters.

Please pray. Our country is in dire straits. What we as individuals can do is, to remember the names and faces of these people. 

Don’t ever give your vote to them ever again. You should vote for anybody, even a lamppost, if the lamp post is the alternative to them in the next election.

*every now and then I upload an article that may be educational, informative and useful for the masses as I share this month's guest Yusuf's article in toto. 

I am not able to ask permission to share as I am not connected/acquainted with this fine free-spirited and much travelled gentleman personally BUT I admire his flair, honesty and experience in matters of all who dream for a better Malaysia. 

Thank you Yusuf Hashim, sir!

Define Malay.

By now you must have heard the news about the stupid idiot Selangor state assemblyman who had sent an official memorandum written on his official office letterhead to one Jaya Grocer's in Punchak Alam in Selangor. If you have not, read the whole story here . 

I do not want to promote this fucking idiot nor even dirty my blog space with his picture or name but my nagging questions are:

a) How do you, my learned, peace-loving and humble Malay friends, even want to qualify this 2nd. generation off-spring of an Indian or Bangladeshi or Pakistani looking idiot, a Malay? Go on and take a good look at his face here .   

b) Does being married to our local Malay girl makes this sinister Indian or Bangladeshi or Pakistani idiot automatically become an instant Malay? You know what they used to say about a certain "instant metallic" mentri besar of Perak a long time ago, right? Go ahead and see for yourself below!

                                                              

c) So if you added off-springs of  mixed marriages, won't the most inherited and striking feature of the graceful, polite and peace-loving Malay become somewhat mutated? Is it then fair (pun intended) to even consider these mutants, Malays? We have also seen many in UMNO Penang who's skin shades are 'about 10 minutes  past midnight', thumping their fists in the air shouting "Hidup Melayu" when DAP took control of Penang since 2008, no? 

d) Now how is this idiot even going to promote UNITY, a word so many of us Malaysians think of as what is non-evident in Moo's government? Isn't that what every prime minister should work first in unifying all fractions of society to get a strong and popular mandate? Just where is "Abah Moo" in all this hate and divisive behavior of his idiotic "yang berbodoh's"??? Has he actually lost his grip on this renegade Indian or Bangladeshi or Pakistani looking idiot behaving like a thug and giving the REAL Malays a bad name? 

e) Now I sincerely hope that the 90% Malays living in this fucking idiot's constituency does not have any case of incest, porn, snatch thieves, bribery, gambling, wife-battering, baby-dumping or camel-humping. And I also hope not one of that 90% Malays in Punchak Alam aka "Malay Territory" are also employed by Jaya Grocer's in case they all get "virtually high" going near the non-halal section. Makes one look like a fucking fool to clearly read a Non-Halal sign placed and then still go in and complain, no??  

How utterly frustrating can it also be, as this idiot does not give a shit to the 10% non-Malays in his "Malay Territory"? But you can take a good look at his face now and wait for the next General Election to get your sweet revenge, then, right?  Don't loose sleep now, folks. 

Cheers and have a good weekend.             

 

Guest Writer: Bakri Musa

 2021 Budget – Lessons Not Learned!

By: M. Bakri Musa

The 2021 Malaysian Budget repeats the same old mistake – the erroneous belief that throwing money at a problem would solve it. As in the past, billions are again being allocated to Bumiputra institutions like JAKIM and JASA, as well as to MARA and UiTM. Despite such generosities, now and in the past, there has been no appreciable improvement in Bumiputra competitiveness vis a vis non-Bumiputras.

Stripped of their fancy acronyms, JAKIM and JASA are but public works programs for otherwise unemployable Bumiputras. Those institutions go beyond. They are responsible for Malays not being competitive. There is little incentive to; the likes of JAKIM and JASA are ready to employ you. If you want Malays to contribute to the socioeconomic development of the nation, as is the aspiration of all Malay leaders, then get rid of those institutions.

As for the billions for MARA, they will continue to squander that by sending Malays to third-rate universities abroad, though thankfully not in the same massive numbers as in the 1970s and 80s where they sent Malays abroad even for Sixth Form! As for UiTM’s bountiful windfall, none will be used to recruit English and Philosophy Professors. Then we wonder why our students have abysmal English fluency, and are incapable of critical thinking.

The “help” Malays are getting from their government reminds me of an old Reagan advice to ranchers in the west. “When you hear, ‘I am from the Feds and I am here to help,’ run to the hills fast!”

With JAKIM distracting Malays to be obsessed with getting into Paradise, there would be that much fewer left to ensure that we do not suffer our own collective Hell right here and now in Tanah Melayu. For every Malay consumed with revealed knowledge or prophetic traditions, that would be one fewer to do research on Covid-19, or clean the environment.

What Malays need are better engineers and architects, not more exquisite Qur’an reciters and mesmerizing ulama with their fire-and-brimstone sermons. Consider Malaysian masjids. One showpiece mosque in Kuala Lumpur has acres of open marble floors that are unwalkable because they are exposed to the blazing Malaysian sun. I suppose, to be charitable, that was part of the design – a preview of how hell would be like! Even with recently completed masjids, there are extension cords everywhere as the designers did not anticipate the electrical outlet needs. In Kelantan, the most “Islamic” state, you cannot get clean water to do your ablution.

When we do get those few Malays away from this obsession with religion, we do not let them practice their craft. Instead we seduce them into doing something else, like administrative chores.

It breaks my heart to see those few Malays of my generation who were trained in the sciences being seduced into becoming pseudo-ulama. I would have thought they would have served as much-needed role models for the young in the kampungs by being productive in their respective fields.

It is sad to see the first Malay PhD in mathematics now touring village mosques giving khutba (sermons) on the supposed past glory of Islam in the Malay world. A more worthy legacy would have been for him to establish Institutes of Mathematics to encourage the young to pursue the subject. Another, also of my vintage, abandoned his doctoral work in mathematics at a prestigious university to go into religion.

I am also saddened to see the few precious Malay scientists and professionals not being rewarded and honored, not for their sake but as a societal statement to inspire the young. The honor of Emeritus Professorship is being heaped upon not on those few precious Malay pioneers in the sciences and professions, but in Malay and Islamic Studies. We already have a glut of them. Meanwhile we keep harping on the lack of Malays in the sciences!

My late father had an apt observation on that misplaced priority:  Membajakan lallang (adding fertilizer to lallang–a particularly tenacious weed).

A Christian cobbler would best show his faith, wrote Martin Luther, not by carving crucifixes on the shoes he makes but by making them durable and cheap so the poor could afford them. Likewise Muslim engineers would best demonstrate their faith in Allah not by carving intricate Qur’anic verses on the bridges they build but making sure that during floods more water would flow under than over, and that there is no unexpected right angle turns at mid-point.

Islam is a great faith. It has withstood hordes of Mongol invaders as well as Stalin’s brutal suppression. The faith does not need defenders, least of all from these characters in IKIM and JAKIM.

Islam cannot advance in Malaysia if Malays are overrepresented in the socially dysfunctional categories. Getting rid of JAKIM and JASA, as well as MARA and BTN would be a great first step. Thus far that reality has not even registered on Malay leaders.

Non-Malays should relax; quit worrying about all those goodies showered on Bumiputras. Heed the wisdom of Plutarch:  The man who first brought ruin upon the Roman people was he who pampered them by largesse and amusements.

Remember, when Malays holler “Tanah Melayu untuk Melayu!” (Malaysia for Malays!) that is not a threat, it’s more a desperate cry from those betrayed by their leaders.

*Spot on, Sir! 🍻🥃

So who's your daddy?

Just who is actually running our country, right now? Is it Muhiyuddin Yassin, the kleptocratic Najib Razak, Ismail Sabri and/or Anwar Ibrahim....or is this country cruising on "auto-pilot"? And if there is anything to remember this year 2020 for, it will certainly NOT be for that old racist's failed and blurred "vision" but may be remembered as perhaps the year we had 3 prime ministers. That is if Anwar, the bookie, even comes in close with his claim of 130 numbers plucked from thin air. Which in turn then begs Moo to reciprocate Anwar's bluff with his 92 members?

Everyday we, the ordinary tax-paying and voting citizens are asking this same question. Everyday we yearn for some strange voice or someone who is well connected to some one up there, to tell us something new. Nothing! Each new day brings us closer to the brink of an abyss we're not sure of, or if we should take that next step and find out if indeed that was our last step to doom. That's how uncertain our journey is. 

We don't know what tomorrow would bring after yesterday's all time high of 691 new cases of Covid19 and nobody knows the gravity of shit we are all in! This pandemic is taking its toll on families and households in ways that are absolutely new. Some pretentious wannabes say this is the new norm, but who actually knows what was the normal in the first place? We the common citizens of this country have grown accustomed to their crooked agendas and adapted ourselves to the many  changes these past 20 years have shown, both in politics and in our environment that we no longer know what was norm and what's the new norm, right? 

I'm losing hair, patience, trust and faith in the half-baked politicians from both sides of the divide for their lies and bullshit and I am so not looking forward for a better tomorrow either. Tell me something I don't already know instead. Sheeesh!    

Anwar ohh.... Anwar!

Only a liar and a bloody hypocrite will ever say "I forgive" to the one who screwed up your life, sent you to prison and erased so many years of your life with jail sentences and tormented your entire family. Can you ever forgive or even forget someone who did that much harm and pain to you and your family? I say bullshit!

Anwar Ibrahim...(here).....was one such man who was side-lined for so long and even imprisoned for charges he insists that were trumped-up by his then "master" the MahaFiraun. A man who once as recently as 2017, said he had forgiven the corrupt MahaFiraun for throwing him into jail. And all that time NOT once did that old racist MahaFiraun even asked Anwar and his family to forgive him, if indeed as insisted by Anwar, he was innocent! So there you go. Anwar the man who's waiting for his day of glory as premier of Malaysia, is but still waiting. 

He loves the game of numbers. Not the 3 times a week numbers game played in KTM (Kuda, Toto and Magnum) but with numbers of politicians enough to form a new government. The latest being yesterday when he called for a press conference to yet again announce he has those numbers. An announcement of a phone call made the night before to the King, that sent our poor Agong to the heart hospital. But he won't reveal any figures but insists he's finally got some really big numbers. But in that press conference he made a damning blunder. He said he's got a solid Malay-Muslim majority support to his claims. And he goes on to say he's got politicians EVEN from UMNO! What the fuck was Anwar thinking off? What is your stand with the voters? Are you with UMNO or are you with Warisan and DAP and Amanah? Can you be a man, for once? Was he afraid the rakyat may favour Shafie Apdal over him for pm, so he wanted to be one-up and fast with his numbers? Prison life must have really screwed his brains, perhaps.  

Here we are a few days ago in Sabah, where Anwar was campaigning vehemently with his Warisan partners to kick UMNO out of Sabah and be rid of race-based parties parroting Shafie Apdal's clarion call about "building a nation and not building  any one race or religion" and like the hypocrite he is, back in the peninsula, Anwar's back as champion for Malays and Islam! Hey Anwar, tell me if there ever was a non-Malay majority party ever running this government in our entire history? How dumb do you think we are? But we wait lah....tunggu, sabar  lahhh...until we see those numbers okay? Can you give any forecast numbers to "pau" for tomorrow's race ah? 

With your new brag about UMNO members joining you, do you think your partners in DAP, Amanah, Warisan and even from your own PKR will sit back and welcome these frogs from UMNO with corrupt track records to be a part of the PH coalition? Do you think we, the voters will vote for you or anyone going along with you on this? We will punish you when the time comes. We will punish you in GE15. We will make sure you never become a pm. We will crush your pm dream forever! That we the voters WILL vow to do just that!

While we are on the subject of UMNO, even if they are kicked out of Sabah after tomorrow or from Anwar's fairy-tale press conference revelations, I for one will stand for fair-play and for truth. Of course cyber-troopers on both sides of the divide are in over-drive mode dragging their respective opposition with their gutter politics in Sabah today. But I want to set the record straight for one "fitnah" that's in circulation these past few days, and that is as below:

                                       

This UMNO guy Ir. Shahelmey Yahya never vowed to tear down any church. Its a dirty lie by some under-paid, shit-stirring amateurish cyber-trooper. This is so wrong on so many levels. And I'm against all and any posting like this. Give him a fair chance in his campaign, please, even if he is an UMNO man. 

Happy casting your votes tomorrow, Sabahans and vote wisely with your head for change as change IS good while we in the "Semenanjung" will wait and wait and wait and wait and wait......aiiyooo...for Anwar lah!   

Ode to MAJU!

At the outset, education has been a subject very close to my  heart that I have been bitching about for years now. All the ills  of society is the by-product of a failed education system. A lack  of education brings forth the bums, cons and in some cases,  politicians! So to look sharp and smart, the privileged ones can  today "buy" a piece of paper accreditation  to frame on his/her  wall and perhaps secure positions of great power, even if it is  from a Christian University that churns out degrees and  theologians to become Christian pastors and priests. And when  I say education, I mean a good education in math, science,  fields of technology and in the world's preferred language, the  Queen's  English! Nothing less. Thank you Siti (MAJU) Kasim.  *My 2sens hereinafter in red parenthesis.   PRESS STATEMENT  MAJU REFUTES NUTP CLAIM THAT SEKOLAH  KEBANGSAAN HAS NOT BECOME TOO RELIGIOUS  National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) president  Aminuddin Awang has been quoted by Utusan Malaysia on 15  September 2020 rejecting claims that national public schools are  “too Islamic”.  This fellow Aminuddin, was the Deputy Secretary General in the  2017-2021 season and now has by-passed his then Secretary  General Harry Tan Huat Hock and his then Deputy President  Chan Thye Choon to become President! Were those two  non-Malays not good enough to be President? See chart from  November 2017 (here) Therein you can see the rot in leap-frogging  patronage based on race and religion. But this trend of patronage  as been going on since the time of that corrupt old racist  MahaFiraun who came to power in 1982.So who started this shit?  Still living in denial about race and religion? MAJU cannot believe that NUTP as represented by its above  president can make such a claim whilst at the same time citing a  litany of religious practices that were unheard of in Malaysian schools  during the 70s. Examples include: reading doa during exams,  maulidur rasul celebration, playing and competing in nasyid, Quran  readings, and story-telling of prophets. All this is happening even in Christian missionary schools today,  such as SK Convent and La Salle which once used to have a  chapel for solitary prayers and catered for all faiths. Again the  elitists and ultras will choose to send their kids to expansive  private schools in  faraway lands where English is the medium  for teaching and communicating. Again I say the privileged ones  need not worry about the state of our education system, right?     There are many more blatant examples such as having ceramah  by external ustazs, practicing circling the kaabah with a model in  the school itself in some places, mandatory group prayer sessions  at various times in such schools including the constant encouraged  peer and teacher pressures for religiosity on the students.  Today I cannot understand the need for ALL schools to employ an  ustaz but the bigger worry is when ustazs are invited from war-torn  countries and are allowed to preach to young children in our  multicultural schools. A very dangerous appeal if they might  implant the wrong ideas in restless young minds.    Dec 21st 2018 news reported, "The government will revise the  curriculum in national schools as they have become “religious  schools”, says Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad”. The failed "visionary" who thought developing the country with  mega structure and bridges would bring us to 1st. world status  BUT instead completely dragged us into the 3rd. world desert- Arab country status. Developing people and investing in building  good and decent citizens is what gets you to be 1st. world status,  not mega buildings    It is not MAJU that made this assertion, it is the ex Prime Minister  of about 26 years who made this iron-clad claim. He should know.  He has seen the devolution of Malaysian education throughout his  tenure, after, and more. A change from a progressive and  science-led education system up until the 80s, into one that is  now enveloped with uncompromising and overt Islamic religiosity.  The creator of this Islamic educational module himself did jack-shit  in that 22 months of a "second-chance" he had to redeem himself  as he has failed so badly even as 2020 has dawned on us and is  almost "Game Over".for this blurred 2020 Vision of a corrupt and  frustrated old man.   Here we have the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin  wanting Malaysia to produce Nobel Prize winners but the environment  in the majority of our schools does not nurture such ambitions. There  is no Nobel Prize in Religion. And there is no developed nation that  attained such status via religion. They all get there through science,  as the data clearly shows.  This man Moo is still in Lalaland lah if he is thinking of a Nobel  Prize. A man who dares not to reprimand his rabid mongrel from  PAS who by an unholy pact for political survival, spew venom on  Holy books of other faiths and cause so much suspicion and anger  instead of unity. This man is also so afraid of loosing votes by  taking the popular stand of self-denial. A slick and sick man with a  limited shelf-life. Sometimes I feel sorry for this man who is actually  powerless against his political partners lurking in the shadows to  stab his back and abandon him when the hammer falls.      The fact is that from Year 1 to Year 3, our students spend on  average 96 hours per year on Pendidikan Islam including Tasmik.  Science on the other hand gets 48 hours per year. If we count  Bahasa Arab - which the majority of the students are being  pressured to take - that would add up to a whopping 176 hours  per year on Islamic studies alone. The numbers for Year 4 to  Year 6 does not change much with science increased to 64  hours vs 96 hours for religious subjects. These data is based  on Ministry of Education own facts.  Today simple Malay words have been given the Arab flavour,  whilst the Arabs are turning to English to escape from their  3rd. world leanings. This camel herder language is not  represented in the world stage. It will embarrass the  Arabs even if they did not speak good English on  international platforms. So when did our "educators" go wrong  by abandoning good old Indonesian/Portuguese/Sanskrit  Bahasa Melayu for Arab- tainted Bahasa Malaysia? Our  Bahasa language used to be a checkered language before  and we were doing just fine, until 1982.     So just looking at the curriculum, and putting aside the religious  environment that the national schools tend to cultivate, what is  the NUTP president talking about? What holistic education is  that? This is called cognitive dissonance. And when the  president of the teacher's union has this in his head, you know  that our children's education is in deep trouble. Pray tell me if a bunch of kopiah and tudung clad "educators"  sitting in the committee of teachers would ever deny their political  masters urgent need to fish for votes by manipulating and  championing the rural folks wishes? This social-engineering of  our diverse multi-cultural fabric has been in motion for a long time  by the MahaFiraun was his then blue-eyed side-kick and  partner-in-crime Anwar Ibrahim!    We imbue interest in subjects through the quality and quantity of  time spent on them when they are young. Is it any wonder that  today we have a proliferation of ustaz and ustazah, and a majority  Malay youth population so religiously bent on judgement instead  of engineers and scientists that can contribute to Malaysia being  a developed Nation.  If all these "religious scholars" teach only about the pleasures in  the after-life, then, why don't they just die en masse now and go  to heaven and enjoy their wines and their virgins of their heart's  desires that they so fervently preach about? We have all these  clowns to the left of us and jokers to the right, still here we are,  the non-Malay Malaysians, stuck in the middle with you. Cheers!  MAJU rests its case.                                         Siti Kasim Founder Malaysian Action for Justice and Unity