malaysiakini: Hari Raya in Johor Bahru; priceless -- by Azly Rahman

Hari Raya in Johor Bahru; priceless

Azly Rahman
malaysiakini, Sep 6, 2010, 2:32p

 

I posted on my facebook status page today a greeting for a psychedelic Hari Raya. Here is what I wrote:

"...O folks, friends and foe - have a psychedelic, fantastic, phantasmagoric, non-toxic, phlegmatic, bucolic, non-alcoholic, scenic, dialogic, bombastic, symbiotic, semiotic, semantic, supersonic, tantric, mystic, tribalistic, nationalistic, socialistic, anti-capitalistic, mantric, chantic, rendangis-tic, lemang-istic, satay-istic, chendol-istic, and most of all psychedelic Aidilfitri - ar. ..."

Malaysians are in the holiday mood already - good but be safe on the road and even when feasting.

Even a local TV station is in the best mood with its interesting Hari Lebaran version of the "Santa-Clausisation of a white-songkok-ed" haji in a no-horse open sleigh, zipping across the universe without a ho-ho-ho and Ronggeng the red-nosed water buffalo pulling the beca-looking sleigh heading towards a Disneyland down south maybe". A very creative, but not necessarily altruistic message of forced 1Malaysia-isation.

Good try. Better semiotic representation next time though. Study semiotics but abuse it not.

Such is the embodiment of what has become of the celebration of Aidilfitri these days, in country hyper-real, hyper-modern, hyper-ventilating. The simplicity and the innocence is fast diminishing. The meaningfulness of the celebration is fast waning too.

During Ramadan, fasting these days means feasting through those breaking of fast elaborate and elegant buffet in nice hotels. Shopping malls started blasting music to fill the psyche with this "buy .. buy .. buy ... till you drop" consciousness.

Bad karma

Brings me back memories of Aidilfitri in my kampong in Johor Bahru, at a time when Tun Abdul Razak was prime minster and JB was still a safe place at midnight - unlike now where the town feels like Chicago where Al Capone roams and cops and the Mafia gun down each other with the song 'The Night Chicago died' in the background.

 

That was JB at a time when the Johor statesman Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman (right) or his like, could have been the next prime minister to turn the course of Malaysian history, away from the Perkasa-isation of Malaysia. Malaysia it seems is having bad karma.

Growing up I did not imagine that race relations and religious understanding would have turned out this bad. Little did I know that I would even be a social commentator writing about the rise of racial, ethnic, and religious bigotry and a new sophisticated form of racism emerging - a calling of mine.

Little did I know too that occasionally I would also be labeled as " a traitor to the Malays .." for my passionate and insistence promotion of a Malaysian Malaysia in which all Malaysians have special rights, all of us are immigrants, and all must be given the chance to flourish in this land where no one can claim his or hers - in a land where the promise made with the first New Economic Politics was the two-pronged strategy of the elimination of function based on race and most importantly the alleviation of poverty irrespective of race and ethnicity.

Hegemony and authoritarianism of the Mahathir era gave birth to this form of ethno-centric politics, retarding the growth of progressive and radical voices of transculturalism and benevolent multiculturalism. What saddened the Malays is that they are grossly misrepresented by these groups that are making it difficult for the different groups to reach out to each other as Malaysians.

What is saddening the Muslims is that ridiculous and out-of-line Muslims are misrepresenting the others by projecting the image of religious vulgarism untamed by rationalism and philosophical foundations much needed to be mastered, to build a foundation of Islam as how the Andalusian philosophers did it centuries ago.

Ahhh.. not my intention to bore the lemang and rendang cooks with such philosophical excursions.

Best of times

I want to still honour my Hari Raya of the Sixties and early Seventies when my hometown Johor Bahru was not complicated yet and Raya was not commercialised ... those were the best of times ... no electronic cards, no facebook, no Perkasa, no blasting music in malls, no kuih raya big business, no Mat Rempit, no mechanistically-produced rendang, no mamak cendol in khaki pants and Bollywood shirt, ... good old times when i can still peek at the crack on the wooden wall of my house on a Hari Raya morning and see what Raya dress my neighbour (the little daughter) is wearing ... and to figure out how much money I'll make collecting "taxes" for the day so that I can watch lots of Shaolin and Bruce Lee movies in those bed-bug infested cinemas, Lido and Cathay, and Odeon and walk the length of Jalan Ah Fook along the sweet and heavenly-smelling Sungei Segget.

Ahhh... nostalgic Hari Raya in Johor Bahru: priceless ... Hari Raya without Perkasa: even more priceless ...

DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Bahru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctoral degree in International Education Development and Masters degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies, and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and have written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans both in Malaysia and in the United States and in a wide range of teaching context; from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States.

TMI: The ultimate Malaysian debate: Malaysia or Malaysaja? — by Nurul Izzah Anwar

The ultimate Malaysian debate: Malaysia or Malaysaja? — Nurul Izzah Anwar

The Malaysian Insider, August 31, 2010

AUG 31 — Perkasa claims to defend Malay rights in a multi racial Malaysia. And these Malay rights are inalienable, non-negotiable and permanent. Those that disagree with their interpretation of these Malays rights are deemed treacherous and should leave Malaysia.

In the spirit of Ramadhan and Merdeka, I would like to invite Perkasa to a Constructive Engagement for a new beginning for Malaysia with me.

I would like to ask Perkasa, several key questions to better understand, and together seek real solutions for the crisis it claims the Malays are facing.

I believe that Perkasa is the current vocal, and not necessarily the majority voice of the Malays. And by all indication, Perkasa is the alter-ego of Umno.

If Perkasa can be engaged constructively and a resolution found, then we would have answered the acid-test of Malay concerns once and for all?

To have an honest Constructive Engagement or dialogue, I suggest that we must decide on four fundamental principles.

First, we must base our dialogue on an agreed standard reference document. Should it be the Malaysian Constitution? The Umno constitution? Or the Perkasa constitution?

If we are unable to decide then our dialogue becomes futile and a monologue at best.

However, looking at how Perkasa continues to refer to Article 153 (even brandishing a copy of the constitution in media events) we can infer that the Constitution indeed is the preferred standard reference document for this dialogue.

Second, once we decide on the standard reference document, then we have to address the issue of constitutional interpretation?

For example, nowhere in the written constitution is it mentioned specifically of the existence of the term ‘Malay rights’. Instead the only term spelled out is the ‘Special Position’ of the Malays in Article 153.

The Article contains specifically, of the powers vested in the Yang di Pertuan Agong to ensure that places in the civil service and institutions of higher learning along with quotas in the allocation of scholarships, and permits or licences required for business and trade are reserved for the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak.

Another case in point is interpreting to reconcile the ‘Special Position’ of the Malays provisions with other non-Malay citizens with Article 8(1): “All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law”; and Article 8(2): Except as expressly authorised by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent or place of birth in any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment.

It would be ideal to have a mandated entity such as a Constitutional Court or at least a Constitutional Council appointed by the King to act as the final interpreter of any constitutional issues.

The role of the King is central to the issue of constitutional interpretation, as Article 153 of the Constitution states that: “It shall be the responsibility of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article.”

However, it should be noted that the existing judiciary already acts as an interpreter of constitutional matters in Malaysia.

For the purpose of this dialogue, both sides can present their interpretation of the constitution to be rebutted subsequently.

Third, the dialogue be made public and presented to the people for feedback and validation.
Again, it would have been ideal if a Referendum Process is legalised whereby such fundamental issue can be decided and resolved by the citizens and made binding to all.

As an alternative, the public feedback for comments and recommendation mechanism through letters or the internet would have to do. It is not binding but it would be a measure of public participation, which can only enrich our democratic process.

Fourth, the dialogue format is suggested as follows, I shall submit my point of view in the form of this open article to Perkasa for a rebuttal, and also later for Perkasa to provide their version for my subsequent rebuttal.

The outcome shall be presented to the public for comments and recommendations.

Then as a test of sincerity I invite Perkasa to a Publicly Televised Debate.

Dialogue Safeguards
I propose both Perkasa and I will indemnify all political parties from our views.
Maybe Umno might disagree with Perkasa’s views or PR mine. And all political parties can participate at the comments and recommendations stage if it wishes.

To avoid being seditious, I propose that our views are qualified as an attempt to seek clarification and not to challenge or repeal the Constitution.

I believe that Perkasa and I are true Malaysians and Patriots, but that only our views may differ, hopefully for now.

However, if Perkasa refuses to engage on this matter at all, then it is sufficient for the people and history to judge this dialogue as my sincere attempt to reach out to them for the sake of our country.

My first question is; who is a Malay?
Article 160 of the Malaysian Constitution, defines Malay as being one who “professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language, conforms to Malay customs and is the child of at least one parent who was born within the Federation of Malaysia before independence of Malaya on the 31st of August 1957.”

Therefore, constitutionally, a Malay is one who speaks the language, practices the religion of Islam, and performs the rights and rituals of its culture.

My question to Perkasa is,  spiritually and intellectually, does a Malay accepts injustices, power abuse, corruption, racism, anti-democratic laws, state institutional degradation to ensure that the Malays are a Supreme Race in Malaysia, with first class citizenship privileges not to be shared with other non-Malay citizens?

My second question is; what are Malay rights?
Malay rights is an ideological and philosophical and not a legal and constitutional construct.
Article 153 only mentions the ‘Special Position’ of the Malays, and not the ‘Special Rights’ of the Malays.

The term Malay rights is alluding to the unwritten ‘Social Contract’ that defines a ‘Malay Agenda’ which has been extended to include the term ‘Malay rights’.

The Social Contract outlines certain privileges that the Malay community enjoys in exchange for granting citizenship rights to non-Malays during independence by the founding fathers as contained in Articles 14-18, Chapter 1 Part III- Citizenship, of the constitution.

These privileges collectively, are referred to as the ‘Malay Agenda’ which includes provisions on the status of Malay rulers to be preserved, with the head of state, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to be elected from His Majesties.  Islam would be the national religion, and the Malay language would be the national language. The ‘Malay Agenda’ also includes provisions of economic privileges accorded by Article 153.

It is also pertinent to note, that according to the Reid Commission that drafted the constitution, Article 153 was intended as temporary preferences to seek racial parity, subject to be reviewed after 15 years by Parliament as to its continued need.

It then should have been reviewed in 1972 but was preceded by the 1969 race riots. Efforts were made, that no sunset clause be included for Article 153, and that under the Sedition Act (1971), it is illegal to be discussed even by Parliament.

These economic privileges in the aftermath of the 1969 race riots, was then institutionalised into the New Economic Policy (NEP) which was then extended as the New Development Policy (NDP) from 1990-2000 and currently we are in the final year of the 3rd Outline Perspective Plan (OPP3 2000-2010) which also includes the National Vision Policy.

However, we welcome the announced change from a race-based to a need-based affirmative action policy as outlined in NEM, but if past practices are any indication, the initial affirmative action stance along with an affiliation-based discrimination will still remain. We will continue to find that the actual wealth distribution will still be skewed to the cronies of the ruling elite.

This has become a ‘Malay Right and Entitlement’ and the cornerstone of ‘Ketuanan Melayu’, which
continues to even overshadow the New Economic Model (NEM) initiated by the Najib government today.

My question to Perkasa is, has the concept of ‘Malay Rights’ now become a permanent convention that supersedes even the written constitution in policy and practice that has to be accepted by all non-Malay citizens?

My third question is; what is the Perceived ‘Malay Anger’ about?
Can it be that the ‘Malay Anger’ built on ‘Malay Insecurities’, may appear to be racist in form, but in essence is a ‘Malay Siege Mentality’ defensive reaction, to the failure in achieving the NEP goals (reborn as the NDP in 1990, followed by the OPP3 and refined as the current NEM) after 40 years of implementation?

Can it also be that the false sense of losing Malay Entitlement and Privileges has crystallised into a political ideology of ‘Ketuanan Melayu’, that further divides the nation?

Can it be that the Malays feel that they are getting poorer, marginalised and disillusioned in their own country in spite of the NEP and billions spent?

Can it really be that the ‘Malay Anger’ is conveniently blamed on the industry of the non-Malays and reformed minded Malays?

It seems that the ‘Malay Anger’ is centred on economic entitlements rather than on cultural, royalty, language, legal, educational, religious or political power deficiencies, where the Malay remains dominant and rightfully unchallenged, as seen from the official affirmative action policies, institutions and civil service population composition.

Could it be that the real question nagging the Malay psyche is, what then is the value and utility of having the Malay traditional dances, Royal institutions, Malay language, Malay medium schools, Federal and State Religious bodies, Syariah court system, civil service and the Federal and State governments remain dominantly Malay, when the Malay feels poor?

It is this imbalance of achievements that creates a dysfunctional Malay identity of being only Political Masters in name and not in wealth that keeps ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ alive.

The ‘Malay Anger’ is purposely focused on the dismal achievements of NEP goals and targets that is used as the justification to continue it ‘permanently’ at all cost and beyond reason.

Instead the angry Malays should focus on the diminishing ‘enabling’ factors to equitable and sustainable economic growth (as increasing the economic pie to achieve NEP targets is the main premise to wealth redistribution policies in NEP) caused by cronyism, corruption, wastages, leakages, wrong resource allocations (big projects phenomenon), racism, anti-democratic laws and state institutional degradation and abuse that in reality subverts and undermine achieving the well intended NEP goals.

My questions to Perkasa are:
Where does the real blame for the ‘Malay Anger’ lie? Is it with the NEP results or is it with its selective implementation, where only the ruling elite few and their cronies benefit to the detriment of the Malay majority?

How can Perkasa explain just one example, which is the well documented NEP leakage of RM52 billion in equities originally allocated to the Malays that have been sold off?

What impact has cronyism, corruption, wastages, leakages, wrong resource allocations (big projects phenomenon), racism, anti-democratic laws and state institutional degradation and abuse have in shaping the ‘Malay Anger’?

Who has really betrayed the ‘Malay Agenda and Malay Rights’?

My fourth and last question is; what is the end-game scenario that the unresolved ‘Malay Anger’ will lead to?
In my final analysis, only through free and fair elections that the people can decide if ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ or ‘Ketuanan Rakyat’ shall define Malaysia.

Once the next general election outcome is determined, and if ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ is victorious, then some may choose to vote with their feet (emigrate with massive brain drain and a diminishing tax base), and some will choose to vote with their wallet (domestic capital flight compounded with decreasing FDI that further stunts our economic growth), which in turn will indicate the makings of a potential failed state with irreversible consequences.

What is left will be a shell of a former Malaysia that could have been a great example of a democratic and pluralistic nation to the world.

We are truly at a monumental cross-road for the soul of our nation.

As a reminder of a possible way forward out of this ‘Malay Dilemma’, a Malaysian statesman, the late Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman once argued that “the question (of the ‘Special Position’ of the Malays) be left to the Malays themselves because as more and more Malays became educated and gained self-confidence, they themselves would do away with this ‘special position’.” Ismail believed the special position was “a slur on the ability of the Malays.”

After 53 years, are we Malays not educated and self-confident yet?

After 53 years, are we Malays still ignorant to the real causes of our problems yet?

After 53 years, are we not Malay enough to act as the protector and provider of justice, equality, dignity, fraternity, liberty and peace for all who choose to co-exist as partners and fellow citizens yet?

In conclusion, we the Malays must stand up and do what is right for Malaysia and our children as they face the challenges of a competitive borderless world.

Would we be so blind and selfish to risk their future for our sins of the past and our deliberately induced insecurities of the present day.

Then my last question to Perkasa is; Will you allow our country to remain in name as Malaysia or be renamed as Malaysaja?


* Nurul Izzah Anwar is the MP for Lembah Pantai.

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Comments (DQ):

A brave and mature analysis of the concept of Ketuanan Melayu, the supposed Social Contract and the Federal Constitution Article 153, by a young true Malaysian patriot, the daughter of Anwar Ibrahim.

For most of us non-Malays, it would be extremely uncomfortable and difficult to discuss this dispassionately without being labelled as seditious or chauvinistic, when the reality is that ethnic and religious equality are basic human rights with no emphasis on who has a greater right or supremacy... We need more intellectual and honest discourse without the rancour of bigotry and threatening polemics.

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em By Tunku Abdul Aziz

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em

By Tunku Abdul Aziz

4 September 2010, Saturday (Lim Kit Siang's Blog)

What a charade. And what tragic depths of professional incompetence the recent resumption of the coroner’s inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock had demonstrated for the world to see. There is a lot to laugh at in Najib’s 1Malaysia, but sadly for all the wrong reasons.

As an observer, sometimes jaundiced, of the Malaysian scene, I thought I had seen it all, but I was totally unprepared for the complete and utter mayhem of the senses that developed when Abdul Razak Musa of the MACC’s in house legal talent began his cross examination of Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, the famous Thai pathologist. His attempt to trivialise and discredit her academic credentials was pathetic, to say the least. It backfired disastrously on him.

It showed the true measure of this sad figure of fun and ridicule who claimed to possess 24 years experience as a lawyer under the belt. I have never been impressed with experience, however long, for its own sake, not unless there is clear evidence of a string of successes to back up the claim.

Abdul Razak Musa has proved my point that years spent wallowing in the mediocrity of a professionally undemanding environment counts for naught.

But then this is 1Malaysia, and things could be infinitely worse. Abdul Razak Musa is just another of the numerous unintended victims of misguided racial policies.

Pack them in as long as they are constitutionally considered “Malay” and, with a bit of luck, a wink and a nod in the right places, we should all get on together famously.

Two decades of unfettered, blatant cynicism towards issues of governance engendered and encouraged by Mahathir, and continued by Abdullah Badawi and, now, Najib, has produced a civil service of uncertain reliability.

On present showing, it is notoriously ill-equipped both in expertise and integrity ever to give practical effect to Najib’s vision of a high income, and Mahathir’s unrealistic “highly regarded,” country that is Malaysia.

Politicians may spout all the rhetorical plans and designs their disingenuous minds can devise to take Malaysia forward, but, it is the quality of the civil servants on the nation’s payroll that will make or break Malaysia.

I have come across enough top Malaysian, for which read Malay, civil service officers, including diplomats and policemen, in my varied working life, to convince me that Mahathir may indeed justifiably congratulate himself on having succeeded, beyond my wildest nightmare, to turn a once proud and largely incorruptible civil service into a ragtag band of “elegant idlers” who are also, in the main, corrupt and bereft of integrity.

As long as the Malaysian public service remains an exclusively Malay ghetto or enclave, so long will it remain closed to new ideas and innovations that would give our country its much needed competitive edge to become an important regional player. Exclusivity, in the worst possible sense as represented by the current unspoken Malay favoured recruitment policy, has already had the effect of promoting intellectual isolationism.

Living with mediocrity is no longer an option if our twin goals of high income and competitiveness are to be achieved by 2020.

The talents of all Malaysians need to be actively nurtured and harnessed for the greater good of our country.

1Malaysia will otherwise remain a hollow slogan like all the rest of the politically motivated and inspired trash often dignified and legitimised with an appeal to national duty, loyalty and patriotism.

Abdul Razak Musa represents, in microcosm, the malaise inherent in the public service at large. If he is an example of the talent available to the MACC, then as I have said repeatedly all these many months that the war against corruption waged by an incompetent leadership will not make the slightest dent in the corruption equation. At best it will raise an eyebrow or two, and even with the additional five thousand officers, it will still remain the laughing stock it has always been except when under the command of Shafie who was a man of considerable moral and ethical courage.

Watching the video of Abdul Razak Musa in action in the palace of justice was surreal. I could not help but reminded of one of my favourite BBC comedies of the 70s, “Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em” by Raymond Allen, featuring Michael Crawford as the hapless, well meaning, accident prone and clueless Frank Spencer.

There, I fear, the similarity must end. Frank Spencer was at least endearing and lovable and highly intelligent in real life. His timing was always perfect, a requirement for a successful comedy and he was a first rate actor. Abdul Razak Musa’s comedy of errors has succeeded, more than he could ever have imagined, in driving another nail in the MACC coffin and, by extension, that of the Malaysian public service whose reputation cannot be lower than it is at present, with or without the much touted KPIs.

Najib must stop tinkering at the edges and deal not with the symptoms but the afflictions that are crippling his 1Malaysia. Start with replacing a Malay-centred civil service and bring in talented Malaysians to help make a real difference in developing this country to its full potential.

Borneo Post: I say it again: Put ego aside, learn from Sarawak, by Paul Sir

I say it again: Put ego aside, learn from Sarawak

By Paul Sir, September 4, 2010, Saturday (The Borneo Post)

I RECEIVED a rather nasty email from a reader in response to my article ‘Stop bringing up the ugliness of May 13, please’ published in this column on Aug 21 (The Borneo Post).

In that article, I declared with much pride that there is no racial issue in Sarawak and that those in Peninsular Malaysia should learn from us about nurturing racial harmony and tolerance. I also wrote that the May 13 racial riot in Kuala Lumpur was a West Malaysian problem and that the people of East Malaysia were not responsible for the mayhem and violence which led to many senseless deaths in 1969. None of us in Sarawak or Sabah were involved in any way in the May 13 incident.

It’s not that hate mail is uncommon. I have been on the receiving end of so many of them and I used to accept them in my stride and with a chuckle. But the recent one that came in was particularly personal. Its gist was, “You Sarawakians have no right to teach politics to us, West Malaysians.” I will not go into details.

I think that was rather egoistical. Was I wrong to ask them to take a leaf from the positive traits of Sarawakians about never going down the racist road? Why can’t some people swallow their pride, admit their faults and weaknesses and learn what is good from their fellow Malaysians? It’s only human to err and if we believe in God, neither is it a sin. The One above is merciful and He will forgive us if we repent … truly repent, that is.

Sadly, things in the country are not exactly what it should be in recent times. We have just celebrated our National Day but really, Malaysians do not feel much pride and neither was there much to celebrate. It’s amazing how some unbalanced Malaysians with the racist streak, who are so cooked up with all things racial, are able to exert so much influence on the rest of us with their dangerous rhetoric.

At times, I wonder how these people manage to find their way into the media. Perhaps some editors, in wanting to expose these racists, don’t realise that it would be more sensible at times to just ignore such statements of a racial nature. After all, they’re only a minority.

Yes, the situation in the country today is far from being ideal. Just hear the lamentations from these prominent personalities.

In her column in a national daily this week, Marina Mahathir wrote: “It’s very strange, but as we enter our 54th year of independence, what I least feel is independent. Indeed, in the month of Ramadan — the month of reflection and restraint — we find instead more toxicity in the air at home than ever.

“From school principals who spout racist nastiness to politicians and media who insist on poisoning what is already a poisoned well. Instead of the serenity one hopes to feel at this time, in order to feel closer to God, all I can feel is the disturbance in the heart and mind that comes from living in an environment of hate.

“When I open the newspaper or switch on the TV, there is nothing but anger and sadness. How can we call ourselves independent when we are so caught up by hate, none of which seems to have any real foundation at all?” Marina added.

Then, Dr David KL Quek, president of the Malaysian Medical Association, had this to share: “This year, I became a senior citizen. But as I ponder upon ‘retirement’, it is sad to see the Malaysia that I know and live in, grows increasingly uncertain, diffident and bogged down in self-made crises, one after another.

“Instead of maturing gracefully, we appear to have become trapped in a petulant phase of angry adolescence breaking out senselessly to attack convenient bogeymen — race and religion appear to have become the easy targets, which breed even more political and economic uncertainty.

“Extremist leaders continue to spew so much hurtful invectives that these would have shamed the most neo-Nazi right-wingers, the world over. Most modern societies would have punished such hatemongers if not for their senseless racial baiting but then for their ad hominem attacks on just about anyone who dares to challenge their warped if narrow world view.

“It appears that more and more politicians are flogging the twisted if populist concept of ethnic supremacy and extraordinary rights (of ethnic ketuanan) once again, as if to bolster their public images as racial champions. The loudest and the most strident appear to be those who are now commanding the greatest publicity and arguably some perverse following.

“Our authorities appear timorous in not wanting to directly confront these vociferous bullies, for fear of some unintended backlash. But in so doing, the government loses even more credibility. The government of the people must serve as a fearless just arbiter of a firm and respected Leviathan, and not be held ransom by some mindless minority.

“There cannot be distorted applications of the rule of law, where anyone can flaunt and challenge the wisdom of the law, at wanton will. There seems to be no more respect for anyone else except for the self-righteous bully pulpit arrogance of voluble tyrants disgorging more and more hatred and painfully shrill racist ideologies to the hilt. Freedom of speech implies rational discourse and debate, not threatening and insulting rantings. It certainly does not absolve anyone of despicable spewing and inciting of ethnic or religious intimidation or hatred.”

These are pertinent statements from two very concerned Malaysians. Well, if the reader who wrote the angry letter to me refused to listen to me, a Sarawakian, then he should perhaps take a cue from his fellow West Malaysians. That is how they felt about recent happenings in the country.

I can only conclude here by warning that racism leaves a trail of devastation, encouraging prejudice and bias and creates a backward society.

Therefore, I would urge my fellow Malaysians over in the peninsula to make amends and openly admit mistakes for it is grossly unfair to maintain and harbour the old system of governance based on race. Race-based politics must never be supported. What we must work on now is a credible action plan to resolve the woes brought about by racism.

We must let go of our egos and learn from people like Marina Mahathir and Dr David Quek. I’m sure they will be more than willing to learn from the people of Sarawak too about how to maintain and nurture racial bliss and tolerance.

Let me say this again. There may be so many things wrong in Sarawak today but we have been continuously blessed with racial harmony and religious tolerance and this is something which we should never take for granted.

(Comments can reach the writer at paulsir99@hotmail.com)

53 years on – Rising Racism, but still hope for cautious optimism…

53 years on – Rising Racism, but still hope for cautious optimism…

Dr David KL Quek, drquek@gmail.com

This year, I became a senior citizen. I could now withdraw my EPF and I qualify for some discounts for travel and surprisingly even for some buffet meals at some eateries.

But as I ponder upon ‘retirement’, it is sad to see the Malaysia that I know and live in, grow increasingly uncertain, diffident and bogged down in self-made crises, one after another! Our previously phenomenal economic growth has now trickled down in a dizzying spiral of middle-income trap—not helped by the 2008 global financial crisis.

Our foreign direct investments have dwindled as our competitiveness, our productivity, perhaps our systemic corruption and wastage, have now been exposed and called into question. Even our inborn entrepreneurs are investing overseas because of the uncertain future and shifting policies, which have made us face the truth of our competitiveness and value as a nation.

Instead of maturing gracefully, we appear to have become trapped in a petulant phase of angry adolescence breaking out senselessly to attack convenient bogeymen—race and religion appear to have become the easy targets, which breed even more political and economic uncertainty!

As a fourth generation Malaysian, I was born two and a half years before our fateful Merdeka. I am still wondering whether we are truly ‘liberated’ as befits the meaning of ‘Merdeka’, so gloriously proclaimed by our Bapa Merdeka, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, in 1957.

That Merdeka was to have ushered in the birth of what some would have called “an unlikely nation”, one that appeared cobbled together in a slapdash manner—juxtaposing a disparate if hodgepodge peoples, then predominantly Malays, Chinese and Indians, akin to mixing oil in water. Yet again, does any one in such serendipitous circumstance have that conscious sense of history and historicity of these singular moments?

To be fair, even then, no one dared to dream that the idea of Malaya and later Malaysia could succeed. But truth be told, we did do very well for so many years, becoming one of the rising Asian tigers. It’s just these recent years that we have foundered and perhaps lost a little faith in ourselves.

So many other post-colonial new nations had self-destructed in interethnic, religious or tribalistic clashes and conflagrations. We nearly did in May of 1969.

But good sense and firm actions created a novel social re-engineering feat (the NEP) in its wake, to bring about some semblance of order, reasonable interethnic tolerance and suppressed racial tensions. For the next four decades, we have lived a reasonably harmonious if distinct existence, although seething fault-lines appear now and again to threaten the veneer of our touted “Truly Asian” unity among our unique pastiche of colourful normalcy.

40 years hence, ratcheted-up rhetoric is beginning to sunder this extraordinary relationship. Polarised insistence on continued affirmative action in stylized if arbitrary terms, remains a bone of contention, which powerfully fans the embers of resurgent ethnic fears and pride. Sadly, as we celebrate this auspicious anniversary, we seemed mired in increasingly rabid and insulting racism, which greatly threatens our flimsy unity and contrasting diversity.

Extremist leaders continue to spew so much hurtful invectives that these would have shamed the most neo-Nazi right-wingers, the world over! Most modern societies would have punished such hate-mongers if not for their senseless racial baiting but then for their ad hominem attacks on just about anyone who dares to challenge their warped if narrow worldview. Perhaps the media can play their roles better by downplaying these media hounds, whose purposes are so sickening and depraved.

It appears that more and more politicians are flogging the twisted if populist concept of ethnic supremacy and extraordinary rights (of ethnic “ketuanan”) once again, as if to bolster their public images as racial champions. The loudest and the most strident appear to be those who are now commanding the greatest publicity and arguably some perverse following.

Our authorities appear timorous in not wanting to directly confront these vociferous bullies, for fear of some unintended backlash. But in so doing, the government loses even more credibility. The government of the people must serve as a fearless just arbiter of a firm and respected Leviathan, and not be held ransom by some mindless minority…

There cannot be distorted applications of the rule of law, where any one can flaunt and challenge the wisdom of the law, at wanton will. There seems to be no more respect for anyone else except for the self-righteous bully pulpit arrogance of voluble tyrants disgorging more and more hatred and painfully shrill racist ideologies to the hilt!

Freedom of speech implies rational discourse and debate, not threatening and insulting rantings! It certainly does not absolve anyone of despicable spewing and inciting of ethnic or religious intimidation or hatred!

But who really is to blame for the recent rise in racist rhetoric?

It appears that some components of the government are still pushing the propaganda machine to perpetuate the concept of racial supremacy and denigrating all other ethnic groups. The Biro Tata Negara (BTN) instead of instilling national civic consciousness, appears to relish in inculcating and indoctrinating any civil servant or would be scholarship holder, in a time-warped belief system that only the Malays are true patriots and truly deserving of their Malaysianness! This is still happening 50-odd years following Merdeka, and one wonders why non-bumiputras don’t sometimes feel any greater sense of belonging to this nation of ours…

Surprisingly such BTN programmes appear to have been a ‘recent’ phenomenon. My sister and brother-in-law who are senior government servants in the Ministries of Education and Higher Education claimed never to have been subject to such gross demeaning indoctrination or abuse—perhaps, they too have been too polite, too programmed, to acknowledge. It did not take place when I was a clinical lecturer for 7 years at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia then in the 1980s and early 1990s.

But as MMA president, I have received some angry verbal complaints (many are traumatized, frightened and do not want to be quoted for fear of reprisals) that even non-bumiputra junior medical specialists and house officers, who aspire to join the service or to be confirmed, are currently subject to physical and mental abuse. Mind you, these are not students of impressionable age, but grown men and women in their twenties and thirties!

Some have been made to squat and huddle together in front of other bumiputra peers, rudely woken at early mornings, shouted at, called ‘pendatangs’, usurpers of scholarships and positions, depriving the true bumiputras of their places and rights, told in uncertain terms that they are here only at the behest and kindly generosity of the bumiputras, and that they can always ‘go home’ or balik kampung which meant China or India! Groups have been bullied into subordinating to and acknowledging these official ‘dogma’, or risk having the entire group not ‘passing the course’. Do these utterances ring a bell?

Recently (less than a year and a half ago), one young returning teacher broke down from such radical abuse and hazing, that her family decided to pull her out, repaying the loan in full—enough is enough! So can we not see how this will perpetuate the cycle of blatant racial baiting and hatred when these ‘officers’ return to their respective services, after such provocative BTN courses?

Mustn’t such propaganda stop? Is the government truly sincere in wishing to stem such state-endorsed racism? Is this government truly espousing the 1Malaysia concept for whatever it is worth?

Last year, Minister in the PM’s Department Nazri Aziz acknowledged that the BTN must be overhauled. Nazri Aziz had revealed that courses by the National Civics Bureau (or Biro Tatanegara, BTN) were racially divisive and used to promote certain government leaders. While Nazri was bold enough to expose this, he was nearly alone in defending the need to overhaul the BTN courses.

Most of the ruling elite, including DPM Muhyuddin had sided with those who refused to acknowledge Nazri’s contention that the BTN was a mockery of Najib’s 1Malaysia concept. Of course, our former PM Dr Mahathir joined in and insisted there was no need to revamp the BTN courses, which led Nazri to call the former PM a “bloody racist”, even conferring on Dr M the title “the father of all racists”.

So are we surprised that Perkasa, school teachers and principals, public officers, resort to such ‘ingrained’ behaviour, notwithstanding the so-called ‘provocations’ from their charges, their students, who must surely be so ‘insensitive’ as to other’s religious practices?

Yet, when called upon to investigate such racist behaviours, the authorities appear to be dragging their feet, and instead concentrate with such efficiency to question and charge a rapper (NameWee) who merely was bold and foolhardy enough to serve as a conduit to expose these wrongdoings.

Can the police and authorities not see the biasness of their actions, by pursuing the messenger and not the perpetrator of possible crimes?

Can the authorities not understand why thinking Malaysians and non-bumiputras are beginning to feel persecuted and discriminated against, more and more, despite utterances to the contrary by our political leaders?

Can the authorities not understand why more and more disgruntled non-bumiputras are making a beeline to emigrate whenever and wherever they can—hardship, uprooting displacement and starting over, notwithstanding? This has got nothing to do with patriotism, when one is constantly told that he or she is unequal as a citizen, and that they are unwanted!

Can every Malaysian non-bumiputra truly feel that he or she has a fair and reasonable share of this piece of earth called Malaysia? Do our authorities truly appreciate talent, merit or worth of any non-bumiputra at all, or is this mere lip service?

Can they not see the hollowness and insincerity of their pronouncements—when we can hardly see the ‘walk’ from the ‘talk’?

Such crescendos of racist ravings seriously undermine the carefully constructed dream of a true Malaysian nation, shattering the much-bandied ‘unity’ slogan already so tattered among our terribly troubled diversity.

Hurtful cries to demonise and belittle other races as unequal, ‘pendatang’ and lesser than themselves cannot but help demoralize every peace-loving non-bumiputra Malaysian who aspires for a better tomorrow, a better Malaysia…

We fully recognise the special position of the bumiputras, but as non-bumiputras we also increasingly demand our rightful place in this nation of ours. Lest it is forgotten, our position is also enshrined in the Constitution. This is not arrogance, but a statement of fact as a human right of any citizen.

We do have a long way to go. We have many mindsets to change, to engage, to dialogue with in sincerity and humility, so that race and religion cannot be made a bogeyman for every travail or challenge that the country is facing.

We have our work cut out for us, but as rational Malaysians, we must all try even harder to persuade the government to be one for all Malaysians and not for mere sloganeering alone or for any one racial group.

We must flush out all closet racists. We must instead cultivate greater rational discourse and dialogue without preconditions of threats and top-down dictates. We need to work on closer cross-ethnic cooperation, tolerance and acceptance so that together we are truly more than the sum of our rich individual strength and heritage.

We must nurture greater cohesiveness by lowering the tempo and temperature of racial baiting and shrill cries and rhetoric of ethnic pride and irrational fear-mongering. We must work towards greater confidence of sharing and building and not engage in divisive dismantling bigotry based on artificial barriers of so-called ethnic or religious sensitivities.

This government must be seen to act without fear or favour, by espousing fair and just policies, by directly confronting and stemming the tide of racism and racial-baiting. Divisive ravings drive uncertainty and suppress confidence. We need to reverse such negative rhetoric if we wish to improve the climate for economic buoyancy in this country.

By staying the course of inept inattention, we stand to lose our global competitiveness even more, as we Malaysians lose confidence in ourselves and our grip on the future.

We must do this right and soon, or risk losing everything! 53 years hence, and Merdeka then would have been in vain!

“We came into the world like brother and brother, And now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.” William Shakespeare, in the closing couplet of “The Comedy of Errors” [V.i.425-26]


-------------ooooo00000ooooo--------------------
This is also published in The Malaysian Insider, 31 August, 2010 as 53 years on, cautious optimism despite rising racism

Also published on 1 September 2010 in malaysiakini as Rising racism, 53 years on 

Some Comments:

David Dass A thoughtful discourse on the state of 1Malaysia. I do not believe that many Malays support Ketuanan Malaysia. I think that the proponents of Ketuanan Malaysia would have us believe that the majority of Malays support the concept. Most Malaysians of whatever ilk or stripe are more concerned with the business of eking out an existence than in racial politicking. There are many issues that worry Malaysians - the rising cost of living paramount amongst them. Also rising crime rates, the low standard of education and the poor proficiency in the English language. It is an important question that Dr Quek poses. Who is the Government not responding firmly enough to racist diatribes that provoke, inflame and frighten Malays and non Malays alike ? Why is it a bad idea to focus on aid and assistance to the poor and marginalized of all races ? The correct solutions are not the monopoly of the opposition alone. Why can't the BN see and do what is so painfully evident for all to see ?

Johan A Well articulated, Dr. Quek. However, our only hope is regime change - ie the umno-bn clique must be voted out. There is no chance that the current ruling elite will change. You read the headlines "zero tolerance to racism", "no to corruption", etc, etc. but DO WE SEE ANY ACTION TO THOSE WHO SPEW RACIST WORDS???? NO!!! Do we see any serious attempts to make the corrupt pay for their crimes - NO!!! All we see is FEET DRAGGING & SOME TOKEN "ARRESTS" which are probably to serve as an eyewash. To achieve this regime change, we must try to educate our fellow Malay citizens that the ruling clique has all this while been pulling wool over their eyes and shouting rhetoric so that they maintain their power and all the benefits (WHETHER LEGAL OR ILLEGAL) that go with it. The interest of the Malay and Bumiputra rakyat in Sabah and Sarawak are never on their minds.

Raikonen All non malays should migrate if they have the means to. No need to take all this racial supremacy and social contract crap. Hard it may be, it is better to move on rather than just complain about it.

Ablastine We often tell Perkasa and UMNOputras there are no free lunches and yet many of us here expect free lunches to be given out by BN or more specifically by UMNO. Let me tell all those who want their place under the sun in Malaysia and those who want their rights to be respected to not just sit on their laurels while these rights are slowly being taken away from them. Perkasa call you pendatang and bangsat, Ministers call you dirty because you are not Muslim, principle of school call the Indian dogs and Chinese, prostitue and should go back China. What are you going to do about it? Still want to vote BN in the next election? The fact of the matter is UMNO and its warlords and UMNOputra want to have supreme power for one and only one reason and it is of course to plunder the nation's treasury. A racially divided country and emotionally charged Malays serve this agenda so don't even dream of UMNO wanting to have this stop for the sake of the country.

stories The worst are the component parties of BN who claim to represent the other than the Malays. They are part of this because the are with those who practise racism and dicrimination and yet choose to stick with them. They are the real turncoats.

Anonymous Dr Quek, I sympathise with you. But the greatest mistake the chinese had ever made was in 1997/98. There was a great malay vote swing to the opposition but sadly the chinese voted for BN. The opportunity will never come again. It might be a different scenario by now.

StevenForMalaysia Dear Dr. Quek, big thank you for speaking out the inner feeling of I believe 99.99% of non-Malays in Malaysia. Your write up is the truth, nothing but the truth of our feeling for long long time. There is no use of sweet talks by the UMNOputras, they must get down to hard work to gradually correct the situation. Most Malays' mind has been intoxicated by the Ketuanan Melayu supremacy and lost their head.

Allen Wanz TC Dr. KL Quek: You have spoken loud and clear expressing the voices of many like you who love the country, I sincerely pray that the pointers put forth by you will be read objectively and sincerely by our nation's leaders for our sustainability. Plz do not ever stop and think all you have said is in vain. Let's not be nay-sayers and pursue on and pray that the hardened hearts of the many extremists be melted down, if not be words of persuasion then by the merciful acts of God upon their lives. Plz carry on Doctor and let not the voices of moderation and passion for goodwill be drowned by the selfish and the self-serving. I believe in the power of God who can change hearts if we pray for them as well.

k1980 on Friday, 3 September 2010 - 1:51 pm

• RACISM (noun)
The noun RACISM has 2 senses:

1. the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races
2. discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race

World English Dictionary
racism or racialism — n

1. the belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others
2. abusive or aggressive behaviour towards members of another race on the basis of such a belief

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

racism definition:

edsoo on Friday, 3 September 2010 - 4:02 pm

Anwar Ibrahim again battles dubious sex charges by Mark MacKinnon

Anwar Ibrahim again battles dubious sex charges

by Mark MacKinnon
Globe and Mail Aug. 27, 2010
 
Prosecution appears to be thinly veiled attempt to ruin Malaysian opposition leader’s reputation and political career

There is an uncomfortable pattern to life for Anwar Ibrahim, the charismatic leader of Malaysia’s opposition. In 1998, shortly after he quit the authoritarian government of Mahathir bin Mohamad, he was convicted and jailed on trumped-up sodomy charges.

Six years after that conviction was quashed and he was released from prison – and just as it looked like he and his multi-ethnic coalition might finally oust the long-ruling United National Malays Organization from office – Mr. Anwar finds himself trapped in the most awkward of reruns, once more accused of “consensual intercourse against the order of nature.”

The charges again look to be a thinly veiled attempt to ruin Mr. Anwar’s reputation and sabotage his political career in this Muslim-majority country. The trial to date – dubbed “Sodomy II” in Malaysia’s unsubtle government-controlled press – has produced a succession of lurid headlines about lubricant tubes and stained underwear, while Mr. Anwar and his lawyers have been denied the right even to see the medical records of the man with which he is alleged to have had anal sex.

But instead of letting the scandalous court proceedings force him to the sidelines, the eternally optimistic Mr. Anwar has been using good humour and his ever-present BlackBerry to turn even the most awkward of headlines to his advantage, holding up the charges against him as proof of the absurdity of the system he’s trying to change.

As a lone judge contemplates whether there is evidence to convict Mr. Anwar and sentence him to up to 20 years in prison, as well as a flogging, Mr. Anwar has continued his ferocious assault on a government he derides as repressive and corrupt, blogging from the courtroom and sending cheeky and upbeat 140-character updates to his followers via Twitter.

“Sodomy circus turns into sex opera!” reads one of Mr. Anwar’s mid-trial posts, which linked to a video of a lawyer discussing the lurid details of the case. “Courage of conviction. Que sera sera,” was his response to a fellow Twitter user who worried the energetic 63-year-old was headed back to jail.

The odds do seem stacked against Mr. Anwar, a former deputy prime minister who was once considered the rising star of Malaysian politics. But to hear him tell it, his déjà-vu legal ordeal is evidence that Prime Minister Najib Razak and his party are losing their grip on power, and they know it well.

“They can’t deal with me politically – either my economic programs or policies. They can’t debate me. So they resort to this ludicrous exercise to demonize me,” he said in an interview at the offices of his People’s Justice Party in western Kuala Lumpur, a confident grin fixed on his narrow, goateed face.
“We will win the next election and we will change the courts.”

It seems unlikely things will go quite that smoothly. Mr. Anwar’s political career has seen his fortunes change as often and as quickly as the weather in this peninsula thrust between the Indian and Pacific oceans. The leader of a Muslim youth organization during his student days, he shocked his followers by joining UNMO in the early 1980s and taking a succession of cabinet posts in the authoritarian government of Mr. Mahathir, eventually rising to become his powerful finance minister and deputy prime minister.

But the two men never saw eye-to-eye on key issues, and they eventually fell out during the 1997 Asian financial crisis over economic policy and Mr. Anwar’s accusation that cronyism at the top was hurting the country’s economy. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Anwar – frequently held up in the West as an example of a moderate Muslim democrat – was in jail.

Though initially barred from politics upon his release, Mr. Anwar steered the opposition to a surprisingly strong finish in 2008 elections, and – even as the new sodomy charges were being laid –very nearly won the long-sought prime minister’s chair in the aftermath when he called for a vote of non-confidence in Mr. Najib’s government. Mr. Anwar said he had the support of a majority in parliament, including an unspecified number of UMNO defectors, but the vote never happened. Instead, 40 key lawmakers were sent on a government junket to Taiwan during which some were apparently convinced to rethink supporting Mr. Anwar’s bid for power.

The next election, which can be called any time before 2013, is set to be a high-stakes affair in this rapidly developing country of 28 million, which has seen freedom of speech blossom since the 2003 retirement of Mr. Mahathir and the rise of the Internet. Any kind of conviction would keep Mr. Anwar – who heads an improbable coalition that consists of liberal reformers like himself and an Islamist party that seeks to impose Koranic law – on the sidelines for another five years.

Mr. Anwar, a married father of six children, denies the new charges that he had sex with a 25-year-old former aide to Mr. Najib. (The sodomy law, which dates back to the British colonial era, has only been used seven times since independence, with four of those charges being levelled against Mr. Anwar.)

The case recently devolved into further farce when it surfaced that the complainant was having an affair with a member of the prosecution team. Though Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah acknowledged the affair as fact, he denied Mr. Anwar’s application to have the charges thrown out on that basis.

Mr. Anwar, who counts Al Gore, Nelson Mandela and former Canadian prime minister Paul Martin among his friends, said that while the Malaysian court system would do him no favours, he thinks his case is high-profile enough that the government won’t dare jail him again. “It’s a catch-22 for them. If they put me in jail, they invoke more sympathy, certainly the government will lose … And unlike Mahathir, Najib wants to be seen to be acceptable in the international community.”

Mr. Anwar’s undimmed ambition to be prime minister clearly infuriates his political opponents. Even in retirement, his mentor-turned-nemesis Mr. Mahathir uses his own blog to mock his former protégé and lash back at accusations that the case against Mr. Anwar is trumped up. “Could it be that it was actually the victim of anal rape who decided to tell things as they happened? I would like to say we should wait for the court to decide, but that can take a very long, long time or even never,” Mr. Mahathir wrote recently.

Despite a near-complete ban on his speaking to the official media, Mr. Anwar appears to be winning the public-relations battle, in part because of his savvy online efforts. A poll conducted by the independent Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research shortly after the new charges were filed found that only 11 per cent of the more than 1,000 respondents believed the new sodomy allegations against Mr. Anwar. Two-thirds said they agreed with the statement that the trial was “a politically motivated action to disrupt Anwar Ibrahim’s political career.”

malaysiakini: I disagree, chief secretary! by KJ John

I disagree, chief secretary!

KJ John
malaysiakini, Aug 3, 10
1:11pm

 

  
After the spat between Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Nik Ali Mat Yunus - the federal officer posted to Penang as state development officer (SDO) - the chief secretary to the government concluded: “If he (Nik Ali) was accused with all kinds of untruths and criticised repeatedly, he too, has his dignity. If he did not reply, then people would say that he is guilty. So, it was proper that a clarification was given.”

I disagree with your judgment, Sir!

The word 'dignity' is a very expensive word in human sociology and psychology and cannot be treated lightly. Much like the word 'integrity,' it cannot and should not be abused by all and sundry. In fact, when I proposed the 'dignity in the workplace' hypothesis, the first and biggest challenge was defining the concept as applied and used at the workplace.

And, even before I could define it, I had problems at the ontological level about our differing theories about the nature of man and our assumptions about reality. Some of my professors thought I should move to a school of theology or philosophy to seek a definition, instead of a School of Government and Business Administration. Therefore, that word is neither a simple word nor an easy concept to understand and then defend.

While I agree with the chief secretary's application of the word and its personal meaning to defend the honour and due regard for the human being responsible, I disagree that the manner of his defence was either right or proper. The officer should never have publicly responded to the matter against the chief minister; after all he is the head of a state administration. That is public service decorum.

While the chief secretary is a very good friend, as is the chief minister, and Nik Ali was my colleague at the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti), truth matters in every area of life. What I write now is an attempt to be professional about the subject and my views are nothing personal.

First of all, all federal public servants serve at the pleasure of the Agong. And in both the unfederated and federated Malay States, officers serve at the pleasure of the sultan or head of the state.

The chief secretary is the secretary to the cabinet and therefore a federal level cabinet officer, but his appointment is institutional and ex-officio, regardless of who forms the government. The chief minister or menteri besar is an elected head of administration at the state level from the party that commands the majority in the state.

The SDO is only a federal departmental officer not even of cabinet rank, like an ambassador, whose names are cleared and approved by the cabinet before their appointment is gazetted.

Respect not shown

My disagreement therefore with the chief secretary's views stems from the fact that the SDO is only a departmental appointee who holds office in the state at the pleasure of the head of the state or the governor.

This SDO is not the head of all government officers in Penang. That post is held by the state secretary, who also serves as ex-officio secretary to the state executive council. Therefore, why didn't this SDO carry his complaints to his immediate boss in the state where he serves?

He has thus failed in a major way in terms of state-level courtesies and respect for heads of administration at state level. To me, it is the equivalent of insulting the governor of the state or, in the case of a foreign government, tantamount to insulting a sovereign head of state.

The chief secretary should not make this error of judgment because the officer's poor example can now be repeated by all federal appointees in every state led by the opposition coalition. 

In fact, the chief secretary himself was previously reported as saying that all public servants must undertake their duties professionally and without fear or favour.

For the record, let me also say that when I was in Penang for a conference last April I heard case-stories from federal government officers that the SDO was giving them explicit instructions not to submit information to the state government, especially in terms of statistics and feedback on progress or failure of federal government programmes.

At that point I was not aware that the SDO was my former colleague, Nik Ali. My advice to him, therefore, is the same one given to me by then Miti minister Rafidah Aziz: if you cannot serve the government in authority with a clear conscience, then please leave and take optional retirement. I agreed and I did.

Service in public interest

The public service is always a service in the public interest. If one has strong views against the particular colour and shape of the government, please do not seek to serve in that state or department. It should never become incumbent upon federal government officers to succumb to partisan interest of one group versus another.

Partisan leadership of the public services must become a thing of the past. Public servants must seek to serve the public interest first and foremost.

The power and authority model of leadership is no more relevant in all spheres of work; what is now needed is the responsibility model of leadership. Any federal officer serves first of all at the pleasure of the Agong and works for the public interests as defined by the federal constitution.

How does the constitution define the role and jurisdiction of the SDO? Was not the SDO a creation of the Abdul Razak Hussein era? Are there not limits to the definition of 'minor works allocations' under this delegated authority? Can the SDO bypass the state financial officer (another ex-officio state administrator) in doing his job, other than for minor works projects? Are not district officers still the executing authority for all such projects?

Are not the real issues actually related to the federal government abusing financial and procurement procedures to circumvent publicly financed projects in Penang and keeping them outside the philosophy of competence, accountability and transparency in the open purchase of services and goods by the state administration?

Dear chief secretary: let us become more transparent, open and accountable over the core concerns in this issue. The SDO was speaking out of turn, and if this was in any state with a Malay Ruler, he could easily have been given the 'get out of state' order!

Maybe in Penang, a former Straits Settlement, the rules are different. But are we not the federation of states? Would a federal officer also be allowed to speak in the same way in Sabah or Sarawak? Would you support him or her too? Professionalism calls for us to conduct ourselves rationally and without fear or favour.

May God grant all of us the grace to become more professional and courteous in our conduct!

KJ JOHN was in public service for 29 years. He is now dean of the Faculty of Economics and Policy Science at UCSI University, Malaysia. The views expressed above are truths that matter to him as an individual citizen wearing private and civil society hats and therefore are not opinions of the university or faculty. kjjohn@ohmsi.net