There may be more to the "Name" issue

After reading the analysis of the situation by columnist Jocelyn Tan, I started thinking more about the current situation wondering why the government took a stand to appeal the High Court decision. After all, was it wise to bring an additional parameter (politics) into an already complicated mix? It does not take a genius to know that this is a very sensitive and highly charged area and the potential that it could escalate into something bigger would be a very real threat. Why allow it to escalate further?

Who would stand to gain from this situation, I wondered?

There are several possibilities . However, these are merely my random thoughts.

The next General Election is fast gaining on us . What does the government need to do to retain their control? The major battle that must be fought, I would think is to regain the support of the majority of the Malaysian Malays who contributed significantly to the loss of 5 states in the previous general election in March 2008. What was the main contributing factor to the loss of support by this large and growing group? Was it the charisma of DSAI? Or was it largely due to the growing influence of PAS? Was it a combination of the two?

It is clear that the government realized the growing threat and needed to take action to regain this lost support base.

Here, understanding the enemy's weaknesses becomes an item of major importance.

What would be needed to weaken the enemy? Ever heard of divide and conquer? PAS, one of the largest political parties on the opposition divide is clearly divided on this matter...... the situation now is open to vulnerabilities but the fact that other parties are unknowingly being dragged into the mix is sad to watch.

Why allow the word to be used only in Sabah and Sarawak? Oh yes - wasn't it East Malaysia that saved Barisan Nasional in the last election..... Clearly, retaining the support of Sabah and Sarawak is also paramount. It is noteworthy that leaders from these two states have been distinctly silent on the "Name" matter.

There is also the other side of the coin to look at - would the opposition stand to gain from this?

Please refer to this article :

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LA16Ae02.html

Is this a ploy to win over Sabah and Sarawak by the opposition?

It seems to me that both sides of the political divide are jumping on the bandwagon and using this issue to gain political mileage.

We will watch as this situation continues to unfold. Let's hope that the affected parties will not allow themselves to be casualties in what many would see as an unnecessary battle. What happened to responsible leadership?

Let us not be pawns in this sinister battle.

Please don't use religion to gain political mileage. It's just not nice!

Where is Malaysia headed? In response to Romerz post

I agree with Masterwordsmith that it is indeed worrying to see where Malaysia is headed.
After the March 2008 GE, we watched and waited to see of there would be any improvement in the likes of our current administration.
We watched as scandals (Lingam-ism, PKFZ, Jet engines, Toyolism, stadium collapses... amongst others) are reported but no tangible outcome of investigations is achieved. We watch in sadness when we see lives lost (TBH being one of them)for no apparent reason. We watch as the government makes flip flop decisions that affect the public and the future of our generations to come like our education system.
We watch as religious extremism is allowed to be fueled in the form of cowheads and now the burning of churches
We watch as the democratic process is tainted with the Perak incident.(We have not forgotten)
We watch as all these issues continue to remain unresolved and politicians continue to bicker and fight for control.
Where is Malaysia headed? I think it is very clear.
It is good to see though that common sense does prevail with calls to remain calm and avoid retaliation or demonstrations that can further stoke dissent in a sensitive situation.

Pointless Politics

Nothing to say except that after all that has happened in Malaysia, God help us. It is sad that the focus is only on MCA and the opposition - diversionary if you were to ask me. It is a sad state indeed

What a load of bull!

I am truly ashamed of Malaysia.

We have had such bad press lately.

We made headlines, by the way - in the foreign news papers and news over the last two months

1) Caning of part time model Kartika for drinking beer in public - that was on the front page of the Straits Times and all over BBC and CNN

2) Indonesians threw eggs at our embassy over a traditional dance (???) and ....get this....the National anthem- that made headlines too obviously

3) PKFZ - now , how could that be left out of the news, right? It's really dog eat dog isn't it? Word on the street is that the in-fighting will see the demise of MCA.

4) The death of political secretary Teoh Beng Hock

5) And last but not least, we have the infamous and sordid Cow Head incident (this was really beyond words for me - just could not find any words to express my sentiments over this) !

This is really really humiliating for all Malaysians.

What sort of picture are we painting to the rest of the world?

Is is worth it? To the parties behind all of this - is it worth it? Is it worth losing our credibility and even worse, our common sense and spirit of decency?

Sigh.....

Sigh......

Sigh.....

Or do Malaysians even know what decency means?

I am begining to doubt it.

We have become the laughing stock in South East Asia

Land - An interesting point to note.....

Something interesting caught my attention this weekend. I happened to chance upon an advertorial for a development project in Ipoh. Therein, I noticed the conditions for the use of the land. *Land* - after all is under the purvue of individual state governments in Malaysia.

Restriction in interest for the land title : "Consent by the Menteri Besar is required" (for transfers etc.)

Huh?? What the"hey"????

What sort of condition is that? I have seen land titles requiring the consent of a state authority (ie. a committee etc) but to leave such decisions to one person? How can there be any transparency or exercise of good governance with this sort of condition?

I wonder whether this is common for other states ?

How can this be allowed ? This is an open invitation for corrupt practices.

Now I understand why it was so important for BN to "wrestle" control of the state.

Now I understand why the post of Menteri Besar is so coveted.

This is probably only the tip of the ice-berg......

Farewell to the Storyteller

I had heard with much dismay about her collapse on Friday. I was away on Saturday with no access to the internet and only learned about her passing this evening. This is indeed a sad loss for Malaysia. She was known for her works of art having produced the award winning movies Sepet, Gubra and most recently Talentime. She was also the Creative Executive Director of advertising firm Leo Burnett and was renowned for her groundbreaking Petronas advertisements which taught us Malaysians, the value of our unique Malaysian culture. Most of all , she was known for her controversial if not radical views that challenged the conventions of everyday Malaysians. Her basic philosophy was to believe in the strength of the human spirit and believing in love above all else. Her stories cut across the racial divide and exuded with true Malaysian culture and spirit. She was brave in her subject matter, choosing to deal artfully yet realistically with tough and current issues.

I met her once while having lunch (she was at a nearby table) and could not resist getting up to congratulate her on her art (Sepet and Gubra at that time) and trying to find out the basis for the ending of Gubra (after the credits....) I got my answer from her with a frankness and true optimism that is her hallmark. I will leave her contact in my rolodex despite knowing that she is no longer with us.

Yasmin, your loss will be truly felt and I hope that there will be other Malaysians out there who will continue your legacy of true artistry and your honest insights into the lives of us ordinary Malaysians. You will continue to live through your works of art!

A Sad day in Malaysia

Deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr Teoh Beng Hock.

We have reached a very dark point in Malaysia's political path.
There is no longer any credibility in the current administration and its law enforcement agencies. How could this be allowed to happen?
Malaysians have been too tolerant
We have let too many things slip in the past.
Will we continue to let it happen?

Will justice be served?