In The Ring > The siege on democracy

MARCH 8, 2008 will be etched in the pages of Malaysian political annals as the date democracy bared its vigour.

The voices of ‘the right to choose’ were heard from the southern tip of Johor to the remote islands off Kedah, and from the furthest village to the most urbanised city. Almost eight million Malaysians exercised their right to vote.

Yes, the outcome will eternally be etched in Malaysian political folklore.

Or will it? In Malaysia, what has transpired is unique but is it a bona fide phenomenon or early signs of maturing constituents? From the global perspective, are the results an anomaly? Truth be told, a result like this wouldn’t even have warranted a raise of an eyelid in some countries.

But then again, granted, we are not ‘some countries’.

Barisan Nasional obtained 140 seats compared with 82 for the Opposition coalition. Only a year ago, the State of Kelantan was governed with a majority of one seat. Monday’s motion on the restructuring of the subsidy system is a testament that you can govern effectively with a “simple” majority.

But let us not lull ourselves into thinking that we don’t live in exciting times. The Malaysian political scene is gathering pace at such an unprecedented momentum that anyone with even the vaguest of interest in politics is faced with encyclopedic reporting of each day’s action and counteraction. If you are an active observer of or participant in the Malaysian political scene, it is an endurance race without rest.

The spirit of democracy is truly alive. Currently in Parliament, all questions are scrutinised; every Minister’s answers are debated and then, debated again by all the stakeholders in the mass media and the cyberspace platform.
In an ideal world, the natural reaction of competitiveness is an improvement in quality. But the realities of today tell a different story.

Granted, there are some footnotes of positive change, but the Malaysian Parliament is slowly becoming a centre for political showboating – what with hard boiled eggs, bicycles and many more circus-like attractions.
In its defence, although embarrassing, it does not have substantive implications.

However, democracy is facing a far bigger ‘maturing’ challenge – one with substantive implications in the form of party hopping.

The attractiveness of the innuendos, guessing the characters involved, the stakes on the bargaining table… it all makes great kedai kopi or Starbucks material, depending on what’s your cuppa.

Perhaps, the collective function of this blinds us from the evil of this political play. Professor of Law at UiTM Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi has written that, in some countries, anyone who defects loses his seat but is allowed to return to the electorate at a by-election to regain his mandate. In other countries, a defector is barred from holding any remunerative political post for the remaining tenure of the legislature unless he is re-elected.

There have been innumerous views on the legality of party hopping from both sides of the divide.

However, my opinion is that even in the unfortunate and unthinkable event that legal authority allows it, our moral conscience should not.

More than this, it is a form of leadership contract between the candidate and the voters. Voters choose a candidate based on the candidate’s platform, his party’s manifesto. How many of us remember the name of the State assemblyman we voted for? My main grouse is that it is disheartening to see politicians who stand to benefit from the shift champion the cause; it is beyond belief to see people dressed under the veil of representatives of civil society defend the merits of this evil.

Given the current circumstances, how can civil society win? Call a spade, a spade. Don’t paint it as the voice of democracy in Malaysia.

Political strategies to destablise the government, such as party hopping, can serve no other purpose but personal agenda. The rakyat already lost precious amount of time with MPs showboating in Parliament and now we have to endure this unwarranted instability.

The only way I can describe the current situation is a siege on the sanctity and spirit of democracy. New York Times quoted a senior opposition leader as saying the results of the election is a result of an outcry for democratic reform. Let’s hope this is not the reform he means.

Perhimpunan "Raksasa"di Selangor?

Walaupun laman-laman web pro - Pakatan menggariskan kejayaan Sambutan 100 hari Pakatan Rakyat di negeri Selangor, namun laman agenda daily melaporkan perkara yang berbeza.

Beberapa persoalan yang perlu diberi jawapan:

1. Kenapa terdapat hanya 10,000 hadirin (mengikut data Malaysiakini) sedangkan sudah digembar gemburkan 100,000 orang akan membanjiri Staidum Shah Alam?

2. Dimanakah Menteri-Menteri Besar dan Ketua Menteri yang lain sedangkan sudah digembar-gemburkan kesemua pimpinan negeri akan turut hadir dalam sambutan ini?

Jika menurut kata Anwar, Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat merupakan pilihan rakyat, kenapa tidak ada sambutan sedangkan Anwar Ibrahim, "Perdana Menteri Pilihan Rakyat" sendiri hadir pada malam itu?.

Rakyat perlu tahu perkara sebenar.

Really, How Strong is Keadilan Youth?

Malaysiakini carried the report of the planned protest organised by Keadilan Youth yesterday.

Well, the question is = 100 people?. To protest an issue that is entrenched in all Malaysians, especially the youth?.

Can this be a reflection of the popular support of youth claimed by Keadlian leaders?. The first thing that comes to mind, how would Keadilan fare if it loses the support of DAP and PAS?. Keadilan, appearing more and more like the junior-est partner of Pakatan Rakyat.

Pakatan Sementara?

Baru sahaja melepasi garisan 100 hari mentadbir, gabungan Pakatan Rakyat kelihatan semakin rapuh. Pada awal minggu ini, pucuk pimpinan DAP telah membidas cadangan Pemuda PAS untuk melaksanakan pentadbiran Negara Islam ("Islamic State") di negeri negeri dibawah tampuk pemerintahan Pakatan Rakyat.

Terkini, Pemuda PAS Selangor telah "ditinggalkan" oleh Menteri Besar Selangor dari Parti Keadilan dan akhirnya terpaksa menarik balik bantahan mereka.. untuk menghalang persembahan dua artis terkemuka.

Sementara itu, pentadbiran Kerajaan Negeri Pakatan Rakyat yang ramai terdiri dari parti PAS telah ditegur oleh Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, Lim Guang Eng.

Strategi Anwar Ibrahim di dalam menggabus kerapuhan ini? - mengalihkan pandangan rakyat melalui percaturan politik yang bakal mengancam sistem demokrasi di Malaysia. Baca pandangan bekas orang yang paling kanan beliau disini. Malaysiakini membuat laporan perjumpaan Pakatan Rakyat di Selangor dimana Anwar Ibrahim terus menggegarkan istitusi demokrasi dengan panggilan lompat parti.

Pakatan Rakyat yang menjanjikan pelbagai perubahan kepada Rakyat masih belum mengotakan janji Pilihanraya yang ditabur kepada pengundi-pengundi. Soalannya ialah samaada Pakatan Rakyat akan terus wujud sebagai satu entiti dalam jangkamasa panjang untuk memenuhi janji-janji ini?.

In The Ring - Changing a life (that has no) style

My thoughts in Malay Mail this week -

AND so with a stroke of a pen the headlines were cast. A 41 per cent increase in fuel price.


The torrential rain that accompanied the queues at petrol stations across the country on the night of the announcement reflected the sombre mood collectively felt as a nation.

Contemplating how to cope with the petrol hike shocker and its after effects remains entrenched in the hearts – and befuddles the minds of many Malaysians across all segments. Rational Malaysians understand very well that this is a global phenomenon. Vivid pictures of demonstrations in Indonesia and even in Britain; the toppling of the government in Haiti … all illustrate the global impact of the issue. We are not alone in facing this difficulty.

Malaysians have been asked to ubah gaya hidup (make lifestyle changes).

I decided to probe the impact of the message on the urban youth (as I am a member of this segment, thus making the task easier).

The almost unanimous feedback on this message astounds me.

Over nasi kandar, a friend related his concerns.

When his father started working at a salary of RM1,800 in a government linked company (GLC) about 30 years ago, the money was enough for his mother to be a fulltime homemaker and the family had some room for ‘luxury’ spending. From his observations, the current crop of fresh graduates commence working life at approximately the same salary, but the cost of living has risen sharply since dad’s days.

It is now uncommon to see urban working couples enjoying the same kind of ‘luxurious’ lifestyle of yesteryear.

With two young kids of his own, my friend’s biggest fear is that in future his children would have to work two shifts or jobs just to make ends meet.

Herein is the theme of the feedback I received. “What else can we change?” Last night, I met a friend from my secondary school days. He had just returned from studying medicine in Britain. Surprisingly, his concerns mirror that of the urban youth.

He confides that every waking moment, he feels the money fl ow from his pockets. As a surgeon, I had assumed that, at the very least, he was comfortable.

I am sure he is among the 3.8 per cent of Malaysian taxpayers categorised under the highest paying 28 per cent taxable income bracket. But if he has concerns, what more the rest of us? Perhaps the conversation that had the greatest impact on me is of the banker whose hometown is in Paroi Jaya, Seremban.

A father of one, he is truly feeling the heat. His wife works to help pay the mortgage on their house and car.

As both of them work at unconventional hours, their son is sent to a nursery for most part of the day.

Dinner usually depends on what the coffee shops or stalls down the street or near the office offer.

Surely they have ‘items of luxury spending’ that can be sacrifi ced? The answer was a fl at ‘No’.

A signifi cant percentage of their savings are obligatory allowances to their families in Seremban. Their biggest concern? That the monthly money given to mak and ayah back home is no longer suffi cient. What else can he change? Curiosity drove me to push further. What is the single main grouse common amongst the urban youth that I met? Stagnant wages. Camoufl aged by the unrealistic Consumer Price Index, the barometer employed by the private sector for wages increase, many argue at 2.7 per cent, is not refl ective of the current situation.

What’s worse is that we have not even begun our battle against knock-on infl ation because of the hike.

Pictures of school canteen operators increasing their price adorn the covers of newspapers. This is something that must be changed.

Post June 4, the government had laid out ways and means to alleviate the burden of the rakyat. Numerous ideas were bandied, including some tangible suggestions such as removing the toll roads within the Klang Valley, improvement of public transport and usage of hybrid technology to reduce dependency on fossil fuel. These might ease the burden and hopefully create some space to accommodate changes in our lifestyles.

But for many, lifestyle changes have never been an option in the first place.

In The Ring > You have been poked!

HAVE you seen that latest TV advertisement of a local mobile operator which shouts: Subscribe to our service and you will able to use a killer application to connect with your family, friends and new acquaintances with just a push of a button! Wow.
Well, for once, I feel – despite my Blackberry – that technology hasn’t beaten me to the tape. I have all the connectivity I presently need with my Facebook.

Dax, a self-confessed Facebook activist, had egged me to join the cult earlier this year. Naturally, I was apprehensive – not because I didn’t believe in its mythical powers of connectivity but because I feared its addictive qualities.

What is the alluring factor of Facebook as an Internet social networking website? What has prompted more than 80 million people to register since it was launched in February 2004? How on Earth did it get to be the fifth most trafficked site in the US and achieve an indicative valuation of US$2 billion (RM6.4 billion)? (According to Alexa traffic rankings on Malaysia, Facebook is currently rated 11 after Friendster in the third spot and Myspace on the ninth).

My money is on the fact that most of us have voyeuristic tendencies and the application appeals to a kind of vanity. Facebook provides the opportunity to reveal to friends who you really are and what you are currently up to. In an instant.

But over and above this New-Age voyeurism as it’s dubbed – I personally like the Facebook facilities that transcend into the realm of convenient and tangible networking (I can’t possibly spread myself too thin but I’m sure the other social networking sites have similar facilities too).

Take for example, the Young Corporate Malaysians, a group that organises successful CEO talks for the benefit of young graduates. Its founder and former UKEC (United Kingdom and Eire Council for Malaysian Students) chairman Wan Firdaus Fuaad relies significantly on the Facebook ‘events’ feature to communicate with potential participants.

They are on to their 10th CEO now.

But the Facebook theme that strikes me the most where Malaysians are concerned is the dynamic role it is taking on vis-àvis the political scenario.

Malaysian politicians, old and mostly young such as MPs Khairy Jamaluddin, Nurul Izzah and Mukhriz Mahathir, are increasingly using Facebook for disseminating their agenda – uploading videos of their latest speeches or programmes, newspaper interviews – and even seemingly answering the ‘hard questions’ and sharing their many experiences.

Facebook is basically an automatic and interactive one stop site. Chances are, Facebook-ers log on to their sites before doing any other surfing, so any updates on, say for example, a politician’s profile will also be added on to the users’ own personal ‘book’. It also allows any Facebook-er to contribute comments and materials so content is not dependent on the politician alone.

Last month alone, I witnessed three major arguments between close friends because of political affiliations derived from Facebook.

Then, there are groups with specific messages accompanied with sometime very wordy topic heading like “Against Pakatan Rakyat – or anybody forming government through crossover MPs?” or “One Million Malaysians Against Petrol & Electricity Hike” which have members from across the political divide.

For the next General Election, almost 56 per cent of the voters will be under the age of 40. Essentially, the Friendster, Myspace and Facebook generation. One can only imagine how dependant these voters will be on communication via their personal networking sites – and its popular partner in crime, Youtube (that’s another story).

But surely Facebook is a social network meant for the youth segment? After all, it was created by Mark Zuckerberg for the tertiary and high school student market. But, try telling that to my uncles and aunties.

They will probably reply, how else can they see albums of grandchildren and grandnephews thousands of miles away at a click of a button? There is no question in my mind that such interface technological communication are a boon to political communication, organisation and fundraising.

Now, who needs a superpoke?

Malaysiakini - UMNO Youth's Political Survival

Read the report on Malaysiakini. It is also available on Pemuda UMNO website. A PC and a launching ceremony of Pemuda UMNO's official blog - Saka Bangsa was held on Monday by the EXCO in charge of the newly formed Pemuda UMNO media relations secretariat, Datuk Sazmi Miah.

The blog falls short of reasonable expectation. By a far mile. A blog needs to be driven by content, utilisation of multimedia applications and at least, looks good. It is a highly competitive market out there. Worse, the links on the website implies internal political agenda. Where are the strong UMNO Youth leaders?. Do you see Rahman Dahlan's link?. Pemuda UMNO official website link?. Why is Kadir Jasin there? Who is Akramsyah Sanusi within the context of Pemuda UMNO?.

Our focus shouldn't be December 2008 but the 5 years horizon. By PRU 13, 56% of registered votes will be under the age of 40. This is UMNO Youth's market. If we are fighting for political survival, I am not going to sit around and count on Sang Saka blog to deliver the goods.

In The Ring > Fuel prices – Dad, what would you do?

THE petrol subsidy has long been taboo for people in public office.
But in view of the escalating prices of the world oil, Malaysia has reached a juncture where it can no longer afford to be the second cheapest pump price Asian country.

The situation is worsened by the fact that analysts believe that it may reach US$150 to US$200 per barrel any time in the duration between six months to two years.



Like most Malaysians coated under the veil of artifi cial pump prices, I don’t even know what the prevailing market price is, but I know RM1.92 per litre of petrol is already causing a dent in my thinning pockets.

I spoke to someone in the oil and gas industry, to allay my concerns and ask for an expert opinion on the issue of potential reduction of the petrol subsidy.

His answer caught me a little by surprise as he believes that instead of giving everyone the benefi t of the Automatic Pricing Mechanism, the subsidy should be targeted to families below a certain income threshold.

Over Starbucks, another friend opined that if we can’t invoke tax as a mechanism to reduce the burden of the deserving (because only a small percentage of Malaysians pay taxes), we should give direct cheques to people below a certain threshold or waive road tax for small cylinder cars.

But no matter how many people I speak to, how many analyses I read, on a personal level, the answer continues to evade me. I managed to do some soul searching whilst I was away in Singapore over the weekend.

It wasn’t difficult to keep it mind because the news of Malaysian subsidy made the front page on a major Singapore daily on Monday.

This is an issue of regional proportions.

At the Singapore Underwater World, my twoyear-old son and I went up to a tank to see up close one of his favourite Disney character, Nemo. Whilst his eyes were fi xed to the Nemo lookalike, another ‘uglier’ fi sh came up to him. He screamed in fear that the fi sh wanted to eat him. Of course, he didn’t understand he was separated by the glass, but as I consoled and explained the role of the glass, I began to fi nd the answer to my own burning question.

Every year, on the third week of June we celebrate Father’s Day. The main responsibility of a father is that of decision maker of the family. Like a Government to its people.

The subsidy question, if broken down is akin to being a responsible father.

Given the prospect of depleting oil reserves and the possibility of the entire Budget being used to pay for subsidies, would you agree with a policy that will adversely impact your current fi nances? Or would you fi ght tooth and nail for the subsidy to remain at current levels? The trade off for continuing the subsidy: leave the problem for the future generation to deal with? My father would not require a second to answer that question. It’s a trait of a responsible father.

However, in facing diffi cult decisions, I believe a responsible father needs to do everything within his reach to reduce the adverse impact on his family.

In the context of petrol subsidy, if we are left with no choice but to reduce the subsidy, the Government needs to increase education and awareness of the use of fossil fuels and the importance of its conservation for the sake of future generations.

In Singapore, the fl oating market price of a litre of petrol is approximately RM5.07. But the country also possesses an efficient public transport system that reduces the adverse impact on its people. We need to do more.

That is why on the balance of the arguments, my vote is for the Government that possesses the characteristics of my father. A responsible Government that makes hard choices while simultaneously reducing the burden on its people.

I bet if he could, my son would vote the same way too.

Small Steps, Big Impact

Found some good news regarding improvements in Internship programs in Bernama today. Let's hope for genuine private sector participation, not just on the surface. It is a requiem for this initiative to work.

The full text here:

Higher Education Ministry To Implement New Internship Programme

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- The Higher Education Ministry will implement a more structured internship programme for university students beginning next month.

The programme aims to enhance the employability of graduates by equipping them with the skills and experience related to their field of study in view of concerns raised by employers with regards to the quality of graduates, such as lacking in soft skills.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the ministry was focusing on developing undergraduates into competent and innovative individuals with high moral values in order to meet national and international needs.

"This (the programme) will help provide more opportunities for students to gain early exposure to the workplace environment," he told reporters after presenting the Taylor's World Class Scholarship here Tuesday.

Asked whether the duration of the programme would be standardised throughout the country, Mohamed Khaled said it would depend on the agreement between the respective universities and the sponsoring companies, but it would normally be for a few months before graduation.

"It is hoped that more private companies and corporate organisations will participate in the programme as their cooperation is important to make it a success," he said.

On the Taylor's World Class Scholarship programme, he said it was in line with the government's aim of encouraging collaboration between industries and institutions of higher learning.

The 19 students who were awarded with RM2 million worth of scholarships at Tuesday's presentation will be assured of internship in world-class multinational organisations.