pre-script – Again, I must point you to delCapo’s photos of Bkt Gantang, and Viveg (via Haris) of Bkt Selambau. Here are some I liked:
Bkt Gantang -
Bukit Selambau -
Crowd to my left
Crowd to my right
Crowd in the secondary forest right in front of me
*
So, when will Dollah really hand over power? Sooner, ala Bernama’s “Abdullah Guarantees That Transition Will Happen“, or later, ala Malaysiakini’s “Pak Lah: Stop pestering me on handover date”
“Just wait. Don’t ask me to say anything. All will happen when the time is right. The transition will take place,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Many of us may have given up thinking of some last minute upset on Abdullah’s part as mere wet dreams.
I’m not intending to create false hope, but one really must wonder what Abdullah’s purpose is in making such vague (alarming I’m sure, to the Najib camp) statements.
If you’ll pardon the continued vulgarity (I blame theSilo), is he just being a cock-tease? It seems unlikely, given what is at stake.
If he really was planning to go quietly into the night, why doesn’t he just say so? What would be in it for him, should he truly be looking to retire, for being so cloudy about such an important matter?
Perhaps he just wants to give some false hope to his supporters who are pestering him to stay, knowing they’re as good as beheaded in a few weeks.
OR. Maybe between him and DYMM YDP Agong, they’ll perhaps wait until after the by-elections, and use the three defeats as some sort of excuse to find some alternative to a straightforward and run of the mill transition to Najib.
Oooooooh. Well, a man can hope no? And we would need 3 thumping Pakatan victories to see such a scenario (kah yau! – tekan minyak!)
How’s it looking on that front anyway? Well, Muhyiddin is the latest to play obedient kiss-ass to his boss:
Newly minted Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin has called on the people not to turn the upcoming by-elections on April 7 into a referendum on the leadership of incoming premier Najib Abdul Razak.
He said the by-elections at Bukit Gantang in Perak, Bukit Selambau in Kedah and Batang Ai in Sarawak were significant as coincidentally, they would be held soon after the transition of power.
“I like to remind voters that they are by-elections, not a referendum on Najib’s leadership,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Once again, I must ask the simple question: If the omniscient government anticipated a victory, or even a close fight, why on earth would Muhyiddin burn his bridges and declare it pre-emptively as non-reflective of what people thought of Najib? (Unless he anticipates victory and wants it to be reflective of himself and not Najib, ahaha)
If these jokers win any of the 3 seats, and then turn around and say “Aha! You see! People loooooove Najib,” be sure that this blogger will give them a tight cyber-slap!
In continuation of my arguments yesterday, I must also take exception to these blabberings about how by-elections simply do not reflect the national mood, and that only general elections can.
Firstly I said, by all means HAVE general elections then! Secondly, in absence of general elections, one would have to be pretty blur not to see that by-elections are the next closest thing to a barometer, what more 3 by-elections in different parts of the country.
Yes, they are not nation-wide, but short of a general election itself, how better to test the political mood of the country?! By reading Utusan Malaysia or The Star perhaps? Shyeahhhh….
It appears Muhyiddin has made a new friend in Kalainavar though.
Sigh, these guys.
You want to express discontent, expresslah. Maybe you feel your reasons are legitimate, and that you have been wrongly neglected – that’s your right, and all fine and well.
But hmm. Let’s see. Last week you were fighting tooth and nail to represent PKR. This week:
“I am very unhappy with Anwar and PKR. The party has not done anything for the Indian community,” (Kalainavar) told a press conference at a golf club in Sungai Petani.
Moreover, he said Pakatan had “deceived and used the people especially the Indian community like curry leaves but did nothing beneficial for them.”
My, my. I guess Pakatan must have changed a lot eh, in the space of that week? Either Pakatan or Kalainavarlah, I suppose.
I must agree with Sivarasa:
“Voters are sophisticated nowadays. They know what in this case, it is nothing more than Kalainavar being disgruntled over not getting picked as the candidate to contest.
“Kalaivanar is only saying all this after he has been denied from contesting. He would have had more credibility should he had say all these things before knowing his wish to contest had been turned down,” he said.
He added that it was important for party members to stick with the party for “its beliefs and principles and not only to get seats.”
Yep. I think the kind of people Pakatan needs are those who are dedicated to justice, equality and compassion. Everyone else, the door is that way.
(ps- the last guy who pulled a stunt like this also after not being picked to contest in a by-election against MIC.. didn’t he go off and start some monoethnic party of his own? Wonder how they are doing…. :P )
Another Nallakurappan type..he should join the party formed by nalla…can’t remember what’s the name..
Ha ha ha another nalla in making this Kalainavar. Case of sour grapes. Don t ask what you can do for the indian but , kalaifool ask what you can do for the raakyat there in bukit selambau. You are no better than the MIC buggers.I just don t understand how you guys come to represent the indian…..figthing for glory and post. Real shame on you Kalaithamby. And the big joke is 500 jokers following you to the s..t hole……remember Jack and piper. Wake up indian.
Fellows like Kalaivanar and alike are mere opportunist , trying to fan race and communal sentiments to their own benefit. I am tired of these baboons forever harping on Tamil schools and estate workers not to forget temples – all towards getting some cheap publicity.
yess… its very true. what kalaivanar has done to the indian community till now become just like a drama. he has acted well as he is sincere to help the indians… if kalaivanar is sincere to the indian community he must express the pkr’s failure in treating indian community very long period ago. that means he is just waiting to get a seat and “IF HE HAS GOT THE SEAT” he would put the pkr’s failure in treating indian as he claims now behind. (THIS MEANS YOU ARE SAME LIKE MIC) I was in the croud of 2007 rally with you in batu caves just for our indian community sake and has some good respect on you. now i throw you from my heart. (LEARN WHAT IS SACRIFICE FROM UTHAYA AND THE OTHER IN ISA) pakatan must takeover the bn first. if that happens our leaders will be freed and then only we can hope for seat and so on…
hi NAT,
isn’t it just as well this chap was not picked,or he might lompak (as what he is doing now) after getting elected ! PKR made the right choice of candidate.
on PakLah i truly hope PakLah can see clearly that
THE NATION OF MALAYSIA IS MUUUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN PARTY UMNO(BARU)!!!
PATRIOTISM WILL ONLY BE BORNE OUT OF BEING LOYAL TO THE COUNTRY,not party.
if PAK LAH loves MALAYSIA,
PAK LAH must stay n take good care of its people
especially at this very crucial moment when Malaysians need him most,
PLIZ , PAK LAH ,PLIZ……..?…..CAN……….?..?..?
Best wishes to PAK LAH n NAT !!!
PKR man faces cheating rap
June 11, 2008
SUNGAI PETANI: Parti Keadilan Rakyat candidate for the Gurun state seat in the last general election B. Kalaivanar was charged at the magistrate’s court yesterday with two counts of cheating involving RM3,600.
Kalaivanar, who is also Jerai PKR division chairman, claimed trial to inducing R. Patchama, 59, to hand over RM2,000 in April 2004 as payment to process an application for aid with the Social Security Organisation (Sosco).
Known as Kalai among PKR members, the 44-year-old also claimed trial to issuing a cheque for RM1,600 to Patchama on Sept 15, 2005, when he knew that there was no application for the amount with Socso. The cheque bounced.
The offences were allegedly committed at No 24, Kampung Sungai Ibur in Gurun, 20km from here.
Assistant public prosecutor Nuraswan Amuniddin proposed bail of RM4,000 in one surety for each charge.
Kalaivanar, a father of six, who was not represented, pleaded for a lower bail of between RM1,000 and RM1,500, saying that his wife was a housewife and that he worked as an activist with several non-governmental organisations.
Court Registrar V. Kanesan, sitting as magistrate, set bail at RM3,000 for each charge in one surety pending mention on July 6.
Kalaivanar posted bail, but was arrested again outside the bailiff’s office about 1pm.
It is learnt that he was detained in connection with investigations into his alleged involvement in another cheating case in Bahau, Negri Sembilan, several years ago.
Kuala Muda district police chief Assistant Commissioner Hashim Ali was not available for comment.
In the March 8 election, Kalaivanar lost to Dr Leong Yong Kong of Barisan Nasional in the Gurun state seat. He polled 7,035 votes against Dr Leong’s 8,589 votes, losing by 1,554 votes.
He also contested as a PKR candidate for the same state seat in the 2004 general election. He lost to the incumbent state MCA chairman Datuk Beh Heng Seong of BN.
————————–
LEST WE FORGET
Yes. Most are sour grape.
If given reward will stay on. If not just condemn..
Isn’t it Self interrest ? To serve the interest of party
are just all bullshits…..
I’m glad this joker Kalai wasn’t selected as the PKR candidate…he’s exactly the sort of unreliable person they can do without.
Will we be Next seeing him lovey-dovey with Semi-Value ?
On the power transfer to Najib, I’m all but sure its going ahead in the end. But Pak Lah is going to exact his pound of flesh as a final “middle-finger” to those who were instrumental in forcing him out of the PM position.
Simply a significant time delay in the formal handover, even if he did nothing else would be very embarrassing to UMNO.
We need real leaders who has principle, Kalaivanar statement clearly shows that he leaves the party because he was not selected as the candidate. PR dont need him. As an Indian I dont care who is the candidiate, as long he or she can serve the people effectively.
I AGREE WITH YOU 100% tqaunty, LET’S HOPE THAT PAK LAH STAYS BACK UNTIL SUCH TIME WHEN A MAN WE CAN FULLY RESPECT TAKES OVER THE PM POST
Indians in Malaysia will forever be harping on Tamil schools which keep them divided from the rest and subservient to their leaders. DSAI might have studied this Kalaivanar fellow through his agents on the ground and it was wise to give young Mani a chance than to see another frog in Kalaivanar. The hope is in young Indians whom Mani represents. Even if Mani wins by one vote, it is worth the chance as many young Indians will be joining PKR as they began to see that if we are to be Malaysians then we have to come together as one and not three.
Thank GOD, DSAI did select this joker. Dahlah tipu kelentong masyarakat di Sungai Petani kononnya nak dapatkan tanah tapi bila tak terpilih nak ugut pulak. Dey kalaivanar, pirahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I admire this Kooolai once after listening to one of his speech in a DVD.Only now this afro african look chap is a cheap skate.He is not fighting for PKR or reformasi but to upgrde his bank balance in future.What a oiece of shit this guy is.DSAI is smart by not choosing him as a candidate or PKR will see another katak in progress.men without principle.Real pain in a ass.Soon he will be under dog for semi velue.
NOTE: MR.Kooolai u think indians are stupid.May be the indians Whose stonge and blind MIC sappoters will believe u .MIC is made of all the kepala kutu bahagian n cawangan only.They the only one remaining in MIC.Not all the Malaysian Indian.Get it KOOOLAI fool.
The Kalai bugger. God is great. Lucky thing DSAI didn’t choose him as candidate. He is a CONMAN. On trial for cheating.
How low class can he be ? Real idiot. Serve him right.
Kalaivaanar has no credibility. He wanted to be the exco but he didn’t get the chance. He might forgot about the chance given by PKR in GURUN, just 12 months ago. May be he has been fished by others.
Where can indians find good leader is it after get power and post cheat own race.Is this curse or stupidty of indians
eh hello, don’t blame theSilo for your vulgarity okay!
p/s-got back in town few days ago, catch you soon ;-)
p/s/s-ditto the others, good call not nominating kalai…
This Kalaivanar feller did get his chance before in Gurun. didn’t he? Why is he making so much noise about someone else being given the chance? And suddenly, PKR is no good? Go suck an egg. Too much Tamil movies la this feller…….
If he had not resigned, he should be kicked out of the party! Opportunists like this are better off left outside. Maybe he wanted a chance to do a lompat. If it’s not motivated by ideals, it has got to be MONEY.
Good riddance, at least nobody forced him to go. He did it all himself. PKR has got it right!
Kalaivanar,may have his side of the story and his legitimate right to express his frustrations,but he severely tarnished his integrity by claiming ,the state is doing nothing for the Indian community .This kind of asinine statement is repulsive to say the least.These are the type of people who make use of the genuine sufferings of the Indian community for selfish purposes.The same way how UMNO putras make use of the ordinary malays to stay in power.
‘SATISFACTION LIES IN THE EFFORT NOT IN THE ATTAINMENT’-mahatma gandhi.
This said,lets now look at the other side of the coin.I too wonder,why did Anwar in all his wisdom chose to select a parachute candidate who is a green horn in politics?Since Manikumar is said to be close to the former rep YB Arumugam ,therefore did Arumugam influence Anwar? Is it because this is how Anwar wanted show his gratitude to YB Arumugam for not falling into the Rm5million trap set by the UMNO agents to jump ship,like the 3 frogs did in Perak?Or is it Anwar genuinely feels that Manikumar is indeed the best candidate amongst the rest including a senior person like Dr.Krishnan?I think only Anwar alone got the answers for all these queries.I just hope that Anwar is not practising political patronage here,as being practised in UMNO and BN for nearly 51 years which led to the culture of cronyism and nepotism.,as this act will not augur well for PR and its principles of good governance,democracy and transparency.
So either Manikumar is the best candidate or otherwise,only time will tell.To me it doesn’t matter wether it’s Manikumar,or Dr Krishnan or Ah Chong or Ahmad,as long as that person can represent all Malaysians fairly,responsibly and possesses virtues such as kindness,honesty and integrity I will accept him or her.
Certainly Kalaivanar does not possess the above qualities,but I would still thank him for working hard for PKR during the last elections.If he has any trace of credibility left in him,he would certainly not join BN,but then this a democratic country,who are we to stop him.
Good luck to all the PR candidates in all the 3 by-elections.
VIVA MAKKAL SAKTHI
nat: i don’t have the answers sir, but i think those are fair questions.. :)
Either Pakatan or Kalainavarlah…..PR made the right decision to omit this selfish and self centered bloke….one does not join a political for personal interest. I don’t see this quality in serving the rakyat in him.
Go! perhaps you can now get your one off cookies from the wig wearing Samy Malu. After this by-election you are a forgotten man….
Aha…! Now everyone knows he’s a CHEATER…!!!!!!
MIC should take him in too like what BN did to those 3 traitors of PERAK..!
The more scum the better…! 52yrs of ‘scum’…… normal only lah…….!!!
That’s why DSAI choose Manik. He knows better….!!!
The future of PKR is very important coz when the next GE comes we…, the rakyat…, are the ones that will decide on their FATE……………………!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Correct…………????????????
Lest we forget…!
DEI KALAIVANAR, HOW MUCH SEMI VALUE/ VEL PARIAH GAVE U TO SAY ALL THIS STORY OF PKR DA. WHAT …. U ARE SEMI VALUE`S COW AH………..
DSAI PLS DONT WORRY WE MALAYSIAN INDIANS ARE WITH U.
More loser talk from BN!
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Frontpage/20090330195255/Article/index_html
Much rested on Kalaivanar’s shoulders but he is not up to it. More than anything else, he has seriously undermined the credibility of Malaysian Indians in the eyes of the PR people and the discerning public. To the rest of you, let me state here that one Kalaivanar does NOT a Malaysian Indian make.
All the same, I am very encouraged to read the responses here clearly showing the heightened level of political awareness that abounds. No one is fooled by Kalai and prepared to throw a damp canopy over all Malaysian Indians in general.
There’s something Indians on the other hand, need to learn from the UMNO guys. Look at Ali Rustam. There was not even a squeek from him against the party, was there? Look at Shahrir Samad. Not a word against his party.
Let me summarize two principles that Indians I suggest adopt.
First, choose your party carefully and then stick with them when they need you most.
Second, political survival requires tremendous patience and sacrifices. You may have to wait a very long time to progress within the party. Even if you don’t progress after all that, remind yourself why you went in in the first place.
The rest of the people who are questioning DSAI’s wisdom need to keep the following in mind. There are indeed a number of qualified candidates who could have been selected to contest the Bukit Selambau state seat. Only one can be selected, and that’s simple arithmetic.
Next, remember the Nalla guy who was left out of the Ijok seat? Our current MB of selangor was selected. Even though he could not go against the BN machinery, look where he is now. Contrast that with Nalla’s position. A good contrast in character, isn’t it?Let us give consideration to DSAI’s experience and wisdom.
DSAI and PR have a formidate battle ahead.
Let all amongst us who believe in change give our best to them.
I have a thought about the Independent guys. PR should make an early declaration that none would be accepted into any of its component parties in the event an Independent wins.
God Bless DSAI and PR.
well done benameye.thats a timely reminder to all pakatan supporters that once you have chosen a worthy course, try to stick to it like a faithful partners.as the famous saying goes think what you can do for the party rather than what party can do for you.(my version). End of the day, your selfless dedication will be rewarded im sure. Pse prove to the BN elites that we too can make a difference and hence the ultimate goal of wresting the federal goverment through peaceful political means if we , pakatan supporters stay united, committed and focussed.Good wishes to the pakatan candidates.
Bukit Selambau: An Urgent Call for Calm & Understanding, and Suggestions for a Way Forward
I’m writing this with deep concern over the Pakatan Rakyat’s prospects in the Selambau Election as well as for the future of the alternatif movement as well. Just over a month ago we were quite united, and so confident that BN could never win, even against goats & cows. Today the situation has changed dramatically, as the conflict that is apparently brewing within the AM over the choice of candidate for the Bukit Selambau by election threatens our chances there as well the achievement of our aspirations for Malaysia. I say apparently, because my only sources of information are news reports & blogs postings, some from the MSM, some from bloggers & journalists whose agendas I don’t know about. I have no way of verifying what is the real situation, & given the Standard Operating Procedures of our opponents in the past, I cannot stress enough the importance of getting to the TRUTH.
What I find especially distressing is the tone of the anger that has been directed at Hindraf & the PKR dissenters, in the comments & reports in our blogosphere. On page after page they have had so many insults, threats & stereotypes hurled at them, it is as if BN’s propaganda in the MSM & blogs designed to demonize, demoralize & discredit them has done its job. I don‘t doubt that most of our comments have been made with good intentions & end in mind, i.e. victory for PR, and were sparked by that sense of urgency & alarm that we all feel as the elections approach. Nevertheless, I cannot but feel that such a tone is unworthy of anyone who shares in the values that I believe PR stands for.
Have we forgotten the role that Hindraf played in making 8/3/08 possible? These are the people who, in their pain & desperation could do nothing else but put their bodies & their lives in the path of the FRU & their chemical cannons. True, dissatisfaction with BN had been growing for a long time, but for me, seeing the blood that they shed when they stood their ground & embraced the truncheon’s blows over & over again, deeply changed the way that I thought & felt about my country & myself. They led the way, they electrified us, even shamed us into action; but sadly, to this very day, they and their families still bleed for it. Some are locked away & forgotten; some prosecuted & persecuted. Many know now what it is to be without Father, Husband or Family. Some, ill, uncared for and forsaken, deteriorate day by day; and one, in exile, may never get to return home, not even to die. Then, there’s that deepest & most painful of wounds that they all bear: the subtle racism, overt ostracism & slur; a wound to which we can now safely say, we have rubbed in our own little “contribution” of salt. Whatever you or I may think about Hindraf or their apparent position on Bukit Selambau, let us agree that at the very least, we owe them our respect & gratitude.
I’ve organised the rest of my thoughts under 4 headings:
A. Our Current Situation
B. What’s really at stake here
C. Suggested Way Forward
D. Final Thoughts
A. Our Current Situation
On the face of it we have Hindraf & PKR grassroots leaders are unhappy with PKR leaders’ decision to nominate S. Manikumar as PKR candidate for Bukit Selambau. Both (Hindraf & PKR) had prepared shortlists of their preferred candidates but none were chosen. Their main reasons for this unhappiness seem to be:
Disappointment at not being chosen themselves, as a “reward” for past hard work
Manikumar’s youth, inexperience, lack of record and not being a local, being a “crony”
Not being involved in the selection process
Lack of transparency in the process
Disagreement with process & selection criteria itself
Perceived double standards in selection
Possible issues with Manikumar’s allegedly fraudulent business dealings
Perception of there having been backroom deals with V. Arumugam with the involvement of DSAI’s friends (one Datuk Ravi?)
Other longer standing grouses with PR may be:
Lack of democracy in PKR & PKR Kedah, who have not held state-level elections since he joined in 2004
Perception of having been deceived by false promises and lack of progress on various development issues e.g. land for schools, citizenship documents, social issues, business opportunities & training
Perception of a lack of respect and appreciation
One thing I want to note here is these reasons, with the exception of the one regarding personal disappointment, are not racist (ala ketuanan UMNO/MCA/MIC) but actually speak to root issues of common concern.
As a result of this dissatisfaction:
3 ex PKR members are standing in Bukit Selambau as independents
Hindraf is not supporting PKR’s campaign in Bukit Selambau
PKR’s Jerai division has disbanded itself & Kalaivanar has thrown his support for BN
Various commentators have condemned Hindraf & the PKR Kedah dissidents, with growing perception of Hindraf as an unworthy organisation with a agenda driven by racist or personal concerns
This conflict must be seen in the context of of PR’s growing list of problems & challenges (partly self inflicted, partly BN’s doing):
Abortive takeover of Parliament & our perceived loss of the moral high ground
Fall of Perak and PR’s subsequent tactical errors resulting in emotionally sensitive charges of derhaka and the attendant publicity
Perception amongst rakyat (not just Hindraf) that PR has not been effective & efficient, that PRU 12 promises have not been kept
Various scandals (real or engineered) surrounding PR personalities, accompanied by doubt’s about integrity of PR reps
Lack of a coherent common vision accompanied by bouts of discord between & within PR component parties
Add to all that a perceived BN “resurgence” due to Mahathir’s return to a “united” UMNO, Samy Vellu’s “new mandate” at MIC, Najib’s repressive countermeasures and we may just be seeing the beginnings of a “perfect storm”.
B. What’s really at stake here
Superficially, at stake is the victory in Bukit Selambau as well as in Bukit Gantang & Batang Ai. However we must go below the surface, and acknowledge that even if we win all three, given the current situation as outlined above, this conflict within us will slow down the momentum of our movement, perhaps even allow BN to begin rolling back the clock to pre-PRU 12. To regain forward momentum, as well as to help build a strong foundation for our struggle, a careful consideration of the deeper root issues raised by this conflict is needed within PR. What’s really at stake here is our movement’s identity, vision, direction & indeed future viability. These issues, all which overlap with real Hindraf/PKR grouses identiified above, are:
Vision & leadership
• What is our vision for all Malaysians?
• Is this vision a shared one? How do we create this consensus?
• What are our strategies & policies to achieve this vision?
Values, Principles & Political Culture
• What are our values & principles?
• Are these values & principles practiced by our current leaders at all levels?
o Do we want feudal “warlords” as leaders who know everything & cannot be questioned & seem to seek personal interests? Are there old BN habits & paradigms that still infect us?
• Are we open, consultative, empowering, engaging & transparent?
• Do we play the politics of race, patronage, feudalism, cronyism & nepotism, backroom dealmaking, numbers, rewards for loyalty? In other words business as usual BN style?
• What is the true nature of the relationship between PR & rakyat?
Delivery & execution
• How do we select & develop a truly representative cadre of leaders in such a way that no group feels left out?
• Do we select leaders by ability, or as a reward for loyalty? Do we place unfair standards of class, formal education or wealth?
• Is our leader selection process transparent, fair, where all have had a say in it and agreed the rules? Are there double standards?
• How have we delivered on our promises since 8/3/08? A lot was promised.
• Have we been fair & equitable or have we been busy fighting fires, living from crisis to crisis (some of our own making), & neglected to lead in the truest sense of the word?
• How do we work with marginalized groups who bear the brunt of BN’s failed policies? Takeovers of Parliament & long term political goals are all well & good but what do we do to ease their suffering here & now?
Communication (most of the misunderstanding is really attributable to poor communication & engagement)
• How do we inform & educate stakeholders, understand & manage expectations, & get our message across?
• How do we work with multiple stakeholders, with common broad goals but diverse cultures & perspectives?
• How do we raise the level of political discourse beyond race & patronage?
• How do we work with the various groups who are at different levels of political maturity, thanks to our political monoculture of the last 50 years?
C. One Way Forward
The thing to do is to sit down together & share one’s thoughts & feelings openly. The main purpose of this meeting should be to find & develop a common vision, set of values, principles and goals that we truly share. When that is done, consider & address the dissatisfaction & disagreements that have been the cause.
I suggest that Tuan Guru Nik Aziz (probably the most respected leader in Malaysia) be the host or convenor. The leadership of both sides must come with open minds & most importantly open hearts. There can be no place for personal egos, posturing & rhetoric or trying to gain concessions ala BN’s old politics. All talks must be firmly based on mutual respect and objective truth that can be verified. If we only plaster over cracks by merely soothing tensions while ignoring the real issues, we are setting ourselves up for future disaster.
There will not be enough time to cover every detail, but there is enough to begin to repair the relationship. It may be too late to undo some mistakes if mistakes have been made. If both sides decide that we can work together, come out of that room together & share with all of Malaysia what you have just achieved. Make it crystal clear that no effort will be spared to achieve victory, make it plain that errors have acknowledged, bonds have been mended, wrongs have been set right and changes have been committed to. Then let us each do what we do best.
D. Final Thoughts
To PR: Most of Hindraf’s & PKR’s grouses seem to be real & most are based on one or more of the common issues stated above. Granted, 1 or 2 personalities seem to be pushing for personal gain & “reward”, but once the underlying grouses are addressed, those with personal interests in mind will be clearly identifiable & obvious to all. I disagree with Neil Khor & others who say that Hindraf has a “radical race based agenda” and I do not believe that there is any fundamental unbridgeable ideological difference between PR & Hindraf. With their leaders behind bars & the perception that we have forsaken them, what we are seeing is not a racial agenda ala UMNO/MCA/MIC but frustration over the issues raised, coupled with the vestiges of BN thinking & political paradigm. As I said before, old habits die hard. The right question to ask is how do we engage them? Let us start by acknowledging that some of us have been treating Hindraf as the Greeks treated Philoctetes, good enough to fight for us but not good enough to be in our company & to engage with fully. The day we start ignoring constitutents we will start becoming BN hoping to win based on a not BN USP. PR same as BN. However, under no circumstances must you compromise your non-sectarian agenda”.
To Hindraf & PKR dissidents: I won’t pretend that I understand the depth of your pain. But I will say this: the Chinese have a saying: “tong zhou gong ji” which means “when people are in the same boat, they should help each other”. Right now, except for the BNputras & their cronies, we are all in the same boat, and our boat is now leaking. If we do not help each other now, we will all sink together. So in this emergency with 8 days left it’s time to get our boat safely across. True, your community has been marginalized by BN and I won’t try to lessen or underestimate your suffering, but you must acknowledge that you are not the only one in pain. Poor Malays & orang asli still face conditions just as bad. I’m not asking you to sacrifice your principles or tolerate unfair dealing from anyone, PR included. Ask the tough questions and hold PR accountable for whatever they have promised. But at the same time be prepared to honestly reexamine Hindraf’s struggle. Do not be chained to old BN ways of thinking, and do not be afraid to think out of the box. Please take the opportunity to make your voice heard. The overwhelming perception out there is that some amongst you are seeking personal position or that you are only fighting for a narrow racist agenda. This is a golden opportunity to set the record straight. Supporting BN now will only harden & solidify the this negative perception.
Make no mistake, a vote for any of the independents or a even spoilt vote will be a vote for BN. It would be a real loss for all if people who have the same overall goals fail to work tohgether & hand victory to those who have been oppresing all of us these many years. And while you are considering your next course of action, do be aware of those in your midst whose may not have your best interests at heart.
May I also humbly remind you of Waythamoorthy’s words, that I believe ring so true today: “Many see Hindraf as an opportunity to gain leverage and dictate their own benefits. This is totally against our principles. Hindraf is you and me who are battling a war for better policies and governance for the Malaysian Indian as a society with equal and fair treatment as opposed to individual glamour and glory.”
To both PR & Hindraf: Don’t let BN exploit this division by spreading more lies & confusion. Their MSM & blogs have already begun. We only help BN more when the tone of our discourse deteriorate to the level of provocations, threats & insults. To see that happen will be BN’s ultimate victory.
Let me be very clear – I voted for PR not to see 1 BN replaced by another. I did not vote for PR for special treatment for myself, my family or my race. I did not vote for PR to be their crony. I voted for PR for an end to corruption, cronyism, imbalanced development, mismanagement of national resources, authoritarianism, intitutionalised & societal racism. But I want a government that is more than just a mere negation of BN or “the lesser of 2 evils”. I want a government that is responsive, tolerant, respects the rakyat, transparent, fair & equitable, that promotes individual freedom & human rights. I strongly believe that these are the common bonds that unite us. Let us show that we can overcome conflicts, rediscover what really holds us together & emerge victorious together.
Lest we lose hope in our struggle, let us remember that in politics, conflict among partners is common, due to the political culture that is dominant. We need a new political culture & after 50 years, old habits die hard. Ever since 8/3/08 we have had to undergo a steep learning curve, and we cannot expect too much in 1 year & must not delude ourselves that all our leaders are all angels who will know instinctively what we the rakyat want. It is up to all of us to ensure that our leaders know what we want & to keep them on the straight path.
Now, what can we do as individuals about this. Consider carefully what is right, then communicate it to your family, friends, leaders. Get involved, for our future, the future of our country is too important to be left to chance, to in the hands of politicians.