New Malaysia's civil servants must keep it civil of multi-racialism !

Brave new world: The civil service needs to get used to the New Malaysia approach while our ministers need to snap out of the Opposition mode and get down to work.

August 16, 2018 Wake Up Malaysian Civil Servants: Duty Beckons by Dr Amar-Singh HSS http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com These Civil Servants pledge to feather their own nest We need to get rid of the culture of censuring those in the civil service who speak up when they see wrong being done. I found the courage to write this […]

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Wake Up Malaysian Civil Servants: Duty Beckons by dinobeano

Wake Up Malaysian Civil Servants: Duty Beckons

by dinobeano

Keeping it civil: The civil service makes up the backbone of any nation, yet the concept of its implementation continues to elude some of the powers that be.

IT’S often said that ministers come and go, but civil servants stay forever. And the good old government machinery runs as before, a fact some of our new ministers will probably be clued into by now.

Ministers who have no experience at state government level may have pre-conceived notions of the privileges they enjoy, like unlimited authority and knowing what they decree would suffice to overrule the bureaucrats.

And that is the biggest mistake they could make as newcomers to Putrajaya, because nothing exemplifies shooting oneself in the foot more than putting down civil servants – they run the ministries, after all.

Making its rounds on the grapevine these days is how some ministers put down their secretaries-general at meetings, believing they know better, or quite possibly, that they can do a better job at improving the performance of their charges.

Some of our ministers were probably not born when British sitcom Yes, Minister (which later became Yes, Prime Minister) aired on BBC Two, and on RTM, from 1980 to 1984.

Set principally in the private office of a British Cabinet Minister in the fictional Department of Administrative Affairs in Whitehall, it follows the ministerial career of the Right Honourable Jim Hacker.

In it, he attempts, or rather, struggles to formulate and enact laws or effect departmental changes and meets with resistance from the civil service, in particularly his Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby.

The obstructions (sabotages, some would say) were often carried out so deftly that the minister would often rarely know what hit him or possess a trail of evidence to prove insubordination.

In fact, the delays (such as total rejection of policy) were cited to impress upon the minster that the shenanigans were for the benefit of his political mileage.

But of course, the sitcom was totally fictional and in real life, not all civil servants could get away like that.

Respected banker and commentator Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid wrote that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had put together a Cabinet with a mix of races and genders, and a range of ages, which is unprecedented in the political governance of our country. However, except for a handful of ministers, the Cabinet falls short on experience.

Dr Munir urged Pakatan ministers to get out of “Opposition mode” so they can function and deliver with all the advice and support available.

“They would need to get the government machinery – the civil service – to implement their decisions effectively.

“Here, there is another problem. The largely Malay civil service is not used to having political masters committed to a multi-racial Malaysia and a no-nonsense regime,” he wrote.

That simply means our ministers, who have been used to merely delivering fiery speeches, now need to roll up their sleeves and get down to work and show the fruits of their labour. They can only blame the ills and corruption of the previous government to an extent.

A few ministers, and even the Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, must now grapple with all the documents being in Bahasa Malaysia, unlike in the private sector where the medium of communication is English.

Their staff would most likely be entirely Malay, except for their aides, who are political appointees. Directives would be issued in an entirely different way, obviously reflected by the work culture and style of communication.

That is just how the civil service works, so, they simply need get used to it. Of course, stories of all this being a culture shock for some have surfaced recently.

Dr Munir reminded that “there is still some way to go to arrive at a New Malaysia in terms of multi-racialism. After two generations of ‘Malay First’ and subsequently ‘Malay and Muslim First’ political ethic, there is a mountain to climb to make it New Malaysia.”

The reality is that about 75% of the Malay electorate in GE14 voted for Umno or PAS, in comparison to 95% of the Chinese voters who voted for Pakatan Harapan (an increase from the 85% who supported the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat coalition in 2013). About 70% - 75% of Indians voted for PH, the figures show.

It has been reported that only 25% - 30% of Malays voted for PH, according to figures from Merdeka Centre. Apparently, 35% - 40% of Malays voted for Barisan Nasional while 30% - 33% supported PAS.

The findings displayed that although a higher percentage of Malays voted for Pakatan Harapan in Johor and in west coast states such as Melaka and Negri Sembilan, the coalition’s overall Malay support was diminished by its weak performance in Kelantan and Terengganu.

It’s no secret that as the new government reaches its 100-day mark, some ministers are still struggling to assemble their offices.

It’s just as well that some have yet to meet the press or make statements, because they are still learning to juggle the workload as others continue their scramble to find the ideal personnel.

The job has been so overwhelming that they have been unable to meet their key officers to solidify plans and directions.

With no appointments in sight, some staff are wondering if they are being snubbed, or simply that the ministers are too busy with other engagements. It doesn’t help that they don’t even reply messages.

But the civil service needs to accept that this is New Malaysia. There is no turning back. The culture of openness, accountability, engagement and success must take centre stage, with any form of prejudice left by the wayside.

The strategy of using race and religion to stir emotions seems hollow now.

Millions of ringgit were stolen from the people by those in power, and as the facts have revealed, they weren’t Chinese, Indians or Christians, contrary to what these politicians still want the Malays to believe.

And certainly, the civil servants who sniffed out the moral decay under their very noses knew exactly what was happening.

Clean, trustworthy and competent ministers, and a loyal, non-corrupt and efficient civil service will make Malaysia great.

After all, as the saying goes, it doesn’t matter what colour the cat is, as long it catches the mice.

In this context, what’s important is surely them being good Malaysians.

Wong Chun Wai

Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in Penang, and has served The Star for over 27 years in various capacities and roles. He is now the group's managing director/chief executive officer and formerly the group chief editor.

On The Beat made its debut on Feb 23 1997 and Chun Wai has penned the column weekly without a break, except for the occasional press holiday when the paper was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his 50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star

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In the driver’s seat: Dr Wee is widely seen to be the next to helm the party. — ONG SOON HIN/The Star

HIS office is a small room with a great view of the capital city’s central business district. Within its four corners, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong is racing against time to plan the road ahead for the embattled party.

He is now MCA’s sole Member of Parliament after winning the Ayer Hitam seat in Johor.

The party also won the Titi Tinggi and Cheka state seats.

MCA contested 39 parliamentary seats and 90 state seats in the May 9 polls. The defeat has been bruising and Dr Wee has spent the last three weeks charting the road ahead for the 69-year-old party.

“Changing government is not a nightmare, not an impossible thing and can be done overnight,” says 50-year-old Dr Wee in his first media interview after the polls.

He adds that all is not lost following the party’s worst outing, and said MCA is ready to pick up from where it fell, and evolve as a completely reformed and independent entity.

“Our party is now our priority and not the coalition like before.

“There is no more political baggage. In the past there was no room to say ‘no’ or you would be deemed as going against the coalition’s whip.”

From his office on the 9th floor of the MCA headquarters in Wisma MCA, Dr Wee says his major task is to put up a team that can move forward to rebuild the party.

“I have been encouraged by people to take up the challenge to provide the leadership, and I am duty-bound to do so,” he said during an interview.

Party president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai announced that he would not seek re-election at the party polls this November, and Dr Wee as his deputy and sole survivor of GE14 is widely seen as his successor.

Dr Wee, a civil engineer who joined MCA in 1992, rose to become the party’s Youth chief in 2008 and deputy president in 2013.

MCA is the second largest component party of Barisan Nasional which lost its hold on the government for the first time since Independence in 1957 following the crushing defeat in GE14.

As one of three MCA ministers in the last four years, the former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department explains that the party, bound by the Barisan Nasional spirit, seldom spoke openly on what transpired in the Cabinet.

This, unfortunately, was perceived by people that MCA had not been able to speak up for them or do anything for them.

Dr Wee said the perception had been compounded by negative statements on MCA and the Chinese community made by other Barisan component party leaders.

Statements which openly ridiculed the Chinese community and renowned figures like Robert Kuok and even MCA as a party in the run-up to the polls were certainly damaging.

The damage control also did not help at all.

“Saying that such issues had been voiced out or dealt with in the Cabinet were grossly insufficient.

“Some justice needs to be done and seen to be done.”

Dr Wee conceded that the Barisan spirit had also turned into a form of constraint on MCA and a baggage most of the time in a modern society where people demand openness and action against issues deemed unfair to the community.

At times, he adds, this “behind closed doors diplomacy” was done with the intention of not wanting to prolong an ugly episode and also to preserve harmony in a multiracial society.

“But obviously, this did not augur well for us.”

Going forward, Dr Wee says the role of the party is how to be an effective Opposition and provide the check and balance in the new regime.

He says he believes this is what the people want from the party and what the party can do for them now that it is in the Opposition.

Dr Wee says he will also be going to the ground to identify the party’s weaknesses and drawbacks that contributed to the defeat of the party.

He points out that these constitute important feedback in the party’s bid to reform itself and move forward.

The MCA central committee – the party’s highest decision-making body – has appointed him to helm the party’s reform committee following the GE14 defeat.

Dr Wee envisages a team of young and talented MCA leaders that can take on the new role of an effective Opposition in a new set-up.

The party, he adds, can provide a platform for them.

He says universal values, public policies and the party’s core struggle will remain the foundation.

Dr Wee also says the party will be rebuilt on all levels.

For instance, he says the party will be preparing for local elections (councillors) as the Pakatan Harapan Government has been pushing for it prior to GE14.

On Chinese education and Chinese new villages, of which MCA has been the guardian since its inception in 1949, Dr Wee says he hopes the new Government can do a better job in taking care of the two institutions close to the hearts of the Chinese.

He is willing and ready to provide help and cooperate with the new Government in the two areas upon their request.

“We (MCA) do what is best for the people. We exist because of the people.”

On the scrapping of two mega projects like the High Speed Rail between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore (HSR) and MRT 3 announced by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad just 22 days after Pakatan Harapan took over Putrajaya, Dr Wee feels the decisions needed in-depth study.

On the merits of HSR, he notes that Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are the two busiest Asean cities, and boosting their connectivity would be a step in the right direction and for mutual economic growth and benefits.

He points out that there are more than 30,000 flights between the two cities a year.

The HSR was scheduled to be completed in 2026, and it would have been just a 90-minute ride between the two cities.

The 350km track, which was to start in Bandar Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur and end in Jurong East, Singapore, would have passed through stations in Putrajaya, Seremban, Melaka, Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Puteri.

On the MRT 3, Dr Wee said the people are enjoying the convenience of MRT 1 and looking forward to MRT 2 which is under construction.

Like any other big city in the world, Dr Wee said, MRTs are the desired mode of transportation.

He hopes the Pakatan Harapan Government can reconsider the scrapping of MRT 3 for the sake of the eight million Kuala Lumpur folk and the development of the capital city.

By Foong Pek Yee The Star

MCA think-tank: HSR cancellation should have followed due process - Centre For A Better Tomorrow (Cenbet)

CENBET - Centre For A Better Tomorrow  says the cancellation of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail should have been announced after the cabinet's approval in accordance to due process. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Najjua Zulkefli, June 1, 2018.

THE cancellation of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail project should have been made by the cabinet prior to its announcement as a matter of good governance, said the Centre For A Better Tomorrow (Cenbet).

The think tank said while it supported the new government's efforts to review potentially wasteful projects and lopsided deals, such decisions should have followed due process.

"If decision on a RM110 billion mega-project can be made without stringent due process, we are worried that this may set a bad precedent in deciding other government projects.

"Such decision undermines institutional integrity which should have never been compromised for political expediency," said Cennbet co-president Gan Ping Sieu in a statement today.

Based on news reports, Dr Mahathir Mohamad's May 28 announcement to call off the project was made after chairing his party's supreme council meeting and not in his capacity as prime minister announcing a Cabinet decision.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke was also reportedly said that the matter was not discussed in a cabinet meeting prior to the Prime Minister's May 28 announcement that the project would be shelved.

"Rightfully, cancelling a project of such magnitude, involving transnational interests, ought to have gone through a more structured decision-making process. This includes preparing a cabinet paper and getting feedback from all relevant agencies and state governments," explained Gan.

He pointed out that the federal constitution was clear that the cabinet is the highest executive body and the manner in which the announcement was made contradicted the spirit of accountability and transparency pledged by the new federal government.

"The eventual May 30 cabinet decision can be perceived as an afterthought and clearly without going through sufficient consultation," said Gan.

He added that institutional decision-making process was an integral part of good governance, which Cenbet promotes.

"All major national decisions must be made by the cabinet after due process and consultation to prevent abuse of power and leakages," he added. – Bernama, June 1, 2018.

Source: The Malaysian Insight

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Friday, June 01, 2018
 
The cancellation of the High Speed Rail project should have been made by the Cabinet prior to its announcement, as a matter of good governance. While we support the new government's efforts to review potentially wasteful projects and lop-sided deals, such decisions should have followed due process.  >> read more




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Spring Festival Gala 2015: the day we become a single Malaysian race, traditions light up...

The day we become a single Malaysian race

I have celebrated Chinese New Year my entire life. And being a Malay Muslim and living in Malaysia, I feel myself very unique and special for doing so.

It is not hard to understand why. I have Chinese and Malay blood in me. My grandmother on my mother's side is Chinese and the ethnic influence is very strong.

My brothers and I all speak Cantonese (however poor our pronunciation is) and when we speak English, we are very easily mistaken for being Chinese because of our accent.

When I was in primary school, some Malay classmates would tease me and say that I am committing a sin by celebrating Chinese New Year and collecting ang pows.

At first I was confused, but very quickly I realised that they were all just stupid and did not know what they were talking about. I was proud of that.

Of course, our family celebrated Hari Raya too and so did all our Chinese relatives who would gather at our house every single year without even needing an invitation.

And as how life naturally is, my Chinese grandmother eventually died and this year is the second Chinese New Year without her being with us.

So now, during Chinese New Year's eve, we joke that we are really just a bunch of Malays flipping salmon in plum sauce with chopsticks and gulping down “chai choy” without any real reason to do so!

The pure Chinese immediate family member is gone. But it is alright. We have her blood running in our veins. And we still celebrate the first and second day with the entire Ang clan.

And what makes me even more proud is the fact that our huge clan celebrates every single main Malaysian festival because we are marrying all kinds of people.

We have Malays, Chinese, Indians, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus, Christians and more in our family. And the circle seems to just get bigger and bigger.

The tradition that we have celebrating our melting pot of cultures and religions will hopefully never die and continue through the generations.

Initially, I was proud that I was so unique compared with all my other friends and acquaintances as I celebrated various festivals. But I feel differently now.

I want to feel even more proud once every single person in Malaysia celebrates every single festival in the country because we have become, and identify as, a single Malaysian race.

Al-Fatihah to my dear grandmother Ang Swee Poh (we visit her grave during Hari Raya and Chinese New Year) and happy Chinese New Year to all Malaysians. Kong Hei Fatt Choy! – February 20, 2015.

Source: The Malaysian Insider.
By Zan Azlee, a documentary filmmaker, journalist, writer, New Media practitioner and lecturer. He runs Fat Bidin Media www.fatbidin.com


Traditions light up Lunar New Year

A resident show the dumplings his family make in Harbin, capital of China's Northeast Heilongjiang province, Feb 18, 2015. [Photo/IC]

Spring Festival is a time to observe old traditions and celebrate China's cultural inheritance.

Food is an important part of New Year celebration. In northern China, dumplings are indispensable on New Year's eve and the first meal of the New Year.

Wang Yuzhe, of Caoxian County of Shandong Province, got up early on Thursday morning, swept the courtyard floor to clear up firecracker residue and woke the whole family to prepare for the New Year breakfast together -- dumplings.

While wrapping up a coin into a dumpling, Wang said that the person who finds this dumpling will make big money in the coming year.

This associating between dumplings and fortune is said based on the supposed resemblance to "yuan bao" a boat-shaped gold ingot used as currency in ancient times.

In southern China, most people prefer rice to wheat, so families eat "tang yuan", balls of glutinous rice. On Thursday morning, Zhang Menghui in Hangzhou will put on new clothes and sit down to enjoy tang yuan with her family,

"Whenever I return home for New Year, we eat sweet tang yuan together," she said. Zhang works in Hong Kong and returns to home twice a year. "For the festivals when I am in Hong Kong, I eat tang yuan with friends to express my longing for home."

In Beijing, temple fairs and crowded Spring Festival gatherings featuring acrobats shows, song and dance performances and stalls selling snacks and souvenirs are the order of the day.

In Ditan Park, the Temple of Earth in the northeast of Beijing, stalls selling traditional handicrafts attract flocks of sightseers.

Xiao Jing brought his hand-made "hairy monkeys" -- tiny humanoid figures made from furry magnolia buds and sloughed cicada shells.The monkeys are set in old-fashioned Beijing street scenes, drinking big bowls of tea and eating sugarcoated haws.

"I inherited the skill from my grandfather. Although this is an ancient craft, it is still appealing today. The scenes are close to life and can still touch people's hearts," he said.

In Tibet, Lunar New Year is doubly joyful this year as it coincides with the Tibetan year of the Wooden Ram.

At 8 am, the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa is surrounded by people praying. La Tso left home for the temple at 5 am with her mother. "I am here praying for good health and peace for the family," she said.

In Qamdo, the lunch on the New Year's day is a big family gathering. Yak meat is de rigueur, and people also eat rice cooked with ginseng fruits which symbolize longevity.

In Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, despite a temperature of minus 12 degrees centigrade, the city streets, decorated with red lanterns, are filled with festivities.

For Li Jianjun, 68, the best part for this Spring Festival is that his son has come back home from Shanghai with his daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Li and his wife spent a whole week preparing the New Year dinner. "We stay at home on the first day of new year according to tradition. We see our in-laws tomorrow and visit other relatives the day after tomorrow," he said.

Li Xinyong, vice president of National Folk Association of China, said, the Spring Festival should not be a carnival, it should be a celebration of folk traditions.

Besides inheriting customs, Chinese people should foster a deeper understanding of their cultural identity, he suggested. - China Daily, Asia News Network


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Rebooting the history of Chinese contributions to Malaysia

There would be better understanding of the Chinese if their contributions to the nation were brought to light.

<  Statue of Lim Goh Tong 

THE clue to the forgotten nugget of information came in the form of an e-mail.

The reader who sent it pointed me to a particular chapter in a book written by long-serving colonial officer Sir Frank Swettenham.

The book was British Malaya, published in 1907, and once I perused chapter 10, I understood why the reader thought I might find it interesting. Here’s the pertinent excerpt:

“Their energy and enterprise have made the Malay States what they are today, and it would be impossible to overstate the obligation which the Malay Government and people are under to these hardworking, capable, and law-abiding aliens.

“They were already the miners and the traders, and in some instances the planters and the fishermen, before the white man had found his way to the Peninsula.

“In all the early days it was Chinese energy and industry which supplied the funds to begin the construction of roads and other public works, and to pay for all the other costs of administration.

“They have driven their way into remote jungles, run all risks, and often made great gains. They have also paid the penalty imposed by an often deadly climate.

“But the Chinese were not only miners, they were charcoal-burners in the days when they had to do their own smelting; as contractors they constructed nearly all the government buildings, most of the roads and bridges, railways and waterworks.

“They brought all the capital into the country when Europeans feared to take the risk; they were the traders and shopkeepers. Their steamers first opened regular communication between the ports of the colony and the ports of the Malay States.

“They introduced tens of thousands of their countrymen when the one great need was labour to develop the hidden riches of an almost unknown and jungle-covered country, and it is their work, the taxation of the luxuries they consume and of the pleasures they enjoy, which has provided something like nine-tenths of the revenue.

“The reader should understand at once what is due to Chinese labour and enterprise in the evolution of the Federated Malay States.”

Wow. They did all that even back then? My history books sure didn’t teach me that. The Chinese in Malaysia certainly didn’t get a free ride to where they are. But if I didn’t know my community’s history well, how could I expect others to know?

If they did know, surely it would help create a deeper appreciation of the Chinese and assuage the suspicions about their loyalty.

As the nation mourned the loss of eight policemen and two soldiers and hailed them as heroes in the recent Lahad Datu armed intrusion, a blogger thought fit to write:

“As has always been the case, when we send our policemen and soldiers into battle and they are killed or injured, the chances are they are Melayus and bumiputeras. Perhaps there is wisdom in getting more Chinese and Indians to join the armed forces so that they, too, can die for one Malaysia.”

“Always been the case”? How sad that the many Chinese Special Branch officers who died fighting the communists are unforgivably forgotten.

Online columnist K. Temoc who took umbrage at this blogger’s “caustic and unfair” remarks pointed out that five Chinese police officers have been awarded the nation’s highest gallantry award, the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP), two posthumously.

Again, it shows how little is known about non-Malay heroes who served in the security forces.

This blogger certainly didn’t and he clearly buys into the belief that non-Malays aren’t willing to risk life and limb for the country and doesn’t consider why there are so few of them in uniform today.

The irony is even if you are well-known, your deeds may not be officially recorded.

Hence, Robert Kuok may be a business legend in Asia but few Malaysians know he was the close friend and confidant of Deputy Prime Minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman.

As mentioned in Ooi Kee Beng’s biography, The Reluctant Politician, Tun Dr Ismail and His Time, Kuok played a role in the nation’s development and politics, including helping to pave the way for Tun Abdul Razak’s historic six-day visit to China in May 1974.

So much is left out of our history books and our national museums.

It’s telling that even Yap Ah Loy’s tok panjang showcasing the family’s exquisite dinner ware are housed in Singapore’s Peranakan Museum, not in Kuala Lumpur, the modern city he founded.

I agree whole-heartedly with the Prime Minister that Malaysians must understand each other better if we hope to become a great nation.

Something therefore must be done to document and preserve the nation’s history that is more inclusive and multiracial.

If the Government has been remiss, the Chinese should take it upon themselves to address this lack of understanding and appreciation of their community’s immense contributions. It shouldn’t, however, be a glossy and glossed-over coffee table account.

By all means include the darker and controversial aspects, including the Chinese-led Communist Party of Malaya’s attempt to overthrow the colonial government (Interestingly, Kuok’s brother, William, was a communist who died in the jungle).

But it was also a long war that was won with the help of the Chinese, like those S.B. officers.

While we take pride in celebrating our most famous Malaysians – Michelle Yeoh, Jimmy Choo and Zang Toi – we must also honour the unsung, unknown heroes like those mentioned by K Temoc: policeman Yeap Sean Hua who died while apprehending a criminal at Setapak and was awarded the SP, sergeant Lee Han Cheong and Deputy Commissioner Khoo Chong Kong who were both killed by the communists.

It’s time to build a Malaysian Chinese museum that will tell a history – the good, the bad, the noble, the inspiring – that must no longer be hidden or forgotten.

So Aunty, So What? by June H.L. Wong

> The writer believes the Malaysian Indian community also has a proud and even longer history to share and preserve. Feedback: junewong@thestar.com.my or tweet @JuneHLWong

End the race-based governance in Malaysia!

The recently concluded general election has emphasised the need for a new direction in political leadership.

 1Malaysia: A cartoon posted on Facebook that reminds us of the many races that make up the Malaysian population.

IN the aftermath of GE13, I am deeply saddened because even my childhood friends of different races and political preferences have expressed strong disagreements to a pictorial message I have shared on my Facebook page.

We had been exchanging happy thoughts and warm remarks prior to the run-up to the election.

Perhaps it was due to my recent vigorous postings of shared materials of political nature that provoked such a reaction. Perhaps there is a lesson I should learn here moderation must be the order of the day.

They have their reasons and freedom to make their statements but I hope one day, they will agree with me.

If we start to think outside our “old school” box and work hard enough, it will happen.

A non-race-based government whether from a structurally changed and re-invented Barisan Nasional or one promised by opposition parties is not impossible.

The road may be long and hard but I am willing to commit myself to it by supporting any political character who can sensibly offer this discourse. I am not one of those who believe it should have happened on May 5 or come next polling date.

We are too complicated a society to manage and the core risks involved are plentiful. A good leader will have to be wise and intelligent enough to take them on bravely.

Superficial public relations exercises will not do.

If we refuse to open up and face reality in this rapidly changing world, we may be depriving ourselves and the younger generations of better living.

Eventually everyone, including rural society, can access massive amounts of information on what they believe to be relevant and good governance expected of politicians. Driving fear into people to submit has reached the end of its game, it is now a repellent rightly or wrongly.

I am not a fan of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim or US president Barack Obama.

But I do believe the eventual abolition of racial discrimination and polarisation or the minimisation of both can happen if Malaysians are smart or “lucky” enough to choose leaders who will take up this challenge.

Skin colour does not matter as long as they serve all quarters of society well.

Substance, sincerity and integrity are paramount.

I grew up with the nation and I have observed how political awareness has progressed with the young. I am truly impressed by how fast Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar have matured politically over the past five years.

Although idealistic by our “old school” standards, I believe they will learn.

Almost all Malaysian voters of mature age and mind understand that change will not result from victory in an election.

Given the right leader, supporting leaders and alliances including co-operation from opposition parties, any radical change from our long-held ideology of race-based politics and governance encompassing negotiated quotas and allocations of power according to numerical racial composition would be a mammoth task.

It was the best option during its inception 56 years ago but has since undergone diminishing relevance and caused ills.

Racial polarisation and anger clearly proved its point during elections. It is scary to take note of the many dangerous minds revealed in the mainstream and social media during and after GE13.

Nobody says it is going to be smooth sailing into happiness if any political party that subscribes to a non-race-based government wins the election.

In fact, citizens should understand and I believe many do that it is going to be the start of a messy, confusing and noisy learning process for politicians as well as common folk.

But if we do not start and strive, we will never get there.

I am willing to place faith in the emerging generation after the “baby boomers” to which I belong. And they certainly have made their choices heard during this general election.

While the wealth of experience and knowledge from veterans are invaluable, it is time to let go of absolute power where and when appropriate.

This is what smart, skilful and high-worth senior leaders are made of. They should visualise happier present and future generations in a highly globalised environment and make it happen.

Upholding themselves as pillars of strength and support with integrity to nurture and groom future leaders would be crucial.

Setting or making nominal modifications to perimeters within old frameworks only acts as a stumbling block to healthy and free economic and social development.

Cosmetic touches do not constitute real change when fundamentals and core social values have already evolved cumulatively and drastically over half a century.

The perceived control and manipulation of the mainstream media by the Government disappoints many well-informed citizens who have turned to the alternative media for enlightenment.

It is a failing of the media to serve the interests of the people if there is no timely dissemination of truths on what concerns them most.

We cannot deny the fact that alternative, especially social media, can be fairly damaging to society while it has its importance. Ugly comments, false information and rumours are rife and confuse even the most level-headed people.

If we love this country, our friends and neighbours, we should switch on our conscience and let it guide us to find wisdom.

By CHEN YEN LING
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

> Chen Yen Ling is a certified accountant who also dabbles in writing.

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Would DAP join BN to ensure Chinese representation...

Would DAP join BN to ensure Chinese representation in the Malaysian government?

The DAP is open to suggestions on the need for Chinese representation in the government and will respond to them later, advisor Lim Kit Siang said here Thursday.

"There seems to be a lot of suggestions and proposals. We (will) give them time to come out with suggestions. We will wait and see," Lim told a press conference when asked to comment on calls for the DAP to join Barisan Nasional (BN) to ensure Chinese representation in the government.

Former information minister Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin yesterday said this would obviously be difficult for DAP and BN and their supporters, but needs to be done in the interest of harmony and political stability in the country.

MCA central executive committee member Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan in an interview with Sin Chew Daily yesterday said the DAP can represent the Chinese community's interest at federal government level.

In 13th general election (GE13), BN won 133 parliamentary seats out of the 222 at stake to again form the government with a simple majority, while Pakatan Rakyat took 89 seats.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who took his oath of office as Prime Minister before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Monday is short of Chinese candidates for his new Cabinet.

This is because BN component the MCA, which only won seven of the 37 parliamentary seats contested has decided to forgo Cabinet representation.

Meanwhile, Gerakan deputy president Datuk Chang Ko Youn said the party will not follow the MCA by rejecting all government posts.

Gerakan won only one parliamentary seat and three state seats. It had contested in 11 parliamentary and 31 state seats nationwide.

-- BERNAMA

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This is what the Malaysian Chinese want

The Utusan Malaysia headline of May 7 posed an interesting and pertinent question of what more do the Chinese in Malaysia want. It is a pity that Utusan is unable to see that what the Chinese want is, in fact, what the educated urban Malaysian voter wants, regardless of race or religion. There are three important characteristics lacking in the Barisan of today.

Intelligent, courageous leadership

The Chinese comprise only 30 per cent of Malaysian voters, yet Pakatan Rakyat won 51 per cent of the total votes cast. By saying that the election result was because of the Chinese voters, the Barisan Nasional leadership demonstrates an inability to objectively face reality.

Barisan’s acceptance of Zulkifli Nordin as its direct Shah Alam candidate similarly shows a lack of intelligence and courage. Here is a lawyer who does not feel that dialogue and discussion can resolve matters, having forcefully disrupted a Law Society seminar a few years ago. He has vowed loyalty to, and then turned on, his previous political parties (PAS and PKR). He has publicly belittled an ancient religion with a million Malaysian followers.

UMNO making way for Ibrahim Ali to contest the Pasir Mas constituency is similarly bad judgement, showing its acceptance and approval of a crude man who prides himself with using vulgar words in public interviews.

Principled means acting in accordance with morality and showing recognition of right and wrong.

To give them such special honour and credit shows a lack of intelligent reasoning and an inability to stand up against the loud extremist faction of the party.

Attributing the election outcome to a “Chinese tsunami” is illogical in the face of concrete facts and data. PAS won an additional seven state seats in Selangor, all in Malay majority areas.

Lim Kit Siang could not have achieved a majority of over 14,000 votes in Gelang Patah without good support from Malays who form 35 per cent of the electorate there.

Similarly the UMNO-backed PERKASA extremists were conclusively rejected in Pasir Mas (96 per cent Malay) and in Shah Alam where Malays make up 70 per cent of the electorate.

To blindly spin the 2013 election outcome to suit its raced-based founding philosophy of 1947shows up a political party that wants to be stubbornly unwise. Unless UMNO’s leadership can find the courage to face facts, the party may become redundant and obsolete for the educated 21st century voter.

Respect for and recognition of rights

Academic studies have consistently shown that increased income brings more happiness and satisfaction only up to a certain point. When a society progresses out of poverty into middle class, increasing income does not increase satisfaction proportionately. It is the psychological aspects of living that produces a better quality of life.

Whatever the radiation scientists claim, the people of Bentong (45 per cent Malay, 44 per cent Chinese) will ask why a factory run by an Australian company is unsuitable for Australia or Damansara Heights but can be located in their backyard.

In 2008, Health Minister Liow won Bentong by over 12,000 votes. This year he retained Bentong with less than 400 votes against a political novice who is a green activist. The urban electorate, Chinese or Malay, seeks respect and recognition of their right to a safe living environment.

MCA contested in 37 parliamentary seats and managed to win seven in GE13.

In Penang, the 1 Malaysia Charity organisation hosted numerous concerts and dinners in support of Barisan candidates. At their functions, T-shirts, beer, hawker food and lucky draw gifts were given free.

Initially there was merriment and wonder at this new campaigning style; this then became anger and disgust when even cash incentives were handed out. The electorate felt they were treated with disrespect, as if their rights, dignity and vote were up for sale.

Numerous development issues had plagued the Penang DAP government in the months leading up to the election, and the increased majority they subsequently obtained can only be explained by the strong rejection what the other side represents. Money cannot buy happiness, and similarly, the urban electorate set out to show that money cannot buy their vote in Penang.

The urban electorate in Malaysia is obviously better off economically compared to the rural dwellers. They have reached a stage when extra economic incentives can no longer easily win their approval.

Instead they asked for respect, and an acknowledgement of their right to an inclusive, peaceful existence in the country. They seek recognition as a legitimate electorate with the right to choose the governing party. Blaming and insulting them for voting against the Barisan will only guarantee the DAP and Pakatan a brighter future.

Competent and efficient institutions

There is no doubt that relative to those who were once our equivalent, we Malaysians have fallen behind. The Singapore dollar which was equivalent to the ringgit in the 1970’s is today 2.5 times higher. Malaysia beat South Korea and Japan in the 1972 Olympic football qualifying rounds; today we are nowhere near these 2 World Cup Finals participating countries.

Malaysians have fallen behind in economy, education and sports.

Universiti Malaya had topped the list of universities passing the United States medical qualifying examination in 1969, ahead of Melbourne and Singapore University. In 2011, Universiti Malaya was ranked 401 out of the 500 universities in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities.

The educated, smart-phone holding, internet-surfing, urban voter is aware of world-wide trends and wants to experience the best that life can offer. When the governing party is unable to develop the country to its full potential, its popularity will drop.

As demonstrated by the Noble prize winning Dr Ivan Pavlov, animals respond to incentives, and man is no exception. A system that promotes those who agree with and pamper those in power while sidelining those working hard to pursue competency will breed inefficient malfunctioning institutions. Even those not under their direct employment will be affected by these incompetent institutions.

Malaysians want a competent and efficient institutions.

When the police force is politicised and crime rate increases, more money will have to be spent on personal and household security. Even Datuk Nazir Razak admitted that he had hesitated coming back to Malaysia because of concerns about his children’s education. When the middle class spends on private education or healthcare, votes for the governing party will drop.

Conclusion

The Chinese now make up only 25 per cent of Malaysia’s population and to be named as the cause of major developments in the country is to be hurtful to this minority and insulting to the majority. On the other hand, government statistics show that Malaysia’s urban population has increased from 62 per cent in 2000 to 71 per cent in 2010.

 No amount of rhetorical whitewashing can hide the fact that the poor performance of Barisan in the 2013 election is due to its failure to win the heart and mind of the urban voter. The faster it faces reality and move away from its obsolete race-based mindset, the better its prospects for the next electoral battle.

by Ong Hean Teik

* Dr Ong Hean Teik is a consultant cardiologist in Penang. He reads The Malaysian Insider.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Reblogged from Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger

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THE Chinese voters, who are about 30% of the electorate, had fervently believed that Malay voters would also reciprocate and ubah (change) the Barisan Nasional government. However, this did not happen.

In their zeal for change, which was encapsulated in the election slogan Ini Kali Lah!, they voted out not only the MCA but also devastated Gerakan and the Sarawak-based Chinese party SUPP, giving their votes solely to the DAP.

The DAP improved on its 2008 performance, winning 38 parliamentary seats this time.

They also made significant contributions to the success of PKR, which won 30 seats, and even to PAS, which took 21.

In all, Pakatan Rakyat won 89 seats.

Barisan Nasional managed to retain power, winning 133 seats on the back of increased Malay support.
Umno candidates defeated big PAS names such as deputy president Mohamad Sabu in Pendang, deputy PAS spiritual head Datuk Harun Din in Arau and PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub in Pulai.

The Malays stayed with the tried and tested Umno.

In Sabah and Sarawak, although PKR and DAP made inroads into Kadazandusun and Chinese majority areas, the bulk of the east Malaysian seats stayed with Barisan.

The Chinese voters, who were largely out to punish Umno, were hoping that the Malays would also follow suit but they ended up punishing the MCA, Gerakan and SUPP.

In a roundabout way, one can even say that the Chinese voters also punished themselves with their decision to vote for the Opposition by taking themselves out of the Government.

Understandably, they were taken up by the excitement of the many ceramah conducted to full houses.

The MCA won only seven seats, fewer than the 15 it had when the race started. Gerakan and SUPP have been virtually wiped out.

The significance of this outcome on race relations and for Chinese political participation in the Government is staggering, to say the least.

As a multi-ethnic country it is not advisable for one community, especially the economically vibrant Chinese, to be out of the Government and sit in the Opposition bench.

While the Malays and east Malaysians, not to mention the MIC as well, have every right to demand for greater representation in the Government because of their victory in the elections, the Chinese community unfortunately cannot do so because they have voted themselves out of the Government.

The MCA had passed a resolution during its EGM before the polls that it would not accept any government position if it received fewer than the 15 seats it won in 2008. Now, its position in the Government has been rendered untenable.

It's obvious in elections that winners go on to form the Government and losers stay out. That's exactly what the MCA is proposing following GE13's outcome to stay out.

Barisan chief Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was visibly upset over the way his Government has been rejected by the Chinese voters.

It's not that they rejected him or his Government per se but they rejected all the other baggage that came with it. There was the perception that he has been winning Malay support by raising Malay fears.

They (the Chinese) want an honest relationship like the way the Pakatan state governments have been doing in engaging them.

They believe that the DAP government in Penang and the PKR-run government in Selangor are examples of what they want in a Government and if Najib could emulate these, he would, no doubt, get their support.

Najib has promised national reconciliation as part of the new Government's efforts to heal the wounds of GE13.

While sharing power with losers would be difficult, Najib would have to find other ways to work with and accommodate the Chinese community. The best way to do this is to engage the Opposition parties.

The Opposition parties, for good or worse, now represent the Chinese community.

Now that he has his own mandate, Najib will have to look at the very concept of Barisan itself - because it is clearly not working.

Barisan should either think of reconstituting itself as one big multi-racial party, as was talked about post-2008, or form alliances even with the Opposition parties for the good of the people.

The era of one party representing one race is long over the MCA, MIC and even Umno should consider opening up.

What the Chinese also desire is genuine partnership.

These are long-term goals. For now, Najib has to find a formula which includes Chinese representation in the Government, not by making losers into senators and then ministers, but by genuine reconciliation with the community and on its terms.

COMMENT
By BARADAN KUPPUSAMY

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