Men of Valour: Battle Royale in East Malaysia

Traditionally, battle royale refers to a fight involving three or more combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing. Generally, people use this term when referring to any fight involving large numbers of people that are not organized into factions.

Closer home, recent events show how the prelude is being played for a battle royale that has thrust many innocent and/or beguiled Malaysians into a dysfunctional state beyond rules, where no three-minute intervals occur in between each 'fight' by the contenders to the top.

Smack in the middle is the Najib, whom many perceive as a desperate man clutching to any straw for survival. Such a perception is far from the truth.

The attacks from all fronts in the insidious struggle to topple the government. That cannot be denied.

Malaysians have witnessed the increasing intensity to purported would-be climax events whereby rumours foretold the fall of Najib only to see how such moves fall flat at the eleventh hour.

Thanks to Designer TEAM @ audie61.wordpress.com for the fantastic artwork.

Yet, Najib is still standing in the turbulence, largely because of the men of valour who have risen to the occasion, some as a call of duty, others as a personal crusade, to support and to defend him from all enemies, local and afar.

Our country is in a very delicate position and I intend to, with the assistance of Bugi Wijaya, provide a penetrating analysis of our country's political landscape.

The Rural Bastion

As it stands, the Rural Bastion must be protected from any penetration by the Opposition and that is why Kementeriam Kemajuan Luar Bandar and local area district councils are very important. Agencies such as Felcra, KEMAS, MARA and RISDA must get their act together to be well-tuned and have no avenues for attack.

Undoubtedly, BN must make rural areas their fortress.

The DAP Factor

According to intel sources DAP impian sarawak is making headway in East Malaysia and some postulate that they may even win two semi-rural seats. Opinion leaders have cautioned Sarawak Senior Minister James Masing not to be over confident but to be focussed as his main concern is currently with Pakatan Harapan

Natasha, my pal, learned from her grapevine that the opposition in Sarawak i.e. DAP/PKR/AMANAH will concentrate on the 56 federal seats on offer, 31 Sarawak and 25 in Sabah.

Thus, it can be seen this is not just about Najib's War against his critics but a national concern as he must consolidate not only UMMO's 88 seats but also secure the 56 seats in East Malaysia without losing any more seats. Then only can BN be secure.

SSK and Rahman Dahlan

To that end, Najib will need to strategize with the new team under the Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr.Salleh Keruak, who knows the ground very well as he has been a blogger since 2008.

Currrently, Datuk Seri Dr.Salleh Keruak and Dato' Haji Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government have come to the forefront to defend Najib in social media and press statements.

The fact that the Opposition and their supporters are attacking them in their respective websites is clear evidence that they are on the right track in defending Najib.

The Other Lieutenants

Who can forget other Lietenants and Generals in this battle royale such as Ismail Sabri, Ahmad Mazlan, Shabery Cheek and our DPM Zahid Hamidi? United with one agenda, they are standing up to allegations and defamation on Najib's cabinet to ensure that Malaysia will be pulled out of this quarmire of lies and accusations  hurled at the status quo from within and from international forces too.

The trusted liutenants of the Prime Minister have no room for complacency. This is the time to defend not just the PM, but the country, to stand up and be counted.

Even William Mawan who is an MP and BN friendly TERAS party has concerns with statistics which are not very much in favour of BN. The young intellectuals Bumiputeras of Sabah/Sarawak will need to be looked into if BN needs to survive this war.

Obviously, the political situation is very fluid and PM Najib and his team do not want to walk into a minefield...

Clearly, the time is NOW to launch unprecedented attacks on the divided Opposition via pertinent issues. No way can we walk into the battle royale and be suffer colossal damage from all the missiles thrown our way.

Cukuplah, Mahathir!

While the army is hard at work mending walls, plugging holes, we have a former premier who, instead of consolidating Sarawak and Sabah, appears to be working hand-in-glove with those who were once his enemies!

Regardless of how he dislikes Najib, there is no excuse to turn back on words. The damage he inflicted in our economy is immeasurable. The sum total of all his negative statements, especially those to foreign media, dented our country's economic and moral standing. Has he ever lifted a finger to walk the extra mile for Sarawakians and Sabahans?

Whatever he did is was largely for himself. The same is happening with regards to his relentless attacks on1MDB and Najib.

In sharp contrast, Najib is so forward thinking that the Chief Ministers of both Sarawak and Sabah are appreciative of Federal support for both states as seen by the huge grants allocated to both states

What matters is how the rakyat will benefit in time. 

As such, Mahathir cannot be thinking for his cronies any more, but for the rakyat.

Looking Ahead

Even MP William Mawan from the BN friendly TERAS party has concerns with statistics which do not appear very much in favour of BN as it is estimated that at least 60% young Dayak intellectuals are all going against BN. Hence, as MP in Rural Areas, he must step out to interact more with them and assist in the best possible way.

For BN to survive and win this war, they must seriously look after the young intellectuals and Bumiputeras of Sabah/Sarawak. 

Seasoned politicians including James Masing must stymie DAP's effort to make inroads in the Sarawak State elections, failing which the 56 seats will not all be so secure after all.

Unlike his predecessor, Najib has looked at all aspects of this equation and knows that East Malaysia is the ticket for another term for BN after 2018.

Whether it will come true remains to be seen. There is too much at stake and the enemies seem to be gaining ground.

Once again, whither now, Malaysia? Not yet.

P.S. Recently, I learnt that the BN SG Sarawak Dr. Rundi has informed his colleagues to watch the opposition movements closely. They not only need ears and eyes on the ground but the BN Sarawak Ybs needs to be on the ground at all times when the rakyat needs them.

Stay tuned with Angus Rants

Hishamuddin: A Journey to the Top?

Born on 5 August 1961, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has all the hallmarks of a potential Prime Minister.

That he has successfully steered away from the current controversies and is safe (at least for now) from darts, arrows and missiles and has not been embroiled in ongoing raging issues shows he has truly come of age as a Malaysian politician.

His portfolios have been nothing but impressive and all have given him the edge over other contenders to take over the helm of government should there be a change of leadership.

His journey to the top (or almost at the top) has been marked by an astounding record of achievement.

Currently, he is Minister of Defence of Malaysia, a portfolio he has been holding since 16 May 2013.

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin was Minister of Home Affairs from 2009 to 2013.

For five years, he was the Minister of Education  from 2004–2009.

Prior to that position, he served as Minister of Youth and Sport (1999–2004).

As acting Minister of Transport (2013–2014), Datuk Seri Hishamuddin achieved international prominence in March 2014, as the minister responsible for investigating the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

His eloquence when contending with questions from international press, his composure when all else seemed to be falling apart, his compassion when dealing with bereaved families left a lasting imprint in the hearts of all who the brilliant manner in which he handled the challenging post-MH 370 scenario.

In terms of organizational structure, as one of the party's three vice-presidents and former chief of the party's youth wing from 1998 to 2009, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin is definitely a man of substance within UMNO.

Notwithstanding, he is also the son of Malaysia's third prime minister, Hussein Onn, and the cousin of the sixth and current prime minister, Najib Razak. His mother, Suhaila Noah, was from an illustrious family and his great-grandmother (mother of Hussein Onn), was a Circassian from Turkey.

With such an impressive background in bloodline and experience, there seems to be only one spot in his record book - the kris waving incident at the 2005 UMNO convention. Through time, it appears this has not been a setback in his political career as he has come forth stronger than before.

When Mahathir made the announcement of his retirement Hishammuddin was pacifying Tun with Rafidah n others. Does this not show he is a favoured one?

He even visited Taib Mahmud and when he went back to peninsular he was down with heart problems. Does this also mean that he is not destined?

Najib does not want Hishammuddin to be in front yet or else he too will be brought down.

Yet, the question remains. Why is Najib keeping Hishamuddin in the shadows?

As a dark horse, given the experience and breeding he has, Hishamuddin may just race to the front and overtake all other contenders to the PM's position.

We will have to wait and see.

Source:

Wikipedia, Internet sources, my friend Natasha here.

He Floats Like a Gentleman, but Stings Like a Bee

Status is conferred by virtue of the position one occupies in society but strength comes from within.

In the eyes of many, the PM is perceived as weak or less capable than his predecessors are but upon closer scrutiny, just when one thinks Najib is about to be snuffed out by his enemies, he emerges – stronger than before.

The trail of events in the last two years echoes the boxing career of Muhammad Ali, especially of the famous Rumble in the Jungle fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali in Zaire, October 30, 1974.

In Kinshasa, Zaïre, the undefeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman fought against challenger Muhammad Ali who won by knockout, just before the end of the eighth round.

No one expected Muhammad Ali to win, but he did.

Similarly, Najib has been under siege from various angles, each more intense than the previous, but he survived each attack even though the odds were against him.

Each time people expected him to quit or to be kicked out, his Bugis heritage surfaces from beneath the courteous elegance. 

Strength wells up and he executes the right hook, an undercut and a jab smack at the faces of his foes just when they least expected it. 

Najib prevailed and won, albeit the next round comes far too quickly. Still, he is always ready.

A good example is the recent sacking of the former DPM, Tan Sri Muhyddin, whom many perceived as a threat as concerned Malaysians felt he might be part of TDM’s game plan to reposition his beloved son higher in UMNO hierarchy. 

Hence, Muhyddin, the once-upon-a-time knight in shining armour who flatted Badawi was knocked out of the game sans any successor to pursue the agenda. 

Contrary to many spins, our PM had been against the September 16 red shirt rally. Before the rally, rumours flew via social media of a conspiracy to trigger unrest so that emergency rule could be implemented. 

Utter rubbish indeed. 

A week after the rally, Tan Sri Annuar Musa revealed our PM only allowed the event to proceed after much persuasion by organizers. 

The real reason for his hesitation was his concern that the rally could “would irk the Chinese and had constantly reminded organizers not to stoke racial tensions.”

When the September 16 rally emerged with no untoward incident, the PM’s detractors, who had long before had enough time to plot another move against they PM, they inflicted their return blow for Tan Sri Muhyddin’s sacking by releasing the Al-Jazeera video on the murder of Altantuya. 

Even so, Najib successfully warded off the criticisms hurled against him and others.

Following that, the Malaysian Insider reported that Mahathir Mohamad raised the possibility of current Prime Minister Najib Razak being arrested by Interpol if he leaves the country.

Well, that statement has failed to ruffle any feathers as our PM stepped into New York peacefully for a working visit, which includes attending the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.

Let’s not forget the absurd and irrational Mahathir-Sarawak Report-Justo-Tony Pua- Tong Kooi Ong- Ho Kay Tat- etc connection which only gave Malaysians a serious disconnect from all the contradictions, revelations, admissions and nonsensical flip flops. 

Are there any more extensions to every failed plot that has yet to bring down our PM?

Will Najib emerge unscathed with attacks looming above his head and coming from all quarters?

Thanks to Designer TEAM @ audie61.wordpress.com for the fantastic artwork.

Is that the main concern or should we focus our attention on the diabolical conspiracies, plots and schemes in the battle to oust our PM – a war landscape which has affected Malaysians at large?

Speak up, Malaysians! Let's hear it from you.

Whither now, Malaysia?

By Angus Elijah

The seeds of disunity, disinformation, and distrust have been sown in Malaysia. In the midst of economic problems and despair, there is always hope that our nation can ride the storms that beset us. For that, Malaysia needs a firm leader with wisdom and foresight.

Two years ago, when speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Tokyo (2013), Mahathir said UMNO would still support Najib ‘because of a lack of an alternative’. His words and actions today show a sharp 360-degree departure from that observation. 

Numerous probes from various countries, including Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad that has more than $US11 billion ($15.3 billion) in debt.

The latest to join the fray is the FBI, which began investigations into money-laundering allegations related to our PM shortly after the arrest of Khairuddin Abu Hassan before his intended trip to the US to meet law enforcement officials about the 1MDB fund.

Against this backdrop, is Najib the best leader who can steer Malaysia out of troubled waters?

Malaysians are eager to cast the first stone at the sinner than to submit solutions to what is perceived as a critical problem to national stability.

Rumblings of discontent from the north to south, east to west have not been accompanied by any affirmative solution should the PM, for whatever reasons, decide to step down.

The status quo has dealt with detractors strategically and the record shows a significant number cowered in the face of pre-emptive strikes while others have had no qualms voicing their frustration.

Selective amnesia prevails as majority can only remember a ‘tainted’ 1MDB, preferring to forget that under Najib, we have had a very peaceful nation with no propagation of racist policies such as during Mahathir’s time (BTN), or cronyism. 

Unlike his predecessors who did not have economics background, as an Economics graduate, Najib established and has been achieving targets for the Government Transformation Program (GTP), thanks to his foresight in engaging best economists and experts in the respective fields. 

However, his enemies would never acknowledge these achievements including results in reducing crime, fighting corruption, improving student outcome, raising living standards of low-income households, improving rural basic infrastructure and improving urban public transport. 

His effort to implement the GST has not been well received even though over 200 countries have implemented this tax system. 

Throughout his tenure, our PM has not been racist nor has he been like Mahathir who supported Ibrahim Ali’s call to burn bibles and had said it was not an issue “as long as there were good intentions.” 

Najib’s tenure as PM has not seen any untoward incidents arising from religious conflicts such as the Memali incident during Mahathir’s time. Yet, Malaysians are ready to throw rotten tomatoes at our PM, because of the spin propaganda to topple him.

It is only fair that the world awaits the verdict of local and international 1MDB probes before condemning our PM.

At the same time, it is reasonable to consider if there is any worthy successor to Najib should circumstances necessitate a change in leadership.

It is highly plausible that former DPM Tan Sri Muhyddin Yasin is the best candidate for the position because he proved his mettle by putting his party and country before his path to the top. Even though he paid a paid a heavy price for speaking up about 1MDB, his courage to speak up for his beliefs show compromise is not in his vocabulary but steadfastness in vision and loyalty to UMNO. Currently, he commands very strong support not just from Johore or UMNO but also across the board. His vast experience in public administration and excellent public relations skills are more feathers to his cap.

In such a heated ambiance where a small spark can trigger an avalanche of possibilities, having a hotheaded leader such as DPM Zahid Hamidi is risk few would favor, especially when leaders need to close ranks for the nation to move forward. His close relationship with Lim Guan Eng is another liability, which cost him many brownie points from grassroots support.

Khairy Jamaluddin’s share ratings might improve in a decade. His gungho approach and selective silence as and when situations favor him, not forgetting the baggage of his past as a fourth-floor boy, undermines his charisma and the aura of being a former PM’s son-in-law. 

As the longest serving MP, Tengku Razaleigh stands far above many other contenders to premiership. His inertia to usurp power at all points of time underscores his courteous ways. He could have fought for the top position but he took the road less taken and until today, will only step into place if the position is handed to him. In terms of morals and ethics, this Prince has not been embroiled in any dispute or scandals that exploded during the tenure of Mahathir, Badawi, and Najib. Age is not in his favor and he is recovering from a recent bereavement. When duty calls, will he rise to the occasion?

The road ahead is paved with many obstacles – some seemingly insurmountable and others fragments that could fit once a great leader can seal the cracks in the path. 

As for now, is Najib the best leader to steer Malaysia to 2020?

Speak up, Malaysians!

This article is also featured in The Malay Mail , The Malaysian Insider and Malaysia Today.

Just Be Malaysian

I wish to say from the onset that I do not support Bersih or any form of demonstration. While I can understand the concerns Malays may feel regarding the high turnout of Chinese in the recent Bersih demonstration, I am stumped by the reaction of those who are retaliating by organizing the Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu or people’s unity gathering on September 16, Malaysia Day.

To choose Malaysia Day to demonstrate feelings about Malay dignity in any name, be it Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu (Malay Pride Uprising), Himpunan Maruah Melayu (Malay Pride Rally) or Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu, completely goes against the spirit of Malaysia Day.

Bersih did not demonstrate on Merdeka Day and the crowd dispersed before 12am on August 31st, 2015.

So, this time, things have gone too far as they are deliberately showing disrespect to such an important day that commemorates the formation of Malaysia.

Malaysians have to act rationally, not irrationally.

1. Malays should rejoice that few Malays went for Bersih. With that perspective, there is absolutely no necessity to show Malay dignity.

Dignity cannot be quantified by the number of demonstrators in red-shirts.

Dignity can be seen in how we regard others with respect, honour and true Malaysian spirit regardless of class, creed and colour.

2. During such bad times, all the expenditure on red shirts and travelling to the demonstration in total could go a long way if those funds are diverted to the poor and needy in the form of food aid and other necessities.

3. The fact that the forthcoming demonstration has caused 500 shopkeepers and 773 small traders in Petaling Street to decide not do do business on the September 16 Malaysia Day public holiday means loss of revenue for those businesses and a negative impact on tourism and how the world views us.

4. I am very surprised that the authorities have not declared this rally as illegal. I note the following statements:

a. Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak previously said his party does not officially support the rally, but will not stop members from attending. This message was repeated by Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin. (Malay Mail)

b. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim previously said the rally will not be permitted to proceed due to “security implications”. (Malay Mail)

c. Twenty non-governmental organisations (NGO) are against the holding of the proposed rally, with the name “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu”. (Malaysian Insider)

d. Police have yet to receive any permit application from the organisers of the Himpunan Maruah Melayu rally next week. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar stressed that he would not allow the rally to go on, especially in downtown Kuala Lumpur. “We are not allowing it (the rally) due to security concerns. (NST)

NST went on to note that “It was reported that the organisers of the rally were adamant about carrying on with their demonstration, despite not receiving clearance from police to do so.”

I find it utterly deceptive for authorities to make such weak and contradictory statements.

If the IGP has stated that this rally is DISALLOWED, it makes this rally ILLEGAL.

So, why are heads of organisations saying that they cannot stop members from attending this rally?

Are they not condoning and indirectly encouraging people to partake in law-breaking behaviour?

e. What are the police doing about this rally? Are they going to send the FRU, water canons etc and personnel to cordon off the areas?

I exhort all Malays (including non-Malays who for whatever reason want to support this rally) NOT to go for this rally.

And I urge the authorities concerned to make AFFIRMATIVE statements FORBIDDING this rally if at all they are sincere in all their statements made.

Don’t say one thing and behind the scenes, do another. Be real.

Why are Malaysians so into rallies?

Grow up. We need no syiok sendiri orgasmic ecstatic feelings.

We need not be a jaguh kampung.

We need not be heroes.

All we need to do is BE TRUE MALAYSIANS living in harmony and indignity.


Also published by The Malay Mail and The Malaysian Insider and The Rakyat Post.