Category: Politics & government

Categories
Humor Politics & government

[1711] Of tailgate party in front of the Kelana Jaya Stadium tomorrow

The mercury is rising out there. With the Deputy Prime Minister has been accused of being linked to murder, a former Deputy Prime Minister accused of having too much fun while rumor of the announcement of emergency tomorrow, I think it is time to chill out a bit. There will be a huge gathering tomorrow. Initially supposed to bitch about greater fuel prices, Anwar Ibrahim is expected to make some big announcement. But us commoners should just let the big boys play the slugfest. We should just go up and enjoy the Sunday.

Tomorrow in front of the Kelana Jaya Stadium, let us drive our MPV, set up the grill and have a tailgate party prior to an announcement by Anwar Ibrahim that, according to a friend which heard from a trusted source which in turn was informed by the American intelligence, may set in motion a coup d’tat.

Bring a tent too. It will be hot tomorrow. Or rain. It is Malaysian weather after all. It is worse than Malaysian politics as you can imagine. In any case, you certainly will not want to miss the drama.

Forget not to marinate your chicken and beef and lamb and other edible stuff. And some turkey too, just in case we need to visit the Turkish embassy. But please, please, do not bring cat, dog or any exotic meat. Maybe some paddy chicken is alright since we expect a lot of human-sized frogs on Sunday.

And oh, if you plan to have a barbeque tomorrow, marinate your stuff today!

We could throw some balls too and play catch. And maybe, get your children to fly the flags of PKR. You know, like how they do on every football Saturday?

A coup d’tat? Sounds like a French delight, do you not think so? We must celebrate with clam chowder soup with french fries and maybe with some croissants with cheese. Haha. Instead of a civil war, we would probably go to war with the French over this. Aux armes citoyens!

And oh yes. Do not forget your “I Oppose Fuel Subsidy” banner tomorrow! Or “Change Your Lifestyle!” Or “Tian Chua for Prime Minister!”

Categories
Politics & government Society

[1705] Of huh, Mr. Obama?

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama promised a more active approach to faith-based social programs on Tuesday in a bid to bolster his support among evangelical and religious voters.

Obama visited a community ministry in a conservative region of the election battleground state of Ohio to unveil a plan to reinvigorate faith-based community programs first pioneered by President George W. Bush. [Obama Courts Evangelicals With Stress on Faith. Reuters via New York Times. July 1 2008]

A write-up at the BBC somehow provides a scarier picture:

A council involving religious groups would help to set the national agenda, Senator Obama said in his speech. [Obama backs faith in public life. James Coomarasamy. BBC. July 1 2008]

Is McCain taking similar stance or is it just Obama outflanking the Republican candidate?

Categories
Politics & government

[1702] Of we’ve been through that

No reason to get excited, the thief, he kindly spoke,
There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.
But you and I, we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate,
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late.

— Bob Dylan, All Along the Watchtower.

Categories
Liberty Politics & government

[1701] Of the last mistake they will ever make

Just as I was getting ready for bed yesterday, the light was out but I was still accessing the internet, hoping to get my last crack of the day. I was on emails, forums, blogs and readers. And then I saw Nat’s posting as well of several others on a new sodomy charge against Anwar Ibrahim; he has denied it.[1] I am not quite a fan of the former Deputy Prime Minister because of his advocate for populist economic policies but the new charge of sodomy forces me to a corner to sympathize with him.

I do not quite believe in the charge. I could only believe it as much as I believe the imaginative stories of Raja Petra. Of course, I do not really know for sure whether the alleged act happened but the current political climate makes the possibility of trumped up charge appealing. It cannot be a coincidence since the timing is so convenient for Anwar’s political opponents.

Most people will have the same reason to stand by Anwar Ibrahim. And truly, if BN is behind this, with just months after the March 8, when support for the BN administration has been proven to extremely low among Malaysians historically, I do not think they will survive any kind of protest comparable to what happened in the late 1990s. That protest will happen if the charge takes its manipulated course, perceived or real.

But we should leave this to the court. Yet, with tarnished reputation, it is quite hard to either hold the opinion that the judiciary or the police will maintain neutrality in this case.

So, in the end, I am an agnostics holding certain skepticism to the allegation against Anwar Ibrahim.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

[1] The police report lodged against me earlier today is a complete fabrication. I believe we are witnessing a repeat of the methods used against me in 1998 when false allegations were made under duress. This is clearly a desperate attempt by the Barisan Nasional regime to arrest the movement of the Malaysian people towards freedom, democracy and justice. [Press statement on police report. Anwar Ibrahim. June 29 2008]

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

Note — earlier, I wrote that even if the charge is true, it is a matter of liberty. I was referring to sexual lifestyle and absence of force. Clearly I was misunderstood the nature of the allegation. If the charge is true, there would be coercion involved and the perpetrator needed to be prosecuted. My original stance would stand if there was no coercion. In any case, I have deleted the logically flawed statement.

Categories
History & heritage Politics & government

[1698] Of we need to start healing

Gerald Ford is one of my favorite presidents of the United States of America and there are only two reasons for that. Number one is due to the fact that he attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; that is my school. Number two was the way he answered the question posed by his predecessor, Richard Nixon. We Malaysians perhaps have our own Nixon in form of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed and how we deal with the Prime Minister may parallel what President Ford had done.

For the longest time, Dr. Mahathir was the only Prime Minister I had ever known. In all channels, from television to radio to printed press, I could not remember any single day that passed by without the mention of his name. He was everywhere, every time.

A friend once mentioned to me that Dr. Mahathir has done more to Malaysia more than anybody else, for better or for worse. A general statement such as that may not survive upon closer scrutiny but it is easy to agree to such rhetoric. Because all of that and more, I have this kind of attachment to him. It is a kind of earned respect that is impossible for time to erode.

Yet, I am a firm believer of justice and Dr. Mahathir has done a lot of wrongs as the chief executive officer of this country. To every action, there is a reaction and that concept is central to the way I live my life and my worldview.

There are many components that make up a successful society and one of them is trust of individuals toward various institutions. A state institution which fails to defend justice will lose its credibility and a society with such institutions will inevitably spend more time fighting for justice instead of discovering its true potential.

Hence, I face a moral dilemma between respect that I have for the man and justice.

Upon reflection, I came to recall the Watergate scandal in which President Nixon was the main actor. The scandal forced him to resign from his office as criminal conviction loomed on the horizon. Gerald Ford then became the 38th US president.

The issue of conviction could bring about a very divisive period and President Ford realized this. Instead of letting that happened, he gave Nixon an unconditional pardon, hereby allowing the first step of healing to take place.

And healing is what Malaysia needs at the moment. Whatever Dr. Mahathir had done in the past, he should be pardoned.

That however does not mean we should forget his gross violations of individual liberty and the corruption of all three branches of government that he caused. No. We should learn from the past and strive not to make the wrongs made in the past.

Towards that end, what we need is a truth and reconciliation commission, not another royal commission solely set up to bring the man down. There is a fine line between justice and vengeance and I at the moment do not have an appetite for witch hunting, especially when it greatly benefits others with less than innocent political motives and ambitions. What has passed has passed and it is time to move on.

In times when the stability of the federal government is suspect, whoever the next Prime Minister would be, I wish for him to tread the path President Ford had treaded on.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

p/s — a version of this article was first published by The Malaysian Insider.