Category: Politics & government

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.

Categories
Politics & government

[1692] Of Tim Russert is gone

I cannot believe that I did not realize this for more than a week.

[youtube]vwNcuikop8A[/youtube]

Categories
Politics & government

[1672] Of voting is a waste of time, they say

What a waste of time. That was how some Barisan Nasional members of Parliament felt about being forced to vote in the Parliament recently.[1][2]

This clearly demonstrates their disrespect for democratic process and how they view their jobs.

The sentiment originates from the fact that BN control more than half of the seats in the Parliament. By that virtue alone, BN maintain the majority power in the Parliament. There is however a little footnote to such statement: only those present during the actual voting session can vote. As a direct result, more than 82 BN MPs must be present to ensure that they win the contest by a simple majority, assuming all 82 Pakatan Rakyat MP are present and all MPs vote according to their party line.

The event of May 28 in the Dewan Rakyat proves the importance of attendance in the Parliament. It is a lesson that majority power cannot be taken from granted.

Initially, the Speaker swung to BN way after a voice vote was taken but when PR MPs contested his decision, he agreed to bloc voting instead. This action saw BN MPs suddenly scrambling to assemble their MPs far and wide, many whom were absence. Even the Prime Minister came running into the House to vote on the matter.[3]

The question is, why are these individuals not in the Parliament in the first place? For Ministers and their deputies, it is comprehensible but for other MPs, their absence should be frown upon.

Perhaps, they think that attending parliamentary sessions is a waste of time? And it was the first ever bloc vote in the history of the Malaysian Parliament no less and they say it is a waste of time![4]

One of the very few advantages of one-party system is that such arrangement avoids arguments and debate that may delay a body from arriving to a decision, for better or for worse. Perhaps, these BN MPs were too comfortable with the autocratic system that they had lived in earlier that they have yet to wake up to the new more democratic reality.

I for one support the PR MPs’ action. It forces all MPs to take their attendance in the Parliament seriously. If attending a session is too much of a hassle, then you are not fit to be an MP.

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

[1] — That isn’t the point actually. We wasted half and hour of precious debate time for the vote despite the Opposition knowing full well that the party with the majority is the government. [Real winners and losers. Nur Jazlan Mohamed. The Malaysian Insider. May 28 2008]

[2] — After Wan Junaidi announced the voting result, Cabinet ministers and government supporters thumped their tables as a sign of ”victory” while shouts of “what a waste of time” were heard. [Bill approved by block voting for first time. The Malaysian Insider. May 29 2008]

[3] — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz dashed out to the lobby and quickly signalled members to come in.

This prompted ministers, Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai, Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam and other backbenchers in the lounge to abandon their cuppas.

Some of the ministers were also summoned from the Dewan Negara, which is currently also in session.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi walked briskly from his tower block office while Najib went in just before him.

As the seconds to the vote count ran down, the backbenchers began to relax as they saw Abdullah and Najib walking to their places. [Dewan Rakyat: High drama as opposition calls a vote by division. New Straits Times. May 29 2008]

[4] — KUALA LUMPUR: Block voting was carried out in the Dewan Rakyat for the first time to allow part of the Supplementary Supply Bill 2007 to be passed after several Opposition members noted the lack of quorum in the House. [Dewan Rakyat: First ever block voting. The Star. May 28 2008]

Categories
Economics Politics & government

[1664] Of Anwar Ibrahim, both Keynesian and Austrian?

We advocate no doubt Hayekian free enterprise but we don’t think Adam Smith’s invisible hand will be that responsive to the changing times. Hence, whenever necessary, to paraphrase John Kenneth Galbraith, we temper free market with an appropriate dose of state intervention to rectify the social inequities attendant on the interplay of pure market forces. [Full text of Anwar’s speech at CLSA forum in Singapore. Published by The Malaysian Insider. May 20 2008]

Only Anwar Ibrahim could advocate two violently opposing ideas in one go at the highest level. The former Deputy Prime Minister made it as if Keynes had slept with Hayek!

No, no, no. Not Salma Hayek. It is the great Friedrich Hayek.