Not very long ago, at the peak of UMNO politics under Mahathir, the revered royalties were tested with the politicians riding roughshod over them. The stature of the royalties was at rock bottom with many unsavoury news that caused the royalties to withdraw into a shell. In many ways they were threatened by the power politicians were weighing with Mahathir acting like the unchallenged political supremo. Not a single royalty was in a position to stand tall to face the politicians. It was the darkest days for the Malaysian royalties.
Within a very brief period of Malaysian history, the royalties have slowly regained their grounds as the revered and respected leaders of the rakyat. Thanks to the many misdeeds and misgivings of the politicians, many self inflicted. While the royalties quietly regained their support and stature with the people, the politicians were plunged into a series of scandals. One by one fell by the wayside.
Today, not a single bumi politicians could stand tall under scrutiny. None of them could command the respect of the people. Everyone is blemished, some in disgrace. It is really very tough to find a bumi politician that could command the respect of the people, at least not among those in power or in leadership in both political camps.
The royal households are now on top of the political circus. They are now the stabilising force in Malaysian politics and could exert their rights as leaders of the country and no politician worth his salt could stand by a royalty and claim clean and righteous. The politicians are tarnished while the royalties are a commanding force, rising above the political chicanery as they should be. The royal houses are above politics and in a very sound position to step in when things are not right, with great authority and humility.
What an irony. Not a bumi politician today could hold a candle to the royalties. No more could they look into the eyes of the royalties with arrogance and disdain. They are all fallen souls, torn and tattered with open political wounds of their own doings.
The royalties are now in a position to speak with great moral authority over the politicians with barely any flaws and weaknesses. The royalties have returned to where they should be and the politicians have all but fallen from the high horses.
A new chapter in Malaysian politics has begun.
Why Singapore's President cannot rise above politics and political parties?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the use of having an Elected President when, the office looks worse than the Ceremonial Presidents, appointed by Parliament who at least got the moral courage to speak out when things go wrong, and commanded the full respect of the people.
Having an Elected President, who has not been elected, in facts and deeds, and is obviously beholden to the ruling political party that she once belonged and subordinated to for quite a while is an insult to the Office of the Presidency and to the voters who had no chance to cast their votes.
56 man years if use 56 men to do it, it takes only one year. If use 112 men to do it simultaneously, it takes only six months. So, why up till now still never publish the financial status of the national assets and reserves? The public deserve to know.
ReplyDeleteWhenever talking about Malaysian politics, things always boomerang towards Singapore and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, like siblings, Singapore is having succession issues and this is also the problem with Malaysia. Whereas across the other side succession is an ah hoc game, Singapore claims to have a solid built in line of succession. Despite that, both are in the same boat. As thy say, you can plan all you like, but heaven has the final say.
On Malaysia, there does not seem to be anyone capable of harnessing the support now needed to take over the PM's position. Those waiting to step in are not in pristine state of character after years of following the leader. As the Chines saying goes, the pious will not come and those that come are not pious.
In Malaysian bumi politics where bumi rights is paramount, there is something in China's govt and military organisation that may be useful and helpful to Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteIn every govt or military organisation, the top position is actually shared by two person, an executive/administrator in charge of operation and execution and a political commissar in charge of political and human affairs. Both are of the same rank but each could over ride the other when mission or political consideration are affected.
The professional executive is given the responsibility to see that the job gets done professionally. The political commissar would moderate or give his input on political interest and welfare of the people. The combination would optimise professionalism and political consideration.
I remember Singapore also had the system of having a political secretary and also a permanent secretary in the running of ministries, the latter is apolitical and has no political affiliation.
ReplyDeleteNow, there are so many other positions like Second Minister, Minister of State, both senior and junior and first and second, Parliamentary Secretary, Deputies, Senior Assistants etc. If they are not apolitical, it will serve no purpose no matter how many they appointed and how separate their functions.
The wise thing to do is to follow good examples only. China came to Singapore to learn but applies only those that are good and discard the bad ones. They adopted some of the CPF terms but ignored the bad terms. They built HDB equivalent of housing but improved on it and keeps them really affordable for their people.
ReplyDeleteThere are things that are obviously good and obviously bad. No need rocket science to tell the bad ones from the good ones.
Ha Virgo 10.12
ReplyDeleteThe Malays will never agree to have Lim Guan Eng as PM. UMNO will be the first to object, as there are many leaders inside the party vying for that position.
Mahathir will undoubtedly come out to give his doomsday scenario to frighten the Malays, like claiming they will lose their Bumi rights under the New Economic Policy, if a Chinese holds the PM position. This was his brainchild and stepping stone to power and getting rid of it must be done over his dead body.
No way they will allow A Chinese to take power in this time and occasion. A Chinese holding the Finance Minister post has already been proven with stellar precedence. Tun Tan Siew Sin was in that position under the Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Razak premiership, and he did an equally good job.
Malaysian Politics: A Behind-The-Scenes Double-Crossing Dirty Game
ReplyDeleteMalaysian PM Muhyiddin's position as a PM was a last minute, hasty maneuvering by UMNO, led by corruption tainted former Premier Najib and the UMNO President.
Muhyiddin was merely a stooge but he refused to be a stooge, and so the King-maker un-stooged him. So, Humpty
Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's dogs and all the King's men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again.
Muhyiddin's grip on power has been a precarious one all along. His survival as the PM was dependent on UMNO's charity. He knew it and the UMNO leadership knew it.
Since he took office in March 2020 with a slim majority in Parliament, the dice was already cast. Either he tow the line of UMNO's dirty politics or the line would tow him.
Pressure on him has been mounting ever since. It was only recently that the UMNO leadership withdrew support for him.
Muhyiddin had revealed that the recent crisis was brought about by his refusal to meet demands including the dropping of corruption charges against some (UMNO) individuals.
UMNO Leaders, including ex-PM Najib Razak and Party President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, are facing corruption charges. They have denied wrongdoing and were among those who withdrew support for Muhyiddin this month, hoping that if Muhyiddin resigns then his Deputy PM, who is from UMNO, would take over as PM.
But Muhyiddin did not resign alone. He resigned the whole Cabinet. So, the decision to choose the next PM rests on the King. The smart King has decided that Muhyiddin should continue as Caretaker PM until he (the King) decides who should form the next Cabinet. The King is actually buying time for him.
As the interim Caretaker PM, Muhyiddin can reshuffle the Cabinet and seek alliance with Anwar or Mahathir again in order to get the majority support he needed to form the next Cabinet.
Now, the fate of Muhyiddin's Premiership is in his own hands. It depends on how he plays the game.
Malaysian politics has been a behind-the-scenes, double-crossing, dirty game all along, since its independence - started by Tengku Abdul Rahman and Tun Razak, when the young LKY was played out wholesale.
LIPS.
There are many very bad things that Singapore is doing that are very harmful to the country and must be avoided.
ReplyDelete1. Outrageous pay that would be a strain to the budget and competitiveness, also cause of high inflation. Pay that cannot be justified in terms of work done and productivity.
2. Creation of redundant appointmments and jobs that are totally unncessary and a waster of public money.
4. Locking up the people's life savings, making the oldies pay and pay to deplete their life savings from compulsory insurance schemes.
5. Keep inflating the cost of public housing under the dubious 'affordable' housing scheme that would deplete the people's life savings.
6. Irresponsible flooding of the job market with reckless imports of foreigners causing many Singaporeans to lose their jobs and income.
7. Raising the cost of everything, especially education that produces duds that are not marketable and ended with a piece of paper that is worse than the toilet papers from degree mills and backlane institutions.
8.
may be add..
Delete8. Signing of endless free trade agreements to only benefits their themselves & sacrificing the livelihood of their own people with many PMETs losing their jobs, monies earn or interests the people have no shares of this at all.
9. Lack of foresight in the planning of the eduction systems resulting in outdated skills and knowledge that is uncompetitive in the job market making them the excuse to seek foreign employment.
10. Keep saying that we have no enough talents with the reason is to seek more foreign imports & to top up the missing birth rates & gain more political votes.
11. Some national enterprises or assets are sold making it lose it's own national pride.....
The first thing that Malaysia must do is accept the failure of the NEP after 60 years. Deng accepted the failure of the policy of the isolation of China and moved to change it. The rest is history.
ReplyDeleteMalaysia is not in the same league as China, where decisions can be made at the very top and where the leaders have no fear of loosing power. Do Malaysian leaders have the courage to do away with the NEP? They will lose power immediately, like a deflated balloon.
Malaysian politicians have to pander to the majority race to stay in power and what keeps them in power is the NEP favouring the Malays. To accept that that policy is what ails Malaysia is sounding the death knell for whoever is in power. It will never change.
With so many political appointments created and paying millions is a big drain on the country's finances. This cannot go unnoticed and the people are not stupid to not know what is happening.
ReplyDeleteMalaysia can still have its NEP but it must have talented people that can grow the pie to share around. Putting duds in vital appointments but unable to produce is the problem. Use the talents that are available and use them wisely.
ReplyDeleteUsing duds to replace talents is the downfall of Malaysia. 30 or 40 years back, Malaysia was much richer than China. Even doing quite well compared to Singapore. But succumbing to UNMO's bumi politics, it has been a long journey down the hill.
If you want to go to the moon, you must put real scientists and engineers to do the job, not half baked politicians to talk talk and nothing done.
ReplyDeleteHalf baked politicians talk and talk but nothing done is not that bad.
ReplyDeletePseudo politicians who need to have leegalised corruption to pay themselves to become filthy rich Multi-Millionaires and pretend to work for the people but actually find the lazy and easy way out, by incessantly and persistently importing foreign thrash to cut down costs and backstabbing the locals is worst