Penang UMNO Youth raised an old issue today (Malaysiakini). They wanted the Penang Chief Minister post to be rotated among the state Barisan Nasional component parties. There are a few state BN component parties in Penang, namely, the Gerakan which presently holding the CM post, UMNO, MCA and MIC.
There is nothing wrong in their reasoning, on the face of it. However, if one peruses further, the UMNO Youth, like their forefathers in UMNO, are only interested to take all major political posts to satisfy their shameless political greed.
The UMNO Youth loves to take about and always holds tightly to racial quota systems. But then, on the same token, why can't they allow only 1 out of 13 chief minister posts to be held by a non-UMNO leaders in the BN?
When UMNO attempted to win power in Sabah, they promised and subsequently implemented the rotation system for the chief minister post in Sabah. But not for too long after that, UMNO's greed for power and racist instinct rear their ugly heads and now the chief minister post belong to UMNO solely. No more rotation, fairness or sharing of powers.
They always uphold the racial quota system based on the racial proportion in the country. But at the same time, they have no complaint when none of the vice-chancellorships of the local universities have ever been given to the non-Malays since independence. They have never questioned why, after we took over from the British, non-Malays in this country have never been qualified to be appointed to the highest offices in the judiciary (except for the first one), army, security force, public service and etc.
I have no qualm if a non-Chinese were to be the Penang Chief Minister. After all, why should the post be reserved for the Chinese only? The same applies to other states in Malaysia governed by the BN where only UMNO-Malays seem to be qualified. I am talking about meritocracy and nation building. Discard the racial policy. Get the best man or woman to do the job.
The present episode again manifests the fact that the UMNO Youth does not seem to have grown up since the 1940's although they are now led by the Cambridge, Oxford and other British graduates. That is sad, for the UMNO, and the country.
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5 comments:
(From email to CK Teng)
mr teng,
i do agree with you.actually they exhibit themselves as power crazy
and many a time their actions are indeed childish.when they propose to protest in other countries as regards lebanese issue.we are supposed to discourage protest but use dialogue as a tool.on top of that to interfere in another country's mode of living.but so far the govt. who are supposed to uphold the motto"no interference in another country" did not oppose openly/or discourange their youth wing.even protesting outside embassies in our country is bad enough.
st yeap
Why not the MB of the 13 States be on the rotation system as well. When you give in one inch they would ask for one yard. That is why NEP would never end.
When it is not theirs they would ask for 30%. When it is theirs it is 100% theirs
(From: Salleh Abas, Yaacob & Sofiah
To: Malaysian_lawyers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 1:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Malaysian Lawyers] Introducing my blog)
Dear Teng,
I believe as a lawyer and more so as the State Legislative Assembly Opposition Leader of Selangor, you could have addressed the issues of your loathing (as appended below) in a manner more apt to a person of your calibre and standing.
By saying "the UMNO Youth, like their forefathers in UMNO, are only interested to take all major political posts to satisfy their shameless political greed", you have sadly indicted ALL UMNO members without exception nor qualification from its founding fathers to the present and that would include even the first Prime Minister.
You went on to say that UMNO by their actions are instinctively racist and appeal that the racial policy as practised in this country be discarded so as to give way to people who are truly qualified (please see below).
To that permit me to briefly allude you to the setting up of Malaysia though I sincerely doubt you need reminding. Indeed 31st August 1957 was a historical moment for all Malaysians. It was a coming to terms from all the major races in the setting of this great land. It was an era of compromise brokered delicately by the Camelot men who truly understood that for a young nation to successfully take off, it had to
be managed within a sensitive framework acceptable to all.
The indigenous Malays who were by then constitutionally defined and had lived in this Tanah Melayu for generations before that were guaranteed their position. The other races too were given rights pursuant to the Federal Constitution. Many may argue (then and now) that the formation could have been better realised and pursued but within the realistic constraints of the racial demarcation just prior to independence and the inherent problems related thereto, it was I suppose the most viable.
Part of the drive to build a young Malaysia was through affirmative actions simply to ensure that the Malays who were generally poor and lack the expertise in trade, administration and other professional areas were given a boost to reach the capabilities of other races specifically the Chinese who were dynamic and well renowned for the entrepreneur skills not just in the Pacific Rim but throughout the world.
There have indeed been many Malay professionals now as a result of such policies and I like to think that I am one such product having been given the opportunity to attend to one of the established boarding schools during my secondary years.
It is therefore quite demeaning to my mind for you to imply that Malays may not be as capable in light of your following remark:
I have no qualm if a non-Chinese were to be the Penang Chief Minister. After all, why should the post be reserved for the Chinese only? The same applies to other states in Malaysia governed by the BN where only UMNO-Malays seem to be qualified. I am talking about meritocracy and nation building. Discard the racial policy. Get the best man or woman to do the job.
In the often complicated factual matrix of Malaysia, what is actually the precise criteria for the best man and woman for any post? Are Malays so incapable and not up to the task whether in politics or other spheres of Malaysian life? With respect, it is not as simple and straightforward as you suggest.
Coming back to your claim that UMNO has a racist instinct I find that also uncalled for. On this I believe you must distinguish racism as a means to derogate others to racially inclined policies which may not necessarily be an "evil" thing.
The fact of the matter is that Malaysia (for better or worse) was founded predominantly on championing and protecting the rights of the major racial denominations through political parties based to a large extent also on ethnicity. Without doubt MCA and MIC are racially aligned. Even Gerakan and DAP for all intents and purposes are predominantly Chinese based parties.
Repeating the same, are not the MCA and the MIC racially inclined when furthering the objectives of their respective parties albeit under the Coalition umbrella? So what is so abhorrently different with UMNO with its political pursuits? The truth is, political sectarianism in Malaysia (whether you or I agree) will be around for quite a long while unless by the choice of Malaysians, it becomes completely redundant.
Returning to the racism as generally understood, it is a disease which can be found from any group of persons.
Tunku Sofiah Jewa a lawyer and niece to the first Prime Minister captured that in her book titled "Malaysian Election Laws". Just prior to the 1969 riots, the following was one of the many racist hurls that was recorded to have been made (as appearing at page 347 of Volume I in the aforesaid book):
Malai si! .... Apa polis boleh buat - kita raja! ..... Buang semua Polis Melayu! .... Mati Melayu - sakai pergi masok hutan! .... Kuala Lumpur sekarang China punya! .... Melayu keluar - apa lagi dudok sini! .... Kita hentam lu; sekarang kita besar! .... Ini negeri bukan Melayu punya! ...Kita mahu halau Melayu!
My reason to quote the above is simply to point out to you again that racism as stated before can be found from any one of us.
That said, we need to move on from there and as much as we may never agree on a great many things, we can at the very least avoid from being rhetorical and passing sweeping remarks which does little to bridge the often tumultuous relationship from all those who have been greatly responsible to bring Malaysia to where she is now.
She is not perfect but she is a home to all of us.
Regards.
Megat
To Megat,
I think you should shut up...and watch your mouth....Please learn from our 1st PM, our dearest TAR, ....anyway we chinese are imigrants from china long time ago...how about malays..you are imigrants from Indonesia too....so what the fuss...chill out..One day we all will ends up nothing...Do you think Malaysia wealth can last for a long time ??? YOu all are spending your ancestors hard work money...How long can you spend...we chinese can make a living because we are hard working...but not malays..because there won't be any special treatment for you in any part of the world except in malaysia...Why I'm so convince? because you malays are still fighting for more special treatment from your Pak Lah!!! That's why...Do you think you have achieved a lot in your own life...think deeply enough..you are nothing in this world...but a rat.
the PM and DPM post should be rotated as well. i as a muslim would agree to it. rotate the PM and DPM post as well.
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