Sunday, November 30, 2008

Not So Pearl & Gem :The Malay Dilemma

Friends ,

Bandar Sri Premaisuri ,right smack in the heart of Puchong .One of the many brand new suburbs dottering the Federal Capital , is a study of stark contrast .Up a hill on the right side , you have huge bungalows and big semi-dees with a back drop of a very green looking forest reserve which ,for one who is wise with the ways of our local council ,wonders whether it would still be there in say ,five years time .A gated community ,serene and peaceful .100 % Chinese ownership as who can afford 1.5 million RM and above if not the Chinese .

Down below ,the hill acting like the Berlin Wall , the long ,straight 3 km street ideal for racing at night, a dream for Mat Rempits ,you have rows an rows of low cost and medium cost high rise and low rise apartments ,90 % Malays with a springkling of Chinese and Indians .Mat Rempits reeving their motor cycles and racing at night ,that is 100 % Malays .I do not wish to wander beyond the 'mat rempit' and progress to 'dadah' as that would result in a double dose of depression .

So much for the affirmative action over 40 years or so of NEP !That is the state of our economy .Let us move on to something more positive ,politics !

We will have a new PM in March if the Old Man means what he say .In Malaysian politics ,it can sometime be difficult :'Yang tersurat dan yang tersirat can be world apart '.Remember Pak Lah has been in the public domain longer than the other old chap .When that guy was just an 'ordinary' pariah MP whom nobody wanted to be seen alive with during the NOC days ,Pak Lah was already the Executive Secretary to Tun Razak's powerful National Operation Council way back in 1969 . .

But let as all assume Pak Lah is true to his words .Mr Najib become PM in March .The guy with excess baggage married to a 1st lady also with excess baggage ,literally and figuratively .That Petra fellow will have his field day until he dies or being made to shut up .

Let us go down one scale to the 'perfect storm' building up in the Women's wing of UMNO .The incumbent has yet to give all of us a satisfactory account of her role in the 'AP King' scandal that rocked the country 2 years back .All of us have short memories so it is ok .Her challenger appears less 'soiled' except for the unsubstantiated rumour making the round among the 'lembu corporate circle'that her better half was given a 'soft soft gomen loan'[ which mean no interest ,and as most 'gomen loans go ,later on if you cannot pay ,'kita boleh kira ,Petronas etc etc will look into it ] to the tune of 200 RM millions to dabble in 'lembu' .

Even if it is true ,it is a just a loan ,you have to pay back a loan stupid ! Just that some taxpayers are just wondering aloud whether any Ali ,Ahmad or Pak Mat Nyadap say from Kuala Ketil can also apply ,and of course the obviously naughty thought of some people as to whether how much will go to actually 'lembu ' and lembu research and how much to something else ?

Lower down the scale we have KJ ,a young punk from Oxbridge . [ my neighbour's son is also from Oxbridge but not so lucky ,now selling roti canai in downtown USJ !Saudara Ling Liong Sik 's son ,as usual anak towkey not very 'blight' , was however not from Oxbridge , that one we are very sure .Maggi mee type of multi millionaire at one time at the right old age of 26 !Did not sell roti canai though .You rub my back I rub yours Malaysian style ,not during Pak lah's time I am afraid ] .

KJ ,head honcho of a group of similar bred young punks advising the present PM towards his subsequent fall from grace ,putting his all for the Pemuda post .You may say he is still green and very wet in between the ears but even then do not underestimate his talent .Even that mamak chap in NST at that time reports to him .Connection is power even though officially one may be a 'penganggur' .Now though ,he is facing an uphill task against Dato M ,another example a young upstart born and bred with a silver spoon . Dato M's father gave us a new definition of the word nepotism .'Nepotism is only when your successor does it ,if you do it ,it is a necessary evil bordering on divine wisdom'.

KT ,another 'not so young any more' punk [ can still qualify for 'punk status' because at 40 plus who go for botox and demabrassion except for punkish Jawa totok type ! ] ,though way back in the race ,is still not giving up because if you are Pemuda head now ,15 years down the lane you are PM material .That is the unwritten rule provided you are on the right side of 'money politics ',meaning you have to make hay , a lot of hay mind you ,when the sun shine .As a corollary ,intellectually more capable people in the same camp like Rais Yatim ,Shahrir Samad ,Shaberry Chik ,just to name a few ,who do not want to play the 'game' ,thus too late Mates ,you missed the boat !

KT is the chap that make TS Muhammad ,that chap who has the international distinction of being declared 'legally' to not knowing a word of English , look and smell like a saint .[ I must certainly congratulate Dato Shafee ,who was my contemporary in M U for such brilliant defence Down Under .Jarang sekali anak melayu cerdik macam ni ! Mat Salleh pun kalah .That is why he is now a millionaire lawyer and I am just a simple plumber !]

Across the divide we have MR AI .Exuberant speaker even the Devil himself may admit defeat if they were to meet .In his haste to be in Sri Perdana in Putrajaya though , some Malays like me [ I hope this is just small in number because do we have another choice now pleaseeee?? ]wonder whether we are just paying to much .[ When clowns like Sami Vellooo can insist on being consulted publicly before a fatwa or PAS can become muted and deaf pertaining to religious issues ,we may really be paying too much ! ]I mean chaps like me ,even in a hundred years ,will still query the sincerity of people like Karpal Singh,Gobind Deo or even the old fox himself ,Lim Kit Siang .Who is riding who ,this rather unholy alliance ?

[ Can anyone out there please tell us whether AI indeed still has a soul or not ?He appears too good to be true . I hope he is not another Dorian Gray who has given his to the Devil .We all love Malaysia and really have no where else to go ]

In the process I could see even the old Tok Guru get 'sucked' into the whole equation .I hope that old venearable and honest man know where he is going .In desperately trying to appear 'universal' , due to their alliance with AI ,PAS has lost some of it's credibility along the way .

Of course some of us are still hoping for some other highly unlikely 'unholy alliance' but given the present equation and realities on the ground ,that is highly unlikely .

That to me ,in essence ,is the Malay Dilemma in 2008 .Enlightened ,plain honest Allah fearing leadership or rather the lack of it ,that is the dilemma facing us Malays in this 'Tanah Melayu yang tercinta'.

Dr Nik Howk

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