Paradigm shift as opposed to window-dressing

ARCHIVES 2009

By MT Webmaster On Feb 24, 2009

Reforms can’t be achieved through window-dressing. It involves a paradigm shift. It involves revolutionary changes. Sometimes the mere ballot can’t achieve this. Sometimes only the bullet can bring about the changes we would like to see.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Pak Lah proud of judiciary reforms and MACC work
New Straits Times

Changes in the judiciary and forming the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) are among the achievements that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is proud of. “Changes are already done in the judiciary. On combating corruption, the MACC has already been established to further strengthen efforts,” he said during a dinner organised by the Kuala Lumpur Business Club at a hotel here last night.

“It may not be the best, but it is a beginning. I am confident that there will be more amendments to improve the legislations,” Abdullah said, adding that he was happy to have been able to fulfil what he had set out to accomplish.

He said the people must be responsible despite having an increased level of freedom to express themselves during his tenure as Prime Minister. “I know I have a higher level of tolerance but if we were to allow more freedom, the people must be responsible. The media as well as bloggers should also be more responsible when disseminating information,” Abdullah said.

Asked whether he would follow former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s footsteps and blog after he steps down, Abdullah said: “I’m not going to blog. But I would love to play more golf and plant vegetables as well as grow fruit trees.”

He also urged the public to continue to work hard during the global economic crisis as the nation has weathered many challenges in the past. “We must also believe in our ability to survive. That is, in fact, my personal philosophy,” he added.

Abdullah said although the private sector was usually the agent of growth during such economic downturns, the Government must be the agent of economic recovery. “This is because we can execute policies and changes to boost the troubled economy. This is what we have to do and it is what we are doing,” he said.

Asked to divulge the focus of the second stimulus package, Abdullah asked the people to be patient, as he would announce its details on March 10. “The various ministries were asked to give suggestions on what to include in the package. But what is more important is that effective spending is practised,” he said. “We can have a larger package this time but it must be implemented wisely or else it would be a waste of money,” he added.

Abdullah said the country’s aim to achieve growth this year despite the economic crisis was still realistic if the task was given priority. “Such effective spending must be targeted at specific projects to improve the country’s performance and growth,” he said, adding that the plan must also ensure that retrenchment is minimised.

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Police reports lodged against MACC head
Charles Ramendran, The Sun

Members of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition lodged police reports today against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan over his alleged discriminate disclosure on the corruption probe on Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim last week. PKR National Youth wing leader Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said a total of 36 police reports have been lodged nationwide urging police to probe Ahmad Said for making allegedly making a reckless statement over the investigations on Khalid.

"The investigation papers are confidential documents and the law clearly states that only the Attorney-General decides if the case should go to court but Ahmad Said has done otherwise by making the statement," he said.

Earlier, at 1.15pm at the Shah Alam district police headquarters Shamsul accompanied Selangor PKR Youth chief Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainuddin and Selangor Pas Youth deputy chief Kamal Hassan both who lodged police reports on the matter. Khairul said Ahmad Said had gone against lawful procedures when he revealed that the MACC has enough evidence to charge Khalid.

"By making the statement, Ahmad Said had assumed Khalid is guilty and was trying to influence the AG Chamber's decision on the case. This is very serious as Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is the Menteri Besar of Selangor and such irresponsible statements coming from the highest official of the MACC can be detrimental to the state," he said.

Khairul said the MACC should work at equal speed and efficiency investigating the tens of police reports of graft allegations lodged against former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo in the past. "There are at least 60 graft reports against Khir where it's status remains unknown. How is it they were not probed by the MACC with the same promptness given to Khalid's case," he questioned.

Ahmad Said had made statement to the media last week saying the MACC had enough evidence to charge Khalid over two allegations of graft namely – the use of state funds in purchasing cows for slaughter and for the maintenance of his sports car. His statement drew flak from Khalid's fellow coalition members who lambasted the MACC head for being biased in handling the case.

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Let’s get one thing very clear, Pak Lah. Sending a thief to catch a thief is NOT called reforms. Reform means Hijrah. Other words you can use in place of reforms are renaissance, change, transform, revolutionise, alter, new beginning, modify, amend, adjust, make changes, correct, fine-tune, tweak, polish-up, etc.

I really don’t know how long you still have as Malaysia’s Prime Minister. Many say you will be gone in just over a month. Some say, with wishful thinking in their voices, you shall stay on beyond 1 April 2009. I suppose you can always phone Najib Tun Razak on 1 April and say to him, “April fool!” That may help Rosmah lose at least ten kilograms of blubber brought on by worrying about whether she is going to become ‘First Lady’ after all — notwithstanding the fact there is no such thing as First Lady in Malaysia (and even if there was it would be the Raja Permaisuri Agong and not the Prime Minister’s wife who would be that First Lady).

On the matter of First Lady, in terms of protocol, only the Raja Permaisuri Agong is mentioned in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. Take a look at Article 32 of the Federal Constitution.

Article 32:
● (1) There shall be a Supreme Head of the Federation, to be called the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who shall take precedence over all persons in the Federation and shall not be liable to any proceedings whatsoever in any court.
● (2) The Consort of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (to be called the Raja Permaisuri Agong) shall take precedence next after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong over all other persons in the Federation.

Note Article 32(1) says: who shall take precedence over all persons in the Federation and shall not be liable to any proceedings whatsoever in any court.

And Article 32(2) says: the Raja Permaisuri Agong shall take precedence next after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong over all other persons in the Federation.

This means the Raja Permaisuri Agong is above even the Prime Minister and certainly way above the Prime Minister’s wife. The truth is, there is no such thing as Deputy Prime Minister in the Constitution. The post does not exist. This means there is also no such thing as a Deputy Prime Minister’s wife or ‘Second Lady’. Rosmah Mansor just does not exist. She is a non-person. She does not appear in the protocol list and is not listed in the Constitution.

Now, that brings me to one important issue. How can I be arrested and charged for Criminal Defamation — allegedly against Rosmah Mansor? Who the fuck is Rosmah Mansor? She does not exist. She is a non-person. She is irrelevant. According to the Constitution, there is no post of Deputy Prime Minister. So there is no post of ‘Second Lady’. For that matter, there is not even a post of First Lady. There is only the Raja Permaisuri Agong and that is all. All other women are just wives of their husbands who are in office and hold no special status in society.

In short, there is no way I can be charged for Criminal Defamation against Rosmah when she holds no special position in government. She is just Najib’s sex partner and nothing more than that — albeit a registered one amongst the many unregistered ones, and some dead ones, that he has. Rosmah is not as important as she imagines herself to be. She has no status in the Constitution. She should stop imagining herself as someone important or someone who has a special place in society.

Anyway, back to the issue of the reforms that Pak Lah is so proud of. You want reforms; let me talk about reforms. How serious is Pak Lah about Reforms? He has about a month left — unless he wants to play a dirty on Najib and stay beyond 1 April. Is Pak Lah prepared to officially abolish the New Economic Policy and replace it with a Non-Discrimination Act? Is Pak Lah prepared to abolish the Internal Security Act and replace it with a Bill of Rights? Is Pak Lah prepared to abolish the Official Secrets Act and replace it with the Freedom of Information Act? Is Pak Lah prepared to amend/reform the University and University Colleges Act, the Police Act, the Publication and Printing Presses Act, the Societies Act, the Sedition Act, the Criminal Defamation law, Emergency Ordinance, and many, many more? If not, then jangan cakaplah!

It takes more than just talk to see real reforms. Islam, just like all religions, makes reforms mandatory. And in Islam it is called Hijrah. It is about moving from one plane to another. Pak Lah should know this. After all, is he not a religious scholar from a family line of prominent religious scholars? Hijrah is the basic foundation of Islam. It is the time when the Islamic Hijrah calendar starts. It is about how Islam entered its second phase with the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mekah to Medina.

Without the Hijrah, Prophet Muhammad would have been dead meat. Islam would never have existed. And Malays, today, would remain Hindus and Buddhists like they were in the beginning.

So Hijrah is very important. It is the basic foundation of all religions, in particular Islam. Hijrah involves reforms. And that is something Malaysia is far from achieving in spite of how proud Pak Lah may be feeling about the reforms he has achieved.