Pakatan Rakyat Needs To Buck Up

Although I am a DAP member and a huge supporter of Pakatan Rakyat, I must declare that I am a little disappointed as to how they have been conducting themselves of late. When it comes to seat allocations during the General Elections is it obvious that many people want their say, and the expression "washing dirty linen in public" could be very aptly used.

After an atrocious showing by Umno at their General Assembly which basically comprised of fear-mongering  the loss of Malay power, disrespect to the royal institution by the opposition and DAP bashing, I would have thought that Pakatan Rakyat, especially the DAP would capitalise on this hatred. However what has transpired since from the opposition parties have been extremely disappointing.

It is already very clear that the BN government is corrupt and racist. Umno are unapologetic in their slanderous onslaught which is dripping with racial venom and blatant lies. The MCA continues to flog the hudud horse, pitting PAS against the DAP and Gerakan offering nuggets of sense in support of electoral reform. The party missing from this equation happens to be the MIC, who have done the most intelligent thing by keeping silent.

The same cannot be said of the opposition parties. The DAP have failed to capitalise on Umno's divisiveness but have instead descended into a war of words over the "Godfather" issue. Johor DAP have also aired their grievances publicly about the state leadership, and there truly seems to be a lack of leadership.

PKR are too busy hounding Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and her family, and PAS are now keeping mum on Selangor State Exco Hasan Ali on one hand but on the other hand says they would close the Genting casino if they take over as the state government of Pahang. Who is the one showing leadership at the moment?

Having just attended a Strategic Advisor training, I realised that the most successful companies have inspirational leaders with a clear vision and mission. It is the belief their own vision and mission which would perpetuated through the company to the employees. Companies such as Google, Apple and Facebook have built up their own unique identities amongst their staff, and in turn, their staff become walking advertisements for their organisations.

So what is Pakatan Rakyat's vision and mission? Lim Guan Eng has been very proficient at purporting the DAP vision of a Competent, Accountable and Transparent (CAT) government. To a large extent, he has been successful at implementing this principle in Penang, and the state has the distinction of bringing in the most amount of foreign investment out of any state.

The same cannot truly be said of the other PR states especially Kedah. Although Selangor has done better under PR under the leadership of Khalid Ibrahim as compared to the Khir Toyo administration, corruption is still rampant within the state. Kedah has been subject to unnecessary controversy by trying to clamp down on 'vice' businesses during Ramadhan which would be considered to be an infringement of non-Muslim rights.

It is clear that the current BN government would continue spending ourselves into further debt and worsen the capital outflow which has already amounted to RM896 billion over the past 10 years. The corruption, croynism, and blatant plundering of the nation's coffers as well as Petronas profits would increase rather than being stemmed, and another mandate at the next general elections would simply encourage them further.

But is PR truly the answer? Could we in good conscience vote for them? The most recent surveys show that 88%-90% of newly registered ethnically Chinese youth would vote for the opposition but only 23%-26% of Malay Youth would vote for PR.

Why is there such a massive discrepancy? One could argue that the Chinese media is fairer to the opposition, and the complete capitulation of the MCA would result in a huge shift towards PR, especially the DAP. However, the Malay Youth would ultimately be influenced by the mainstream media, and Umno has made a pretty good case of protecting Malay rights.

Have PKR and PAS failed to be sufficiently Malay in this respect? Truthfully, the reality that PKR and PAS are both majority Malay parties are irrelevant. Umno have been very successful at branding their party as the "Defender of Malay Rights". This is perpetuated from the top leadership all the way to the bottom, and unlike the MCA, Umno still holds a large amount of sway with the rural folk.

Right now what PKR, PAS and the DAP have to do is plan a united front and the same message must be proclaimed from every member of each component party. There is no doubt that PR is able to govern. They have been able to do so in four states with varying degrees of success. This is the time to step up, so please do not give the Rakyat an excuse to stay at home come polling day.

The next general election is looming and perhaps this is a good time for PR leaders to reflect on their values and plan a combined mounted offensive come the New Year. It is no use waving the Buku Jingga in our faces or pointing to the superior FDI figures any longer. We need strong, confident leaders who would be united in one voice and with one vision for the nation.

There is a simple reason why Najib's "1Malaysia" failed whereas the Umno "Ketuanan Melayu" succeeds. When it is written in the hearts and minds of their members, they make others believe. This is the season for miracles.

Pakatan Rakyat, make us believe.

Published in:

Free Malaysia Today ('Tis the season for miracles) http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/12/22/tis-the-season-for-miracles/

Malaysia Chronicle (To guarantee victory, Pakatan too needs to buck up) http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=24911:to-guarantee-victory-pakatan-too-needs-to-buck-up&Itemid=2

Koh Tsu Koon: He's hot and he's cold

After the March 2008 General Elections which all but eliminated Gerakan from the Penang political scene, the party has failed to find its feet since then. One could not think of a more demoralising or resounding rejection of their mandate, which gave the DAP a shock win, and being cast out into oblivion. 

Brains but no brawn

Party chairman Koh Tsu Koon, with all his brains and his doctorate should have seen this coming from miles away. After helming Penang for 18 years, he fell with a mighty thump onto a massive pile of discontent, along with the rest of the Gerakan leaders who have helmed Penang along with him. 

Serving under the legendary Lim Chong Eu as political secretary and then his chief aide, one would have thought that Koh was groomed for greatness when he took the reins as Chief Minister. However, Penang never again reached the spectacular heights that his predecessor achieved. 

Though progress did come to Penang, it came slowly. Koh Tsu Koon can tout that the building of the PISA indoor arena and the registration of Penang as an UNESCO World Heritage site as achievements during his tenure. However, his government was very much in the Barisan Nasional fold, practising closed tenders, cronyism, widespread corruption and graft. 

The Thinker

Katy Perry sums up Koh quite nicely. As a man known as "The Thinker", his indecisiveness and notoriety for changing his mind like a girl changes clothes has become folklore, both amongst Penangnites and his own party. Despite being fully tri-lingual in Bahasa Malaysia, English and Mandarin, talk is all he appeared to be capable of doing. 

A member of Penang's economic research unit told me once that the former Chief Minister used to get only 3 hours of sleep a night as he was always deep in thought. "Unfortunately, that's all he seemed able to do," she quipped to me with a smile. 

After becoming Gerakan President in 2008, the image of the party has sharply declined, mostly thanks to him. Gerakan was seen increasingly as Umno's lapdog, just like the MCA and MIC. Koh appears physically frail, and that has translated to Gerakan's fall from grace as they had no voice or intention to affect real change. 

Senator Koh

After losing his parliamentary bid, the new Najib administration took pity on him and appointed him as a Senator and a Minister in the Prime Minister's department. This obviously was met with clear indignation with from the people. This man had lost the trust of the electorate which led him to be rejected in the polls, and yet the Prime Minister had the temerity not just make him a senator, but a Minister?!

To add salt to wound, the role given to a man famous for being unable to make decisions was to take charge of the National Key Result Areas. It was so ironic. If he had done such a good job as Chief Minister of Penang, why did Gerakan lose so badly? 

Obviously he was not very good at his new job, and soon he was replaced by the more capable Idris Jala. He has just been floating about, making occasional appearances for his token existence in what is an already over-bloated cabinet. 

Internal dissent

Calls for him to step down and dissenters within Gerakan started to rear their heads. He was undoubtedly considered a liability and represents everything is wrong with the party. In order to stop the rot, they had to cut of their head so to speak. 

Wanita Gerakan Chief Tan Lian Hoe made clear her gripes against his leadership at their national delegates conference only last month, calling on him to be brave and "make decisions or step aside". Koh stepped up to say that he would make the tough decisions and lead the party through the next election. 

How things can change so quickly. 

Stepping aside best for Gerakan

With Koh announcing that he will not contest in the next general elections for either the state or parliamentary seats, I anticipate that many opposition politicians would be disappointed that he is no longer a target, nor a candidate which they could have an easy win over. 

I would venture to speculate that the Prime Minister obviously feels that Koh is not a 'winnable' candidate, and made this clear to him during the meeting in Putrajaya with the BN heads on Tuesday. Koh himself, should have seen this coming. 

By stepping aside, this has also led to his successor, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to enter the debate by saying that Umno wanted to sideline Koh. Although speculation was rife that Koh's 'sacrifice' would be to contest in the next GE against the incredibly popular Lim Guan Eng, but it appears that what he meant was 'self-sacrifice'. 

No wonder Muyhiddin Yassin was so keen to accept the decision. Obviously this administration has no faith in this Gerakan leader or his ability to stir the hearts and minds of the grassroots. Koh stepping aside gives the party a chance to reinvent themselves. 

Uphill climb

However, it would be unfair to say that Koh is solely responsible for tarnishing the image of the once-opposition party. Other contributors to the decline of Gerakan's popularity has to be the Penang duo of Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, otherwise known as Thor Teong Ghee and Baljit Singh, made infamous for giving the Penang state government an 'F' for performance. The public reaction and scorn against this statement forced them to retreat back into a hole, after being branded as having taken the people to 'Holland'. 

Recent surveys show that Malays living in Penang view the state government as a 'Chinese' government, not one of Pakatan Rakyat. Gerakan is viewed as better representative of Barisan Nasional, therefore better equipped to protect their rights. However, before Gerakan and Umno jump for joy, public perception can very quickly change. 

Gerakan will be all but eliminated in the next General Election, and even Umno would struggle in Penang which has turned into a DAP stronghold. Nevertheless, with Koh moving on, they will have a couple of years to take the time to elevate the image of the party.

Unfortunately the biggest obstacle would be voicing out dissent against Umno, so perhaps the best thing to do for themselves and the people, is to withdraw from the Barisan Nasional coalition. As long as they remain in BN, they shall continue to be an impotent party.

PPSMI: The Language of Politics

With Muhyiddin Yassin slamming the door shut on PPSMI, the debate continues to rage on within both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat alike. PKR comes out to support the abolishment, whereas the DAP wants to give parents the choice.

PAGE, the English rights action group is submitting 7,000 petitions in favour of the teaching of maths and science in English to the Prime Minister. Gerakan is also whispering that they would prefer that parents have the choice. How did we get into this place in the beginning?

The implementation of PPSMI created controversy back in 2003, but if one were to gauge the results of the 2004 General Elections which swept Barisan Nasional back to power with the biggest majority in their history, there is little evidence to suggest that the implementation of this policy was detrimental.

After a while, we hear praise for the government policy being forward thinking from different sections of the society. The mainstream media also ran pieces about English competency amongst teachers, and how many had struggled to cope with the teaching of the subjects in English. Obviously, this did not reflect well on the federal government, who then spent millions on books, training courses and computer software to train the teachers to become competent.

I strongly suspect that the decision to reverse the policy to teach maths and science in English is based more on the fact that the teachers did not want to make the additional effort to learn English, rather than poor results, especially in the rural areas. At times, one hears stories as to how children who can speak better English than their teachers would proceed to torment and taunt them for their poor command of the  language.

Malaysian parents are by-and-large extremely concerned about their children's education, in order for their children to secure their future, both socially and financially. We had the Education Ministry boast of the best UPSR results in history not too long ago, but obviously dissatisfied, the government has decided that teaching maths and science in Malay once again would further raise the standards.

With the General Election fast approaching, the Deputy Prime Minister is obviously intent to prevent what are traditional Barisan strongholds fall to the Opposition. He has cleverly observed that because heritage and pride are something deeply emotional, he waves the flag of "I'm Malay first, Malaysian second" despite this being in direct contradiction with Najib's 1Malaysia. Therefore touting the fact that he is a nationalist and defender of the race, he gets rid of PPSMI to raise up the Malay language once again.

He then introduces the idea of "Uphold the Malay language, Strengthen English" or MBMMBI, without a concrete plan as to the implementation. Despite the DPM's claims that the change was not a rushed decision, I would beg to differ. Aside from saying that English proficiency would improve through more contact hours, he has failed to explain what methods would be undertaken to reverse the appalling degradation of English standards in our local school system.

Nevertheless, this is a calculated political gamble which could land Umno/BN some crucial swing votes in the rural areas. Their logic would be that proponents of PPSMI are from urban areas, and since urban areas are against BN anyway, they would have to pander to the sentiments of the rural population in order to retain the federal government. PKR has not ignored this effect, which is why they have also come out to say that they support the change in policy.

Pakatan Rakyat as a whole is also unable to provide a satisfactory alternative policy. The policy contained in the Buku Jingga speaks about direct fund allocation to the school system, producing qualified teachers, reviewing teacher's salaries and reduction in bureaucracy.

However, this does not tackle the most crucial reform needed, which is to revamp the curriculum. We need to know how to train our next generation as critical-thinkers by doing away with the current robotic system of information regurgitation. If Pakatan Rakyat can set out a clear plan as to how they would reform education, this would truly strengthen their position as an alternative government.

Unfortunately, the current batch of Form four students would be collateral damage as a result of this political war. All over the country, whatever they have learnt in English, they would have to re-learn in Bahasa Malaysia in order to sit their SPM. It is tragic that a new policy would potentially cripple an entire generation of school children to further political gain.*

Barisan Nasional has clearly shown that despite 54 years of experience, they continue to put their own rice bowls as priority, even if it means destroying the next generation. Muhyiddin Yassin accused PAGE as "ketinggalan zaman". Perhaps it is you sir, who are behind the times.

*Shortly after this article was published on Free Malaysia Today, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the current batch of students would continue the PPSMI until the completion of their SPM exams. Primary schools would completely phase our PPSMI by 2016 while Secondary schools would do so by 2021. I applaud the cabinet for seeing sense and doing the right thing for our children. However, I would continue to urge them to unveil their roadmap as to how to improve English proficiency in our school children and make English a compulsory pass subject. 
(12:09am 5/11/2011)

Published in:

Free Malaysia Today (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/11/04/ppsmi-the-language-of-politics/)
Malaysia Chronicle (http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=22364:ppsmi-the-language-of-politics&Itemid=2)
Malaysia Today (http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/from-around-the-blogs/44711-ppsmi-the-language-of-politics)