MENGENANG BUDI PEMIMPIN LAMA

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Kebaikan blog ialah kita dapat suarakan apa sahaja pendapat kita. Justeru itu saya berterima kasih kerana perbezaan pendapat daripada pembaca blog saya dapat dimaklumkan kepada saya. 

2. Izinkan saya buat sedikit penjelasan. 

3. Kata Fonaku ; “Fact is Tun, you were now treated by your replacement the same way you treated Tunku Abdul Rahman masa dia keluar UMNO.” 

4. Benarkah? Tunku did not join UMNO Baru. But he was free to support those who were against me. He was free to write critically in his newspaper column and in his books. He could talk with anyone in my Cabinet or with UMNO leaders. I never restricted him in any way. 

5. I owed nothing personally to Tunku. He expelled me from UMNO. For certain I would not be allowed to return to UMNO, much less to become Prime Minister if he could get his way. 

6. I still regard him as a great leader. That is why I named the new administrative capital built entirely during my time “Putrajaya”. 

7. When I was Minister of Education I was in charge of his foundation and I worked hard to get contributions to it and to oversee the investments that it made. Although I have rejected all offers of property by the Kedah Government and Federal Government, I approved giving a certain property to Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra. 

8. Whenever I met him I showed full respect and gave him precedence. 

9. Apart from naming the administrative capital “Putrajaya” I was instrumental in setting up each a memorial to keep records of the life and work of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra and Tun Abdul Razak. I did not do the same for Tun Hussein Onn because Johore wanted the memorial to be set up by the people of Johore. 

10. When I wanted to step down there was a proposal for a memorial library for the four Prime Ministers. The Perdana Leadership Foundation, funded entirely by the private sector, Malays, Chinese and Indians, is the result. 

11. In this Foundation all the work, policies, speeches, reports, films and videos of the services rendered by Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Hussein while they were Prime Minister are documented, preserved and stored. Future generations will be able to learn about them and remember them. If in this Foundation there are also records about me, it is because people, researchers ask for them. 

12. The world trade centre was launched by me and named Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). All the halls and tower are named after leaders of UMNO including Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman. 

13. A painting records all the struggles from Tunku to the prersent. The picture of Dato Onn as the first president of UMNO is prominently displayed in the entrance lobby. 

14. Perhaps I should repeat that Tunku did not make me the Prime Minister but I personally appointed Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Deputy Prime Minister despite the fact that he had tried to topple me when he was Minister in my Cabinet. 

15. I had not been able to appoint three other Deputy Prime Ministers as Prime Minister but I appointed Dato Seri Abdullah as my successor and Prime Minister, although Najib was the first Vice President with the highest votes. 

16. It would not be wrong to say that his appointment was due to me. I did not expect him to continue to take orders from me after I retired. But the bridge to replace the causeway was approved by the Cabinet of which he was a member as Deputy Prime Minister. He had promised me personally that he would approve the final steps to get the railway to be built. 

17. Two weeks after I stepped down he stopped the railway project and later the bridge project. 

18. It is his right to renege on his undertakings. But I had never given Tunku Abdul Rahman any undertaking, any promise. 

19. One cannot change course always because of adverse comments. I accepted some comments but rejected some. 

20. The 12th General Election and the Permatang Pauh by-election clearly showed rejection of Dato Seri Abdullah’s leadership. But has he responded? Not at all. 

21. I don’t ask to be appreciated. I merely put these things down to set the records straight.

Snippets - Kebebasan Media

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
Kebebasan Media

1.Selepas pengumuman Barisan Nasional kalah di Permatang Pauh pemberita datang ke Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana dan mendesak supaya saya adakan satu sidang akhbar. 

2.Dalam sidang akhbar itu saya secara terus terang berkata sidang akhbar tidak berguna kerana mereka tidak akan dibenar melaporkan jawapan-jawapan saya melainkan yang boleh diputar supaya ternampak saya menyokong Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan Kerajaannya. 

3.Seperti yang saya jangka laporan yang dibuat berlainan dengan apa yang saya perkatakan. 

4.Ditanya berkenaan dengan penurunan harga minyak, saya jawab yang ini ada kaitan dengan Permatang Pauh. Kita patut ada lebih banyak pilihanraya kecil supaya harga minyak dikurangkan lagi.

5.Yang dilapor ialah saya berkata penurunan harga minyak adalah baik untuk rakyat. Itu sahaja. 

6.Saya juga ditanya tentang apakah perancangan saya selepas Permatang Pauh. Apakah saya akan kembali ke UMNO? 

7.Saya ingatkan mereka bahawa saya keluar UMNO dengan bersyarat. Saya akan mohon kembali ke UMNO jika Dato Seri Abdullah tidak lagi menjadi presidennya, iaitu jika dibenar. 

8.Apabila saya kembali saya akan turun padang dan bekerja keras untuk menarik balik bekas-bekas penyokong UMNO dan BN yang telah sokong parti lawan dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-12. 

9.Saya juga jelaskan yang kerja ini memerlukan masa. Kalau kepimpinan bertukar pada Jun 2010, tidak ada masa untuk pulih parti sebelum Pilihanraya Umum ke- 13. 

10.Semua ini tidak sedikitpun dilapor dalam mana-mana akhbar atau televisyen. Inikah yang dikatakan kebebasan media yang dijanjikan oleh Dato Seri Abdullah? 

Blocking Blogs 

1. When a Government makes a promise to the country and then reneges on its promise, then not only will the Government lose credibility but also any respect that the public may have for it. 

2. I do not often agree with Malaysia-Today.net and Raja Petra Kamaruddin. He had been sometimes quite irresponsible. But court action had already been taken against him. He is not above the law and if he is found guilty there are already adequate punishment that can be passed against. 

3. But to break a promise and to openly show that you can meddle with the security of the internet is to expose a degree of oppressive arrogance worthy of a totalitarian state. 

4. I had once before written to a Government Minister that Malaysia has become a police state because the Government instructed the police to call up people who invited me to give talks and coerce them into withdrawing their invitation. The police is not supposed to do that. When the Government makes use of the police for extralegal work then the Government is guilty of abuse of power. 

5. The Minister simply replied that I had retired and it was better for me to literally shut up. 

6. Now this blockage of the blog is another evidence that this has become an authoritarian state, elections notwithstanding. 

7. Where are we heading? The censorship of news in the mainstream media is known to the public. Certainly I know of the blackout on me and the spins on any news about me. Now this. 

8. I know that things have been engineered to ensure Khairy Jamaluddin will win as UMNO Youth leader and Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi as President. Democracy in UMNO is dead. And when democracy dies in UMNO, the party itself will die. 

9. I would like to say this to the Prime Minister and his minions. You may have the power now. But as in five States, you may lose power some day. And this will certainly happen because of your obsession to block all contrary opinion from being heard. It will blind you to the reality of the situation so that you will continue to do wrong things and the people will reject you totally.

MENGINGATI PEJUANG-PEJUANG KEMERDEKAAN

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Jeff Hamaz menarik perhatian kepada pejuang-pejuang kemerdekaan Malaya sebelum UMNO. Saya bersetuju kita harus beri tempat kepada orang-orang seperti Ibrahim Yaacob, Ahmad Boestamam, Ishak Hj Mohammad, Dr Burhanuddin Helmi dalam perjuangan ini. 

2. Tetapi saya tidak bersetuju bahawa UMNO adalah pro-British. Kelainan antara pejuang-pejuang KMM (Kesatuan Melayu Muda) dan MNP (Malay Nationalist Party) ialah tentang cara dan pendirian. KMM sanggup menyokong Jepun dan ramai yang menjadi Heiho, angkatan separuh tentera yang didirikan oleh Jepun sementara Malay Nationalist Party mirip kiri dan bersimpati dengan Komunis yang hampir semuanya terdiri daripada orang Cina yang telah bermusuh dengan orang-orang kampung selepas Jepun kalah. 

3. Pemimpin UMNO pula tidak kiri dan tidak kanan. Mereka utamakan orang Melayu yang akan hilang tanahair mereka jika Malayan Union ditubuh. Tak dapat tidak UMNO terpaksa menentang British. Hanya yang tidak dilakukan oleh UMNO ialah perjuangan ganas melalui perang gerila. 

4. UMNO tidak pilih perang gerila kerana kemungkinan mendapat kemenangan melawan tentera British yang kuat, amat tipis. Lagipun perang gerila bersahabat dengan gerila Komunis.

5. Ada pihak yang berasa kemerdekaan melalui rundingan tidak sama dengan kemerdekaan melalui peperangan. Parti Islam umpamanya menyifatkan Kemerdekaan Malaya sebagai kemerdekaan setengah masak. Kita tidak dapat berbangga dengan hero-hero yang terkorban dalam perjuangan. Kita tidak boleh puja mereka.

6. Tetapi tidak siapa boleh pertikaikan kemerdekaan kita. Bukan sahaja dapat kita bangunkan negara lebih baik daripada penjajah, tetapi kita bebas menegur dan mengkritik penjajah, bahkan bertindak memboikot penjajah dan kuasa-kuasa Barat apabila mereka bertindak secara tidak adil atau ganas di mana-mana sahaja. Kita punyai pendirian kita tersendiri dalam dunia antarabangsa. 

7. UMNO mudah lupa jasa pejuang-pejuangnya. Bukan sahaja UMNO dan Kerajaan pimpinan UMNO tidak memberi penghargaan kepada tokoh-tokoh seperti Ibrahim Yaacob, Ahmad Boestamam, Ishak Hj Mohammad dan Dr Burhanuddin, tetapi jasa Dato Onn Jaafar pun tidak dihargai seperti pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO yang lain walhal Dato Onn bukan sahaja Yang Dipertua UMNO yang pertama tetapi dibawah pimpinannya UMNO dan orang Melayu berjaya menewas rancangan British, sebuah kuasa dunia yang baru sahaja menang perang, daripada merampas negeri-negeri Melayu untuk diberi kepada siapa sahaja yang ingin memilikinya. 

8. Dato Onn memimpin orang Melayu yang miskin dan daif, yang berpecah kepada rakyat masing-masing negeri supaya bersatupadu dalam UMNO dan menentang British sehingga British terpaksa tunduk kepada tuntutan Melayu dan menggugurkan Malayan Union kurang dari dua tahun ianya ditubuh. 

9. Jasa Dato Onn kepada orang Melayu, kepada UMNO amatlah besar dan jasanya harus dikenang dan diberi penghargaan yang tidak kurang dari jasa Tunku Abdul Rahman, pejuang kemerdekaan. 

10. Sesungguhnya orang Melayu dan UMNO mudah lupa dan kurang mengenang budi.

PERMATANG PAUH

1. Apa yang telah dijangka sudah pun berlaku.

2. Anwar menang.

3. Barisan Nasional kalah.

4. Saya biasa menulis berkenaan dilema Melayu. Saya percaya dalam pilihanraya kecil Permatang Pauh ramai yang berada dalam keadaan serba salah. Bukan sahaja Melayu tetapi juga bukan Melayu.

5. Ramai pengundi tidak ingin undi bagi Dato Seri Anwar. Tetapi mereka juga tidak ingin undi Barisan Nasional. Calon Barisan Nasional baik tetapi kalau beliau menang maka Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi akan dakwa yang dirinya menang, dakwa yang sokongan kepada Barisan Nasional iaitu pada dirinya sudah kembali, dakwa Barisan Nasional telah dipulih dibawah kepimpinannya.

6. Saya percaya dengan berat hati penyokong-penyokong Barisan Nasional telah undi PKR supaya Dato Seri Abdullah akan sedar yang kepimpinannya tidak dikehendaki lagi.

7. Wang yang banyak telah ditabur atau dijanji akan ditabur. Pekerja Barisan Nasional dibayar saguhati. Calon yang diletak sesuai juga. Apakah yang tidak kena dengan Barisan Nasional sehingga pengundi memberi kelebihan undi yang lebih banyak dari bulan Mac kepada Dato Anwar yang enggan bersumpah.

8. Mesej yang hendak dihantar oleh pengundi Melayu, Cina dan India menjadi sia-sia kerana Dato Seri Abdullah tidak ada telinga untuk mendengar, tidak ada mata untuk melihat.

9. Tetapi ahli UMNO daripada pemimpin lain UMNO perlu sedar dan faham mesej daripada pengundi Permatang Pauh. Sejak Mac 2008 sokongan kepada UMNO dan BN bukan pulih tetapi merosot.

10. Kamu boleh terus sokong Dato Seri Abdullah sebagai Presiden parti. Tetapi rakyat tidak akan sokong UMNO kerana UMNO sudah jadi alat Dato Seri Abdullah dan keluarganya. Apabila datang pilihanraya ketiga belas rakyat akan jatuhkan UMNO dan Barisan Nasional kerana hanya dengan cara ini sahaja rakyat akan dapat jatuhkan Dato Seri Abdullah.

11. Malang bagi UMNO dan Barisan Nasional. Tetapi kerana UMNO dan Barisan Nasional tidak sanggup bertindak, rakyat terpaksa bertindak.

12. Untuk pulihkan sokongan kepada UMNO dan Barisan Nasional, Dato Seri Abdullah perlu bertanggungjawab dan letak jawatan sekarang. Ini akan memberi masa empat tahun bagi pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO berusaha untuk menarik balik penyokong UMNO dan Barisan Nasional. Jika ditunggu hingga Jun 2010 masa yang tinggal untuk pemulihan hanyalah 2 tahun; terlalu pendek untuk kerja yang berat ini.

13. Pilihan bagi UMNO hanya dua. Setia kepada Dato Seri Abdullah dan kalah dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke 13 atau setia kepada UMNO lebih daripada setia kepada Dato Seri Abdullah dengan kemungkinan menang Pilihanraya Umum ke-13.

14. UMNO perlu ingat undi daripada ahli-ahli setianya sahaja tidak mencukupi untuk mendapat kemenangan. Untuk menang calon UMNO perlu undi orang bukan ahli parti dan orang Cina dan India. Dalam keadaan sekarang, dalam keadaan UMNO dan Kerajaan di pimpin oleh Dato Seri Abdullah tidak mungkin orang bukan daripada parti UMNO dan orang Cina dan India akan beri kemenangan kepada calon UMNO atau Barisan Nasional. Bahkan ahli-ahli UMNO yang kecewa dengan pimpinan Dato Seri Abdullah pun tidak akan undi UMNO dan Barisan Nasional.

15. Saya percaya akhbar dan TV arus perdana akan putar cerita pilihanraya kecil Permatang Pauh untuk menyedapkan hati pemimpin UMNO dan Dato Seri Abdullah. Justeru itu pemimpin, terutama Dato Seri Abdullah akan yakin yang dianya dikehendaki untuk pulih semula parti. Dan UMNO pun akan terus pilihnya dengan sebulat suara pada bulan Disember. Dan akan merosot lagilah UMNO dan Barisan Nasional.

16. Dengarlah, lihatlah apa yang dipertunjukkan oleh pengundi Permatang Pauh. Mereka tidak undi untuk Dato Seri Anwar dan PKR. Mereka undi untuk mengalahkankan Barisan Nasional dan UMNO.

17. Kelebihan undi bagi Dato Seri Anwar berbanding Mac 2008 tentulah kerana dalam jangka hanya lima bulan sokongan kepada BN dan UMNO merosot lagi.

18. Nak tunggu sampai bila wahai ahli UMNO, sebelum kamu sedar akan perlunya kepimpinan Dato Seri Abdullah ditamatkan?

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Affirmative action by its very nature must involve discrimination.

2. Affirmative action is about correcting imbalances between groups. But in the process, the interest of individuals would have to be sacrificed. It is unfortunate for the individual concerned but if no one’s interest is to be sacrificed then corrections cannot be made. The status quo would remain and this would mean there would be no affirmative action. Simply said, no corrective action would be possible unless there is some discrimination against someone. 

3. Golf is a great game. But like other games the poorer players would be given handicaps. Otherwise golf would be very boring as the good golfers win every time. 

4. In boxing we cannot match a heavyweight against a lightweight. The latter would be hammered to a pulp.

5. In horse racing the lighter horse would carry weights so that the race is between evenly matched horses and riders.

6. Globalisation has been promoted by the rich countries. 

7. The essence of globalisation is open borders or a borderless world. With this, the rich and the well-endowed will have unrestricted access to the countries of the poor in order to exploit them. Of course the poor can have access to the rich countries too. It sounds fair. The playing field seems to be level. 

8. But what will certainly happen is that the rich will go into the poor countries and with their capital, their managerial skills, and their technology, would overwhelm the people in the poor countries with their small businesses, limited skills and limited capital. 

9. The end result would be that the poor countries would effectively be owned and exploited by the rich countries and the local people would be mere workers in the big enterprises of the rich, earning a pittance for themselves. Essentially colonisation of the poor by the rich would again take place. 

10. But the rich countries will claim that the people of the poor countries are free to do business in the rich countries, buy over the banks, the industries and anything they like. But they know and we know that it would be impossible for the people of the poor countries to do this. 

11. This is why the WTO has been rejected by poor countries. The people of the poor countries know they cannot compete; know that in the end they would be colonised. They are not being selfish. It is simply that they want to exploit their wealth for themselves. 

12. Effectively the poor countries want to discriminate in their favour by rejecting the borderless world of Globalisation. Exploitation by the rich would most likely enrich the poor countries. But they would rather be poor than be exploited. 

13. We take the relative peace and stability in our country for granted. But look at other multi-ethnic countries. In most cases the indigenous people, if given power would not just discriminate against what they consider to be non-indigenous people but would want to expel them. Look around us and you will understand what I mean. Look at the Tamils of Sri Lanka, and the Indians in Burma. There are other examples which I will not mention here. 

14. But the indigenous people of this country actually welcome the non-indigenous and expressed their willingness to share the wealth and the opportunities that this great country has to offer between them. But the sharing must be fair. That was the kind of sharing our founders agreed upon. The Malays would not have agreed if in this country they would be reduced to being the hewers of wood and drawers of water. 

15. When the sharing did not really take place, the anger lead to the 1969 race riots. 

16. Following that our wise leaders from all the communities agreed on how to carry out the sharing. They agreed on what is basically affirmative action. They agreed that they would eradicate poverty irrespective of race and that there should be no identification of race with economic function. 

17. It is only a small sacrifice. But the peace and stability that came with the NEP had enriched the country which in turn had contributed towards peace and stability even during the recession caused by the financial crises. We know that racial riots occurred in other countries at that time. Contributing to the fairness of the NEP was the decision that discrimination should not be by expropriation of what already belonged to others but through the distribution of new wealth and opportunities. Thus, the sense of deprivation would be reduced. 

18. But even when the discrimination is to be based on growth the rich would still feel a sense of deprivation because they cannot get all the wealth and opportunities that they believe they were qualified for. 

19. If contracts or licences or permits are to be given out why should someone less qualified get them when they, the qualified could make better use of these things. 

20. In the case of university admission and scholarships, why should someone less qualified get admitted when the better qualified cannot. 

21. So even when the corrective action is based on new opportunities and wealth and not by expropriation of what is already in the possession of the rich, there would still be a sense of deprivation by the richer communities. 

22. Accepted that the richer communities also have poor members among them and the New Economic Policy’s first prong clearly proposed poverty eradication irrespective of race, the fact remains that there is more poverty among the poorer community than among the richer communities. 

23. If we eliminate poverty among the rich without regard to the level of poverty, then the richer community would be rid of poverty while the poorer community would still be saddled with extensive poverty. 

24. Today we have reduced poverty to 5 percent. If we care to do a study, we will find that the majority of those still under the poverty line would be from the deprived community. 

25. Still, despite the alleged discrimination, our poverty eradication is regarded as being very successful. It is nearly impossible to find hard core poverty among the better-off race in the urban areas. There are more in the rural areas. 

26. Fifty years is a short period in the history of nations. We have not reached menopause yet. In fact we are in our youth still. Whether we succeed to overcome our present difficulties depends on us. If we fail, pointing fingers will not save us. 

27. I will readily admit that the NEP had been abused. But we are so ready to blame that we pick on the wrong target. Of course the way the affirmative action was carried out, and the abuses, were picked on by the opposition to condemn the whole policy. 

28. UMNOputra, like cronyism, was a word invented by politicians and the detractors of this brash country which dared to thumb its nose at the powers that be. Unable to condemn blatant corruption as they do to other countries, they came up with cronyism and UMNOputra. When there is real cronyism and corruption they deliberately ignore them because these are committed by their favourite people. 

29. Before making these criticisms against the affirmative action of the NEP, why not make a real study. Are most of the Malays getting the scholarships and entries into the universities the children of UMNO people? If they are, why was it necessary to have the Universities and University College Act to stop students from demonstrations against the UMNO-led Government? How did the doctors and lawyers in PAS get their education? Are the students all from rich families with connections? 

30. I will be the first to admit that there have been abuses in the promotion of business among the bumiputeras. Given opportunities, given licenses, permits, contracts etc, they disposed these for immediate gains. This frustrates the efforts to help them. Some degree of abuses may be excused but the degree of abuse of the opportunities created by the NEP is far too much. They cannot all be excused. 

31. I also admit that there has been unfairness in the award of scholarships and Government jobs. 

32. I will not try to defend these abuses. We must try to reduce them. But affirmation is about discrimination. And those discriminated against will never understand the big picture, the benefits of an increasingly egalitarian society. 

33. The Malays must accept that this discrimination cannot be forever. If they fail to respond properly to what is being done for them, they should accept this policy would be taken away. 

34. When Malay youngsters, especially boys, failed to study and qualify for university education, when they preferred to play and not study, we cannot expect the non-Malays to patiently wait and give up their opportunities until the Malays decide to become serious and study. That would not be fair. 

35. That was why we introduced merit in the selection of students for the universities. Unfortunately, the implementers of Government decisions chose to interpret it differently. By requiring Bumiputeras to sit for the matriculation and the non-Bumiputeras to sit for higher school certificates, they managed to give the impression that the Bumiputeras were actually better qualified than the non-Bumiputeras. With this, the intention of the Government to make the Bumiputeras become more serious about their education failed. 

36. There is a tendency among Malays to regard the discrimination in their favour as a privilege, as a recognition of their superior status. I think this is wrong. The discrimination is in order to give them a kind of headstart so that they can catch up with other races. To me, it is shameful to have to be protected because we do not have the capacity to compete. We are not Red Indians to live on reserves. We should regard it as a temporary expedient to be done away with once we have achieved the capacity to compete on our own. 

37. However, we must give time for ending the NEP and it should be done in stages. I hope that the time will not be too long. In the meantime, serious efforts by the Bumiputeras must be made to avail themselves of the opportunities. If this is obviously not being done, then, as with entrance into the universities, the discrimination must end.

2008 GENERAL ELECTION

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. I am amazed that there are still people in this country who think that the opposition parties “won” the general elections because they promised a more open society with transparency and whatnots, including of course doing away with the Internal Security Act.

2. Do they think that the swing; the mass desertion of the Malay villagers from UMNO, the Chinese from Chinese parties and the Indians from MIC in order to vote for the opposition parties, be they PAS or DAP or PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat), was due to their wish to see the abolition of the ISA or to seek for greater transparency, or desire for greater human rights, for free speech and open discussions at intellectual levels? 

3. Are these the subjects that padi farmers, food stall holders and hawkers, the rubber tappers, the Class F contractors talk in the coffee shops at “intellectual” levels? 

4. Do they care that our democracy is not as liberal as the western democracies? Do they care about detached intellectual discourse by intellectuals who want to display their intellect?

5. If they, the intellectuals think or believe that these kampong people, petty traders and hawkers voted for the opposition because of these ideals, because they have become very mature, because they want to see change, then think again. Go down to the very “unintellectual” level of these ordinary voters and try talking to them about your ideas.

6. You will find that their concerns are about their cost of living, the price of padi, jobs for them and their children, some of whom are graduates, their small businesses, the little development for their villages and urban slums, their dissatisfaction with their treatment by Government officers and their wakil rakyat not visiting them etc. 

7. Whom do they blame? They blame UMNO and its leaders and the kowtow-ing leaders of MCA, Gerakan, MIC. In particular they blame the Prime Minister, Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. 

8. Why did they blame Abdullah? Their reasoning was simple. Under previous Prime Ministers they were very much better off; the prices of goods did not go up too high, their incomes had increased, the officials were more attentive and so were their wakils etc etc. 

9. Besides these there were no other changes. UMNO, MCA, Gerakan, MIC were all still there although they were somewhat different, being led at the local and national level by grasping politicians concerned with holding posts which gave them opportunities to enrich themselves, getting JPs (Justice of Peace), Datuk-ship, Tan Sri-ship and other ships, kissing the PM’s hand in order to win his favour. They cared more for what they could get from him than what they could do for the people. And his response was to favour these leaders and not the people. These leaders and party hacks would keep him as their President and therefore his Premiership. For the people he proposed Corridors in the future. 

10. The people did not object too much to the corruption. It would be good if they got a piece of the goodies themselves. But the Prime Minister did not bother. Comfortable with the support of his party people he did not see the need to bribe the people. So the people owed him nothing. 

11. They regarded him as being responsible for all their misfortunes simply because all these misfortunes came during his time, or more crudely it came from him. So it seems to them. 

12. One of the things that the simple people did not like was a lack of gratefulness shown by these leaders. They, the ordinary voters were too scared to protest over this show of ungratefulness on the part of the Prime Minister and his minions. But they felt strongly about Abdullah’s lack of gratefulness, especially as he let his minions show crudely their ungratefulness, cursing and condemning the people who had been responsible for their exalted position as Ministers etc. 

13. The people feared the reaction of the Government and did not voice their disgust at such uncouth behaviour. But that did not mean that they were prepared to overlook such displays of ungratefulness. And so the first time they felt free to express their views without fear they did – by voting against the Barisan Nasional. 

14. And so the BN lost. But the opposition did not win, certainly not because the simple voters liked the opposition. They won by default because that was the only way the erstwhile BN supporters could show their dislike for the people they blame for their problems. The BN lost, the opposition really did not win. 

15. The liberal intellectuals should be able to see this. But they wanted so much to believe that they had convinced the opposition parties and the voters about their ideals of liberal democracy, their free speech, transparency etc etc. that they took the apparent success of the opposition as being due to their espousing and the electorate being convinced of the kind of politics the intellectuals preach. 

16. And so when recently opposition party members behaved in the old ways, reverting to racism and religious intolerance, to disliking sensitive issues to be openly discussed, to regarding those of their own kind joining the liberals as betrayers, they became unhappy at what they consider to be treachery on the part of the opposition. 

17. But the opposition led by the wily master of spin, Anwar Ibrahim, only made a show of being liberal, of being advocates of freedom of expression, as being above racialism, of being against detendtion without trial and of being all the way with the liberal intellectuals. They have no intention of being all these. But it was good politics and a good way to hoodwink the naive intellectuals and their even more naive followers. 

18. The intellectuals and the pretenders had allowed themselves to be led by the nose up the garden path. The hard nosed real politicians, especially of the oppositions are laughing. 

19. It is time the so-called intellectuals realise they were being duped by the Master of Spin, the pious Muslim who is also the bosom pal of Paul Wolfowitz, the neo-con Jew, the killer of Muslims, the supporter of Hindraf and of the Chinese schools etc. etc. 

20. But intellectuals will not admit they have made a grave mistake. They see what they want to see. Carry on dreaming. Hold your forum, discuss what you like. You are driving the people further and further apart, pushing them back to their old racialism. You are helping to hold up a regime that is incompetent and thoroughly corrupt. You are helping to destroy this country.

MERDEKA

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Tak lama lagi kita akan sambut Hari Merdeka ke-51. Tahun lepas kita sambut Hari Merdeka yang ke-50 dengan gembira kerana ia menandakan setengah abad kita memerintah negara kita sendiri. Dan kita bangga kerana dalam jangkamasa itu kita telah maju jauh kehadapan sehingga mereka yang lama berada di luar negara tidak kenal tanahair mereka apabila kembali. Demikian perubahan yang telah berlaku.

2. Orang asing pula apabila datang pertama kali ke Malaysia tidak percaya ini adalah negara membangun, negara dunia ketiga. 

3. Bukan sahaja Kuala Lumpur sudah bertukar wajah dan dipenuhi dengan bangunan pencakar langit, dengan jalan-jalan bertingkat yang bersih dan dihias dengan tanaman bunga-bungaan sepanjang jalan dan lain-lain, tetapi bandar-bandar lain juga memperlihatkan pertumbuhan dan pembesaran, lengkap dengan jalan bertingkat yang penuh sesak dengan kereta. 

4. Rata-rata kita lihat kemajuan yang telah dicapai. Jumlah yang miskin telah dikurangkan dan mereka turut bersama bergembira.

5. Rakyat berbilang kaum tidak bermusuh sesama mereka walaupun tidaklah berharmoni seperti yang diharapkan. Namun tiap kali pilihanraya diadakan majoriti pengundi memberi kepercayaan kepada Kerajaan Barisan Nasional kerana beranggapan segala-gala yang dinikmati adalah hasil pemerintahan Kerajaan-Kerajaan BN. Biasanya mereka memberi kemenangan lebih 2/3 daripada kerusi Parlimen.

6. Rakyat Malaysia yang pergi ke negara asing berasa bangga kerana Malaysia dikagumi dan dihormati oleh siapa sahaja yang mereka bertemu apabila sahaja orang asing mengetahui yang mereka dari Malaysia. 

7. Mereka menyebut menara kembar Petronas dan perlumbaan Formula 1. Orang Islam asing pula tertarik dengan kemajuan dan kestabilan sebuah negara Islam. 

8. Kerana semua ini rakyat Malaysia gembira dan bersemangat untuk menyambut kedatangan Hari Merdeka. Jalur Gemilang dikibar di kereta-kereta dan di bangunan-bangunan. Bukan sahaja Melayu yang bersemangat, Cina, India, Kadazan, Iban dan semua suku kaum di Sabah dan Sarawak memperlihatkan semangat dan kegembiraan mereka. 

9. Biasanya apabila tiba bulan Ogos semangat dan kegembiraan rakyat dipertunjukkan dengan pelbagai cara. Jalur Gemilang berkibar di merata-rata tempat. Mungkin saya silap, atau mungkin saya bias (berat sebelah), tetapi bulan Ogos ini rakyat agak muram, tidak gembira dan bersemangat luntur. 

10. Mungkin ini kerana kenaikan harga minyak dan lain-lain. Tetapi ternampak ada sesuatu yang lain yang tidak kena yang menyebabkan rakyat tidak gembira untuk menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan. 

11. Blogger Sheih Kickdefella telah syor kempen terbalikkan Jalur Gemilang sebagai cara memprotes ketamakan ahli dan pemimpin parti-parti politik tanpa mengira parti mana. 

12. Cadangan seperti ini tidak pernah dibuat selama 50 tahun kita Merdeka. 

13. Reaksi Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi mudah diramal. Cadangan kempen ini ditafsir olehnya sebagai perbuatan kurang ajar. Dan seperti biasa ugutan dibuat supaya polis akan ambil tindakan terhadap blogger berkenaan. Lain-lain blogger juga dibelasah sebagai tidak berfaedah dan mendatangkan kesusahan kepada rakyat. 

14. Cadangan mengibar Jalur Gemilang terbalik dianggap menghina diri sebagai rakyat Malaysia. 

15. Tidak terlintaskah dalam hati Dato Seri Abdullah untuk bertanya dan mengambil tahu kenapa cadangan ganjil ini dibuat? Seperti dengan kekalahan BN pada Mac tahun ini, Dato Seri Abdullah menafikan bahawa ada sesuatu yang tidak kena dengan BN dan Kerajaan pimpinan beliau yang menyebabkan penyokong BN daripada semua kaum memberi undi mereka kepada parti lawan. Sebaliknya beliau mentafsir merosotnya undi kepada calon-calon BN disebabkan sabotaj dan pihak tertentu tidak mahu beri kemenangan 2/3 kepada BN. Kenapa mereka berbuat demikian tidak dipersoal olehnya, hanya kemarahan dan ugutan untuk bertindak terhadap mereka ini. 

16. Macam-macam cara telah dibuat untuk menyedarkan pemimpin ini tentang perasaan tidak puas hati rakyat, tetapi sikap penafiannya menyebabkan semua mesej disalah tafsir dan disalah erti. Dalam keadaan kecewa rakyat maka sukarlah bagi mereka untuk menunjuk semangat dan kegembiraan dengan keriangan sambutan hari Merdeka. 

17. Kata seorang daripada kenalan saya, sekarang hanya 10 hari sahaja sebelum hari Merdeka tetapi ianya melihat hanya sebuah kereta sahaja yang memasang Jalur Gemilang. 

18. Kata seorang lagi, saya simpan sahaja Jalur Gemilang tahun ini. 

19. Tidak ada sesuatu bangsa yang bermaruah yang tidak ingin bebas daripada belenggu penjajahan. Kita lihat di sana-sini peperangan untuk membebas wilayah sendiri sedang berlaku. Kita lihat penderitaan mereka, hidup tidak sempurna, berlari-lari dengan bungkusan harta yang sedikit ke sana-sini. Sekejap-sekejap letupan senjata membunuh dan mencederakan mereka. Inilah nasib orang yang dijajah yang ingin merdeka. 

20. Pada tahun 1957 kita merdeka dan harapan kita ialah hidup yang lebih bahagia. Justeru kita rayakan hari keramat ini kerana merdeka difahami dan dihargai oleh semua pihak. 

21. Saya percaya kita masih hargai kebebasan kita, kemerdekaan kita. Tetapi sesuatu telah berlaku yang menyebabkan kita tidak begitu gembira pada hari ulangtahun merdeka pada tahun ini. Kita kesal kerana kita tidak dapat buat apa-apa untuk mengembalikan kegembiraan bangsa yang merdeka. 

22. Kita bersyukur kerana kita, samada Melayu, Cina, India, Iban, Kadazan dan lain-lain suku kaum tidak bersifat ganas, tidak suka pada huru-hara, tidak berminat merusuh. Tetapi pemimpin hendaklah faham kenapa rakyat berasa muram tahun ini. Jangan tipu diri dengan berkata tak benar rakyat tidak gembira. Lihat sahaja berapa ramai yang keluar melihat bunga api. Malangnya ini bukan ukurannya. Ini hanyalah cara untuk melupakan sekejap keperitan hidup rakyat kerana diperintah oleh orang yang tidak mahu faham tentang perasaan rakyat. 

23. Saya akan sambut Hari Merdeka tetapi tidak seperti 50 sambutan yang terdahulu. Sesuatu sudah hilang daripada makna kemerdekaan. Mulut sudah ditutup dan apa yang ada dalam hati tinggal tertambat, tidak boleh diluahkan. Kita takut berkata apa-apa kerana polis akan digesa bertindak. Kadang-kadang saya berasa yang kita berada dalam sebuah Police State (Negara bawah kawalan polis). Tetapi ini mungkin sifat keterlaluan saya. 

24. Selamat Menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan yang ke-51. Mudah-mudahan Allah s.w.t. akan membuka hati mereka supaya faham mesej-mesej yang disampaikan oleh rakyat.

OBITUARY – YM TUNKU ABDULLAH IBNI ALMARHUM TUANKU ABDUL RAHMAN

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Today is a sad day for me. Today I lost a very good friend. 

2. Tunku Abdullah was a member of Parliament in 1964 when I first met him. He was a gregarious person and it was easy to become his friend even after knowing him only a short while. 

3. He was a very loyal friend too. When I was expelled from UMNO in 1969 he did not stay away from me as many people did. When I came to Kuala Lumpur three days after race riots broke out, he was at the Railway Station waiting for me with his car, despite rumors I was going to be arrested. The police were there in full force. But I was not arrested. I went off to Tunku’s house. 

4. I rejoined UMNO through his division in Rawang. But that route was not acceptable to UMNO. 

5. He was a man of the people and got on well with his constituency people. At the same time he was close to Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Prime Minister and to Tun Razak.

6. He lived life fully. I do not think we will find people like him any more. 

7. I feel much saddened by his passing. I have lost a good and loyal friend. 

8. May Allah s.w.t shower his blessing on his soul.

RASUAH DALAM UMNO

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Dato Seri Adnan Yaakob, Menteri Besar Pahang telah membuat kenyataan yang beliau tidak akan bertanding untuk Majlis Tertinggi UMNO kerana rasuah yang berleluasa dalam kempen pemilihan ketua-ketua pemuda, ketua bahagian dan Majlis Tertinggi.

2. Sebelum ini saya telah lapor berkenaan tindakan dua tokoh UMNO; seorang Ketua Bahagian yang menulis kepada Ibu Pejabat UMNO berkenaan rasuah yang dilakukan oleh Presiden sendiri untuk mendapat sokongan bagi pencalonannya sebagai Presiden pada Disember ini dan yang satu lagi tindakan seorang veteran UMNO yang telah lapor kepada Badan Pencegah Rasuah berkenaan rasuah yang sama yang dilakukan oleh Presiden, walaupun ia sendiri kerap bercakap dan mendesak semua orang supaya jangan amalkan rasuah. 

3. Baru-baru ini saya telah dapat maklumat daripada beberapa pemimpin UMNO bahawa rasuah, iaitu pemberian duit yang tidak kecil jumlahnya dan pemberian lain-lain, telah dilakukan untuk pemilihan ke Majlis Tertinggi dan Ketua Pemuda. 

4. Lebih daripada 150 ahli telah dikenalpasti yang akan mencabar ketua-ketua bahagian yang ada sekarang dengan diberi sogokan wang yang besar. Ada pula Ketua Bahagian yang diberi kontrak projek Kerajaan supaya mencalonkan calon tertentu.

5. Mereka yang menjadi Ketua Bahagian sekarang yang akan dicabar dan dijatuhkan tahu dan sedar yang rasuah ini sedang berlaku. Mereka kecewa. Tetapi mereka tidak sanggup mendedah secara tepat dan terbuka orang yang memberi sogokan dan siapa yang mereka dikehendaki mencalon dan menyokong dan lain-lain butir dan maklumat berkenaan kegiatan rasuah ini. Mereka yang disogok pula tidak sanggup membuat apa-apa laporan.

6. Mereka sedar bahawa rasuah yang berleluasa dalam UMNO ini akan menghancurkan parti, dan merosakkan masa depan orang Melayu dan negara Malaysia tetapi mereka masih berharap apabila mereka sudah tidak jadi Ketua Bahagian, tidak jadi ahli atau memegang jawatan dalam Majlis Tertinggi, apabila mereka tidak lagi jadi Menteri atau Timbalan Menteri, mereka mungkin diberi saguhati dengan dilantik sebagai Senator dan melalui saluran ini mungkin dapat jadi Menteri lagi, atau dapat jadi pengerusi syarikat GLC, atau jadi penasihat berpangkat Menteri kepada PM atau pengerusi badan-badan lain, atau dijadikan duta dan lain-lain, semuanya dengan elaun-elaun yang lumayan juga. 

7. Oleh kerana harapan ini mereka sanggup melihat rasuah berleluasa dalam UMNO, melihat UMNO hancur, melihat orang Melayu diperhambakan, menjadi golongan yang miskin dan tidak berkuasa dalam negara, merosakkan negara. Tidak ada seorang pun daripada mereka, daripada Timbalan Presiden sehingga ke ketua cawangan, yang akan sanggup mendedah secara jelas, mengeluar ‘statutory declaration’ berkenaan rasuah yang akan hancurkan UMNO dan menghakis apa sedikit daripada kuasa orang Melayu di negara ini yang masih ada. 

8. Mereka ini berharap orang luar daripada UMNO, NGO (Badan bukan Kerajaan) Melayu akan menyelamat UMNO supaya mereka yang tersingkir akan dapat kembali jawatan-jawatan mereka. 

9. Semua ini berlaku kerana presiden UMNO membenar ianya berlaku. Sebagai Perdana Menteri beliau dipercayai akan selamatkan mereka yang terlibat dengan mengguna rasuah untuk mendapat tempat dalam kepimpinan UMNO daripada apa-apa tindakan jika laporan dibuat kepada Jawatan Kuasa Disiplin Parti atau Badan Pencegah Rasuah. 

10. Perjuangan 62 tahun UMNO akan menjadi sia-sia kerana UMNO sudah dilanda gejala rasuah dan tidak lagi dapat perjuangkan tujuan-tujuan yang UMNO ditubuh. Perjuangan pemimpin dan ahli UMNO sekarang tertumpu kepada mendapat sesuatu bagi diri sendiri. Kerana semua mereka sudah terlibat dengan rasuah, samada memberi atau menerima, tiada ada siapa yang ingin bertindak memberhentikan jenayah ini. 

11. Inilah keadaan dalam UMNO sekarang. 

12. Malangnya yang boleh bertindak hanyalah ahli UMNO. 

13. Saya tidak fikir ada dalam UMNO orang yang mampu bertindak. Masing-masing hanya utamakan kepentingan diri. Apa yang akan jadi pada kaum bangsanya tidak mengapa asalkan diri sendiri mendapat sesuatu. 

14. Hari ini UMNO belum hancur lagi tetapi ia jelas sudah lemah. Dengan tahap kelemahan ini sahaja pun orang Melayu sudah berada dalam keadaan kelam kelibut, berpecah dan terdedah pada macam-macam serangan terhadap maruah bangsa dan agama yang mereka tidak berupaya mempertahankan. 

15. Percayalah, apabila orang Melayu begitu mudah menjual hak mengundi mereka, ahkhirnya mereka akan terima padahnya; mereka akan hilang apa juga kuasa yang sedikit yang ada pada mereka untuk menyelamatkan kaum bangsa mereka. Mereka akan kembali menjadi hamba orang, mempertahankan orang. Mereka akan jadi seperti orang Melayu Singapura yang sudah jadi kaum minoriti yang termiskin di pulau yang sebenarnya sebahagian dari Tanah Melayu dahulu. Inilah nasib yang menunggu orang Melayu.

AUKU – AKTA UNIVERSITI DAN KOLEJ UNIVERSITI

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Saya mengaku yang sayalah orangnya yang telah perkenalkan AUKU (Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti) semasa saya menjadi Menteri Pelajaran. 

2. Walaupun kita sudah merdeka lebih 15 tahun ketika itu tetapi bilangan kelulusan daripada universiti tidak ramai, terutamanya di kalangan orang Melayu. Jumlah jurutera, doktor perubatan, arkitek dan lain-lain ahli profesional amat kecil dan menyedihkan. Sebaliknya maju mundurnya bangsa dan negara bergantung kepada ketinggian jumlah rakyat yang berilmu. Tidaklah sihat bagi Malaysia jika dari rakyat berbilang kaumnya jumlah Melayu dan bumiputera lain yang berkelulusan universiti sangat berkurangan. Setelah Dasar Ekonomi Baru diperkenalkan maka jumlah penuntut Melayu di tiga buah universiti tempatan sudah bertambah dengan banyaknya. Tetapi kemasukan sahaja tidak akan dapat menambah jumlah Melayu yang berpelajaran tinggi jika ramai yang diterima masuk tidak lulus dan tidak berjaya memperolehi ijazah. 

3. Kita terpaksa menerima hakikat bahawa ramai penuntut Melayu dan bumiputra lain yang diterima masuk universiti memiliki kelulusan yang kurang baik daripada penuntut bukan Melayu. Samada mereka mendapat ijazah universiti atau tidak bergantung kepada kegigihan mereka menumpu sepenuh masa untuk menguasai ilmu melalui proses-proses pembelajaran ala universiti. 

4. Kita dapati penuntut Melayu amat berminat dengan kegiatan politik. Mereka suka melibatkan diri dengan demontrasi jalanan dan lain-lain aktiviti politik yang memakan masa mereka di universiti. Dengan ini tidak dapat tidak tumpuan mereka kepada penguasaan ilmu tentu kurang. Amatlah merugikan mereka dan masyarakat Melayu jika mereka gagal. 

5. Apakah kerana mereka tidak boleh berdemonstrasi dan lain-lain maka mereka akan kurang berpengetahuan dalam bidang politik; mereka akan jadi robot? Tidak juga. Mereka boleh ada forum perbahasan dalaman atau antara universiti, dan mereka boleh mendapat pakar yang tidak punyai kepentingan politik parti untuk memberi syarahan dan sessi soal jawab. Tanpa terlibat secara langsung dengan aktiviti politik berpartian, mereka masih boleh menguasai dan memahami selok belok politik.

6. Kegiatan seperti ini tidak akan memisah mereka daripada menumpukan masa yang mencukupi untuk menguasai ilmu yang menjadi sebab utama mereka berada di universiti. 

7. Harus diingat bahawa pembiayaan bagi tiap-tiap penuntut samada yang dapat biasiswa atau tidak datang daripada duit rakyat. Duit itu disalur dengan rela hati oleh mereka kerana kepentingan penuntut dan ilmu yang dituntut oleh mereka, yang akan menjamin masa depan yang cerah bagi mereka. Rakyat yang sanggup wang ini dibelanjakan untuk penuntut sedia berkorban jika korban mereka mendatangkan hasil yang dikehendaki. Tentulah mereka akan kecewa jika wang mereka disalahguna, dihabiskan untuk kegiatan yang lain. Negara juga akan rugi kerana tidak dapat warga yang berilmu. Dan penuntut itu sendiri akan rugi kerana masa depan mungkin tidak cerah seperti yang diharapkan. 

8. Pengorbanan yang kita pohon daripada penuntut kita hanya sedikit sahaja. Masa untuk menuntut tidak begitu lama – hanya tiga atau empat tahun sahaja. Setelah lulus tumpukanlah sepenuh masa untuk kegiatan politik atau lain-lain jika ini menjadi minat utama. Pada masa itu kita tidak habiskan wang orang lain. Kita habiskan duit dari titik peluh kita sendiri. 

9. Saya percaya orang yang bertanggungjawab dan tahu kenang budi seperti ini akan menjadi manusia dan pemimpin politik yang lebih baik. 

10. Tetapi jika kita sanggup habiskan duit orang, kita hampakan harapan orang, sebaliknya kita tidak rela mengguna duit dan masa kita sendiri untuk sesuatu yang kita gemar, maka tidaklah kita dapat berkata yang kita begitu prihatin dan rasa bertanggungjawab terhadap masalah negara kita. 

11. Penuntut universiti tentu tidak suka dengar pendapat saya ini. Yang amat marah kerana AUKU ialah penuntut Melayu. Saya rela dimarah oleh siapa sahaja tetapi saya tidak berniat buruk semasa memperkenalkan AUKU. Bagi saya peningkatan kebolehan bangsa saya adalah lebih penting dan utama daripada apa kecaman terhadap diri saya. 

12. Jika hari ini penuntut lebih dewasa dan bertanggungjawab batalkan sahaja AUKU.

THE MALAYSIAN BAR COUNCIL

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Non-Malays and maybe quite a few Malays have strongly criticised my piece on the Bar Council. I am made out to be against free speech, human rights etc.

2. What I was talking was about sensitivity – about the need for people to be sensitive to the feelings of other people. It was not about Islam or its teachings or its history per se. It is about the Malays and the non-Malays in this multiracial, multi religious country and their sensitivities. 

3. You may not notice it but I also mentioned the sensitivities of other races in Malaysia. 

4. I didn’t use language meant to irritate which I could very well do, as good as anybody else.

5. My criticism against the Bar Council is because of its insensitivity and arrogance. I can say a few things about some members of the Bar Council in order to hurt. But I did not. I should really, because the Bar Council was instrumental in persuading the Royal Commission that it was possible I was influenced in the choice of judges by V.K. Linggam and that I should be investigated. It was an exercise in taking me down a peg.

6. Sensitivities of people differ. We don’t wear chador in Malaysia but go to the countries where the chador is de rigueur and wear a miniskirt because it is your right. Then you will see what will happen. Even Queen Elizabeth covered up sufficiently when visiting Saudi Arabia. She was sensitive, her royal rights notwithstanding. 

7. Other countries have different interpretations of Islam and it is their right. In fact even Christian countries have their sensitivities. Or the levels of their sensitivities may be different. 

8. Go to some European countries and you will find condoms on the steps of churches. In others, Christian priests officiate marriages between man and man, woman and woman and they raise families by having sex with other people. It is fine there because it is their interpretation of their rights. But why stop there? Why arrest couples having sex in full view of people in a park? Isn’t it their right too? But the people object. They are sensitive to this. What is the difference? You know very well that they do this at home anyway. And you do it too. But I think you also feel it is not right. You would feel offended as your child ask you “What are they doing Papa (or Mama)?” as the case may be. 

9. The non-Malays in Malaysia have a lot of sensitive issues too. We cannot touch on them. We would be accused of being racist, being insensitive, provocative and offensive. 

10. But supposing we ignore their sensitivities and we talk loudly about them. They would not like it. They may reply in kind, perhaps more insultingly. 

11. Then we have to increase our insulting remarks in order to annoy, knowing that what we say would irritate and anger them. 

12. The end result must be tension between the races in Malaysia which may lead to violence, continuous violence. Lives may be lost and property destroyed. 

13. You can tell relatives of the people killed or owners of the property destroyed that this is okay, this is human rights, this is freedom, this is democracy. Think they will celebrate and offer more of their relatives to be killed so that you can behave insensitively? 

14. I may be against the present Government but that does not mean I must forsake all that I believe in. 

15. I believe not being able to discuss certain issues is a small price to pay for having stability and peace in this country. It had paid off hansomely. We would not be where we are today if we slug verbally or otherwise, at each other every day. 

16. Some countries may be more open than others and still remain stable. Almost all these countries are single ethnic developed countries with the majority of the people atheistic. Still you don’t call a black man a nigger but it is okay to call him an SOB (Son of a B***h). 

17. But ours is not. Ours is multi-ethnic country where assimilation has not taken place. After hundreds of years you insist on still being what you are. Still for 50 years we managed to remain stable without the kind of conditions imposed by developed countries on new citizens. 

18. We were able to do this because we were willing to accept minor restrictions, we are sensitive to the feelings of others. 

19. Other newly independent countries attempting to practice even basic democracy have all become very unstable. Their people remained poor and the poor became poorer, despite being single ethnic. 

20. If what we want is to be able to provoke people as a matter of right more than our own well-being and that of fellow citizens then be insensitive and have open debates by selected people whose views are already known, who are insensitive to the sensitivities of others but are very sensitive about their rights to be insensitive, whatever the cost to others and the country.