SOUND BITES (SNIPPETS)

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
Dalam bahasa multimedia perkataan “Snippets” sudah diganti dengan “Sound Bites”. Snippets terhad kepada media cetak tetapi “Sound Bites” meliputi semua media – cetak, radio dan televisyen. Justeru saya akan guna “Sound Bites” sekarang. Saya tidak akan guna bahasa kebangsaan kerana mungkin ramai tak akan faham “Bunyi Gigit”.

SOUND BITE

Semasa saya kecil kasut yang terkenal dari England ialah “Kasut Barat” (Barrat Shoes). Akibat kegawatan yang melanda United Kingdom syarikat yang mengeluarkan kasut Barrat selama hampir seratus tahun sudah bankrap dan ditutup.

“Woolworths” adalah sebuah gedung runcit yang terkenal dan mempunyai beratus cawangan diseluruh Britain. Baru-baru ini Woolworths juga sudah ditutup dan beribu pekerjanya menganggur.

Beberapa daripada cawangan Woolworths ini sudah diambil alih oleh “Kedai Kelin” di United Kingdom yang menjual aneka jenis barang dengan harga 99 pence.

Sekarang Britain sudah jadi miskin kerana penipuan oleh bank-bank gergasi mereka. Nilai pound jatuh daripada RM7 = 1 Pound Sterling kepada RM5.20 = 1 Pound Sterling. Ada barang di sini lebih murah daripada di Malaysia.

KEBEBASAN BERSUARA

Barat berbangga dengan kebebasan bersuara mereka. Negara Asia termasuk Malaysia dikritik kerana tidak ada kebebasan bersuara.

Tetapi tidak ada kebebasan bersuara di Eropah jika ia melibatkan kritik terhadap Yahudi. Jika sesiapa mengkritik Yahudi maka mereka akan dilabel oleh media sebagai “anti-semitic”.

Lebih daripada itu sesiapa yang mengkritik cerita “holocaust” iaitu pembunuhan orang Yahudi oleh Hitler, mungkin akan ditangkap dan dipenjara.

Yang lebih aneh lagi ialah perbezaan dasar antara Negara-negara Eropah. Di United Kingdom kritikan terhadap “holocaust” tidak dianggap jenayah. Tetapi jika pengkritik mengkritik di United Kingdom dan kemudian pergi ke Negara yang anggap kritikan itu jenayah, maka Negara itu masih boleh ambil tindakan undang-undang terhadap kritikan yang dibuat di United Kingdom.

Demikian seorang penulis sejarah telah mengkritik “holocaust” di United Kingdom. Apabila dia membuat lawatan ke Austria dia telah ditangkap, dihadapkan ke mahkamah dibawah undang-undang Austria, didapati bersalah dan dipenjara.

Saya terbaca dalam “The Guardian” akhbar British, bahawa seorang bishop mazhab Katolik dari UK yang telah menyoal kebenaran “holocaust” semasa di Argentina telah dihalau keluar daripada Negara itu dengan serta-merta.

Argentina adalah sebuah Negara Katolik tetapi demikianlah pengaruh Yahudi sehingga orang katolik, bahkan Paderi katolik tidak boleh menyoal apa-apa berkenaan dengan “holocaust”.

Yang jelas daripada dua peristiwa ini ialah kebebasan bersuara yang kononnya dijunjung tinggi oleh orang Eropah yang hendak dipaksa keatas seluruh dunia, adalah pembohongan semata-mata. Mereka tidak amalkan kebebasan bersuara apabila kepentingan mereka tergugat. Lebih-lebih lagi kepentingan Yahudi. Sebab itu tapisan dibuat keatas berita berkenaan Gaza.

PENGANGGURAN DI BRITAIN

United Kingdom sedang mengalami kemelesetan ekonomi yang amat teruk. Pengangguran sudah melebihi dua juta. Diantara yang menganggur terdapat hampir 700,000 ahli profesional.

Melihat keadaan ini saya khuatir profesional Malaysia juga ramai yang akan menganggur.

Berbilion pound sterling sedang digunakan oleh Kerajaan United Kingdom untuk memulihkan semula ekonomi. Tetapi tindakan ini tidak berkesan. Tidak dapat tidak United Kingdom dan lain-lain negara maju akan menjadi miskin.

Sebenarnya pendapatan per kapita yang mereka banggakan dahulu tidak mencerminkan kekayaan mereka yang sebenar. Kekayaan mereka dahulu adalah hasil penipuan oleh pemain pasaran wang.

Perkiraan purata mereka tidak memberi gambaran yang benar. Oleh kerana terdapat bilangan yang kaya yang begitu ramai maka perkiraan purata (average) per kapita mereka meningkat.

Ini dapat kita lihat apabila seorang daripada seribu orang menjadi jutawan dan 999 menganggur, jika diambil pendapatan purata bagi 1,000 orang ini, pendapatan tiap seorang daripada mereka ialah seribu Dollar. Jelas yang angka per kapita yang disebut tadi menyembunyi pendapatan yang amat rendah bagi majoriti rakyat negara yang dikatakan kaya ini. Apatah lagi dengan billionaire yang begitu ramai di negara kaya.

Sekarang orang yang kaya sudah tidak kaya lagi. Justeru itu pendapatan per kapita negara kaya ini akan jatuh dengan teruk.

Mereka tidak akan dapat pulih kekayaan mereka sehingga bertahun-tahun. Ini adalah oleh kerana membuat wang yang banyak melalui penipuan seperti dahulu tidak lagi akan dapat membantu pemulihan. Pedagang matawang umpamanya tidak lagi boleh menekan nilai matawang seperti pada 1997-98 dan mendapat keuntungan berbilion ringgit dalam masa yang singkat.

Bank tidak lagi boleh beri pinjaman kepada orang yang tidak berkemampuan bayar hutang (sub-prime) untuk untung besar. Dan banyaklah cara-cara penipuan yang lain yang melibat hedge funds dengan derivatives mereka yang tidak lagi dapat memperkayakan mereka.

Kerana cara-cara buat duit cepat dan banyak ini tidak lagi terbuka pada mereka, ramai yang akan tidak sekaya dahulu. Ada yang sudah bunuh diri pun.

Sumbangan mereka kepada Keluaran Dalam Negara dan per kapita akan turun dan kekal di paras yang rendah buat bertahun-tahun. Harapan mereka bahawa melalui bailout mereka akan pulih seperti sebelum kegawatan tidak akan jadi kenyataan.

Malangnya kemiskinan mereka akan mempunyai kesan kepada seluruh dunia termasuk Malaysia.

TIMAH BUKAN PERAK

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Kita sedang melihat banyak peristiwa yang pelik berlaku di Perak yang dahulu terkenal dengan timahnya. Tetapi tidak ada yang lebih lucu daripada nasihat Perdana Menteri kepada Dato’ Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Menteri Besar Barisan Nasional supaya beliau membuat laporan polis berkenaan dengan penggantungannya oleh Speaker Dewan Undangan Negeri Perak.

2. Jika keputusan yang dibuat oleh Speaker boleh dianggap sebagai satu jenayah, apa akan jadi jika Speaker Dewan Rakyat menggantung ahli pembangkang kerana apa-apa sebab? Dan ini kerap berlaku. Apakah ahli pembangkang akan lapor kepada polis? Jika boleh maka bolehlah kita anggap bahawa polis berkuasa keatas Speaker Dewan.

3. Memang ada jenayah yang boleh dilakukan oleh Tuan Speaker tetapi menggantung seseorang ahli Dewan bukanlah diantara jenayah yang boleh diambil tindakan oleh Polis.

4. Sekarang dilaporkan yang Dr Zambry akan hadir sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri Perak. Mengikut aturan peraturan Dewan, Speaker boleh arah pegawai Dewan untuk keluarkan Yang Amat Berhormat Dr Zambry dari Dewan. Dapatkah pegawai berkenaan yang bukan terdiri daripada parti Pakatan Rakyat berbuat demikian?

5. Dimana pula tempat duduk YAB Zambry? Apakata kalau YB Dato Seri Mohamed Nizar Jamaluddin duduk di tempat Menteri Besar? Apakah pegawai Dewan akan disuruh oleh Speaker untuk paksa Nizar kosongkan kerusinya? Apakah YAB Zambry akan berada di Dewan atau di luar Dewan setelah Speaker mengarah pegawai sekat YAB Zambry daripada berada dalam Dewan.

HANAN 2

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
Dear Hanan,

1. I think I cannot convince you on anything simply because your perception of things is not based on logic or reason but merely on your strong belief that you are always right, even if the whole world says you are wrong.

2. Jews have lived with Muslims in Muslim countries for centuries without any serious problem.

3. On the other hand in Europe, Jews were persecuted. Every now and again there would be pogroms when the Europeans would massacre Jews. The Holocaust did not happen in Muslim countries. Muslims may discriminate against Jews but did not massacre them.

4. But now you are fighting the largely Muslim Palestinians. It cannot be because of religious differences or the killing of Jews living among them. It must be because you have taken their land and expelled them from their homeland. It is therefore not a religious war. But of course as you seek sympathisers from among the non-Muslims, the Palestinians seek sympathisers among the Muslims. That still does not make the war a religious war.

5. Whether you speak Hebrew or not is not relevant. Lots of people who are not English speak English. They don’t belong to England. For centuries you could speak Hebrew but remained Germans, British, French, Russians etc.

6. Lots of Jews cannot speak Hebrew but they are still Jews. Merely being able to speak Hebrew does not entitle you to claim Palestine.

7. The Jews had lived in Europe for centuries. They identify themselves with their domicile. They fought the wars of these countries often against other Jews living in enemy countries.

8. These countries are their homeland. So why should they take Palestinian land to make their own country? They could take any of the European countries as their own country. The United States of America should offer one of its states as Israel.

9. As to history, the Malays had occupied a lot of land in Southeast Asia since time immemorial. Today much of our land has become part of neighbouring countries, having been conquered or because of treaties entered into by the British. We should really go to war to regain our land especially as there are Malays living there.

10. But we want to live in peace with our neighbours. So we accept the borders drawn by the colonialists.

11. You may say it is a joke to believe the Philistines are the forebears of the Palestinians. But what may be a joke to you is a serious belief of much of the non-Jewish world.

12. We did not have a Jewish representative at our conference. But I am sure when you have a conference in Israel you did not have Muslim representatives either.

13. I can sympathise over the killings of the Jews. But show me pictures of total destruction of Israeli towns and villages. Show me the effect of the primitive Hamas rockets on the Israeli people. Compare them with the effects of your bombs, rockets, shells, chemical weapons you used on the Gazans. When did Hamas blockade you and starve Israeli people and deprive them of medical attention. Did Hamas build a wall to separate Israelis from other Israelis including from family members? Did Hamas build settlements in Israel?

14. This idea of out-terrorising the terrorists, of massive retaliation on a scale that horrifies the whole world will not work.

15. Our people who went to Gaza were amazed at the attitude of the people there. Even after the deaths of so many of them, the deaths of their children and babies; even after their towns have been flattened, their schools and hospitals destroyed, they show no fear. Every one of them expects to die at any time because of your attacks but they would never surrender. When asked they simply said it is their land and they would defend it to the last. Even an Arab Christian priest was determined to stay on in Gaza. Those of their children who survive will prepare themselves to defend their land like their parents. Your attacks fail to terrify them or to force them to submit. You only succeed in instilling greater hatred of Israel and the Israelis.

16. When it was pointed out to them that they are no match for the Israeli forces and their weapons of mass destruction, when it was pointed out that their rockets were primitive and cannot compare with the destructiveness of Israeli rockets, they were not disheartened. The Israeli attacks simply strengthened their resolve to go on fighting. The Israeli idea to out-terrorise them has not worked and I believe it would not work.

17. Your arguments simply confirm my belief that the Jews have the same degree of hatred for the Palestinians, despite the fact that you suffer less than them.

18. The war has degenerated into a feud between Palestinians and Israelis. The Palestinians know they cannot win the war but that simply heightened their hatred for Israelis. They will nevertheless try to kill Jews, even if that will intensify Jewish hatred for the Palestinians. And you will retaliate with many times greater ferocity because you cannot force them to their knees. Their resistance simply increase your anger and hatred of them.

19. We have come to an impasse. If Israel is bent on occupying Palestinian land, on building Jewish settlements, on building Berlin walls and on sanctions and blockade, the Palestinians will continue their futile attacks. Arabs will die, maybe 10 for every one Jew. But with the hatred for Jews which they harbour, that is a worthwhile sacrifice. And Jews will kill more Arabs to express their hatred. And so it will go on as it had gone for 60 years, as it will go on for another 60 years or more.

20. Dear Hanan, tell your Government to compromise.

TINGKAT EMPAT

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Terdapat kegelisahan di Tingkat Empat. Selama lima tahun lebih, Tingkat Empat kadang-kadang lebih berkuasa daripada Kabinet atau Majlis Tertinggi UMNO. Mereka dapat tentukan dasar dan tindakan Kerajaan. Menteri-menteri kerap meminta pertolongan mereka dan pegawai tinggi Kerajaan merujuk kepada mereka sebelum membuat keputusan. Kontraktor melobi dengan mereka untuk mendapat kontrak dan pelabur juga mengguna khidmat mereka untuk mendapat kelulusan.

2. Dalam semua ini terdapat banyak peluang untuk memperkayakan diri.

3. Sesungguhnya tidak ada yang lebih memuaskan nafsu daripada kuasa tanpa tanggungjawab.

4. Malangnya, jika benarlah Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi letak jawatan pada bulan Mac maka segala-gala kuasa ini akan hilang. Ini adalah satu malapetaka bagi Tingkat Empat. Apakah nasib mereka selepas Mac? Apakah mereka akan berdiam diri dan membenar malapetaka ini timpa mereka dengan begitu sahaja? Tidak adakah sesuatu yang boleh dilakukan oleh mereka untuk menangkis musibah ini?

5. Seperti biasa, terdapat banyak berita angin akan perancangan mereka. Jika boleh, mereka akan halang peralihan kuasa, sekurang-kurangnya buat sekian lama.

6. Kata berita angin mereka sedang menasihat Dato Seri Abdullah supaya tidak letak jawatan apabila sahaja Dato Seri Najib Razak jadi Presiden parti. Kata mereka tidak semestinya Presiden parti jadi Perdana Menteri. Ini bukan syarat dalam perlembagaan negara. Ia hanya amalan parti tanpa peruntukan tertulis. Yang menentu segala-galanya ialah Perdana Menteri. Jikalau Perdana Menteri tidak letak jawatan itu haknya, sepertimana memilih menteri atau timbalan perdana menteri adalah haknya. Biasa terjadi yang dipilih menjadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri bukan Timbalan Presiden UMNO.

7. Apakah Najib akan memberontak? Tidak. Jika ia ternampak akan memberontak ada cara untuk melawannya. Jika dapat dicetuskan keadaan tertentu, seperti rusuhan atau huru-hara, ini boleh dijadikan alasan untuk Dato Seri Abdullah tidak letak jawatan. Ramai ahli UMNO dan ahli Majlis Tertinggi pasti akan sokong Dato Seri Abdullah. Mereka semua terhutang bukan sahaja budi kepadanya.

8. Mungkin ada antara ahli UMNO yang menentang kuat dan bercadang untuk mengadakan undi tidak percaya dalam parti atau dalam Parlimen. UMNO boleh ditangani melalui cara biasa. Jika terpaksa hilang berjuta pun tak mengapa kerana kuasa Tingkat Empat boleh menampung dengan punca-punca yang sudah ada. Apa gunanya wang jika kuasa untuk mendapatnya sudah hilang?

9. Jika ahli Parlimen pula bercadang untuk mengadakan undi tidak percaya dalam Parlimen, ini tidak mungkin berjaya. Sebahagian daripada ahli Parlimen BN mungkin tidak akan sokong tindakan ini. Ahli parti lawan memang hendak Dato Seri Abdullah terus jadi Perdana Menteri. Mereka telah pun menyatakan sokongan mereka. Hadi Awang, Karpal Singh dan Anwar Ibrahim telah menyatakannya secara terbuka.

10. Dengan sokongan ahli parti lawan kepada Dato Seri Abdullah, sukar bagi BN mendapat cukup bilangan untuk meluluskan undi tidak percaya.

11. Jika undi tidak percaya dalam Parlimen tidak berjaya, Abdullah akan jadi PM yang amat lemah, kerana memerlukan sokongan parti lawan untuk meluluskan sebarang undang-undang yang dibawa ke dewan rakyat.

12. Kita sudah lihat bagaimana kelemahan Kerajaan pimpinan Abdullah telah memberanikan semua pihak untuk membangkitkan berbagai kontroversi yang mengugat kestabilan Negara. Keadaan Negara akan hampir kepada tahap tidak ada Kerajaan dan tidak ada undang-undang apabila Kerajaan Abdullah menjadi lebih lemah.

13. Di masa yang sama Negara akan hadapi krisis kewangan dan ekonomi yang lebih teruk dari 1997-1998. Pentadbiran yang lemah tidak mungkin tangani kemerosotan ekonomi yang jauh lebih teruk dari 1997-98. Rakyat akan menderita kerana peningkatan pengangguran dan bankrap. Jenayah akan bertambah dan keselamatan negara akan tergugat.

14. Bagi Tingkat Empat huru-hara dalam Negara tidak mengapa asalkan mereka dapat kekal sebagai kuasa dibelakang Perdana Menteri.

15. Mungkin cerita-cerita berkenaan usaha Tingkat Empat untuk mengekalkan Abdullah sebagai Perdana Menteri selepas Najib jadi Presiden UMNO hanya rekaan orang-orang tertentu, wallahuwaalam. Demikian jugalah dengan Labu. Si-Luncai pun terjun dengan segala-galanya.

FITNAH

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Someone drew my attention to an article in a business weekly pullout recently. It is about a book on his father, Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman by the Tun’s eldest son, Tawfik Ismail.

2. In the interview Tawfik took the opportunity to make out what a monster I was.

3. I quote below extracts of what he said happened when he was dropped as a Member of Parliament in 1990.

4. Tawfik explains; “Mahathir called me into his office before the election. I was with my journalist friends when he called, so they started joking that I was going to be a deputy minister. Sorry to disappoint them…I went to see Mahathir and the first thing he said was, “You know not every son can be like his father”, Tawfik recalls, “I thought to myself, ‘bloody insult'”. Then he continued, “All of my backbenchers have to be people who stand up when I walk in, thump the table and say, Long Live Mahathir! And my Ministers are not supposed to think for themselves. I think and they do what I want them to do.”

5. “I’m thinking this man does not have a high opinion of his Ministers. He actually says, I don’t want intelligent, honest, hardworking people in politics. People like you should be in business.”

6. I hope Tawfik had a clear conscience whe he said all these. I cannot imagine myself saying that “my backbenchers have to be people who stand up when I walk in, thump the table and say Long Live Mahathir!”

7. People did stand up when I walk in, but that is common politeness in Malaysia. I stood up when the Tunku or Tun Razak or Hussein Onn came into a room where I and others were. But when I was Prime Minister nobody ever thumped the table and say “Long Live Mahathir!”

8. As to saying to Tawfik, “my Ministers are not supposed to think for themselves. I think and they do what I want them to do.”

9. This is sheer fabrication. No Prime Minister ever called in a candidate to tell him that he would be made a deputy minister or minister when he wins an election. I had never talked about reshuffling nor about the quality of the ministers to be appointed.

10. I think it would be difficult for people to remember Tawfik and what he stood for. His performance as an UMNO backbencher was not in any way remarkable. He was not even an ordinary member of UMNO’s Supreme Council. Even at division level he did not shine.

11. He was picked to be a candidate two times. His name was proposed by Johor UMNO, I think. I had no problems approving his candidature. As the son of a much respected UMNO Leader, he was naturally regarded as qualified. But he did not distinguish himself in any other way. I don’t know whether he was a youth leader or not. Certainly he performed no exploits in the youth or in the UMNO hierarchy.

12. On the basis of his lacklustre performance I did not consider him to be good material to lead UMNO.

13. I don’t know whether anyone has noticed that I frequently reappointed for the Cabinet people who had openly tried to bring me down. Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, Syed Hamid Albar, Rais Yatim, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi were all supporters of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in the contest for President of UMNO. Yet they were all reappointed as Ministers. I don’t remember whether they stood up and shouted “Long Live Mahathir!” or not but I think they did stand up together with others when I came into the room where they were. One even became my anointed successor to the Presidency of the party and Prime Minister.

14. When something does not happen, people would not even notice it. Yet far from asking people to shout “Long Live Mahathir!”, the first thing I did when I became Minister of Education was to tell my staff that the practice of giving the Minister’s name to schools is to be stopped forthwith. There should also be no pictures of the Minister displayed prominently in the schools and offices. Today there is nothing named after me except an orchid flower. I had rejected all requests for naming anything after me. I never liked personality cults.

15. Some UMNO members who attended the Annual General Assembly might remember my asking them not to praise me. Muslims must know that all praise be to Allah. But they still called me “the beloved one” etc. But people now know how many of my former ministers bad mouthed me after I stepped down.

16. Tawfik says that, “I don’t want intelligent, honest, hardworking people in politics. People like you (i.e. being intelligent, honest and hardworking) should be in business.”

17. He calls this a backhanded compliment. In effect he was complimenting himself by repeating this. I don’t think I ever said this about him. Politicians and businessmen can all have the same qualifications.

18. The plea that he had no capital to go into business does not jive with his bitterness over what he alleged I said. Was he really thinking that I would give him the capital?

19. Tawfik said he felt I had not given him time to mull over what I said and he thought, “What could I say to him that would buy him time to mull over it”.

20. He ended up asking about Datuk Shahrir Samad and I spoke for 40-minutes. That’s an unduly long time for me to speak about anyone to him. Apparently he was not listening as he was taking notes! Of what?

21. His parting shot was meant to hurt my feelings. He said, “Datuk Seri, the best years of my life in politics were when I was fighting you”. He then smiled and felt good doing it.

22. I was not aware that he was fighting me. Even if he was he should have noticed that I am not vengeful and was ready to accept those who fought against me as my ministers. In fact I named one of them as my successor.

23. He must have wanted to say all these things in public all this while. The interview on his biography of his father gave him that opportunity.

24. If people want to believe that I am the kind of person who gets a kick out of forcing people to respect me, they can believe it. Those who know me well would probably doubt the truth of what Tawfik said. I don’t expect they would vouch for me. But that is alright. My conscience is clear.

ORANG ULU

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Waktu saya kecik lebih kurang 70 tahun dahulu saya sering jumpa orang ulu (bukan suku kaum Sarawak), tapi orang ulu Kedah.

2. Ada yang terdiri daripada adik-beradik Mak saya. Ada Tok Karin (loghat Kedah – Kaghin), Lebak, Din, Mak Chah, Mak Bedah, Mak Doh. Orang pekan anggap orang ulu ini agak kolot dan lekeh. Mereka jalan kaki, naik perahu untuk ke pekan Alor Setar (Aloq Staq). Tak pakai kasut pun. 

3. Bahasa mereka juga lain daripada bahasa kami orang pekan. Sesungguhnya mereka tak tahu apa. Bawak buah sikit, padi huma, beras pulut, sebagai buah tangan. Kadang-kadang mereka tidur di rumah tak perlu katil, hampar tikar sudah cukup. 

4. Di sekolah Inggeris ramai juga anak orang ulu belajar bersama saya. Mula kekok sikit tetapi cepat faham dan guna bahasa Inggeris. Nampak tak bodoh sangat orang ulu ini. Kadang-kadang lulusan lebih baik daripada anak orang pekan.

5. Saya ke universiti. Budak Melayu tak ramai. Tapi di antara mereka ada juga anak orang ulu, terutama di Fakulti Sastera. Lulus Bachelor of Arts (B.A. – Sarjana Muda Sastera) mereka sertai Kerajaan, ramai di Kementerian Luar. Jadi second secretary (setiausaha kedua), first secretary (setiausaha pertama) dan kemudian jadi duta.

6. Boleh juga cakap orang putih dengan orang putih, anak orang ulu ni. Boleh berhujah dan bergaya sebagai Pak Duta. 

7. Sebenarnya ramai anak orang ulu yang belajar sehingga dapat Phd. (Doktor Falsafah) di universiti luar negara kembali jadi pegawai tinggi Kerajaan. 

8. Sekarang anak orang pekan pun susah nak kerja di luar negeri. Tak suka cocktail party kerana segan nak bercakap. Orang asing nak cakap bahasa lain, kerap kali guna bahasa Inggeris. Tetapi ini bukan masalah. Yang jadi masalah di cocktail party orang minum arak. Sebab itu pegawai tak suka pergi cocktail party. 

9. Yang suka pergi cocktail party pegawai bukan Melayu. Mereka boleh bergaul dengan orang asing, bercakap dengan mereka bukan main fasih lagi, dan sudah tentu minum arak. Tetapi berguna juga mereka kerana mereka dapat dengar dan faham pendapat duta-duta asing. 

10. Nampak sekarang sama saja – anak orang ulu atau anak orang pekan. Dulu kedua-dua boleh, sekarang kedua-dua pun tak boleh. 

11. Pada pengalaman saya sejak 70-tahun dahulu, anak orang ulu ada kebolehan, tak kolot, tak lah lekeh sangat. Bila diberi peluang boleh buat. Anak kawan saya, Hassan Nawin (orang ulu dalam kelas saya) jadi pilot Boeing 747. Ada yang jadi doktor, pakar bedah, peguam, duta dan macam-macam lagi. 

12. Rupa-rupanya mereka tak begitu lekeh. Janganlah perlekeh orang kampung, orang ulu dan orang luar bandar. Mereka boleh, kalau diberi peluang. Kalau tak percaya, buat kajian. Yang pegang jawatan tinggi, yang cakap bahasa Inggeris macam orang Oxford siapa? Ramai juga orang ulu. 

13. Saya sendiri tak mimpi jadi doktor. Zaman saya di sekolah, doktor Melayu yang saya tahu hanya Doktor Arif, Pulau Pinang. 

14. Tetapi saya dapat peluang, dapat juga lulus sampai jadi doktor. Kita serba boleh. Tetapi kalau orang sekat peluang saya mana saya nak tahu saya boleh atau tidak. 

15. Demikian nasib orang Melayu bandar dan luar bandar. Dulu Mat Salleh (orang putih) anggap orang Melayu bodoh, tak boleh pegang jawatan. Sekarang orang Melayu sendiri anggap Melayu kampung bodoh. 

16. Hai lah nasib!

PALESTINE

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. The Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War (KLFCW) held a special forum on Palestine.

2. In my opening speech I stressed that the war in Palestine is not a religious war between Islam and Judaism. It is a territorial war resulting from the European powers carving out a slice of Palestinian land in order to create the State of Israel.

3. It is grossly unjust for the Europeans to solve their Jewish problem by taking land belonging to the Arab Palestinian to give to the Jews for their homeland. It is grossly unfair that they should transfer their problem to the Arabs.

4. The participants at the forum represented all races, belonging to all religions. There were ethnic European Christians, Chinese Catholics, Hindus, Sikhs, Malay Muslims, Arab Muslims, Chinese Buddhists and many others.

5. They came together because they were moved by the human tragedy that is happening in Gaza, Palestine. That the Palestinian Arabs are mostly Muslims did not lessen the feeling of sympathy felt by the participants.

6. Two doctors from Jordan were present. They had gone to Gaza to show their sympathy and brotherhood and to help treat the casualties. They were not prepared to see the carnage caused by Israeli attacks.

7. The Israeli forces appeared to be using new kinds of shells and bombs which exploded after bouncing off the ground hurling sharp metal shrapnel which cut deep into the bodies of the victims.

8. Many had their arms and legs severed by the shrapnel, while others died when the shrapnel cut deep into their bodies and organs.

9. One man was saved because the shrapnel cut into a small Quran he had in his pocket but stopped short of his chest.

10. Phosphorus bombs scattered white phosphorus all over the victims. The phosphorus sticks to the body and burn as long as there is oxygen in the air. It burns through the skin, through the muscles and through the bones. It is impossible to remove the phosphorus without cutting deep into the tissues and bones.

11. The pictures of decapitated bodies, shrapnel severed arms and legs were horrifying. The surgeons had to operate on stretchers with several operations going on in one room at the same time. There was blood everywhere and yet there was no blood for transfusion.

12. The video also showed Israeli men and women being interviewed. They were quite hysterical, shouting and demanding that the Palestinian children should be killed as they, the Israeli women had lost their children because of rocket attacks by Hamas.

13. The Gaza attacks exposed the horror of modern warfare. No one is spared. The town of Gaza is reduced to rubble and bodies were strewn everywhere. Children were buried under the rubble of fallen buildings, with only their dead heads visible. There were burnt bodies of babies.

14. Professor Gurdial Singh spoke about how Israel could be tried by an International War Crimes Court.

15. Then it was question time. An Englishman voiced his anger that the pictures of the atrocities were not made public in the United Kingdom. He wished that the Jordanian doctors could give their briefings together with the pictures in London.

16. Responding to the remarks, Professor Michel Chossudovsky pointed out that the Western media is owned by a small number of people and they control the news contents. They were obviously pro-Israel and their policy is to promote the Israeli cause against Palestine and Muslims in general.

17. Many of the questions asked showed strong sympathy for the Palestinians. The questions were from all races and religions.

18. Then a young Arab man took the floor. The first thing he said was to emphasise that the Palestinian war is a religious war. Muslims must support the Palestinians because of their faith. There can be no two ways. The Arabs must fight a holy war against the Jews. They must fight because the Jews are the enemies of the Muslims, of the Arabs.

19. I felt uncomfortable, as there were many non-Muslim supporters of the Palestinians in the audience. Making the Palestinian war as a religious war seem to reject the sympathy and support of the non-Muslims.

20. A Chinese Catholic got up to reply that he has full sympathy for the Palestinians who had lost their land, who had been driven out of their country to live as refugees. He thought that the Palestinians were unjustly treated and the Israeli killings of the Palestinians were against all humanitarian values. He did not see it as a religious war but a war against injustice and oppression.

21. I was depressed by the attitude of the young Arab. It seems he was moved only by the hatred of the Jews. On the other hand the demand of the Israeli woman to have Palestinian children killed also exposes her bitter hatred of the Palestinians.

22. This is wrong. Of course enemies must hate each other. But that must not be the reason for the war. Actually it is a product of the war.

23. The real reason for the war is the seizure of Palestinian land to create the state of Israel. The objective of the Palestinians should be the re-conquest of the lost land, including removal of the settlements set up by the Jews. The whole war must be directed with this objective.

24. What I realised when the young Arab vehemently declared that the war is a religious war was that the war would have no end. The objective was to kill Jews because of their religion.

25. On the Jewish side it is the same. They want to kill and destroy the Arabs because they hate the Arabs. That explains their brutality, their targeting schoolchildren, babies and old people. That also explains the diabolical weapons that they use, not just to kill but to cause as much pain and disfigurement as possible.

26. The Israeli leaders, especially the military are said to welcome Hamas rockets. To provoke Hamas into firing their rockets the Israelis blockaded Gaza.

27. When Hamas fired the rockets, Israelis would condemn the deaths, especially of children. The people were angered by the death and demanded retaliation, which the military duly obliged with massive attacks out of all proportion to the damage done by the unsophisticated Hamas rockets.

28. For their part the Palestinians would show the effects of Israeli brutality, the destruction of the towns and the deaths of innocent children. The hatred against the Jews was fanned to red heat, and Palestinians would become ready to kill the Jews in any way they can. They would fire more rockets and the Jews would retaliate with even greater force and brutality.

29. Both sides have now forgotten the reasons for their war. It is like the clan war of old, when for generations the hatred would be kept alive and both sides would want to go on fighting and killing each other.

30. The Palestinians are getting the worse deal in this “I kill your people, you kill my people,” fighting.

31. I was asked by the Jordanian doctor, when will this war end. I think it will have no end because it has degenerated into feuds of old, when Semitic tribes fight each other for generations simply because they were traditional enemies. The original reason for the enmity has long been forgotten.

32. If the war is going to be terminated both sides must try to remember the original cause and negotiate for peace. The backers of the contestants should cease providing money and weapons so they will continue to fight. Instead they should urge both sides to discuss a peace not based on who is more powerful but on justice.

LOMPAT LAGI

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Sandiwara di Perak masih menggelikan hati. Ada lompat keluar kandang, ada lompat masuk kandang.

2. Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan sudah bertitah.

3. Tetapi Menteri Besar Pakatan tidak hendak berhenti jadi MB. Pejabatnya sudah dikosongkan oleh Polis.

4. Apakah Polis akan usung MB dan campak dia keluar? Tentu tidak kerana tiada peruntukan undang-undang yang mengizinkannya.

5. Pakatan boleh adakan Kerajaan minoriti. Demokrasi mengizinkan.

6. Tetapi kerajaan minoriti lemah. Dia boleh ditumbang dengan undi tidak percaya oleh majoriti ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri, kalau Dewan bersidang. Mungkin Pakatan tak mahu ada persidangan.

7. Siapakah yang berhak mengadakan persidangan? Bolehkah puak majoriti paksa Kerajaan minoriti adakan persidangan khas untuk undi tak percaya?

8. Jika tidak dapat paksa Kerajaan minoriti mengadakan persidangan mereka boleh ambil bermacam-macam tindakan untuk merosakkan negeri Perak. Apakah yang boleh dibuat kepada kerajaan minoriti jika ia kekalkan dirinya dan terus merosakkan negeri? Keadaan seperti ini masih kelabu; tak ada peruntukan undang-undang setakat yang saya tahu.

9. Mungkin pegawai tidak akan patuh kepada kerajaan minoriti ini. Tetapi pegawai profesional perlu akur akan perintah Kerajaan yang halal.

10. Kita hanya boleh pandang dan lihat sandiwara yang sedang berterusan. Anwar akan dapat banyak pengajaran daripada sandiwara ini kerana dialah yang beria-ia sangat untuk ada lompat katak yang terbesar pada September 16. Oh! Silap, September 24. Oh! Silap lagi.

11. Amat menggelikan hati mendengar telatah Anwar berkenaan Nasarudin Hashim (ADUN Bota) masuk PKR dan keluar daripada PKR.

12. Lompat masuk (perangkap) boleh tapi lompat keluar tak sah!! He, he, he!

LOMPAT MELOMPAT

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Saya kembali ke tanahair dari Djibouti dan mendengar berkenaan Ahli Yang Berhormat UMNO Perak keluar parti dan masuk Keadilan (PKR).

2. Kemudian saya dengar pula dua orang ahli PKR hilang. Bila mereka dijumpai cerita yang didengar ialah mereka sudah keluar daripada PKR.

3. Dan banyaklah berita angin berkenaan ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat yang akan lompat dari parti ke parti.

4. Dahulu UMNO dan Barisan Nasional telah cuba sekat kejadian lompat melompat dengan mensyaratkan tiap calon tandatangan surat letak jawatan sebagai ahli Yang Berhormat tanpa tarikh. Kononnya jika setelah jadi ahli Yang Berhormat mereka ingin lompat masuk parti lain maka surat letak jawatan yang telah di tanda tangani oleh mereka akan dihantar kepada Speaker (Tuan Yang di Pertua Dewan) dan dengan itu akan terlucutlan anugerah Yang Berhormat mereka.

5. Malangnya perbuatan ini didapati tidak sah daripada segi undang-undang. Jika mereka ingin keluar daripada parti maka mereka sendiri perlu keluarkan surat yang diperbuat oleh mereka dan ditandatangani oleh mereka pada ketika itu untuk disampaikan kepada Tuan Speaker.

6. Saya percaya surat yang diperbuat oleh mereka tanpa tarikh dahulu akan ditolak oleh Tuan Speaker. Oleh itu mereka akan kekal sebagai Ahli Dewan walaupun mereka lompat ke parti lain atau mereka akan jadi ahli bebas.

7. Presiden UMNO berkata UMNO sedia untuk menerima siapa sahaja untuk menjadi ahli. Ini memanglah dasar parti. Tetapi kedua-dua ahli yang ingin keluar dari PKR ini mempunyai masalah. Mereka dituduh terlibat dengan rasuah seks.

8. Apakah UMNO begitu terdesak sehingga tidak dapat tunggu keputusan mahkamah berkenaan tuduhan terhadap mereka sebelum menerima mereka? Jika diterima sekarang dan kemudian mereka didapati tidak bersalah maka Kerajaan pimpinan UMNO (lebih kurang) akan dituduh mempengaruhi mahkamah. Benar tidak benar bukan soalnya. Pada pandangan masyarakat tuduhan ini tetap akan dipercayai. Ia akan punyai kesan dalam PRU13.

9. UMNO sudah dianggap bergelumang dengan rasuah, selalu mungkir janji, mengutamakan kroni Perdana Menteri di Terengganu. Jika kepada semua ini ditambah pula dengan penerimaan orang yang dituduh melakukan rasuah seks, imej UMNO akan jadi lebih buruk.

10. Dato Abdullah Presiden UMNO, fikir dahulu sebelum beria-ia nak terima orang yang seperti ini.

RASUAH UMNO

blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M 
1. Semasa bahagian-bahagian UMNO sedang menamakan calon untuk jawatan-jawatan parti, terdapat laporan bahawa Jawatankuasa Disiplin telah terima lebih daripada 900 aduan berkenaan dengan rasuah.

2. Tetapi hingga kini tidak ada apa-apa pun berita tentang tindakan yang telah diambil oleh Jawatankuasa Disiplin atau mana-mana pihak.

3. Sekarang kita dengar cerita lain pula. Wakil-wakil Bahagian yang akan hadir Mesyuarat Agong pada bulan Mac sudah pun ditentukan oleh bahagian-bahagian. Mereka terdiri daripada ketua bahagian, timbalan ketua bahagian, naib ketua bahagian, ketua wanita, ketua pemuda dan ketua puteri serta tujuh orang yang dipilih dalam mesyuarat bahagian yang lalu. Jumlah 13 orang semuanya.

4. UMNO mempunyai 191 bahagian, bermakna jumlah wakil ke Mesyuarat Agong adalah seramai 2,483 (jika tiada bahagian yang digantung) + ahli Majlis Tertinggi.

5. Sasaran rasuah ialah kepada 2,483 wakil ini. Saya dengar (tetapi saya tidak percaya) sudah ada calon bagi jawatan tertentu yang sudah beri elaun bulanan kepada sebilangan besar daripada wakil-wakil bahagian ini. Bahagian mereka mencalon calon-calon tertentu tetapi yang akan undi dalam Mesyuarat Agong ialah perwakilan. Dan mereka yang dapat elaun mungkin (mungkin sahaja) akan undi calon yang memberi elaun kepada.

6. Jika yang menang adalah orang yang menghulur rasuah maka UMNO akan dipimpin oleh perasuah.

7. Dan Kerajaan Malaysia dan Kerajaan Negeri akan dipimpin oleh perasuah selepas Pilihanraya Umum ke 13 jika Barisan Nasional menang. Dan pemimpin jenis ini akan sauk duit Kerajaan dan duit siapa sahaja yang berurusan dengan Kerajaan.

8. Saya telah berbual dengan beberapa orang yang tidak berparti dan juga yang berparti. Pendapat mereka semuanya sama – mereka tidak ingin diperintah oleh Kerajaan pimpinan perasuah.

9. Saya tanya jika tidak ingin apakah yang mereka boleh buat?

10. Mereka akan perhati dengan teliti pemilihan pemimpin UMNO bulan Mac ini.

11. Jika perwakilan UMNO memilih orang yang diketahui umum mengguna wang untuk dapat undi dan menjadi pemimpin UMNO mereka akan tentukan UMNO dan Barisan Nasional akan kalah Pilihanraya Umum ke-13.

12. Bolehkah mereka berbuat demikian? Jawab mereka lihat sahaja keputusan Pilihanraya Umum ke-12. BN kalah di lima buah negeri dan tidak dapat 2/3 di Parlimen kerana mereka memberi undi mereka kepada parti lawan.

13. Undi mereka, kata mereka adalah undi penentu. UMNO tidak boleh menang kerana undi ahli-ahli UMNO sahaja. UMNO perlu undi pengundi yang bukan ahli.

14. Kata mereka bukan sahaja yang bebas tidak akan beri undi pada calon pilihanraya UMNO, tetapi ramai juga ahli UMNO yang kecewa kerana kelakuan ahli dan pemimpin UMNO yang tidak akan mengundi calon UMNO dan BN. Mereka yakin kalau mereka percaya pemimpin UMNO yang dipilih Mac ini adalah perasuah, mereka akan tentukan UMNO akan kalah Pilihanraya Umum ke-13.

15. Pendapat ini disuarakan juga oleh orang Cina dan India. Kalau yang akan pimpin UMNO lepas Mac ini adalah yang terkenal mengguna wang untuk jadi ahli Majlis Tertinggi UMNO, mereka juga akan undi parti lawan.

16. UMNO tidak perlu ambilkira pendapat mereka ini. Bukankah UMNO parti yang terkuat di Malaysia? Takkanlah UMNO boleh dikalahkan!