The Mind of the Analyst

1. Among the cleverest people in the world are the analysts – the people who can see through solids, even see and recognise what lies behind. This gives them power and as we all know power corrupts. Few among the analysts can restrain the corrupting influence of their power.

2. The analyst who works for Malaysian Insider clearly is one who cannot resist the abuse of that power. Given a task by his master he comes up with a fantastic analysis on the recent decision by the court that the word “Allah” is exclusive to Islam and may not be used by the Catholic “Herald”. He saw an opportunity to serve his master like the toady he is.

3. His master had recently demonised me by incorrectly and clearly deliberately translating my statement on corruption. I had said that I was sold by my divisional representatives for RM200/-. The English version was correct. But the Malay translation implied that I bribed my divisional delegates with RM200/-. Why I should bribe them so they would not vote for me is beyond me. But the opportunity to blacken my name in the eyes of the Malays was too good to be missed by his master.

4. When asked to correct and apologise, Malaysian Insider decided to demonise me instead by stating that twenty-five years ago when “Tun Mahathir Mohamad dismantled one of the most respected judicial institutions in the Commonwealth and destroyed the concept of separation of powers in Malaysia rhetorically he asked “how many Malaysians were truly upset with his interference?” In one sentence he made a lie appear to be an indisputable truth, without stating what indeed I had done to deserve the demonisation.

5. The arguments by the great analyst are rather convoluted but the implication is clear. The Malaysian courts (and here Tun Suffian’s words are made use of) will never be able to recover the respect they had before I “destroyed” them.

6. The truth is that the courts often made judgements against me or the government I lead. The classic case is when UMNO, the ruling party was declared illegal because a few branches cheated. Yet recently when the Central Committee of the DAP was found to have basically cheated, it was simply asked to hold another election. But for UMNO, when four out of more than 6000 branches did not follow procedures, the whole party was declared illegal. The judge who made this judgement was then promoted. I did not object.

7. When Anwar sued me for defamation because I repeated to the press the judgement made by the Appeal Court which acquitted him I thought a Malaysian court would decide this in one sitting. If I was wrong, then the appeal court which found that Anwar did not commit sodomy on the day mentioned in the charge but averred that he did commit sodomy on other days must also be wrong. The third appeal judge concurred with the guilty verdict of the High Court. But on the basis of a wrong date, Anwar was acquitted and released. I merely repeated the findings of the Appeal Court when asked at a Press Conference.

8. Apparently the court which heard the defamation case against me, upon hearing the arguments of the fearsome Karpal Singh, Anwar’s lawyer, felt that there was a case for me to answer. That was fine. But Anwar’s lawyers kept asking for postponements after postponements so that the case dragged on for more than four years.

9. During those four years I was deprived of the right to say anything against Anwar as the case was considered to be sub judice. I basically lost my right of free speech and Anwar enjoyed a long period of freedom from my criticisms.

10. If the courts of Malaysia are shackled forever by me, surely the decision would have been reached at the first sitting. I cannot believe that repeating the words of a judge when pronouncing judgement is illegal or constitutes defamation. That the court was forced to delay judgement by the frequent postponements is a denial of justice, for lawyers often repeat, “Justice delayed is justice denied”. In my case the court took four years to find me innocent. Justice was denied me.

11. And there are many cases where the courts of Malaysia find against the Government in my time – including unprecedentedly declaring UMNO, the ruling party to be illegal. At other times despite detentions under the ISA was not open to legal challenges, detainees were released on a writ of habeas corpus. Before I was Prime Minister no one ever challenged the right of the Minister concerned to detain anyone under the ISA.

12. It seems to me that far from the courts being constrained by me, the fearsome personality of Karpal Singh plays a more effective role in the courts. In fact when some UMNO supporters were charged, their preference was to engage Karpal because his fearsome and overbearing personality was considered enough to convince the court.

13. The Malaysian courts are as free as can be even though certain lawyers seem to get away with unruly behaviour in Malaysian courts. The decision of the courts on the use of the word “Allah” is an example of their independence. Whereas the High Court decided that the word can be used by the “Herald” the Appeal Court disagreed. If the courts are in thrall to the former Prime Minister, surely the lower court would decide supposedly according to my wishes and not the higher, three men Appeal Court. But the opposite is the case.

14. It is ridiculous to suggest that the courts of Malaysia had ever been under the control of the Prime Minister. I am reminded of the Israelis who insist that they are under threat of Arab aggression when in fact they are the aggressors who have seized Palestinian land to build their settlements and who arrested 10,000 Palestinians including children, torture and kill them with impunity. Malaysian Insider will trot out the same old argument against me, as the Israelis do, because it is really bankrupt of ideas to demonise me. You can bet that Malaysian Insider will come up with the same baseless accusation every now and again. It was the Nazi Propaganda Minister, Goebbels, who declared that, lies repeated often enough will be accepted as the truth.

NEGARA BERPENDAPATAN TINGGI

Artikel in telah disiarkan di dalam akhbar Mingguan Malaysia , Oktober 20, 2013

1. Dasar kerajaan untuk menjadikan Malaysia negara berpendapatan tinggi (high income country) tentulah diterima baik oleh rakyat. Tetapi kita harus ambil kira kesan pendapatan tinggi, terutama dalam bentuk upah dan gaji kepada kos sara hidup Negara.

2. Apabila upah atau gaji dinaikkan tidak dapat tidak kos barangan dan khidmat akan turut naik. Kenaikan ini akan mengurangkan dayabeli (purchasing power) berbanding dengan pendapatan yang dinaikkan.

3. Kita tahu benar negara-negara yang pendapatan amat tinggi dari segi upah yang diterima tetapi taraf hidup mereka jauh lebih rendah dari kita. Pendapatan tinggi semata-mata tidak bermakna kekayaan dengan taraf hidup yang tinggi.

4. Yang akan menjadi kehidupan kita setaraf dengan negara maju ialah daya beli pendapatan kita yang sama tinggi dengan dayabeli penduduk negara maju. Kenaikan pendapatan tanpa kenaikan dayabeli tidak bermakna sama sekali. Sebaliknya ia akan menghalang pembangunan Negara kearah sasaran menjadi Negara maju.

5. Negara-negara yang ditakrif sebagai negara maju tidak sahaja memiliki pendapatan per kapita yang tinggi tetapi mereka memiliki daya pengeluaran (produktiviti), yang tinggi dengan kemajuan mereka dalam bidang ilmu pengetahuan, kecanggihan dan kebesaran industri serta perniagaan dan perusahaan. Negara mereka dilengkapi dengan infrastruktur yang canggih dan mencukupi untuk keselesaan hidup rakyat serta membantu aktiviti perniagaan dan perusahaan. Infrastruktur ini termasuklah jalan-jalan yang menghubungi semua bandar dan kampung, bekalan api dan air, khidmat pelajaran dan kesihatan dan lain-lain. Banyak terdapat Negara yang berpendapatan amat tinggi tetapi tidak dianggap maju.

6. Kita perlu pisah kemajuan sesebuah negara daripada pendapatannya yang tinggi. Walaupun negara maju biasanya disertai dengan pendapatan yang tinggi bagi semua rakyat, tetapi pendapatan yang tinggi dengan sendirinya tidak bermakna Negara sudah maju.

7. Hasrat Kerajaan tentulah untuk menjadi bukan sahaja negara berpendapatan tinggi tetapi menjadi negara maju dengan kuasa dayabeli rakyat yang tinggi. Untuk ini tumpuan perlu diberi kepada usaha daya keluar (produktiviti) yang meningkat yang akan menyumbang kepada dayasaing (competitiveness) negara. Kenaikan dayasaing Negara-negara Timur inilah sehingga mengalahkan Negara Barat yang menjadikan beberapa Negara Timur maju.

8. Menaikkan pendapatan adalah mudah. Umpamanya apabila gaji atau upah minimum dinaikkan maka matlamat pendapatan tinggi tercapai. Tetapi seperti yang disebut di atas, kenaikan ini tidak menjadikan rakyat lebih kaya, disebabkan dayabeli tidak naik bersama pendapatan.

9. Umpamanya kenaikan upah minima katakanlah dari RM 700/- sebulan kepada RM 900/- sebulan akan membawa dua kesan. Mereka yang sedang menerima RM 900/- sebulan akan kecewa jika upah mereka tidak dinaikkan supaya yang berada di bawah mereka tidak mendapat gaji yang sama dengan mereka. Apabila gaji kumpulan ini dinaikkan maka yang dahulu mendapat upah yang lebih tinggi akan meminta kenaikan supaya jarak yang lama dikekalkan. Akhirnya kenaikan gaji minima kepada RM 900/- akan disusuli dengan kenaikan gaji atau upah di semua peringkat. Kenaikan yang menyeluruh ini tidak dapat tidak akan menaikkan kos pengeluaran semua barangan dan khidmat. Dengan perkataan lain kenaikan gaji dan upah, tanpa kenaikan produktiviti akan menaikkan kos sara hidup.

10. Yang kedua kenaikan gaji dan upah tetap akan menjadikan barangan dan khidmat yang kita beri kurang kompetitif di pasaran dunia. Pelabur tempatan dan asing juga tidak akan melabur dan yang menganggur tidak dapat bekerja untuk sara hidup mereka.

11. Malaysia adalah negara dagang. Pendapatan kita datang dari ekspot barangan, bahan mentah dan khidmat yang dipasar oleh kita. Jika dagangan kita merosot ekonomi kita juga akan merosot.

12. Sebenarnya pendapatan tinggi perlu disertai dengan daya keluar (productivity) yang tinggi. Ini boleh dilakukan dengan menukar industri yang mengguna buruh kasar yang ramai (labour intensive) kepada industri yang lebih canggih yang mempunyai nilai ditambah yang tinggi. Industri hitech yang memerlukan kecekapan akal fikiran lebih dari kerja tangan akan menghasilkan barangan yang tinggi tambah nilai. Tetapi industri ini memerlukan pekerja yang lebih terlatih, berpelajaran tinggi dan cekap, seperti jurutera (engineer). Gaji mereka (pendapatan) tentulah tinggi yang mana ini menepati hasrat untuk menjadi negara kita berpendapatan tinggi (high income).

13. Untuk mendapat pekerja yang berpengetahuan ini sistem dan kemudahan pelajaran mestilah terdaya untuk mengeluarkan penuntut yang memiliki ilmu-ilmu, terutama sains dan matematik. Untuk ini penguasaan Bahasa Inggeris adalah penting. Penggunaan Bahasa Inggeris untuk sains dan matematik akan menentukan kelayakan seseorang pekerja. Lagi pun Bahasa Inggeris yang sudah menjadi bahasa ilmu terpaksa diguna dalam melatih dan mengajar dan juga memberi arahan untuk membuat kerja-kerja yang canggih.

14. Kefahaman Bahasa Inggeris tetap akan menyumbang kepada penambahan pendapatan. Ini terdapat dimana-mana sahaja.

15. Untuk pengekalan dan perkembangan bahasa kebangsaan, kita tidak boleh guna Bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa pengantar untuk semua mata pelajaran. Kita perlu hadkan penggunaan Bahasa Inggeris kepada pengajaran sains dan matematik sahaja. Mata pelajaran lain mestilah disampaikan dalam bahasa kebangsaan.

16. Dimasa yang sama penguasaan Bahasa Inggeris perlu ditingkatkan. Pada kebiasaan untuk menuntut ilmu ke peringkat Masters (sarjana) dan Phd (doctorate) penuntut Malaysia kerap ke universiti luar negara. Bahasa pengantar di luar negara ialah Bahasa Inggeris, walaupun ada juga bahasa-bahasa lain yang diguna. Kebanyakan buku teks yang diguna seluruh dunia didapati dalam Bahasa Inggeris.

17. Yang jelas ialah Bahasa Inggeris adalah bahasa ilmu, bahasa dagang dan industri. Jika negara ingin menaikkan pendapatan melalui dagangan dan industri yang canggih dengan nilai ditambah yang tinggi, Bahasa Inggeris amatlah penting dan utama.

18. Oleh itu untuk menjadikan Malaysia negara berpendapatan tinggi, langkah pertama ialah peningkatan penguasaan ilmu moden di kalangan rakyat, bermula dari sekolah-sekolah lagi.

19. Etika kerja juga perlu ditingkatkan. Satu contoh berkenaan keburukan etika kerja merosakan ekonomi negara boleh dilihat di United Kingdom. Kerana kesatuan sekerja menjadi begitu kuat sehingga dapat mendiri Kerajaan tuntutan dari kesatuan untuk kenaikan upah melalui ugutan menyebabkan pendapatan naik tanpa kenaikan daya pengeluaran. Akhirnya semua industri British gulung tikar dan ekonomi negara merosot.

20. Kenaikan pendapatan memang baik bagi pekerja dan pengusaha. Tetapi ia bukan sesuatu yang boleh dicapai hanya melalui dasar. Banyaklah yang perlu dipertimbangkan dan diselaraskan jika kenaikan pendapatan tidak akan memburukkan ekonomi Negara dan kemajuannya.

BUMIPUTRA TIDAK KUALITI

1. Sekarang baru saya tahu kenapa kontraktor Bumiputra tidak pernah diberi kontrak oleh swasta Malaysia. Mengikut Fellow Kanan Institut Kajian Sosioekonomi dan Alam Sekitar (SERI). Dr Michael Lim Mah Hui, Bumiputra tiada kualiti.

2. Ketua Pakar Ekonomi RAM Holdings, Dr Yeah Kim Leng, pula berkata, swasta mementingkan meritokrasi, bukan menutup peluang kepada Bumiputra.

3. Kita tahu Kerajaan yang dikuasai oleh Bumiputra yang tidak berkualiti, telah mengambil hampir 100% Bumiputra untuk menjadi pegawai dan kakitangan Kerajaan. Hasilnya dapat kita lihat Malaysia tidak dapat ditadbir dengan baik dan pembangunannya memang buruk sekali berbanding dengan negara-negara lain yang mencapai kemerdekaan bersama dengan Malaysia.

4. Kerajaan yang dianggotai oleh Bumiputra yang tidak berkualiti ini gagal menangani kemerosotan ekonomi dan kewangan pada 1997/98. Ramailah peniaga dan pengusaha negara terutama dari kaum yang memiliki merit yang bankrap semasa krisis matawang kerana tindakan “control” oleh Bumiputera. Sehingga kini ekonomi dan kewangan negara tidak dapat dipulih oleh Kerajaan Bumiputra yang tidak berkualiti ini.

5. Sesungguhnya untuk mengelak kerosakan negara, Bumiputra yang tidak berkualiti ini tidak harus diberi apa-apa peluang menuntut ke peringkat universiti kerana mereka tentu tidak akan lulus dan mendapat apa-apa ijazah. Tindakan pemaju swasta mengutamakan merit memanglah wajar. Ini bukan kerana tidak mahu memberi peluang kepada Bumiputra, tetapi kerana mengutamakan merit.

6. Meritokrasi memang baik bagi Malaysia. Jangan bagi apa-apa pun yang tidak berasas kepada merit. Orang yang tidak berkualiti tidak mempunyai hak dan tempat di Malaysia. Biarlah mereka kekal dengan kualiti buruk mereka asalkan yang berkualiti, yang memiliki merit meraih segala-galanya untuk mereka. Kemerdekaan Negara dari dijajah oleh British bertujuan memberi segala-galanya kepada yang memiliki merit dan bukan untuk yang tidak berkualiti.

7. Dan saya bersetuju dengan pendapat pakar-pakar dari SERI dan RAM Holdings. Orang yang tidak ada kualiti tidak ada tempat di Malaysia kita yang Merdeka. Mereka harus tahu nikmat kemerdekaan bukan untuk mereka. Nikmat ini hanya untuk yang mempunyai merit walaupun tidak berjuang untuk membebaskan negara dari penjajah.

POLITICIANS vs JOURNALISTS

1. The world is in a bad shape because politicians instead of journalists run it. I came to this conclusion after reading a copy of The Economist, the British magazine. The writers in the Economist seem to know everything that ails the world and they also know how all these ailment can be cured.

2. The copy begins with the front page illustration of the statue of Christ tumbling through the air from its pedestal on Sugar Loaf mountain in Brazil; down, I suppose to crash on Rio de Janeiro. I suppose it is to illustrate the grave situation in the country.

3. The articles on Brazil began with “Grounded”, followed by “A rough ride for (President Dilma) Rousseff”. Then “The price is wrong”, and an advice on agriculture, “Leaves Well Alone”, followed by “The Road to Hell”. “Money no Object” (on the football stadium), “Land of the Setting Sun”, “Look Good” followed by “Reality Dawns”. The articles describe all the wrong things that are being done by Brazil and how they should and could be corrected.

4. Other articles are entitled “A new Face of Terror” (which Western Governments do not know), “Sending the Wrong Smoke-Signal” (on E-cigarettes), “Angela’s Dilemma” (telling Angela Merkel to look to the Greens).

5. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is to warn everyone not to put too much faith in Iran’s nuclear deal “and keep the sanctions on”. Cameron, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom is told to “Remember what you once were (the Prime Minister should reclaim the radical centre of British politics)”. “The Unquenchable Fire” is about the Al-Qaeda still being around and deplore the fact that Mr Zawahiri, its current leader is not dead yet. This seems like hinting that the United States should assassinate the Al-Qaeda leader as they did Osama Ben Laden. I suppose Zawahiri’s corpse would be dumped in the sea.

6. And now Malaysia. “Bumi, Not Booming” is about Najib’s announcement of a policy known as “the Bumiputra Economic Empowerment”. This hideous policy discriminates against the Chinese who make up 25% of the population but run much of Malaysia’s business, and Indians 7% but having disproportionate presence in the professions.

7. Apparently any attempt to give the Malays and the indigenous people (68%) a share in the business (and the wealth) and to become professionals is unfair, wrong and unjust. Liberal people should not do this. If they get no share of the wealth and places in the professions, they should just be poor spectators.

8. Prior to the Elections Najib had tried to win over the Chinese by ignoring the plight of the Malays. He even ignored the National Education Policy by supporting Chinese education with money. He tried to endear himself to the Chinese with more money. However the Chinese voters rejected him. Only 3% voted for him. Sounds like gross ungratefulness. For this Najib should dole out some more money, which would be the right thing to do.

9. But the Malays supported him. Apparently according to the Economist it is wrong to support those who support you. You don’t do that in civilised countries. Let the supporters rot.

10. The proper thing to do is to help people who are already well off to be even more well off.

11. In fact one should help the richer community get even richer and the poor community poorer. If there are poor people among the rich community make sure they become rich first before taking any notice of the poor in the poor community.

12. Now on Pakistan. They are giving the “Cold shoulder to Sheriff”. India’s informal economy has “Hidden Value”. Sri Lanka’s Tamils have to face “Harder Lines” – reconciliation is further off.

13. On scientific research “Looks Good on Paper”. Xilai’s “End of the Road” is worth gloating over. On China’s relations with America it is “one model, two interpretations”. The American Budget is about “Nightmares and Bedtime Stories”.

14. And so on, and so on and so on. Really the silly politicians should make way for western journalists. From the words of wisdom in the Economist and generally in the Western press, it is obvious that with journalists and the expert writers at the helm, the world can sleep easy. Why didn’t we think of this before?

Chin Peng

This article appeared in the New Straits Times, Oct 1, 2013

1. Attempts to declare Chin Peng a patriot, nationalist and freedom fighter reflect how far derailed some Malaysians are from what the Communist Party of Malaya represented and what was its real objective.

2. Firstly, it must be pointed out that the CPM continued with their insurgency long after Malaya and then Malaysia had gained independence in 1957.

3. In their fight against the Government of independent Malaysia, the CPM killed civilians and security personnel by the thousands without considering their role as defenders of independence or their innocence. Senior police officers were assassinated and police patrols were ambushed and gunned down.

4. Nationals of an independent country do not kill fellow nationals who were only doing their duty to provide security for the citizens who wanted just to earn a living, who wanted to live a normal life. Yet the CPM ignored the independence of the nation, the democratic rights of the people in its single-minded desire to create a Communist dictatorship in Malaysia. The CPM were prepared to use extreme violence so as to install its leader Chin Peng, as the authoritarian ruler of the country.

5. To make it more horrendous, much of the atrocities and mutilations committed by Chin Peng and the CPM are not only on soldiers but many civilians were their victims.

6. Government records show that the CPM in a classic move infiltrated the trade unions and political parties so as to destabilise the nation and bring down its elected Government.

7. In the 1969 General Elections, the CPM defied the Government by holding a funeral procession to arouse hatred against the Alliance party. This contributed to the inter-racial tension and the subsequent riots.

8. Until the Haadyai agreement of 1990 the CPM guerrillas planted booby traps which caused many policemen and soldiers to lose their legs, arms and eyesight. Many were killed.

9. The agreement was to stop to the mindless killings of members of the security forces even though there was no possibility for the CPM to seize power in Malaysia. The agreement provided for the laying down of arms by the CPM insurgents. Many of the insurgents chose to live in Thailand. A few who wanted to visit relatives in Malaysia were allowed to do so. Those who pleaded that they were forced or were mislead into joining the CPM and wished to reside in the country were allowed to do so. The agreement was a practical solution to the problems faced by the nation and it was a solution also for the CPM which had lost all support in Malaysia following the Government campaign to win the hearts and minds of the people.

10. The CPM would not have entered into the agreement if it still had substantial support of Malaysians. It must be admitted that certain extremist groups in the country still harbour the hope of a CPM-ruled Malaysia. Besides, after the visit of Tun Razak to China in 1974, the Chinese Government stopped supporting the CPM. It stopped radio broadcasts in support of the CPM that year. The nation celebrated this stoppage of China’s support for the CPM by giving the BN party a big majority in the 1974 elections.

11. All these point towards the fact that from the very start the war waged by Chin Peng and the CPM was with the objective of turning Malaya into a dictatorship with the CPM leader as the dictator. There was no intention to give the people the right to choose their Government. The CPM wanted to change British Colonial rule with a Communist dictatorship, not an independent nation.

12. It is important to remember that Chin Peng never made any effort to register as a Malaysian citizen. He has therefore forfeited all rights as a Malaysian citizen. But it is entirely possible for his leftist supporters to try and rally around his burial place as a symbol for the resurgence of the MCP in Malaysia. Already race relations in Malaysia has deteriorated. With Chin Peng as a symbol it is most likely that race relations might explode in violence.

13. The Government is right in not allowing the burial of Chin Peng in Malaysia or bringing his ashes back.