Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's best Deepavali present did not come in the form of the by-election victories in Galas and Batu Sapi.
Rather, it comes in the form of PKR imploding slowly but surely by in-fighting among its top leaders.
One can imagine Najib still trying to resist to scratch the itchy pock marks left by his bout of chicken pox, but gleefully reading all about the mud-slinging between PKR's Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who was contesting the deputy presidency, and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader.
Today, Datuk Zaid, who was a former Minister of the Barisan Nasional government and member of Umno, held a press conference and blamed Azmin Ali and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for the allegations of fraud and malpractices plaguing the party’s ongoing elections.
He said both of them should leave PKR.
“I would like to say, if PKR wants to move, Anwar and Azmin must go... because they are the source of the problem," he added.
Yesterday, he sensationally announced that he was pulling out of the PKR deputy presidential race, claiming that there were fraud and malpractices.
Actually, the situation is rather simple - Anwar prefers (or wants) Azmin to be the new deputy president of PKR simply because he is a trusted and loyal confidant whom he can trust not to reveal his darkest secrets that perhaps only the two of them know.
Furthermore, Anwar is preparing for the day when - not if - he is sent back to jail for the sodomy case that he is still fighting in court. He would rather have Azmin effectively in charge of PKR than Zaid.
And to ensure that Azmin wins, if the allegations are to be believed, there are some rumours of irregularities in the election process.
Sadly, Anwar does not realise that his maneouvres to back his favourite confidant may ensure that his man gets to lead the party, but his image as a highly-principled leader fighting for "Reformasi" and "Justice" has been smeared very badly.
It would appear as if PKR itself needs "Reformasi" while Zaid deserves "Justice".
That is why Najib is probably rubbing his hands with glee after tucking into a thosai or two and watching as PKR implodes.
It is even more satisfying for Najib and his Umno (and Barisan Nasional) leaders because they do not have to do anything at all - they just have to tuck into the Deepavali delicacies, burp with satisfaction and watch the interesting events unfold.
Come to think of it, all Najib and gang need to do is simply make some snide remarks - like any other normal spectator - and speed up the PKR implosion.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Anwar Ibrahim's worst enemy is Anwar Ibrahim
The on-going PKR elections have revealed one thing - PKR is just like most other political parties.
It has its fair share of shady deals, vote manipulation and cronyism - in fact, it seems to be a mirror image of Umno, its sworn enemy.
Some people say it is due to PKR having too many ex-Umno members and leaders who brought with them the so-called Umno culture of money politics and politicking.
On Monday, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who was from Umno, quit the PKR deputy presidential race saying the party "leadership actively condones malpractices and electoral fraud to achieve its designed objectives."
"I wish to announce my withdrawal as a candidate from the contest of deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and my resignation from all posts held in the party," said Zaid in a statement.
Zaid also resigned as the party's political bureau member, Federal Territory chief and Wangsa Maju chief.
He said he decided to pull out of the No 2 due to blatant vote manipulation, The Star reported.
PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was also from Umno, countered that Datuk Zaid should provide evidence of fraud - which actually sounded very much like a typical reply from any Umno leader.
He said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution had on Sunday explained that it was impossible to cheat due to the internal security features embedded in the ballot papers and process would not allow cheating to occur, The Star reported.
"I have read Zaid's statement (on his resignation) and the leadership feels that whatever accusations and allegations there are, can be forwarded (to us)," Anwar told reporters at the Parliament lobby Monday.
Anwar said accusations which appeared in Haris Ibrahim's blog on Saturday had also been explained that they were unture.
In his blog, Haris said an informant had showed him a stack of ballot papers for sale and the informant could produce more of the papers.
The informant allegedly indicated Azmin Ali, Zaid's rival for deputy president's post, as the culprit behind the vote rigging.
On whether the leadership would accept Zaid's resignation, Anwar said they had not received any resignation letter from him.
"We need the contribution and participation of all leaders, including Zaid," he said when asked if he would urge Zaid to reconsider his decision (to resign from all party posts.)
Anwar added that Haris' allegations had no basis and Zaid should not make allegations without producing the evidence.
On whether Zaid is still in the running for the PKR deputy presidential race, Saifuddin said Zaid's name "is still in the ballot paper" and he had not received any resignation letter from him.
It is common knowledge that Anwar is backing Azmin - his favoured confidant - for the deputy presidency. The talk is that Anwar would rather have Azmin, his loyalist and favoured one, take over leadership of PKR when - rather than if - he goes to jail for the sodomy charge that is still being heard in court.
But Anwar must realise that he carries on his shoulders the hopes of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Malaysians who are convinced - rightfully or wrongfully - that he has the right stuff to take over the helm of the country.
Anwar must realise that his cries for "Reformasi" and "Justice" had fired up a generation of rebellious and impressionable youths who have become staunchly anti-establishment. They have been converted to his cause and are blind to his faults.
And if PKR is indeed guilty of "vote manipulation" and "electoral fraud" as alleged by Datuk Zaid, then the political struggle of the brigades of youths would be in vain. Anwar would have betrayed those who not only supported him, but believed him.
If the PKR elections become even more shambolic and disgraceful, it does not augur well for Pakatan Rakyat in the general election which is likely to be called next year.
Sadly, the dreams of those who had desired a change in government would be dashed. Ironically, the blame would be on the very person who could have brought about that change.
It has its fair share of shady deals, vote manipulation and cronyism - in fact, it seems to be a mirror image of Umno, its sworn enemy.
Some people say it is due to PKR having too many ex-Umno members and leaders who brought with them the so-called Umno culture of money politics and politicking.
On Monday, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who was from Umno, quit the PKR deputy presidential race saying the party "leadership actively condones malpractices and electoral fraud to achieve its designed objectives."
"I wish to announce my withdrawal as a candidate from the contest of deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and my resignation from all posts held in the party," said Zaid in a statement.
Zaid also resigned as the party's political bureau member, Federal Territory chief and Wangsa Maju chief.
He said he decided to pull out of the No 2 due to blatant vote manipulation, The Star reported.
PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was also from Umno, countered that Datuk Zaid should provide evidence of fraud - which actually sounded very much like a typical reply from any Umno leader.
He said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution had on Sunday explained that it was impossible to cheat due to the internal security features embedded in the ballot papers and process would not allow cheating to occur, The Star reported.
"I have read Zaid's statement (on his resignation) and the leadership feels that whatever accusations and allegations there are, can be forwarded (to us)," Anwar told reporters at the Parliament lobby Monday.
Anwar said accusations which appeared in Haris Ibrahim's blog on Saturday had also been explained that they were unture.
In his blog, Haris said an informant had showed him a stack of ballot papers for sale and the informant could produce more of the papers.
The informant allegedly indicated Azmin Ali, Zaid's rival for deputy president's post, as the culprit behind the vote rigging.
On whether the leadership would accept Zaid's resignation, Anwar said they had not received any resignation letter from him.
"We need the contribution and participation of all leaders, including Zaid," he said when asked if he would urge Zaid to reconsider his decision (to resign from all party posts.)
Anwar added that Haris' allegations had no basis and Zaid should not make allegations without producing the evidence.
On whether Zaid is still in the running for the PKR deputy presidential race, Saifuddin said Zaid's name "is still in the ballot paper" and he had not received any resignation letter from him.
It is common knowledge that Anwar is backing Azmin - his favoured confidant - for the deputy presidency. The talk is that Anwar would rather have Azmin, his loyalist and favoured one, take over leadership of PKR when - rather than if - he goes to jail for the sodomy charge that is still being heard in court.
But Anwar must realise that he carries on his shoulders the hopes of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Malaysians who are convinced - rightfully or wrongfully - that he has the right stuff to take over the helm of the country.
Anwar must realise that his cries for "Reformasi" and "Justice" had fired up a generation of rebellious and impressionable youths who have become staunchly anti-establishment. They have been converted to his cause and are blind to his faults.
And if PKR is indeed guilty of "vote manipulation" and "electoral fraud" as alleged by Datuk Zaid, then the political struggle of the brigades of youths would be in vain. Anwar would have betrayed those who not only supported him, but believed him.
If the PKR elections become even more shambolic and disgraceful, it does not augur well for Pakatan Rakyat in the general election which is likely to be called next year.
Sadly, the dreams of those who had desired a change in government would be dashed. Ironically, the blame would be on the very person who could have brought about that change.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Controversial skyscraper
The 100-storey Warisan Merdeka building to be constructed in the former Tunku Abdul Rahman Park area near Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur has become a most controversial project with hundreds of thousands of Malaysians opposing and ridiculing it in FaceBook, Twitter, blogs and online news portals.
The points raised mostly involved money - "Sheer waste of money", "Money could be better used elsewhere", "Where is the money coming from?", "Can the government afford it?", etc.
Other points involved the location - "It'll create even more traffic jams", "The place is congested enough", etc.
I agree on the point involving the location and that it'll create even more traffic jams, but I shall take a contrarian view on whether it should be built.
The skyscraper will be built by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and its president and group chief executive Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman held a press conference to explain that the development costing RM5bil would also have a shopping complex and condominiums.
The 100-storey tower – touted to be the country’s tallest – will cost RM2.5bil to RM3bil and will have gross floor space of 3 million sq ft and 2.2 million sq ft of net floor space .
“PNB’s existing headquarters, Menara PNB will be 30 years old by the time the new tower is completed. We are looking for strategic positioning for the future and will need new office space for the expanding PNB group of companies. The Warisan Merdeka tower will become the new PNB headquarters while Menara PNB will be upgraded and leased out for recurring income,” Hamad told The Star.
He said PNB had the capability to finance the project through internally generated funds but he did not discount resorting to borrowings “if the interest rates are attractive.”
On the rationale for PNB’s decision to undertake the project, Hamad explained: “We have been planning to develop the land since 2004 after acquiring it in 2000. After holding the land for so long, we decided it is now the right time to move ahead with the project. As an investment house, our intention is to optimise returns from the development.”
He said the project was expected to yield reasonable returns of between 8% and 10%.
PNB paid RM310mil or RM220 per sq ft to buy the 36-acre land from Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Bhd in 2000. Hamad said the market value of the land was estimated at RM800 per sq ft today.
Of the 36 acres, around 17 acres are occupied by Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara, which have been identified as a national heritage buildings. Conservation works have been undertaken to restore their heritage characteristics and the two stadiums are now being managed by the National Heritage Trust.
The overall Warisan Merdeka development on 19 acres would have to complement and blend with the heritage theme, and together with the restored stadiums, the site was set to be another major landmark in Kuala Lumpur, The Star reported.
The issue of financing was answered by Tan Sri Hamad - it would be internally financed. So government funds would not be utilised. This is a vital point as many of the detractors seem to be confused over government funds and PNB funds - they are not the same. PNB's funds belong to PNB; if PNB resorts to borrowing money, PNB has to repay the loan, not the government. PNB has to generate revenue through its investments and business activities to get the cash to repay the loan.
Now to discuss the location. Property developers would salivate when told where the land is - hundreds of meters from the Petaling Street Chinatown tourist attraction, a short walk from heritage stadia where events/concerts are still held, two monorail stops from the Imbi/Bukit Bintang shopping district and smack in the middle of Kuala Lumpur.
It seems to be a nice prime location, but - there's always a but - the detractors are right about the area being congested enough.
Recently, I drove in town during the peak hour at 5pm along Jalan Tun Perak and I was stuck in a horrendous traffic jam for around 45 minutes. I was at a traffic-light junction near the Maybank headquarters and the traffic lights changed a few cycles and I did not move even an inch.
The leaders of the nation, City Hall officials and town planners should take a drive in the middle of Kuala Lumpur during peak hours to find out for themselves just how bad the traffic jams can be. The problem is the leaders and VIPs have police escorts who shoo away other motorists with their sirens and flashing lights so that their journeys would be smooth.
I recall a former Transport Minister who had never taken a ride on the LRT before and when he did for his first time, it was a major media event. It was also probably his first and last time on the LRT.
Building a 100-storey skyscraper would mean increasing the daytime population of the area by tens of thousands and also increase the number of cars by the thousands. Building condos in the area would mean increasing the night-time population of the area by the thousands and, yes, there will be hundreds of cars being driven back to the condos when offices close.
The roads in the vicinity of the proposed Warisan Merdeka project such as Jalan Hang Jebat, Jalan Hang Tuah, Jalan Maharajalela and Jalan Sultan are already very busy and congested at any time of the day. You can imagine what the traffic situation would be like when the Warisan Merdeka project is completed.
If PNB decides to go ahead with the project - and chances are it will - there will have to be much planning done to solve the traffic congestion in the area otherwise it would be another of KL's great town-planning disasters.
The project would be rendered worthless if getting in and out of the Warisan Merdeka skyscraper, shopping mall and condos means getting stuck in an hour-long jam.
Perhaps the project can be downsized to reduce the impact.
In that case, the 100-storey skyscraper can be built in a greenfield location where proper town planning can be done, highways built and LRT lines constructed. The skyscraper could then be the central development of a township (like Cyberjaya) and tens of thousands of people (and their cars) can be lured to live and work away from the crowded and congested centre of Kuala Lumpur.
And one final point to consider - why build a 100-storey skyscraper when you can build a taller one? A 100-storey skyscraper is a neither-here-nor-there structure. It will be just another skyscraper, just another building, just another phallic symbol.
My view is this - if you want to be build a 100-storey skyscraper, you might as well just add a few more storeys and make it the world's tallest.
The points raised mostly involved money - "Sheer waste of money", "Money could be better used elsewhere", "Where is the money coming from?", "Can the government afford it?", etc.
Other points involved the location - "It'll create even more traffic jams", "The place is congested enough", etc.
I agree on the point involving the location and that it'll create even more traffic jams, but I shall take a contrarian view on whether it should be built.
The skyscraper will be built by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and its president and group chief executive Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman held a press conference to explain that the development costing RM5bil would also have a shopping complex and condominiums.
The 100-storey tower – touted to be the country’s tallest – will cost RM2.5bil to RM3bil and will have gross floor space of 3 million sq ft and 2.2 million sq ft of net floor space .
“PNB’s existing headquarters, Menara PNB will be 30 years old by the time the new tower is completed. We are looking for strategic positioning for the future and will need new office space for the expanding PNB group of companies. The Warisan Merdeka tower will become the new PNB headquarters while Menara PNB will be upgraded and leased out for recurring income,” Hamad told The Star.
He said PNB had the capability to finance the project through internally generated funds but he did not discount resorting to borrowings “if the interest rates are attractive.”
On the rationale for PNB’s decision to undertake the project, Hamad explained: “We have been planning to develop the land since 2004 after acquiring it in 2000. After holding the land for so long, we decided it is now the right time to move ahead with the project. As an investment house, our intention is to optimise returns from the development.”
He said the project was expected to yield reasonable returns of between 8% and 10%.
PNB paid RM310mil or RM220 per sq ft to buy the 36-acre land from Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Bhd in 2000. Hamad said the market value of the land was estimated at RM800 per sq ft today.
Of the 36 acres, around 17 acres are occupied by Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara, which have been identified as a national heritage buildings. Conservation works have been undertaken to restore their heritage characteristics and the two stadiums are now being managed by the National Heritage Trust.
The overall Warisan Merdeka development on 19 acres would have to complement and blend with the heritage theme, and together with the restored stadiums, the site was set to be another major landmark in Kuala Lumpur, The Star reported.
The issue of financing was answered by Tan Sri Hamad - it would be internally financed. So government funds would not be utilised. This is a vital point as many of the detractors seem to be confused over government funds and PNB funds - they are not the same. PNB's funds belong to PNB; if PNB resorts to borrowing money, PNB has to repay the loan, not the government. PNB has to generate revenue through its investments and business activities to get the cash to repay the loan.
Now to discuss the location. Property developers would salivate when told where the land is - hundreds of meters from the Petaling Street Chinatown tourist attraction, a short walk from heritage stadia where events/concerts are still held, two monorail stops from the Imbi/Bukit Bintang shopping district and smack in the middle of Kuala Lumpur.
It seems to be a nice prime location, but - there's always a but - the detractors are right about the area being congested enough.
Recently, I drove in town during the peak hour at 5pm along Jalan Tun Perak and I was stuck in a horrendous traffic jam for around 45 minutes. I was at a traffic-light junction near the Maybank headquarters and the traffic lights changed a few cycles and I did not move even an inch.
The leaders of the nation, City Hall officials and town planners should take a drive in the middle of Kuala Lumpur during peak hours to find out for themselves just how bad the traffic jams can be. The problem is the leaders and VIPs have police escorts who shoo away other motorists with their sirens and flashing lights so that their journeys would be smooth.
I recall a former Transport Minister who had never taken a ride on the LRT before and when he did for his first time, it was a major media event. It was also probably his first and last time on the LRT.
Building a 100-storey skyscraper would mean increasing the daytime population of the area by tens of thousands and also increase the number of cars by the thousands. Building condos in the area would mean increasing the night-time population of the area by the thousands and, yes, there will be hundreds of cars being driven back to the condos when offices close.
The roads in the vicinity of the proposed Warisan Merdeka project such as Jalan Hang Jebat, Jalan Hang Tuah, Jalan Maharajalela and Jalan Sultan are already very busy and congested at any time of the day. You can imagine what the traffic situation would be like when the Warisan Merdeka project is completed.
If PNB decides to go ahead with the project - and chances are it will - there will have to be much planning done to solve the traffic congestion in the area otherwise it would be another of KL's great town-planning disasters.
The project would be rendered worthless if getting in and out of the Warisan Merdeka skyscraper, shopping mall and condos means getting stuck in an hour-long jam.
Perhaps the project can be downsized to reduce the impact.
In that case, the 100-storey skyscraper can be built in a greenfield location where proper town planning can be done, highways built and LRT lines constructed. The skyscraper could then be the central development of a township (like Cyberjaya) and tens of thousands of people (and their cars) can be lured to live and work away from the crowded and congested centre of Kuala Lumpur.
And one final point to consider - why build a 100-storey skyscraper when you can build a taller one? A 100-storey skyscraper is a neither-here-nor-there structure. It will be just another skyscraper, just another building, just another phallic symbol.
My view is this - if you want to be build a 100-storey skyscraper, you might as well just add a few more storeys and make it the world's tallest.
Still an uphill battle for Barisan
As expected, Barisan Nasional cruised to victories in both by-elections in Galas, Kelantan, and Batu Sapi in Sabah.
The mood in the Barisan Nasional camp is obviously buoyant and everybody seems to be in the mood to celebrate especially since the victories coincided with the Hindu festival of Deepavali, which marks the victory of good over evil.
But just because of that coincidence, Barisan should not treat the by-election victories as victories of good over evil.
To treat the Opposition as evil would be the downfall of the ‘good’ guys.
This is simply because the victories are not reflective of the situation in other parts of Malaysia.
In Galas, which was a Barisan stronghold and a state seat within the Parliamentary constituency of Gua Musang where Umno veteran and Kelantan prince Tengku Razaleigh has reigned as king for many years, it was Ku Li’s charisma, influence and stature that won over the Orang Asli and Chinese voters (and some Malay voters too) that resulted in the Barisan victory.
Barisan’s Abdul Aziz Yusoff polled 5,324 votes against Dr Zulkefli Mohamed from PAS who obtained 4,134 votes.
In Batu Sapi, some observers say it was the emotional factor that pulled in the sympathy votes since fielding the widow of the late Batu Sapi MP, Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah, ensured that voters would be sympathetic to her cause (if at all she had a cause).
Barisan candidate Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin of PBS won the Batu Sapi Parliamentary seat - she polled 9,773 votes to defeat PKR’s Ansari Abdullah (3,414 votes) and SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee (2,031 votes).
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was quick to state that while the wins in Galas and Batu Sapi could bolster the coalition’s chances in the next general election, it should not take things easy.
“Barisan can’t take things for granted, we still have a lot to do,” the Deputy Prime Minister said at the MIC Deepavali open house at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
He is right - Barisan cannot take things for granted. Two victories in battles (in rather remote battlefields) do not mean Barisan can win the war.
Can Barisan win the battles in the urban areas? Can Barisan win the battles in Chinese-majority seats? Can Barisan win back the States and seats now controlled by Pakatan Rakyat?
Can Barisan win over the support of impressionable, rebellious and disenfranchised Malaysians? Can Barisan win over the support of the young voters who have grown up from adolescence to adulthood in an atmosphere of cynicism, skepticism and disbelief?
Despite the easy victories in the two by-election battles, it will still be an uphill battle for Barisan in the next general election.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Commonwealth Games and bumiputra privileges
In the New Delhi Commonwealth Games that just ended, Malaysia did commendably well. Malaysia won 12 golds, 10 silvers and 14 bronzes and finished seventh overall.
Traditionally, in the Commonwealth Games, the 'white' nations like Australia, England and Canada would be among the top few. It was the same this time; but Malaysia was ahead of other 'white' places like New Zealand, Scotland and Wales.
So it has been proven that Malaysians can do better than some whites.
Among the Malaysian medallists were several Malays who excelled at shooting, archery, cycling, lawn bowls and weightlifting.
As everybody knows, there is no such thing as a handicap in such games - only the best in the Commonwealth nations (of the former British Empire) must compete on equal footing in a level playing field.
There is no such thing as bumiputra privileges in such championships, no such thing as special handicaps for Malays, no such thing as favoured treatment and privileges based on race.
In the Commonwealth Games (and the Olympics, Asian Games, SEA Games and other world meets), performance is based on merit regardless of race.
It just goes to show that the Malays are able to compete with the best in the world .
They are able to win gold medals, set new records and conquer new frontiers - without having to depend on the crutch of bumiputra privileges and rights.
I am bringing this up because former Prime Minister (now) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his latest blog posting (http://chedet.co.cc) wrote: "The non-politically educated Malays feel ashamed that they have to be helped. They would like to be recognised as people who succeeded on their own. If we study these people almost invariably they have benefited from the NEP. They appear to be ashamed of this.
"They are ashamed to admit that they were unable to compete with the other races. I am not ashamed to admit that I cannot compete with the Chinese and Indian students when studying medicine. They had much better results than me and the other six Malay students for entry into the Medical College. Even at that time the British promised to the Rulers to help educate the Malays. I had my chance because of the affirmative action then. On pure merit I would not be a doctor today, not because I was not qualified, but my qualification was lower than others.
"One has to remember that the Chinese civilisation is more than 4000 years old. No other civilisation has lasted that long. Naturally they have developed a culture better able to survive under all conditions. It is my belief that if the percentage of Chinese in the United Kingdom for example is the same as in Malaysia, UK would be better developed than it is now. It is not surprising that the Chinese excel in developing Malaysia (for which they are amply rewarded).
"It is not shameful to lose out against them. Simply to catch up with them we need handicaps. To be given handicaps is to ensure fairness, not discrimination. That is why in golf you have handicaps. That is why in all contests there must be equality between the contestants.
"It is selfish if having benefited from the handicaps you want to deny others from having them.
"But when all is said and done, those who are given the benefits of handicaps must make honest efforts to use them properly. If they don't then they must forfeit the handicaps in the future."
Tun Dr Mahathir used the analogy of handicaps in sports when he talked about competing with the Malaysian Chinese in education and business.
He said that "to be given handicaps is to ensure fairness, not discrimination".
And he goes on to assert that in golf there are handicaps given to level the playing field.
Fair enough, but for him to say "that is why in all contests there must be equality between the contestants" reveals a logic that is skewed to support his argument for continued affirmative action for the Malays in education and business.
Any contest cannot be fair if an athlete (or student or businessman or educationist or worker) is given a handicap. In any contest, there must be equality among the contestants in the form of them being given support, training, exposure and opportunity. How they perform would depend on their skills, form and, perhaps, a bit of luck.
The question is this: Why is it that the Malays can excel in athletic competitions at world-level without affirmative action, handicaps and privileges?
The next question is: Why is it that the Malays need affirmative action, handicaps and privileges in 'competitions' against Malaysian Chinese in education and business?
Tun Dr Mahathir should ponder on these questions. He himself admitted that he failed to change the mindset of the Malays when he was Prime Minister.
Perhaps he can do so as a retiree.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Galas: Barisan victory imminent
Barisan Nasional is likely to win the Galas by-election in Kelantan on Nov 4, but that victory should not be interpreted as a sea change in the sentiment of Malaysian voters in general.
This is simply because Galas is one of the three state seats within the Gua Musang Parliamentary constituency which has always been a Barisan stronghold with Kelantan prince Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah lording over the area like a king.
It was simply the 'Political Tsunami' of the general elections in 2008 that resulted in lots of voters swinging over to support Pakatan Rakyat resulting in PAS' Che Hashim (whose death on Sept 27 resulted in the by-election) getting 4,399 votes and winning by a mere 646-vote majority. Tengku Razaleigh himself won the Parliamentary seat with a smaller margin of victory - 4,394 compared with 6,548 in 2004.
Now that Tengku Razaleigh has been appointed director of operations of the by-election, it is widely expected that his charisma and influence in the area will convince those who had switched camps, expecially the Chinese, to switch back.
The feeling is that the wave of discontent of the 'Political Tsunami' will not be as strong as it was in 2008, at least in that remote part of Kelantan, and Galas will revert to being a Barisan stronghold.
Observers had pointed out that the swing in Chinese votes ensured a PAS victory in 2008. The Chinese make up 22 per cent of the registered voters there.
Tengku Razaleigh has not lost touch with the grassroots especially the Chinese and the Orang Asli, who have always held him in high regard.
But that is the situation in that patch of land in rural Kelantan and it is not reflective of the situation in the other parts, especially urban areas, of the nation.
In these areas, the flood waters left by the 'Political Tsunami' have not been drained away yet and the anti-Barisan, anti-establishment sentiment is still very strong.
And these pools of political unrest are still the breeding grounds of even more discontent.
This is simply because Galas is one of the three state seats within the Gua Musang Parliamentary constituency which has always been a Barisan stronghold with Kelantan prince Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah lording over the area like a king.
It was simply the 'Political Tsunami' of the general elections in 2008 that resulted in lots of voters swinging over to support Pakatan Rakyat resulting in PAS' Che Hashim (whose death on Sept 27 resulted in the by-election) getting 4,399 votes and winning by a mere 646-vote majority. Tengku Razaleigh himself won the Parliamentary seat with a smaller margin of victory - 4,394 compared with 6,548 in 2004.
Now that Tengku Razaleigh has been appointed director of operations of the by-election, it is widely expected that his charisma and influence in the area will convince those who had switched camps, expecially the Chinese, to switch back.
The feeling is that the wave of discontent of the 'Political Tsunami' will not be as strong as it was in 2008, at least in that remote part of Kelantan, and Galas will revert to being a Barisan stronghold.
Observers had pointed out that the swing in Chinese votes ensured a PAS victory in 2008. The Chinese make up 22 per cent of the registered voters there.
Tengku Razaleigh has not lost touch with the grassroots especially the Chinese and the Orang Asli, who have always held him in high regard.
But that is the situation in that patch of land in rural Kelantan and it is not reflective of the situation in the other parts, especially urban areas, of the nation.
In these areas, the flood waters left by the 'Political Tsunami' have not been drained away yet and the anti-Barisan, anti-establishment sentiment is still very strong.
And these pools of political unrest are still the breeding grounds of even more discontent.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Numismatic oddities
The release of dinar and dirhams minted from pure gold and silver by the PAS-led Kelantan state government recently can best be described as a political ploy to convince Muslim voters that PAS is serious about reviving the glory days of Islam.
In those great days when Goldman Sachs was not in existence and Wall St was probably some muddy field, dinars and dirhams were the media of exchange of the Muslim world.
In Kelantan, the initial run of coins worth about US$640,000 (RM1,978,880 based on US$1 = RM3.092) ranging from one dirham - containing about US$4 (RM12.3680) worth of silver at current prices - and one dinar - worth US$189 (RM584.388) - to an eight-dinar coin worth US$1,518 (RM4,693.66) were issued and were sold out, ironically bought by buyers using the ringgit, Malaysia's official currency, to pay for them.
While the idea of reviving a currency from the time of the Prophet is romantic, it is also rather simplistic.
For any currency to be worth anything today - without the backing of gold - its value relative to other currencies has to be determined via trading on the foreign exchange markets. Thus the value of the ringgit is determined on a daily basis by the forex market (it is on a real-time basis for the traders).
And for a currency to be traded on a foreign currency exchange, it has to be recognised as the official currency of a nation.
This is where the weakness of the Kelantan dinar and dirham lies - how does one determine their value in ringgit or, say, US dollar terms?
Its proponents may say that it is very simple - just base it on the value of the precious metal it contains. Thus the gold dinar and silver dirham would be worth what the metals are worth in the metal exchange.
If that is the case, then the values of the dinar and dirham will be affected by fluctuations in the metal markets due to supply, demand and speculation and are unstable in value like any other paper currency.
If the price of gold shoots up, then the eight-dinar coin would be worth more than its current value of US$1,518 (RM4,693.66).
Thus to say that "1,400 years ago, a chicken cost one dirham. Today, it still costs approximately one dirham" (http://www.islamicmint.com/islamicdinar/uses.html) does not compute.
Today's Kelantan one-dirham coin has about US$4 (RM12.3680) worth of silver in it. Assuming silver doubles in value ceteris paribus, the one-dirham coin should be worth US$8 (RM24.736). Would a chicken cost US$8 (RM24.736) then or would it remain at US$4 (RM12.3680)?
Of more importance is the fact that those who authorised the issuing of the Kelantanese dinar and dirham have not heard of Gresham's Law, a concept that is found in any A-Level economics textbook.
The turbaned ones wearing Arabian robes and stroking their beards of wisdom obviously have not heard of the phrase "bad money chasing out good money".
According to http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/selgin.gresham.law, "the proposition known as 'Gresham's Law' is often stated baldly as 'bad money drives good money out of circulation.' Ancient and medieval references to this tendency were informed by circumstances in which lightened, debased, or worn coins had assigned to them the same official value as coins containing greater quantities of precious metal. In this context the tendency, which had yet to be elevated to the status of an economic 'law,' was one in which 'bad' coins alone, that is, coins possessing a relatively low metallic content ('intrinsic value'), continued to be offered in routine payments, while 'good' coins were withdrawn into hoards, exported, or reduced through clipping or 'sweating' (that is, purposeful erosion by chemical or mechanical means) to an intrinsic value no greater than that possessed by their 'bad' counterparts."
According to wikipedia: "If 'good' coins have a face value below that of their metallic content, individuals may be motivated to melt them down and sell the metal for its higher intrinsic value, even if such destruction is illegal. As an example, consider the 1965 United States half dollar coins, which contained 40% silver. In previous years, these coins were 90% silver. With the release of the 1965 half dollar, which was legally required to be accepted at the same value as the earlier 90% halves, the older 90% silver coinage quickly disappeared from circulation, while the newer debased coins remained in use. As the price of bullion silver continued to rise above the face value of the coins, many of the older half dollars were melted down. Beginning in 1971, the U.S. government gave up on including any silver in the half dollars, as even the metal value of the 40% silver coins began to exceed their face value."
Economists have noticed the tendency for people (of all faiths) to cut/shave off bits of gold or silver from coins made from these precious metals which they would amass, melt down and sell off for a tidy profit. The debased or smaller and lighter coins would remain in circulation even though their content of precious metals would be worth less than their face values.
Some experts have opined that this led to the issuance of paper currencies and coins made of cheaper metals like copper, nickel and zinc.
In fact when the prices of copper and zinc shot up in 2006, the United States government banned the melting or mass exportation of nickels and pennies as the melted-down coins were worth more than their face value.
According to Islamic Law, the Islamic Dinar is a specific weight of 22k gold (917.) equivalent to 4.25 grams while the Islamic Dirham is a specific weight of pure silver equivalent to 3 grams.
These specifications were established by Umar Ibn al-Khattab based on their weights: "7 dinars must be equivalent to 10 dirhams." Umar reigned as Caliph from 634-644.
Gold and silver dinars and dirhams were in use in the Muslim world till the fall of the Caliphate. Later, they were replaced - as in many other parts of the world - with paper currency which is still in use today.
Several Muslim nations still call their legal tender paper currencies dinar.
As for the gold dinar and silver dirham in Kelantan, it is unlikely for them to gain legal tender status and replace the ringgit as the medium of exchange. They will also not revive the glory of the Muslim world during the Caliphates.
At best they will be numismatic oddities.
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