Monday 14 April 2008

Change? What Change?

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Things alter for the worse spontaneously,
if they be not altered for the better designedly.

- Francis Bacon

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Something stinks in the Malaysian political scene - and it sure as hell doesn't come from the "opposition" parties.

Well, we have good news and bad ....
The good news is, we've been hearing lots of rhetoric about the dominant parties of Barisan Nasional (ie, UMNO Baru, MCA & MIC) wanting change.
The bad news is, they don't know what that means!


This is especially noticeable in UMNO Baru.
I do not believe that the crisis in MCA and MIC deserves any mention - they are simply "unhatched eggs", rotting away without any sign of redemption.
UMNO Baru on the other hand despite not having "hatched" after 50 yrs. appear to be a little more resilient - they are able to withstand the rot thus far, and at least make a pretense of wanting to change.
But what is this change that they wish for the party?
By the looks of it, they only seem to want a "fresh coat of whitewash" for the carcass of defeat.

As in all losing parties, they tend to lash out at the most vulnerable target - in this case being "Mr. Pantang-dicabar" and his "beruk".
Mr. Chris has meekly agreed to "vacate the premises", after all the act of dagger-shoving fetish act at the last AGM, lest he too come in the firing line. Such pussycats ....

UMNO Baru is groping ....., Mahadear & Co are shooting & spitting .... in the dark.

All are equally clueless as to what needs to be done, beyond screaming for AAB's (and his beruk's, of course) blood (or office, rather).
"Some people" are desperate to lodge their candidates as the heir apparents in place of the current hierarchy (lest his legacy is undone), and have resorted to personal attacks on any other possible candidate.
He/ they wouldn't admit his/their faults (that have become festering wounds on the back of UMNO Baru, while keeping a straight face), but are quick to beat the drums of war, calling for patriotism (aka "Ketuanan Melayu") with subtle fear mongering.
And guess what - the peasants are just waiting for any rickety bandwagon that they can jump on, so as to hide the shame that they now face ........

As Raja Petra had mentioned - it appears that there is an active "campaign of disinformation" to make the Malay electorate feel "dispossessed" and insecure.
The dispossession of UMNO Baru members (due to lack of "negotiated contracts"?) is translated and spun in their small minds, as dispossession of the Malay RACE and Islam!
How things are different at present for the electorate thus far, as compared to the time of total dominance by UMNO Baru, they do not wish to question. They only fear the unknown ghosts that they see, as in the "Orang Minyak" story given by Raja Petra some time back.
There also appears to be an active process of "subversion" in states held by parties other than BN, exemplified by "requests" to scrap federal funded projects and the en-bloc resignation of village heads.
Not to mention the repeated attempts at subverting the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
That's how small-minded they get - and they say that they want a change in mindset in UMNO Baru!

The questions I wish to pose are these -

  • Would it make a difference at all with Kuli, NTR or Muhyiddin at the helm?
  • Did they not see the need for the changes earlier?
  • Have any one of them articulated the changes that are needed, beyond requesting that the quota system of Mahathirism be abolished so as to enable the challenge to the current leadership?
  • Have any one of the "potential candidates" (aka Kuli, NTR, Muhyiddin, Mukhriz, Toyol) addressed issues that set the rot in place? Such as the corrupt Judiciary? The abuse of NEP? The billions of Ringgit apparently lost in numerous scams/ mega projects/ white elephants that dot the nation?
  • Have any one of them proven themselves as anything other than the proverbial "Pak Turut" in the past?
  • Have they addressed the "ghosts of Mahathirism" and the dynasties of aristocrats?
  • Have they requested any accountability from the financial giants on "negotiated tenders/contracts" that were awarded?
  • Are they willing to do away with Mahathirism, Mahathirites & money politics?
  • Do they see Mahadear for what he truly is, beyond his pseudo-intellectual facade?
  • Do they see that all his judgements of character (for viable successors) have admittedly, been erroneous thus far?

To all these questions, the obvious answer is a big emphatic "NO"!
As far as I can see, non of them have articulated their ideas beyond the same old mantra of NEP, Ketuanan Melayu and "Islamist" rhetoric, with much fear mongering and threats of "persecution" for the electorate in Pakatan Rakyat states.
Of late, somebody has even stooped so low as to use the royal household of Kelantan, to get their racist ideas firmly entrenched in the Malay mind - I seriously wonder who that might be ......

The saddest part of it all is the fact that "peasants in Gucci" seem to be cheering one aristocrat or other, totally clueless as to what is required of real leaders.

The latest call was that of some youth faction "pseudo-ideologue" (who apparently is partly to blame for the Kris-shoving act) - he says that without a "Blog", one doesn't deserve to be a leader!
Holy mother of Idiots!
Since when was having a blog, the epitome of good leadership qualities?
What are they gonna write? .... where to get the best tempe & ikan masin? Or is it where they can find the hottest chicks? Or the number of hits that they get, without saying anything of substance?
Or could it be that they wish to simply advertise to the "peasant minds" that they are now "internet savvy bloggers", and so deserve to be the next UMNO firebrand leader?
They must be thinking that being a blogger is "glamourously far out" and at the cutting edge of technology, in line with their "Cinta IT" motto/ songs that they publicise on TV!

Anyway, knowing their penchant for symptomatic solutions, this whole "head-hunting" in UMNO will most probably be just another "sandiwara" that will be enacted, so that peasants will get "newer recycled aristocrats" in the sham "democratic processes" that are so UMNO - dulu, kini dan selamanya.
The propaganda machinery would then go on overdrive to extol the greatness and virtues of this "Ketuanan Melayu" candidate.


One might want to know - Just what is this "Change" that the intellectually bankrupt peasants of UMNO Baru clamor for?
Just a couple of heads to roll, and then it is all fine and dandy?
For UMNO, that's probably how the game is played.

Yep - peasants can then start shouting themselves hoarse "Hidup whoever!" and jumping for joy at the thought of UMNO Baru having started the process of 'change'.

That's all it takes to dupe the peasant - a fresh coat of paint!

So, it appears that UMNO Baru hasn't gotten over the first phase of grief in death - Denial.


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"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg.
We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg.
We must be hatched or go bad."
- C.S. Lewis