[Malaysia] Abdullah’s Government Shrouded by Malignant Bishops

17 June 2005

Abdullah’s Government Shrouded by Malignant Bishops

Hatchet Man upon Avon

It is now past one year since the leadership of Prime Minister Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi, malaysia’s 5th Prime Minister took the nation by the scruff of its neck and won the 11th general elections handsomely. Not only did Barisan Nasional managed to recapture the state of Terengganu, but if not for some high-handed tactics employed by the Elections Commission; many analysts had predicted and shared the view that Kelantan would have also fallen to the ruling coalition.

Many attributed the euphoria of the ‘end’ of the Mahathir regime, Malaysia’s longest serving Prime Minister to date in 2003. be it a coy political move, a tactical gambit or whatever, it was a decisive move that surprised the opposition, including one-time protégé Prime Minister to be Anwar Ibrahim. Such a stunning move resulted in the vociferous change in voters’ perception towards the government.

With such a resounding victory came high expectations of the Malaysian public. For so long the enigma of a corrupted regime had clouded Malaysia’s past and present achievements. Mega projects and government handouts seemed to be a thing of the past, not with the new Prime Minister’s noble intentions to thwart graft, launch an all out war on societal decay and evils as well as encompassing a new paradigm in people-centered development as the main thrusts for his fledgling government.

But such an euphoria seemed downtrodden of late. The fight against graft continues unabated, but alas not up to the expectations of the public. The so called “big fish” still remained free and what has been dished out so far rankles like a coin dropped in a sea of feather. Many still wondered if it was the announcement of 18 more high profiled cases to be revealed that cost Rais Yatim his post as Minister in charge of legal affairs. Such a blunder led him to the conundrums of our forlorn museums and artifacts, where he is comforted by the fact that mummified remains of years and civilizations gone would provide him with the natural platform to rebound.

Another was so downtrodden at being overlooked for the current Deputy Premier’s post that many see his current immobility in the Agricultural sense is costing the Prime Minister critical and strategic support from the Malay heartland archipelago. Agro-based activities still ruled the rural areas, and with Muhyiddin’s insistence on making a fuss over his lower ranking standing as compared to his previous tenure seems to confine the Prime Minister’s gusto to elevate agriculture to world standards to just a fantasy.

The heartland remains in tremor, and so far even the Prime Minister seems at a loss as to how the damage could be reversed.

Next is a zealot who claims to have the protection of the Prime Minister himself in his dealings in one land under the wind. Musa Aman is a likeable fellow, one can just walk up to him and strike up a conversation on about anything, but in truth he is an unscrupulous dealer who uses that claim to foster his faltering ego. Questionable dealings, projects and handouts made to his family members would in the end cost him dearly, though he still claims his current patronage of the Prime Minister’s son-in-law would save his hide time and again. That remains unproven. The fact that he belongs to the smallest of UMNO camps in Sabah remains a hush point for many. And he remains entrenched in what he claims to be his rightful place.

We now got another Menteri Besar who, unlike his compatriot who blew a blood vessel and was forced into early rest, this leader from the south suddenly found his well balanced approach towards bliss encumbered by new allegations that his marital infidelities would bring him down. Again many believes this to be the work of detractors who want to kick him out of Johor, but the fact that Ghani is linked to another high profile persona just goes to show how desperate are people to see him out.

Then we have the dentist who came to power with the blessing of the then Prime Minister Mahathir. Hardly 4 years into his tenure, he was caught flat-footed in a scandal as big as the city of Shah Alam, wherein he was accused of allowing nature to be raped (also in Selayang, prompting Abdullah to state that “All is not OK”); a building complex befitting the lifestyles of the rich and famous for his elected excos, a seafaring trip to a distant land on the pretext of a “study visit”, and last but the list is unending claims that his personal wealth had quadrupled in just under 3 years. All this falls heavily on Khir Toyo, and it remains to be seen whether he can survive the upcoming general assembly.

Enough said of the states. Back at federal level, one minister of the ruling coalition refuses to leave even though his party relevancy now seems questionable with many Indian-based groups with more members combined than the MIC sprouting up claiming they have no confidence in him. Yet Samy being Samy he not only dismissed the groups, he ensured none in his party would interfere with his rule by removing the 2nd in command. It remains to be seen whether allegations against him on the failures of several construction projects could be proven.

Another seems embattled by the former premiere over calls to reveal the names of those given AP. It is such a taboo issue that news of her response were carried as far as Helsinki and the decorum in which she defied to reveal the list on the claim that it would disrupt businesses annoyed many; least those who now question why Mahathir kept Rafidah for so long with her questionable loyalty and seemingly personified interests in such dealings. She also still have questions to answer on the allegations of corruption in one Attorney General’s file.

Moreoever it is Rafidah's AP system, endorsed by Mahathir himself that has set about a motion of events that will in the end spell disaster for the national car industry, namely Proton. That too due to Mahathir's own failure to see beyond his vision of having our own brand name of the truth - the success of any automobile industry is made out of the export market, as proven by the likes of Mercedes, Fiat, Volkswagon, the Japanese Toyota, Honda and even the Koreans through Hyundai and Kia. The fact that Proton cars had continuously failed the US market's crash test requirements revealed a serious defect in the grand design of the former Prime Minister to launch a worldwide Malaysian auto make. Now the decay seems immiment with dwindling exports, exhorbitant production costs due to continuous payments to be made to Mitsubishi for royalties, high parts costs due to low numbers and easily forgotten makes and designs such as the Tiara, Arena, Juara, Gen-2 and the newly luanched Savvy (now endearing the nickname Sawi). Maybe after this we can expect a long line of vege-based models such as Can Conn (similar to kangkung), lowe bathe (lobak), k-land (kailan) and so forth. Then there’s Mustapha Mohamed; the guy who seems to have a grudge against Annuar Musa for being appointed ahead of him as Kelantan UMNO Chairman. Little did this man realize that Annuar had done much for Kelantan, is always on the ground, and is willing to meet people, unlike him whom many refer to as “the 7-minutes man”. Not only could he not recall a person after that time, it seems he is going back on his words time and again.

Point in question are 2 differing reports quoting his intellectual capacity. The first concerns his claim published on the front page of Utusan that there are only 18,000 unemployed grads in the country. That not only shot Pemuda UMNO in the foot, but also the MCA, whose Fong Chan Onn had just asked the government for an additional RM250 million to train about 60,000 unemployed grads with employability skills etc. people wondered who was stupider, the minister who asked for the money or the Prime Minister who had used the figure of more than 80,000 in his deliberations on the state of the nation’s graduates.

It seems that nobody bothered to look at the figures released by MTEN as claimed by Mustapha. His remarks in the STAR that the government doesn’t manufacture figures seems however, to prove that either he is a malignant bishop or that his charges in MTEN are wasting the taxpayers’ hard earned money on holiday trips abroad.

He stated that there are only about 20% unemployed graduates, out of the 3.5% unemployed workforce. A reasonable man just need to seek clarification from the Statistics Department. As of March 2005 we have around 10.5 million workers. Out of this 3.5% are unemployed, giving us a figure of say 350,000. if Mustapha had bothered to calculate, 20% of this gives a figure of around 70,000, thus proving Fong and the Prime Minister right, and he? It doesn’t take a monkey to peel this banana out.

Questions abound, how can the figure of unemployment suddenly rise in 2 months from 18,000 to 70,000? If this is true, that means the economy is really in trouble, contrary to Mustapha’s “reassuring” words.

In conclusion, Abdullah has got a mountain to mould, if he is to ensure his Cemerlang, Gemilang and Terbilang motto survives his first term. He need not look far, the people he got serving him in strategic areas seem intent to see him fail. And this only gives speculators the que to further question his credibility, and whether he is another victim of the Mahathir conspiracy.

In order to do that, Abdullah must act swiftly, either in reshuffling his pack, or playing his aces; though the latter might eventually result in joker cards being played instead. His integrity, his future and even his vision of Malaysia is now under the microscope. As a person who wants him to succeed and exorcise the demons of Mahathir, I sincerely hope he can muster his inner strength to triumph against this adversity. He did it once when he was pushed out of cabinet and UMNO VP post by Anwar. He must do so again, or forever be confined to the memories of being another would-be hero lost in the open sea of the Malaysian political battlefield.

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