Politics III

Today in the newspapers, it was reported about the outburst of Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the Kelantan Menteri Besar and also the PAS Mursyidul, challenging Nasharudin Mat Isa the PAS deputy president to quit and join UMNO if he continues to harp on the unity talk.

Mustapha Ali, another PAS veteran, stated that the only way for the unity talk is to take-off is by including PAS's Pakatan Rakyat's partners, namely DAP and PKR.

Nik Aziz went to the extent of saying that it is never the intention of PAS to conduct this proposed unity talk, it was the work of one person and is a cause of disunity to the PR and PAS particularly.

Why did he not just say it out, that it was the idea of Hj Hadi Awang when Hj Hadi spoke about it during the PAS's Muktamar recently?

Why not talk to Nasharudin Mat Isa, before making a press statement? Why need to be a hero and use the media to air the dirty laundry in the party?

I guess that the reason why, Nik Aziz is not much different as the other people involved in this particular episod, he is just also another politician.

Politics II

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I have many different creed of friends; race, religion, political affiliations, professions and nationalities. On this one occassion 3 of my closest friends, during those days were affiliated to 3 different political parties, 1 was with PAS, another with Semangat 46 and another with UMNO.

On different occassions I would be having the usual teh tarik sessions with each and several of them. One of the advantages for not being affiliated to any political party, I can be critical of any of the parties and thus share my opinions with them and on some occassions with only one of them at any one time.

So one day the 3 of them invited me to join their political parties of which I vehemently declined, and of course they wondered why. My respond to them was that each of the political parties were and are still ran by politicians.

Why would this be very material to me?

Simple, politicians would do things because of their politics. For example, we have heard about the resignation of the Deputy Chief Minister 1 of Penang, Fairuz Khairudin. The initial part was the instigation by the PKR Penang Youth chief for the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission to investigate Fairuz for abusing his power regarding some quarry operations. Bear in mind that Fairuz was a PKR assemblyman and the instigator was a PKR member too.
Then when the MACC was conducting an investigation, the PKR made a statement that they would appoint lawyers to represent Fairuz should he be charged in court. Cummon...

Then there were reports by Penangites that Fairuz had not been visiting his constituents and he was reprimanded none other by Anwar Ibrahim. And Fairuz's defend was that he doesn't need the publicity to conduct his responsibilities, in other word he had been visiting his constituents but not have an entourage of reporters dogging his backside to report his activities. In which case politicians would have this entourage of reporters to report on the event when they picked up a piece of dead dried up leaf on the street.

Fairuz maybe have joined politics but he definitely not know how to behave like a politician.

Politics

Image by ucumari via Flickr

Recently during the PAS muktamar, its President Haji Hadi Awang proposed of a unity talk with UMNO and mentioned of the idea of forming a unity government with UMNO. He also mentioned that the idea was discussed with PAS's partners in PR and they were not oppose of the idea.

A few days later, Lim Kit Siang stated his opposition of the idea and stated that DAP was never supportive of the idea.

Nik Aziz, PAS's spiritual leader is also against the idea of the unity talk.

All these were done through the media, print and otherwise.

I am not againsts or supporting the idea of the unity talk, but it is more about how the different party leaders were not communicating amongst themselves and would rather do it through the media. I find it amusing that these so called leaders found it more appropriate to air their opinions through the media rather than having a dialogue or discussion amongst themselves.

This is what I call "Politics," when you can actually meet face to face, you'd just make a press statement. It is for the politicians, to always be in the news, always to find way to be in the news always.

In the office similar things are happening, you have something that you need to say to someone, you'd rather say it in a meeting in front of everyone rather than to talk to the person personally. You have something to say to someone, send him an email, even though he sits in the cubicle next to you.

The Laws: lacking in provision

I am presently undergoing post-graduate studies and one of the subject is about Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), and the area of discussion specifically about Sexual Harassment.

Image by quinn.anya via Flickr

In trying to understand the subject, much of the reference are US based, several laws were already formulated in the US about EEO and one such law concerning Sexual Harassment is that it is a basis of sex is a violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

I was researching for such a provision in the Malaysian legal context and found out that no such law exist and the only recourse for Sexual Harassment is in reference to the penal code.

In fact if you refer to NST in 2008, the Malaysian Employer Federation is against the idea of the enactment of such laws.

I wonder why.....

Would they if...

I was reading the newspaper the other day, about how the home owners in KL are against the idea of the new LRT extension to pass their area as this would entail the acquisition of their lands and homes. They would be compensated I believe.

This the toss between having a good transportation services and the obstacles on building them.

I am very sure this will also attract the unsavoury politicians to throw their hats into the melee.

The very idea is whether we can have convenience without sacrifice?

I live in this housing area that is quiet I would say. Nearby is a small field that the boys from the neighbourhood would play football. The field is nothing to shout about but had neglected way long ago by the developer and the local council would only send people to cut the grass and virtually nothing else. The swings, see-saw, slide had all broken down and there is a huge dent in the ground on the field. A small concrete bridge across the drain is the only thing that helps the younger kids to cross onto the field. There is only so much that the neighbours can do to improve the field.

A neighbour is planning to have their daughter's wedding and the tents for the guests are to be put up on the field. VIPs are invited and what do you know, the local council workers are now maintaining the field and a new bridge is being laid and the broken playground thingys are now removed....

Maybe we should have more occassions where VIPs are invited eh?

Who is Pak Pandir?

Those of you who are not Malaysians, hopefully I am correct to assume so, most probably are wondering who is Pak Pandir.
Well in the Malaysian folklore he is the village fool, similarly the Indians (from the sub-continent not from Brickfields eh) have their 'Sardar' as the butt of all their jokes.

Pak Pandir in the Malay folklores is a stupid man (don't know how to be politically correct here) or you can say dumb. Easily fooled and straight as an arrow. I would rather say that he is a trusting and a straight man rather than just being merely dumb.

Why do I use "Pak Pandir"? I just think that I want to talk straight, and sometimes its hard to be talking straight when people are easily hurt by the remarks.

So being Pak Pandir, I'll try to talk straight but at the same time if people are hurt, my excuse is just that I am stupid :D

Puing-puing

I have always wanted to write, but its not something that I have the discipline and patience to do. So blogging is maybe the natural thing to do whilst I find the patience to finish whatever that I had started to write about.

I find that writing is beautiful; when you can put what comes to your mind into words and expressing yourself in ways that makes people wanting to read or find out more. Reflecting back, I believe my first serious reading happened one day in the school library when I found a book by Robert Ludlum entitled "The Osterman Weekend."

I found the book, confusing inititially, draining gradually and thrilling eventually. Then of course more of Ludlum's books crossed my path, and I believe I had read almost all his books with the exception of those co-written with other authors.

My reading took me to Ranjau Sepanjang Jalan, Rentong, Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa; all read when I was still in secondary school.

Please, it is not about how much I had read; it is about how those books created an interest in me to write. And of course those knowledge books.

My purpose of wanting to write? It is to share my experiences and ideas.

I shall... and I will publish a book.