Wakil Rakyat For N25-Balai Ringin or P202-Sri Aman Must Resign to Enable Poor Families in the Contituencies to Get Low Cost Houses

Kuching
Monday, 25th October 2010

Why can't the Same Project be launched in Sarawak, the State which is rich in natural resources but dwelling by the poorest peoples in Malaysia! 

After reading the newspaper this morning, I realized that the only way how Najib 1Malaysia-People First Performance Now can reach the people is by calling for the By-Election.

T

he People Of N25-Balai Ringin Do Not Need the MRP Projects, what they need are the basic amenities like good houses, road, electricity and clean water. If the YB cannot afford to provide basic amenities to the people than the best way is to resign so that Najib can announce for the by-election and therefore the low cost housing project just like the one in Gua Musang can reach the poor people in N25-Balai Ringin!

Yesterday, Sunday, 24th October 2010, Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the government will build the "Rumah Rakyat" for more than 1500 people in Gua Musang. Muhyiddin said the project is not part of BN's "Fishing For Vote Project" for Galas by-election. If so why in Gua Musang, and not in Balai Ringin, the Bukittunggal.com home town? 

I wrote about the plight of the people of Kampong Empaling about their housing loan application in Bukittunggal which was submitted to the Sarawak Housing Development Corporation (SHDC) since year 2007 and resubmitted again in year 2009 but until now had received no response from the corporation.

Bukittunggal also wrote about the dilapidated conditions of the houses in Kampong Gayau, another long houses in N25-Balai Ringin which needed the housing loan, just like the 1500 people in Gua Musang .

The number of registered voters in both of the longhouses may not be able to match the number of voters in Gua Musang but their numbers may be able to determine the winner of the election in N25-Balai Ringin or P202-Sri Aman. YB Snowdan may still remember how his father defeated Dato Seri Daniel Tajem in the state election held in year 1987 by slim 59 votes. Supposedly if the same scenario happen again, whereby a close fight between BN and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) candidates reoccurred againt, if the voters from the two long houses do not vote for him, Snowdan Lawan or any BN candidate that stands in N25-balai Ringin or P202-Sri Aman will sure lose the election.

If YB Snowdan Lawan really wants to develop his constituency, the best and most effective method is by calling for the by-election. So far the by-election is considered as the most effective way to bring about the development to each constituency.

Let’s there Be A By-Election In N25-Balai Ringin

Based on the Previous By-Elections, BN were willing to spend huge amount of monies to fish for votes. Thus the only way how development could reach N25-Balai Ringin or P202-Sr Aman is by calling for the By-Election. But are YB Snowdan and YB Masir Kujat willing to sacrifice their seats ?  

Based on the previous eleven (11) by-elections held since the 12th General Election in 2008, in order to win the election, BN had willing to spend millions of ringgit.

Since YB Snowdan and YB Masir Kujat could not bring enough developments to their constituencies, either YB Snowdan or Masir Kujat will need to sacrifice their seats in order for the By-Election to be held in N25-Balai Ringin or P202-Sri Aman. They should not wait for God intervention to force them to relinquish their posts.

To the voters in N25-Balai Ringin and P202-Sri Aman, Let’s Pray for the By-Election in our constituency.

Mupok Aku

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN

Malaysia’s May 13, 1969

Kuching
Monday, 25th October 2010

There are two events that have changed the course of Malaysian history. The first was the attempted creation of the Malayan Union by the British colonialists. The second is the infamous May 13, 1969. Both are closely inter-twined as the first galvanised the different Malay communities in Peninsular Malaya (Malaya) to form the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) which spearheaded the fight against the Malayan Union and had the profound impact of predisposing Malaysia towards racial politics, which ultimately led to the May 13, 1969 race riots and the continuing conundrum Malaysia faces in race-relations .

The British colonialists must also be held responsible for Malaysia’s race-based politics. In their attempts to protect British strategic and economic interests, they favoured Malaya’s capitalist elite who preferred the race based approach to politics against the more universal class based political parties which were seen as direct threats to British interests.

What actually happened?

To date, there are two general accepted versions of what transpired. The official version, the government white paper, of May 13, provides what is now the mainstream view of the events  The paper claims that the predominantly Malaysian Chinese opposition parties were infiltrated by communists elements and were the cause of the riots. It appears that the white paper also attempts to justify the race riots by arguing from a historical perspective, beginning with the Malayan Union to the existing conditions and issues affecting Malaya then that led to the race riots i.e. that the Malays were alienated in their own land.

This maybe considered biased as:

(i) it does not discuss the role that UMNO played in raising racial tensions, not only in Malaya but also in Singapore – who had experienced race riots earlier in 1964 (read here);

(ii) The fact that the Chinese majority opposition parties were involved in masterminding May 13 has not been proven. The white paper itself does not provide substantive evidence. Furthermore, the fact that the government used The Internal Securities Act (ISA) – which does not require bringing the accused to a court of law – against opposition leaders substantiates allegations that UMNO either masterminded May 13 or was taking advantage of it by deposing opposition leaders who at the 1969 general election had a real chance of forming government.

Dr. Kua Kia Soong’s, “Declassified Documents on the Malaysian riots of 1969” provides the other general view, which argues that UMNO played a key role in May 13 . This has of course has been challenged by many in UMNO. A general rebuttal (in a non-academic way) is represented by a blogger called Jebat Must Die.

The truth may lie somewhere in between. Several eminent public intellectuals such as historian Emeritus Prof. Khoo Kay Kim attributes it to the prevailing conditions in Malaysia at that time.

However, one thing became very clear after May 13. Any attempt to challenge UMNO would be met with the strongest response – legitimately or legitimately. May 13 established the concept of Malay supremacy through the blood of hundreds if not thousands of Malaysians, especially of Chinese heritage. This led to most non – Malays having no options but to accept UMNO hegemony (Ketuanan Melayu/Malay Supremacy) or leave Malaysia. Many choose to migrate – a trend which has continued as a result of systematic discrimination against the non – Malays.

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) who choose not to join the newly expanded Alliance - now called Barisan Nasional – and became the largest opposition, became the natural target of UMNO and blame was placed on them systematically as the cause of May 13, 1969. UMNO has since maintained 2/3 majority in Parliament – effectively changing the Constitution and system of government to suit its need.

UMNO/Malay supremacy continues but now it is now challenged more by political parties dominated by Malays themselves, first by PAS (read here), then by Tengku Razaleigh and Semangat 46 in 1988 but most potently through Anwar Ibrahim after Reformasi in 1999 through PKR.

Moving forward?

It is now 42 years since May 13 but it is never far from the minds of Malaysians as UMNO raises it time and again (read here ) to remind Malaysians that only UMNO can guarantee stability.

Most Malaysians want to understand what actually happened, to discuss it in a civilised manner and to come to intelligent solutions that will remove the root causes that created the environment for this terrible incident.

Will UMNO allow this?

This article first appeared in GreggWordpress

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN