Speech for BN political leaders: Are you brand Barisan Nasional?

“… Whether we realize it or not, we members of UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, et al, are involved in the brand Barisan Nasional.

I hope the first thing you do when selecting your next role as a BN member is to unleash the potential of the coalition.

BN, while maybe not the sexiest name in the current political business, offered me an underrated hipness factor and the horizon to transform into something even more special than prior Merdeka.

All BN parties must consider to operate like a startup with the stability of a 59 year-old political vessel.

We must come out of the rough sea and work feverishly to repair our brand reputation in a giddying political demography.

BN is a great place for its members; BN members made the right choice in the first instance.

But how would new voters know all this? How would they become aware of what we can do to make lives even better for their future and Malaysia?

First task on hand is to overhaul the social media activities for our membership and install savvy customer relation efforts in our public conversations in either Twitter, blog or Facebook.

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Okkk, now over to you, Najib Tun Razak, Chua Soi Lek, Samy Velu, Koh Tsu Koon, et al. If you still need ideas to transform this into rousing speeches for your party members, please do not be too shy to ask me.

Malaysia Netroots and Citizen Bloggers

Ever wonder if our savvy politicians are even aware of the changing pattern of communication of our loyal party grassroot voters?

Let’s do a checklist:

Got blog? – check

Got Facebook and Twitter? – check

Got interactive conversation to walk with and connect with commentators’ fears and tears? – “Itu software belum lagi di pasaran, boss…,” explained the hapless political aide. “Pergi tanya dekat bloggers,” exclaimed the half awake politician.

Suddenly a vision pops in my head – she, the internet evangelist grandma in a TV advertisement going, “Jom Streamyx !!”

Share with you below highlights from a related article:
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Rise of the Netroots: How citizen army of bloggers is changing Malaysian politics

Malaysian politicians need to rise up with the digital reality and collaborate with social-political new media practitioners to extend constituencies beyond their silver haired circle of loyalist voters. Never before has the need to connect with today’s digital-savvy consumers been so crucial to winning campaigns for a high income economy aspirant nation state.

Thanks to information technology, the possible spectrum for ideological debate in Malaysia has been widen a little especially since the advent of emails, blogs, sms, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter dented the traditionally unidirectional political messaging and campaigning that voters have been subjected to.

So instead of issuing numbing political slogans or lamentations of political parties attributing their troubles to the machinations of their adversaries rather than to their own failures or sheer misfortune, why don’t they just get to work with the netroots as an outreach connector to reach constituents beyond their traditional voters neatly segmented by race, association or party membership?

Click here to read the article in full.

Dear sir, may I ask you to account for your billions?

Somebody read this in Lim Kit Siang’s blog and email to me to jazz up le balmy Sunday evening:

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From Mr Lim Kit Siang’s pen:

In July 2003, the ACA announced a new policy of transparency to be more responsive towards public demand for information about its investigations, viz:

• The ACA will keep all complainants informed on the status of investigations into their reports if they want it.

• Heads of government departments will be informed of the decision of the Attorney-General on investigations involving their subordinates.

• The ACA will issue statements about cases that are still under investigation if it feels necessary, including those already decided by the Attorney-General.

However, after 11 years, I have still to get a proper report on the status of ACA investigations into my June 1997 report to the ACA as to how Ling Hee Leong, son of Ling Liong Sik, could at the age of 27 embark on corporate acquisitions exceeding RM1.2 billion in a matter of months and whether there had been improper use and influence of his father’s political and Ministerial position.

I feel for you, Uncle Lim. TQ.

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From somebody, an MCA member maybe, who was pissed with Ling Hee Leong who was a candidate in Gopeng in GE12:

by max2811 on February 23rd, 2008 17:22

I’m glad you have taken up this issue which I wrote in your blog earlier. He is actually throwing money in Lawan Kuda, New Kopisan, Gopeng, Simpang Pulai and Gunung Rapat. He’s spending money on meals and favours which can be of good use to the Chinese schools here.

Also dispensing money to the UMNO branches. On previous elections, I used to help out in the MCA ops room. But not this time.

Even my colleaques who were traditional BN voters have commented negatively on him. A good omen to Dr Lee Boon Chye.

Seems there are 3k voters from the Air Force base being transferred to Ipoh Timur.

Mr.Lim needs to work harder. But I hope Ling Bas tard will lose. His family thinks that MCA belongs to them. Well, there are thousands like me, MCA members who are not voting.Try the local markets in the mornings. One can see the well-dressed gangsters having a nice time.

I should have taken up the offer to help in the MCA ops room. At least I could have known how he buys his way around. But not to worry, many have said, “Take what is given but vote opposition”. Let’s hope he lose. I have asked my friends to pray in the churches, temples and mosques for his defeat.

Ling lost.

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Here, try some tricky money maths if you have the time to calculate how much eldest son of Tun Ling Liong Sik sifted through his gold fingers during the merry years before MACC turns fierce:

by hkh on February 24th, 2008 00:27

Moon Rock face old Ling explained that his little Ling is a business genius at his first corporate acquisition. If old Ma believed old Ling at that time, can we question the ACA? There is IQ Genius, but Business Genius? Only politician genius without skin can coin such aterm.

But even if little Ling picks up RM50 every hour since his birth, he can

only collect 50 x 24 hour x 365 days x 27 years = 11,826,000 less than 12 MILLION.

Extending this to RM50 every MINUTE, total is only 709 MILLION.

I wonder how many chinese schools and mosques can be built with the millions.

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And, here is a major OMG! moment for you…

by TrueMalaysian8888 on February 24th, 2008 23:25

Everyone knows who is Tun Ling !!!!!

There’s a true story where a famous artist from China who display his work in KL and shows a portrait of Tun Ling for just one day and the artist quickly took it out from the display as the visitors spit on his portrait !!!! Thats what we chinese said ` Wei chau Mann nei’.

???

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Finally, a teary sympathic moment for this tiny voice’s dear loss

by nus on February 23rd, 2008 15:16

Has this gentleman (Ling Hee Leong) anything to do with Rekapac shares. My Rekapac shares are worthless now. Can I seek compensation?

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Will a reformed MCA stand up against corruption? Ong Tee Keat or Chua Soi Lek please answer?

MCA’s Ong Tee Keat seeks new 1Malaysia stars of blogging generation

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Ong Tee Keat “OTK” is scouring

party networks for the next big political sensation. — BOLEHNEWS pic

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BOLEHLAND, Aug 21 — MCA mogul Ong Tee Keat “OTK” wants you — an MCA star of the blogging generation. He does not want a member who can only talk, think, or look good on TV, but one who can do all that, and social network.

This past Sunday, OTK launched a new TV competition show on the MCA cable network called “OTK’s MCAStar” that, like Astro’s “Akademi Fantasia,” aims to find an unknown member who has the stuff to join Barisan Nasional “BN” stable of political stars.

But heading into a new decade of the 21st Century, winning fame and fortune as a politician is far different that when the maveric political party president, member of Parliament, writer and all-around debater first became a star his own right since the 1980s.

“The game has changed,” OTK told BOLEHNEWS this week.

“You have to understand how to be able to position & brand yourself,” he said. “Before, it was just at rhetorical talk, now you have to be able to deliver on your promises, you have to be able to do a great interview, you need to have a great blog, you have to have a sincere media presence.”

“OTK’s MCAStar,” which will premier next Sunday with 100 contestants, runs through 2009-2011 and has a format similar to “Akademi Fantasia” and other TV talent contests by eliminating member performers who fail to make the cut until a winner is crowned.

OTK said his show different from a “voyeuristic standpoint” because it gives behind-the-scenes footage of the member contestants interacting with each other and watching from backstage as their rivals perform.

He has another show airing on media called “Courage To Change, Creating New Values,” in which OTK seeks dedicated party members to back him on an overdue MCA party reform and support his agenda, “Reform of MCA.” The show began since he assumed Presidency in October 2008 with many undiscovered members competing for spots, and it runs through 2012.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to get a whole party, but if I’m able to get pieces, whatever I’m able to get,” he said. “It’s about giving some young and committed members an opportunity.”

OTK founded New Courage & Values Agenda in the 1990s and finding success as an unconventional political member who talk without fear or favour in regards to MCA politico, business and reformation. He has also committed to revamping PKFZ: The Tiong King Sing connection and CSL: The Moral & Political Dilemma of A Naughty Deputy. — BOLEHNEWS

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*Adapted from “Diddy seek new stars of Facebook generation” (Reuters)

An Open letter to all Malaysian bloggers and blog commentators

Dear caring Malaysians,

Greetings.

I am writing to you on a matter of great urgency which cannot be held back anymore as the health of our nation is in great distress.

Before proceeding, kindly allow me to register this caveat,

“This post is written with the intention not to demean, hurt anybody’s feelings, slander or just an empty criticism to score a political point.”

Back to the business of this letter.

I am sure many of us have written, commented and discussed many issues shouted out everyday by the newspapers and blogs. Many with email addresses have not managed to escape the uncountable forwarded emails from friends which brings ‘news’ of distressing accusations (slander?) against another human being.

As people of admirable cultural background and gentle nature, this identity was not found demonstrated in what we write and speak. Not in the blogs and newspapers. Not in our kopitiam forums.

Daily vitriolings, scoldings are lashed on anybody/things, especially so if we do not like he/she/that. A friend decided that this must be the result of commando style upbringing which brook no dissenting viewpoints or approvals for efforts made lest the child gets inflated and big headed from too much self pride.

Imagine no words used to recognise however small the efforts at home or the workplace for the child or the adult. Slowly, the spirit die… unless the individual has the most hard of heart and resolute of mind.

We treat fellow Malaysians badly in blogs, we scold them, some simply f…k another for having a different view. Very seldom bloggers and commentators can offer ideas or recognise efforts made by friends and imagined foes especially of the political opposite.

A blog is not just a blog. A comment is not just a comment. It reflects the writer’s true moral nature and the real love or spite residing within. Anything written by us will document just that.

However, I see hope.

I found that there is a handful of bloggers and commentators who are able to rise above the noise, with admirable rational civility in discourse, helping us to uplift our thinking to a higher level.

May we see more of your tribe to rise, to help nurture fellow rakyat to be lovers of rationality, logic and truth as Malaysia tries to carve a place for itself in the future of economic technology.

Truly,
BC

GE12…What are Malay blogs saying?

Curious about what Malay blogs are saying about UMNO’s drama minggu ini series, I searched Malaysiakini‘s Malay section.

But I found this new blog through WordPress instead.

Mmmmmm…