Being MCA and the sunset of the Chinese cause

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Without the MCA spirit, what its leaders say and do are despised by its own grassroot and the venerable Chinese newspapers.

In the minds of the grassroot, the real MCA man/woman wouldn’t speak of imagined clash of Islam taking over race. Or to imply that Malaysian Chinese ceases to be a Chinese if he/she cannot speak in Mandarin.

MCA leaders have been unthinkingly caught in a bind of its own making that, being MCA was an absolute requirement to fight for a Chinese cause. The trick worked fine, way back in time before negotiating for 1957’s project Merdeka.

But now it is 2011, with courtesy of compulsory basic primary and some secondary schooling, Malaysians have got some education and been taught some academic thinking skills (I hope you have acquired them skills, if not all, some?).

Shall we ask again does the call “MCA fights for Chinese rights” sounds right today, in the dawning of Bangsa Malaysia?

In light of today’s reality, many wondered if there might possibly be a new lifeline lease to MCA, whether if it has leaders of resolute to rejuvenate MCA from the outdated agenda, that being MCA is not an absolute requirement to fight for a Chinese cause.

It is telling that nothing is done by leaders of MCA so far to give it a new lease of life through an updated constitution.

This jives with the groundswell truth that MCA has always been first and foremost to protect their own businesses and the economic returns.

It is a sunset era for MCA leadership of Chua Soi Lek, Ng Yen Yen, Kong Cho Ha, Chor Chee Heung, Liow Tiong Lai… (Go here to fill up with names and worthiness of MCA Central Committee members)

Aging BN political parties don’t understand generationism

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Longevitity in politics is admired for its resilience. However, in the world that is constantly in a state of flux, shifting from generations to generations after WWII, Baby boomers to Generation X to Generation Y and now the Generation Z, political parties which have been there since Merdeka seriously need to learn and re-learn new ways to engage with their voters.

Forget the old methods of ‘servicing’ the voters by simply playing the middlemen eg: to type support letters to help them apply for some things. Or just indulging in charity work. Or worst, interfering with the education system. That ain’t  the lawmaking and policymaking your voters put you up for.

In case, ye olde political parties haven’t noticed, your voters are now literate and can write by themselves. Don’t believe it? Just check what they say of you and your party in the internet.

Forget the antagonizing ‘criticize and hit below the belt’ method you are wont to indulge in Twitter. They are a huge turn-off to current voters who have started to develop a taste for fair play.

It is well to quickly learn how to update your communication methods to engage. Start within your own party – start by training your own members before your political party caused itself to be an embarrassment in eyes and ears of the listening public. And then, lose in the General Election.

Theng Bok, are you campaigning for Chua Soi Lek or for money?

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According to Malaysiakini, Theng Bok who heads the Save MCA campaign is a maverick.

On checking my little kamus of Oxford dictionary, ‘maverick’ also means an undisciplined person.

Maybe Malaysiakini knows something about Theng Bok that the public do not?

Anyways, I was surprised at a Merdeka minum-minum session yesterday when a friend who happened to be an MCA Central Delegate (CD), asked me if I heard of rumours that Theng Bok is using the Save MCA campaign as a front.

“Huh? What front? Isn’t it to save Chua Soi Lek?” I asked.

“You, ah. So straight. Never question, one. Always take at face value what newspapers analysts write. When are you going to learn to read between the lines, friend? Aiyoooooo,” said CD while shaking his head disapprovingly.

Eager to shift his disapproval elsewhere, I soothed him. “Why do you think he has an ulterior motive?” I asked.

“You think Theng Bok is so selfless, meh? Think! The last time he ‘saved MCA‘, Ong Ka Ting got booted out. Why?”

“Think! Why is he saving MCA again and calling for EGM? Why?” CD is really getting excited now.

“Please tell? I’m really lost now.” said I, defeated.

CD rolled his eyes towards heavens and got himself together. “Benefits, my friend.”

“Huh?”

“Aiyooooo. Got people do something for nothing, meh?” “Theng Bok is a lawyer, right?”

“Yes?”

“Theng Bok is having lots of construction developer friends wanting clearance for this and that from ministries. The minister don’t give, he’s in shit la, deal cannot get done, no approval, no money in, understand?”

“Last time minister no give, this time also no give, he’s more in shit, business more worse, developer friends no more confidence in him, his cable tak boleh pakai, lor,” CD made a thumbs down sign.

“But Theng Bok said its for MCA he is saving.”

“Ceh! Where got people do something for nothing?” CD exclaimed.

“Got people sponsor a campaign for him to get famous and can somemore help get back his developer friends confidence, like luck falling from the sky, lar.”

Hmmmmmm…..

P/S: I think Theng Bok should quickly make an SD (Statutory Declaration) to save himself. Cannot do like Andy Lau hiding under those umbrellas. And its very ungentleman to take advantage of Chua Soi Lek’s predicament.

Selamat Menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan Malaysia ke52!

I’m tired of politicians/activists/religious officials carting out religion and God everytime our political parties are facing people and issues management problem.

When are we going to see political parties handle issues as they are by the horns without misleading the already worried public by mixing elements of religion and God into the issue?

Sure seems like everyone is unable or unwilling to work out direct solutions to issues.

Or is everyone just loving a dramatic life too much that we just skirt around the provisions already provided by some boring law?

Sigh… Thomas Hobbes* is still correct after all these years.

Selamat Hari Kemerdekaan Malaysia.

and may Malaysians continue to live and prosper by the law.

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* I know. You never studied philosophy in school. Somemore philosophy was not in exam school syllabus. I feel sorry for you, you’re so helpless.

Anyways, Mr Hobbes said that homo sapiens will remain in a state of nature – that is, the state of war with one another until we set up a common power to protect us from each other and from external threat. This is possible only through our universal agreement: only our consent can bind us to obedience.

Who’s the common power? The Government, lar.
What’s consent? Abiding the law and order, lar.

This season, go here to revved up your intellectual engine:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hobbes-moral/

Analysis and Message for the good, bad and ugly MCA leaders

OK. Since Malaysiakini is not yet doing it, I’ll get the ball rolling first.

Yes, the time is right to seriously do a SWOT analysis on those who dare to suggest to us that he’s da man for MCA President.

What’s a SWOT? It is what a businessman would do to check whether the business is eg: healthy or dying or in need of a bailout.

You can do it too, this little tool is also handy for other stuff like summing up a potential girlfriend / boyfriend.

Here’s how to do a simplified SWOT analysis.

Draw a box of 3 columns, mark them 1, 2, 3.

Put the names of those you want to assess in column 1 under the subject title ‘Da Man’.

Column 2 is for you to write all the ‘Strengths’ aka ‘Positive advantage’ that these guys possess. Important note: Don’t force yourself to make up some if you cannot think of any.

Column 3 is to write all the ‘Weaknesses’ aka ‘Negative downside’ eg: ‘MCA sure kaput if this morally depraved/ corrupt/ wanton/ decadent/ despicable character becomes President’.

And now you can proceed to have some educated fun with these chaps:

Ong Tee Keat
Chua Soi Lek
Chua Jui Meng
Fong Chan Onn
+ Any other ‘capable’ leader that I did not mention here…

Merdeka bonus: To help you with the SWOT, here’s an input from an MCA member…

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… Also, I find comments made by Chua Soi Lek, Donald Lim, Chua Jui Meng ludicrous. Their comments are but attempts to divert attention of the grassroot from the fault of their own leadership in the failings of recent 12 General Election.

Don’t forget BN achieved the best ever results in the 11th election. How could a party which was so strong in relevance (if you argued a party’s relevance based on its performance) just about four years ago became so irrelevant suddenly. You and I know the result had just got to do with human factor i.e. its central committee team members were so devoid of merits in managing the party!!!

Why the desperate and sudden action now to want to appear to dare speak against UMNO? If these power hungry people feel the party has become irrelevant, surely they would have detected the tell tale signs before the election. Even the last dinasours’ extinction happened over sometime. How could a party become irrelevant in such short time with none of the leaders sensing it? Nobody of these guys argued about MCA sleeping on the job before, why now? Just because the party lost miserably in an election it ought to be extinct or jump ship? You mean to tell me all these oldies don’t know how to tackle the ups and downs in the sport of politics?

I was personally involved in the recent election process. I witnessed for myself the shortcomings from the grassroot to upper leadership including the unpreparedness of candidates in certain constituencies, the ridiculously low level of political knowledge of candidates and their arrogant demeanor. If not for my MCA membership, I would have voted for the opposition myself.

In my most honest opinion, the whole management and leadership team of MCA ought to have resigned and a pro temp committee comprising some current leaders and young members to be formed to determine the next course of action for MCA. This will provide not only a more focused direction for the party but also to avoid the present on going fracas which is further splitting the party’s foundation.

In this respect, I cannot but agree with Tun Mahathir that the present leadership of BN ought to make way to ensure the revival of the party.

It means the President and all those people who work with him and those who are responsible for the policies of the party and the selection of the candidates.

~Angry member

31 August, 2008 Merdeka: What’s the name of that song before Tanggal 31?

Disbelieving Malaysiakini‘s piece: ‘Racism still haunts nation at 51st Merdeka’, I switched on RTM on TV1 at 12:10am (yes, for the second time this year, you can pop that wine cork again…)

Wah…. very big crowd at Dataran Merdeka celebrating Merdeka together with our Yang DiPertuan Agong and VVIPs.

The camera trained on those VVIPs singing and swaying on stage and I saw… horrors… was that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi aka Pak Lah holding back tears whilst everybody were singing a particularly gusty patriotic song?

I did not catch that song’s name which came on before the Sudirman made famous song ‘Tanggal 31’. Now, what’s that song that got our PM all patriotically teary?

Also on stage, Lee Chong Wei (this badminton silver medal Olympian really is world class cos Malaysia such a small country with small people can get silver as compared with China such a big country with big number of people), Dr SMS (Remember? The astronaut passenger Syed Muzaffar…, that one another story)

Dr. Ng Yen Yen was enjoying the karaoke very much and swings le little Jalur Merdeka with much gusto. Yes, this type of energy will be much useful for the upcoming MCA party election.

OK, now the singing session over, my sense of rationalism kicks back.

How come only BN fellas seen on the patriotic stage? Did anybody at Jabatan Perpaduan Negara think at all to invite all our MPs (plus those non BN) on stage to lead the patriotism? The stage was not reserved for BN’s show of patriotism, right?

I see the faces of rakyat Malaysia at Dataran Merdeka, Merdeka belongs to all rakyat Malaysia, man! Nobody can monopoly or copyright Merdeka!

I wonder if we dare face the truth of Merdeka ‘sacrifice’? Dare we really to sit down together to reflect on what was and is Merdeka now? Anybody realise that Merdeka has undergone transformations since the original Tunku Abdul Rahman’s version of 1957?

I’ll reserve my next GE vote for any politician with guts to take on this ‘project’ –

For Malaysia to successfully reach 2020, for our young to experience the Merdeka spirit, how do we connect Merdeka with our current aspirations? 1957’s Merdeka was a physical liberation from the shackles of British penjajah’s ‘divide and rule’. 1963’s Merdeka elevated our ‘Merdeka’ to ‘Federalism’ of Malaysia+Sabah+Sarawak on 16 September. Do you think that 2008’s Merdeka represents the awakening of the rakyat’s sense of citizenry? How should we recognise and pass on Merdeka to our young ones?

Tis heavy, ain’t it, this subject of nationalism and citizenry.

So, for you who claim yourself a Malaysian, which version of the Merdeka are you honouring now? What version of Merdeka will you honour next year and the next….? Instead of writing about it only in blog commentaries, will you make some efforts to be hand in hand with your fellow rakyat Malaysia of various colours, hitam manis, kuning langsat, coklat or putih to honour Merdeka?

Pass me a hanky, please…

Hindraf, Bersih, demonstrations: Why this now?

Been too busy lately.

But I must share with you this comment received from Fairuz. I feel what Fairuz felt too. Sometimes, I feel different. Sometimes, I feel cheated. Sometimes, I feel vindicated. Sometimes, I feel angry. Sometimes, I feel nothing. Sometimes I don’t want to read Malaysiakini. Sometimes I avoid reading any mainstream newspapers.

People, how can we open our hearts and minds? How can we give all brothers/sisters a helping hand? How can we heal and move on?

“How many of you here really know about 13′th May 1969? How much do you all know the meaning of apartheid? How long you want peace in Malaysia? How do you feel as a Malaysian? Have you ever thinking the result from that incident? Do you know who behind it? Don’t just talk emotionally. Think wisely. I don’t ever want “13′th May 1969″ happen again. Why don’t you all do some reading about how Malaysia get “Merdeka”. How much blood were spill. How many people die. Don’t make this thing bigger. No one will get advantages if “13′th May 1969″ happen again. There will more pain in your heart. We all live in Malaysia. This is our land. Protect it. Love it. For 50 years we can live peacefully with each other. Why this now?

In my opinion…there some people want to make all Malaysian fighting each other. Riot won’t solve any problems. Its only will cost you more than you can imagine.”

Comment by Fairuz — December 10, 2007 @ 2:57 am

Bananachinese’s says:

Indeed, Fairuz.

Why this now?

Something must be wrong somewhere making our people unthinking and unknowing and so emotional. Any suggestions how this wrong can be unwronged?