Good commentary from NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/opinion/21iht-edbowring.html?_r=2
I guess Bowring, a long-time Asian hand, meant 'the blessed country', rather than just 'lucky country'.
(That's why I made it my adopted country, ler).
Among his views:
- ...the opposition reflects extremes of the racial and religious spectrum while the governing coalition, with all of its problems, still holds much of the middle ground.
- Najib is taking a liberal stance on economic issues and willing to reduce some privileges for Malays, but he shares former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s authoritarian instincts.
- The (BN) coalition, however corrupted, is still seen by many as representing moderation and stability. UMNO may have pandered to Islamist demands, but few would accuse its leaders of piety or puritanism.
- Widespread public perceptions of rot within the system do not easily translate into confidence that the opposition provides a viable alternative. Anwar is widely admired for his eloquence but has been unable to shake off the perception that he is an opportunist telling different groups what they want to hear.
Ummi tibai Anwar dua beranak sekali gus
4 hours ago
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He forgot to mention Petronas's wealth which is controlled by UMNO and the Chinese taxpayers who enable UMNO to rape and pillage the country and still have some money left over for the people. Petronas is facing an increasingly difficult operating environment and Malaysia's petroleum reserves is not increasing. The Chinese continue to send their money to Singapore instead of investing in manufacturing which generates more jobs than any other sector of the Malaysian economy. Most important of all, Najib have forgotten that it is a well-managed economy which will prove that BN is better than PR. Power grabs and Malay racialism remain his focus to the detriment of all things more important. When the government equated the ciil service pay increase with the bonus the government servants were expecting in 2007 the latter punished the government in March 2008.
Malaysia is indeed lucky. There is the USD for UMNO to feed on from Petronas and to create a subsidy system to keep the Malays dependent on UMNO but happy. At the same time UMNO has the Chinese to keep the real economy going for them by creating jobs and being wholly economically independent of government help. This scenario though will not last forever . It seems UMNO is the only one who does not see this reality.
When I read your posting about Malaysia being a lucky country; it reminds me of this quote: "There is a calm before the storm" We live in a comfort zone as implied more or less by Vinnan but just like the storm there are dark clouds on the horizon. These dark clouds are racialism, corruption, injustice, abuse of government agencies, lack of transparency and most of all we are being ruled by an empire desperate to cover up all it's wrong doings by trying to push some correct actions & ideas using media onslaught and wealth.
I believe in God and when God takes away the blessing because of the blatant corruption especially when we do not repent then it might be too late:
[If Allah were to punish men according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the surface of the earth one single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated term.] (Fatir 35:45)
[O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Do not despair of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Turn to your Lord (in repentance) and bow to His Will, before the Penalty comes upon you: after that you shall not be helped.] (Az-Zumar 39:53–54)
We hope the change through an election period.
Any why should we listen to what New York times have to say the Americans still cannot solve their racial and economic problems and health care where the Insurance companies, drug companies and the private hospital has strangle hold on the American public.
Malaysia is lucky because it's people are patience but the comfort zone can delude us. So whatever group we are we should choose better leaders than some of those that are elected. Rogues select rogues. So do not be a rogue, think carefully and balance the system so that they know that they have to be on their feet to be reelected.
It's not that BN are so bad or PR so good but when leaders do not want to admit to their mistakes by trying to point others mistakes ( much less serious than theirs) and are tainted then Leaders like this can be manipulated and it's bad in the long run for Malaysia. Peace.
PS: However NYT or the main American media has an unfounded phobia when Islam is mentioned vis a vis PAS. So it's comments are bias
Anon,
i put the posting here despite what u said - about americans being unable to solve their own problems and being bias against pas - to show what OUTSIDERS think of msia.
same like what my blog is about. how a semi-outsider (half sporean, half msian) look at malaysia.
when a view like bowring's (a respected name in journalism) is published in a major paper like NYT, millions of important people all over the world will be reading it. including would-be investors and would-be tourists.
and some, if not many, will believe it.
also, i do believe that PAS is seriously facing a crossroads.
it can remain a kampung party with deep malay islamic roots - hoping to rule only in kelantan, terengganu, kedah and perlis (the kind that i like because i want it to play a watchdog role on umno, an a federal opposition party).
or it can try to become a ruling malayo-islamiq party that is decidedly less green.
because it will have to work with 'infidels' who want to sell beer, have pig slaughterhouses, and am sure, open pubs, build churches and temples in Shah Alam and Keramat (i am not sneering at them because these are indeed the legitimate rights of non-malays).
and DAP has not even started talking much about equal rights for all races and removing completely bumi quotas.
PAS will split into two soon enough. it is split now, but i am talking about a you-go-your-way-i-go-mine kinda of split.
vinnan,
ouch.
perit, tuan, reading your comments.
i shall not debate it else others will think i am always anti-umno :-)
terima kaseyyyy for visiting.
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