Abdul Kadir Jasin the street philosopher, social analyst and political commentator

Rare Umno lawmaker Johari, who is also member of Parliament for Titiwangs

You probably have heard this before “Nice people finish last” and perhaps have experienced it as well – watching pushy, inconsiderate individuals get the job you wanted or have received the romantic attention of someone you have been pining for. It didn’t seem fair, did it?

If you have observed this rare breed, called ‘nice people’, closely and understood what they had to offer –integrity, compassion, protection, support, passion, & possibly lots more, you’d be confused; why, despite having these attributes, are they simply walked over and cast aside in everyday relationships!

Look inside an office and you’ll see that you don’t have to be ‘the boss’ to take on a leadership role. If you are one with the most experience in a certain skill, you’ll have, at least in a few key moments, the opportunity to become the ‘leader’ and guide your team. That’s a no brainer right there, isn’t it?

  Rare Umno lawmaker Johari, who is also member of Parliament for Titiwangs said the frivolous musing of a pro-Pakatan Rakyat anti-UMNO/BN activist whose main preoccupation is finding fault with Najib.
  Rare Umno lawmaker in KL, Johari offers chance to rejuvenate UMNO in the Federal Territories keep talking to grassroots rejuvenation of urban Malays
The best New Year greeting has come to me from a friend. It consists of two lines from T S Eliot’s Four Quartets: “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, And next year’s words await another voice.” We shall see which voice prevails. become the last hope of in its bitter struggle against the rise Brain dead FT Umno chief Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and FT Umno deputy chief Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin  leaders no longer believe they can win in 2018  they never pursued Pakatan with the ferocity it displays against DAP. This is not merely desire for retribution; it is also evidence of worry. The past few days have been particularly depressing to  UMNO, but Johari  hope that DAP can still be stopped in FT seats  will be a  small change in the larger game.In theory, this strategy has its merits.  Johari has one asset in common. DAP are outsiders who promise to cleanse the gutters of   DBKL corruption would have no answers on electricity rates, water or crime. electricity from corporations, who are even less generous; and the police is run by the Centre. Some battles are better lost.. If  Johari  with an energized urban Malays cadre in support, remains the only claimant to honesty’s mantle,Pakatan could face electoral upheaval. But if  his mantle can be shared with other BN parties, voter focus will not split.


Street philosopher, social analyst and political commentator

,Mahathir and Celebrating the old masters and the Renaissance Man stares at a four-gone conclusion
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak needs to change his ways and start doing the right things to ease the burden of the people, otherwise BN will risk losing the next general election, former journalist and prominent blogger Abdul Kadir Jasin said

The debate over Najib's leadership reignited this week when several Umno veterans, including former economic adviser Tun Daim Zainuddin, criticised Najib's administration at closed-door meetings.

These criticisms had sparked discussions in cyber space and speculations that work is underway to push Najib out."People are saying Najib is a weak leader said Zahidi, who is the Padang Besar MP and Umno chief, thinks Najib should no longer confuse Umno members with slogans, which he said did not reflect in actions.

He said party members expected the leadership to also listen to the views and opinions of politicians, not just a few of his advisers on matters affecting the people.

"Umno members and MPs are against the hike in electricity tariffs but the prime minister agreed," said Zahidi, referring to the electricity tariffs that are in force beginning this month.

Several BN MPs were very vocal against the hike during a briefing by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). While most complained of difficulty to explain the hikes, an MP had asked whether Tenaga could go bankrupt while another asked whether parts of the country would not get electricity supply if tariffs are not increased..

Malay politician was thoroughly lucid. For, each leader claims to want to create, in his own way, another Tanah Melayu – one that would be better equipped to address its concerns and aspirations. At the same time, each one seeks, again in his own way, to preserve certain features of IMalay cultural and political traditions. And each one projects himself as an outsider determined to overhaul the existing system of governance from end to end.   

This would be obvious from the modest but significant shift in the public discourse over the past few days.  In their speeches to the faithful of their respective parties,did aim some pretty sharp barbs at each other. But they also outlined their views on how they propose to address the humongous problems facing the nation. Both toned down their rhetorical flourishes and placed greater emphasis on substance - on policies, programmes and projects they would pursue should they head the next government.


Cut sloganeering, not subsidies, say Umno grassroots leaders

The debate swirling around Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s leadership and political future is causing uneasiness among Umno grassroots leaders, who say the prime minister should cut out sloganeering instead of subsidy cuts that affected the people.

They said while attacks from political opponents are expected, what appears to be moves by party elites to remove Najib as Umno president and orchestrated attacks from pro-Barisan Nasional (BN) bloggers on his leadership and government policies are a cause for concern.

"People are saying Najib is a weak leader. But who is the stronger leader we have in Umno hierachy?" asked Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin.

But Zahidi, who is the Padang Besar MP and Umno chief, thinks Najib should no longer confuse Umno members with slogans, which he said did not reflect in actions.

He said party members expected the leadership to also listen to the views and opinions of politicians, not just a few of his advisers on matters affecting the people.

"Umno members and MPs are against the hike in electricity tariffs but the prime minister agreed," said Zahidi, referring to the electricity tariffs that are in force beginning this month.

If Malaysians just stop being so easily offended, then politicians can’t exploit a slew of contentious issues to divide and rule the country, activists and NGO leaders “There is political value to publicly claim that you are offended, and there is reward – you get a meeting with the home minister, the government adopts your decision..Such offendedness undermined even the prime minister's own 1Malaysia agenda as it serves to demonise others who are different from you, Zainah said, adding that the solution is then for the people to push for more decisive leaders who are not afraid to take a stand.Our politicians have to take leadership but they don't they are pandering to the gallery. UMNOand PAS feel that they can gain by using race and religion,  .
Ambiga noted that racism and attacks against the Chinese and Christian minorities have increased in an unprecedented way since the 13th general election last year.inclusive growth, measures to tackle inflation, need for a more comprehensive legislation to tackle corruption, empowerment of women and youth and, not least, holding divisive forces at bay – elements of the ‘idea of1Malaysia’ espoused by then Najeeb - is doubtless short on specifics. But it does provide a framework for a dispassionate debate.. a welcome lurch towards modernity - projected her vision to rejuvenate India: boost the economy, stabilize prices, bring black money stashed abroad, give a techno-driven fillip to agriculture, initiate measures for a rational utilisation of mineral and forest resources, speed up ‘smart’ urbanisation, set up educational institutions of excellence, replace doles with effectively delivery of social welfare schemes, provide preventive health care, protect women, galvanise the energy of youth, seek the cooperation of states and so forth. Here, again, there is scope for informed argument.

 None of this is to suggest that the baggage that Najib carry with them has become redundant. The former’s new found zeal to combat corruption doesn’t quite square with the avalanche of scams that marked 7 years of  rule. That includes the alleged shenanigans of his wife. Nor can his recent ‘interventionism’ in policy matters take attention away from his silence in and out of Parliament when crisis after crisis battered the nation.

his ministersi, too, hasn’t quite been able to jettison his own baggage.the Altantuya Shaariibuu ghost hasn’t been altogether laid to rest. Nor are there sound reasons to believe that he has cut the umbilical chord that has connected him since he become the prime minister

None of this however must come in the way of acknowledging that both leaders have endeavoured to focus attention on issues that matter to a restless, energetic Malaysians Najib’s approach, though flawed in places, comes close to that of a modern, right-of-centre nationalist party.

Something along these lines is what we expect from  pakatan as well, especially now that Anwar single-minded anti-corruption drive has begun to acquire an ominous ring. No one can dispute the fact that his avowedly ethics-driven politics has added a vigorous new dimension to our democracy. Unless Najib spells out what his party intends to create, preserve and destroy – in terms of policies, practices and institutions – his fall would bear the hall-marks of his rise: sudden, swift and dramatic.TNB yesterday reported it made a net profit of RM1.73 billion, for its first quarter to November 30, 2013 – 22% higher than the net profit of RM1.42 billion for the same period a year ago, helped by lower taxes.

The electricity rate hike is effective January 1 and was ordered by Putrajaya to cut its fuel subsidy bill, according to government agency MyPower.

Raja Ghazali Raja Abdul Rahman, former Hulu Terengganu division treasurer, also said removing Najib without having a better and credible successor would not serve any good to the Umno and BN.

He was alluding to 2009 when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was "forced" to take responsibility of BN's heavy losses in the 2008 general election and give up the premiership and Umno presidency by Umno leaders.

Then BN won 140 parliamentary seats. BN had not been able to win back lost support in time for last year's general election, ending up with only 133 parliamentary seats, leaving Najib to rule with an even smaller mandate from the people.

A divisional leader from Perak said party members wondered why Umno ministers are reluctant to come out in defence of policies which they themselves were involved in decision-making.

Most Malaysians should notice by now that it has always been a case of the general being left alone to receive the blows while his lieutenants sat watching on the sidelines, he added.

"Umno leaders are saying a lot of things about Najib's leadership in Umno and BN but obviously they have too many reasons to keep quiet," said former Pokok Sena Umno secretary Ramli Mohd Yunus.

It is not that these leaders are not oblivious of the impact of decisions which they were also involved on the people, another grassroots leader said, adding the reality was that some lack ability to articulate.

Even if they have good points to put forward, they would chose to stay clear for fear of being ridiculed should they say the wrong thing or cause people to become angry like in the case of the government's decision to cut sugar subsidies, increase in electricity tariffs and soon, toll hikes and the introduction of goods and services tax, another Umno leader said.

They do not want to be another Datuk Seri Hasan Malek, the Domestic Trade minister who was ridiculed for telling the public to eat meat if they could not afford chicken, he added.

When Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim got himself entangled in a debate trying to defend Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's usage of private jet in Parliament, BN backbenchers said a written reply should had been given instead to avoid having to answer supplementary questions.

Still, Ramli said Najib has to seriously ponder on all "talk and criticisms" about his leadership.

"Never take criticism as slander and hearsay. It was Najib who once said the time where leaders know best are no more," he said.

The debate over Najib's leadership reignited this week when several Umno veterans, including former economic adviser Tun Daim Zainuddin, criticised Najib's administration at closed-door meetings.

These criticisms had sparked discussions in cyber space and speculations that work is underway to push Najib out.

To most Mahathir loyalists, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir’s comment was a signal from the enigmatic general himself, that soon he would revolutionise the campaign strategy and revive their electoral fortunes in the forthcoming general elections. Suddenly, there was ‘hope’ in the air. The anointed one had a decisive plan for the party that he would soon … Read more