The Wayang Kulit Of Pak Lah and LKY

The Wayang Kulit Of Pak Lah and LKY

“The LKY Apology”

An Old Trick To Boost

Pak Lah’s Declining Reputation


When Khairy & Pak Lah Drink

From The Singapore Poison Chalice

What You Get Is

A Punch & Judy Puppet Show

Matthias Chang wrote in the Berita Mu Net :" The Wayang Kulit, LKY and Pak Lah seem to be taking the Malaysian public for fools."

The “LKY Apology” indicates the desperation of the LKY regime and its puppets in Malaysia and the fear that their “control” of Malaysia is slowly but surely unravelling.

After nine months of persistent criticisms by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad that Pak Lah and Khairy are mere puppets of the LKY regime and have sold out Malaysia for Singapore investment dollars, the 4th Floor Boys and Spin Doctors are at a loss as to counter this devastating exposé. The wound has become gangrenous. The despatch of spin doctors from Singapore to NST made no headway. The blood transfusion did not and indeed could not stop the massive bleeding.

Amputation seems to be the only solution!

Before any surgery, a patient must be prepared for the operation.

The preparation was started when Khairy played the racial card by warning Umno Youths that the Chinese would take advantage of the Malays if they are weak. Unfortunately for Khairy, the expected racial backlash did not materialise in spite of intense racial politicking. He failed to project the image of a Champion for the Malays.

Khairy’s Singapore Masters were worried. If Khairy could not position himself as a “Champion for the Malays”, it would be extremely difficult to reframe the political issue that Pak Lah had “Kow Towed” to Singapore to one that would show Pak Lah being in control.

This political trial balloon was floated by Khairy but it disappeared into thin air. Tun Dr. Mahathir had scored a strategic political victory in the ongoing propaganda war. Worse still for the puppets, the so called Kubang Pasu “defeat” had the opposite effect. The exposé that the puppets went to the extent of using bribery and corruption to ensure the “defeat” of Tun Dr. Mahathir angered all and sundry and revealed glaringly the deviousness of the Malaysian puppet regime.

As expected LKY had no choice but to come to the rescue even at the expense of having to “swallow his pride.” But we know that this is but a charade. In the game of chess, there are times, when we had to sacrifice even a queen to checkmate the opponent. If after sacrificing the queen and there is no checkmate, it is the end of the game. Is it prudent to make such a gamble?

Desperate times require desperate measures. LKY and his puppets have no choice. This was the only gambit left.

It was agreed that LKY would make a racial statement concerning the marginalisation of the Chinese in Malaysia by the Malays. The mass media would then orchestrate a systematic response to “Singapore’s provocation.” Pak Lah would then demand an explanation from LKY. And LKY would proffer an apology and some additional spin to further boost Pak Lah’s credibility.

Unfortunately for LKY and his puppets, the gamble will not pay off. They will not be able to checkmate Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. The Malaysian public is just too smart to be taken in by this “Made in Singapore” charade. Maybe, just maybe if they had imported a genuine Bollywood director to produce and direct the wayang, it could have taken off.

What gave away LKY’s game? It was his arrogance and his inability to resist the temptation of attacking Tun Dr. Mahathir. Why is this “the smoking gun?” Simple! If the mischief was the racial slur on the Chinese in Malaysia being marginalised by the Malays, all that was required was a simple apology. If LKY was sincerely sorry for this alleged “political goof” there was no need to go on a detour to talk about the Scenic Bridge and the past relations between himself and Tun Dr. Mahathir. Where is the causal connection between the two issues?

That is why I have said that this is but a charade, meticulously prepared by propaganda specialists from Singapore to help Pak Lah and Khairy.

If as alleged by LKY that “Since you [Pak Lah] took over as Prime Minister in November 2003, relations between our two countries have much improved. Singaporeans and, I believe, Malaysians too, appreciate this…” how is it that none of the critical issues that have caused so much friction between the two countries have yet to be settled. While Pak Lah may enjoy a game or two of golf with LKY and his cronies, and consider such simplistic gestures as “improvement” the majority of Malaysians are more pragmatic. They want results – Pak Lah and LKY must walk the talk!

Yes, there was a decade of troubled relations with LKY. And rightly so! Malaysia under the leadership of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad refused to be LKY’s puppets and subvert Malaysia’s sovereignty to Singapore.

It is pathetic that the Pak lah had to resort to a foreign country to rescue his bankrupt regime. This diversion orchestrated by LKY and Pak Lah will not hoodwink the rakyat. This so called “LKY Apology” has not and will not refute the case made conclusively against Pak Lah and Khairy by Tun Dr. Mahathir that they have sold out to Singapore. It will take more than an apology from LKY to convince the rakyat that Pak Lah is fit to lead the country and will not continue to sell out the country to foreigners, specifically Singapore!


May Wong, Channel NewsAsia, wrote :

"KL notes explanation by MM Lee, hopes remarks won't be repeated"

Malaysia has noted Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's explanation for his recent remarks about Chinese Malaysians but wants assurances it will not happen again.

This comes after Mr Lee sent a letter to Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

In the letter, Mr Lee set the context in which the comments were made.

It was during an international forum on good governance in Singapore more than 2 weeks ago that Mr Lee said ethnic Chinese minorities in Malaysia and Indonesia are being marginalised.

He said the remarks were made at a "free flowing dialogue session" with former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

"I received his letter, I understand the context of the letter, and I've taken note but I feel that the statement that Datuk Lee Kuan Yew made, that was in Singapore, was uncalled for and not appreciated," said Mr Abdullah.

In his letter to Mr Abdullah, Mr Lee said he had no intention to meddle in Malaysian politics.

Mr Lee said he also does not have the power to influence Malaysia's politics or to incite the feelings of the Chinese in the country, and he was sorry his comments about Chinese in Malaysia had caused Mr Abdullah a great deal of discomfort.

However, Mr Abdullah said he just does not want a repeat of such remarks.

"I believe that such a statement cannot contribute to good neighbourly relations. It's important to remember that. So irrespective of whatever reasons he has said, such statements can incite the feelings of Malaysians," said Mr Abdullah.

Also in his letter, Minister Mentor Lee said relations between the two countries have improved since Mr Abdullah took the helm in November 2003 and both Singaporeans and Malaysians appreciate this.

Mr Lee said the last thing he wanted to do, after a decade of troubled relations with the former Malaysian prime minister, was to cause Mr Abdullah a great deal of discomfort


Umno and MCA accept MM's 'apology'

Not enough, say some leaders, while others consider the matter closed

KEY parties within the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition government largely welcomed what they viewed as Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's 'apology' yesterday.

At the same time, several of their leaders criticised his reply to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

In his reply, which was made public on Monday evening, MM Lee said that he was sorry that his remarks had caused the Malaysian leader 'a great deal of discomfort'.

MM Lee said that he was speaking to a liberal Western audience which wanted to see a stronger opposition in Singapore.

His view was that Singapore needed a strong government to maintain good relations with Indonesia and Malaysia. Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said that while he did not regard MM Lee's reply as an 'apology', Prime Minister Abdullah's response should suffice.

'I think we have done what we could do,' he said in reply to a question on whether the Malaysian government would ask Singapore to retract MM Lee's remarks.

'The Prime Minister has given his statement (and) that is the position of the government.'

The Barisan coalition's Youth leader, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein, accepted Mr Lee's apology for the discomfort caused by his comments about how Malaysia treated its Chinese community.

Datuk Hishamuddin heads the Youth wing of Umno which is the coalition's predominant party, and, as Education Minister is a senior Cabinet minister.

He said he was surprised by MM Lee's reply. He did not expect Mr Lee to apologise and it was not easy for him to do so, he added.

'We accept the apology, especially when it came from somebody who is very wise,' he told reporters after chairing the Barisan Nasional Youth exco meeting here.

The coalition's senior Chinese party, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), urged closure following MM Lee's reply.

MCA president Ong Ka Ting said MM Lee's letter should put an end to what he described as minor bickering between leaders of the two neighbours.

'We should move on... the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi) has already made his stand,' said Datuk Seri Ong.

'For the good of the two countries, we should move on and not prolong the argument.'

Other Umno stalwarts criticised MM Lee for not being sensitive enough when he made his remarks about the marginalisation of Chinese in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib also said it was not appropriate for Mr Lee, who is the city state's Minister Mentor, to link the issue to the sour bilateral ties with Malaysia and Malaysian leaders, particularly of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

'Lee's action in highlighting the decade of troubled relations with the former prime minister gave the impression that Malaysian leaders, Umno leaders and the Malays like to create problems.

'This was an insult, and the remarks should not have been made by a leader from a neighbouring country,' said Tan Sri Muhammad in a statement here today.

He described Mr Lee's comments by dragging Tun Dr Mahathir into the issue, as 'fishing in troubled waters'.

Umno vice-president Mohamed Ali Rustam said that as a veteran leader, MM Lee should respect the sensitivities of a neighbouring country by not making provocative statements.

He said the matter should be a lesson so that the good relations which Malaysia and Singapore had enjoyed would not be affected by hurtful statements.


Syed Hamid: His apology is not an apology

Malaysia does not consider Lee Kuan Yew’s apology an apology. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said while the Singapore Minister Mentor apologised for causing "discomfort" to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, he did not regret the remarks he made about Malaysian Chinese being marginalised.

"These are two very different things. In fact, he was restating what he said before and even went beyond the previous statement," he said after breaking fast with staff of Wisma Putra here last night.

What they say

“For what it is worth, the BN Youth will take it with reservation. We know Lee Kuan Yew very well, I don't think it was easy for him to apologise... Still, I find it very strange he made the statement.”

- BN Youth Chief Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein

“I think it is a good apology. I think it is sufficient. It shows that even a statesman like him can admit to mistakes. We should let the matter rest.”

- Kota Baru MP Datuk Zaid Ibrahim

“It seems like a backhanded apology to me. His letter states that the comments were made to show a group of liberal Westerners why Singapore needed a strong majority government. So his reasons to them were based on conditions in neighbouring countries? He said that he is sorry but he is not helping us move forward.”

- Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Samad

“By highlighting the decade of troubled relations with the former prime minister, Lee is giving the impression that Malaysian leaders, Umno leaders and the Malays like to create problems. This was an insult, and the remarks should not have been made by a leader from a neighbouring country.”

- Umno Information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib

“It won’t be like Lee Kuan Yew, if he doesn’t qualify his apology. The fact is that he has apologised. Some may accept it while some won’t. I think we should accept it.”

- Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister, Datuk Seri Rais Yatim


Kuan Yew Terperangkap Kerangka Pemikiran Lapuk!

Bekas Perdana Menteri Singapura Lee Kuan Yew baru-baru ini menyelar Malaysia dan Indonesia kerana meminggir kaum Cina. Ini jelas mengandaikan bahawa kaum Cina tidak diberikan layanan adil dan saksama. Kenyataan tersebut sewajarnya mengundang wacana segar seacara tenang kerana sesungguhnya permasalahan tersebut menyentuh isu pokok prinsip negara hukum, pegurusan ekonomi, perpaduan kaum dan keadilan sosial.

Menurut amalan sekarang, hanya di Indonesia wacana bebas boleh berlaku. Kita perit meneka kemungkinan wacana sademikian diizinkan di Singapura atau Malaysia dimana undang-undang menyekat kebebasan dan mengongkong media terus diamalkan.

Lee Kuan Yew kini merupakan negarawan disegani terutama memandangkan rekod pentadbirannya yang memacu pertumbuhan ekonomi dan mengurus negara Singapura. Namun, kehebatan beliau turut tercemar lantaran tindakan menghalang kebebasan bersuara, memenjara dan menekan musuh politiknya. Penglibatan syarikat negara dalam beberapa syarikat dinegara jiran masih dipertikai dari sudut ketelusannya. Gagasan beliau mengenai “nilai Asia” yang diwarwar hebat dahulunya, kini dihumban sebagai jumud oleh Amartya Sen.

Jelas sekali Lee Kuan Yew masih terperangkap dengan kerangka pemikiran perkauman lapuk. Hujah beliau sekaligus mendedah sosok perkauman yang terpendam sekian lama. Maka masalah Cina diseberang laut kelihatan tetapi tidak kegelisan masyarakat Melayu Singapura yang merungut duka kerana terabai dan kedudukan mereka hanyut terkebelakang. Dan yang lebih dikesalkan ialah kerana beliau tidak menunjukkan keprihatinan terhadap nasib lain-lain kaum yang merempat dalam kesempitan, samaada bumiputra atau India. Malah di Indonesia, menurut perangkaan terbaru terdapat hampir 40 juta rakyat yang terbelenggu dalam kemiskinan.

Lee Kuan Yew wajar sekali merenung permasalahan kaum dan pembangunan bersendikan paksi keadilan bagi semua kaum. Beliau tetunya arif dengan kenyataan bahawa tatkala Dasar Ekonomi Baru di lancarkan pada tahun 1970, penguasaan ekonomi Melayu dan bumiputera ada sekitar 1.8 peratus sahaja. Kejayaan DEB diakui terutamanya dalam bidang pendidikan, melahirkan jumlah profesional serta menyediakan peluang dalam bidang perniagaan. Namun, dasar tersebut juga diselewengkan sehingga menular rasuah dan kronisme, memperkaya sejumlah kecil dan meminggirkan majoriti bumiputera. Hasilnya turut dikaut oleh beberapa syarikat Cina dan India yang terpilih yang menggondol habuan kontrak besar, penjanaan kuasa bebas dan dalam sektor perjudian.

Saya memang menghimbau gagasan pembangunan baru, menggantikan DEB yang kian usang dengan Agenda Ekonomi Baru. Negara harus lebih berupaya bersaing dan bersedia dengan cabaran dunia sejagat. Nasib semua rakyat miskin dan terpinggir perlu dibela, rasuah dibanteras dan semua kaum perlu diberikan peluang bersama memacu pertumbuhan yang meyakinkan.

Selama ini Lee Kuan Yew selesa dengan tokoh negara jiran yang memukul gendang perkauman yang sama. Beliau sayugia menerima kenyataan baru, bahawa suara menuntut pembaharuan ke arah kebebasan, dan keadilan bagi semua rakyat kini lebih semarak dan lantang.

Former DPM Anwar Ibrahim


Malaysia Singapore:Mahathir Adullah Ahmad Badawi MM KY Lee Anwar Ibrahim Chinese Malay apology marginalised. money politic