Malaysia’s political war has begun
NEVER mind the fact that the date for the next Malaysian Federal Elections hasn’t been declared yet: The battle for hearts and minds has already begun.
Keen observers of Malaysian politics will tell you that it is the nature of Malaysian politics that election campaigns are fought out in earnest long before the date of the elections are announced. Despite the fact that the ruling coalition in power holds the mandate till 2009, speculation is rife that elections may be called as early as late 2007 or early 2008.
In the context of present-day Malaysia there are really only two major contenders: The ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party that leads the Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition, and the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). Demographic factors have added to the rise in prominence of both parties, as the emigration of non-Malays abroad and the growth of the Malay-Muslim population combine to ensure that the Malay-Muslims of Malaysia become the dominant political constituency in the country. For some, winning the Malay vote effectively translates as winning the country.
Or does it? For decades the Pan-Malaysian Islamic party was seen and cast as a Malay-Muslim party calling for an Islamic state and catering exclusively to the Malay heartland up north. This was particularly true in the 1970s when PAS was led by the vocal and charismatic Asri Muda, seen by many as the champion of Malay rights and Muslim issues. PAS was then thought to be so Malay-centric that it was even seen as being more ethno-nationalist in outlook than its rival UMNO.
But things have changed radically over the past decade. Following the economic and financial crisis of 1997-98, PAS took on the mantle of reform and democratisation, and has tried its best to re-present itself as a Malaysian party (albeit an Islamic one) that caters to the Malaysian people as a whole. This belated embrace of multiculturalism has sprouted a number of interesting developments. In the northern state of Kelantan, which happens to be the only state in the Federal system under PAS control, the Islamic party has initiated a grand project of building a Chinese-style mosque, in a predominantly Malay state. The rationale behind this move was to show to the country’s Muslims that PAS is fundamentally an Islamic party but not an ethno-nationalist one, and that it is actually Chinese-friendly.
This year PAS will transfer the base of its operations from its old office near Jalan Pahang to the predominantly Chinese quarter of Bukit Bintang in central Kuala Lumpur, which has for decades been seen as a Chinese area. The rationale for the move is once again pragmatic and logical. As Dr. Hatta Ramli, one of the senior leaders of PAS and head of the party’s research and analysis bureau, told this writer during a recent trip to Berlin: “This will show to the Malaysian public that we in PAS do not think in racial terms and we do not base our politics on racial communitarianism or sectarianism. By moving to the Chinese area of Bukit Bintang we show that we are now an urban-based party with urban support, and that we cater to all the ethnic and religious communities of Malaysia.”
Not to be outdone, the ruling UMNO party is bent of taking back the state of Kelantan which it had repeatedly lost to PAS for the past few decades. Should an early election be called however, UMNO’s chances of winning Kelantan from PAS are stronger than ever now. For a start, PAS’s grip on the Kelantan state assembly is held by a meagre single seat (PAS has 23 while UMNO holds 22 seats in the Kelantan assembly). Furthermore UMNO’s Kelantan Division is determined to appeal to the Kelantanese voters to give UMNO a chance, and continues to harp on the ‘poor’ record of governance by PAS thus far.
But as local political analysts point out, UMNO’s campaign in Kelantan has always been along the lines of playing to the gallery, and to demonstrate the nationalist party’s own Islamic credentials, thereby engaging PAS in an ‘Islamisation race’ to show who is more Islamic than the other. Ironically, while PAS is trying to reinvent itself as a Malaysian party committed to multiculturalism and transparent governance, UMNO in Kelantan is trying to woo Malay-Muslim voters with religious seminars and public talks on Islam.
Thus as election fever begins to raise the political temperature in Malaysia yet again, we may be witnessing the return to a politics of ‘holier than thou’ that was so prevalent in the 1980s. What is more the mood in the country has decidedly shifted Malaysian politics to a more religious, and specifically Islamic, character. In 2006 a number of prominent and controversial cases of religious conversion from Islam to Christianity and Hinduism mobilised scores of Malaysian Muslim NGOs and lobby groups, leading to loud public demonstrations in ‘defence of Islam’ and even death threats sent to Malaysian lawyers who defended the right of freedom of belief.
At the same time, at the UMNO General Assembly UMNO leaders were seen brandishing their kerises (Malay daggers) and talking about blood and ethnicity, falling back on an essentialist discourse of ethno-nationalism couched in terms of injured racial and ethnic pride. With Malay-Muslim sentiments set to boil, the contest between UMNO and PAS at the coming elections may well be decisive in determining the long-term political future of Malaysia, and whether the country will remain on the path of secular democracy.
What is clear however, is the fact that while parties like PAS are engaged in hasty ideological make-overs and re-presenting themselves as being multicultural; ethnic and religious sentiments still run deep in Malaysia and will undoubtedly be employed at the coming elections, regardless of whether the date for the elections have been announced or not.
- By Farish A Noor (Khaleej Times)
Dr Farish A Noor is a Malaysian political scientist and human rights activist .
Read also Dr Farish A Noor's Article titled : " Minding One’s Religion" here.
Bloggers United
Today, Rocky is again prepared for his hearing at Wisma Denmark, 2.30pm.
The Star’s #2 Man now a blogger
February 18th, 2007, Unspun wrote : "New Malaysian journalist-blogger to emerge in Year of the Pig?"
Unspun is glad that his nasi lemak informant is spot on. Just days after he told Unspun of the emergence of a blog by a senior journalist that would soon be up and Unspun discovers in the blogosphere a www.wongchunwai.com blog.
Wong is, of course the Deputy Group Chief Editor II of The Star, Malaysia’s leading English daily, and he writes two columns for the paper: On The Beat and Comment. Wong, according to Unspun’s source, has always been a careful writer, conservative but quite fair, and he’ll be aiming to take the space somewhere between Jeff Ooi and Rocky’s Bru on one end of the spectrum and Kali and the NSTers on the other .
Wong is apparently taking this conservatism to his blogging - so far all he has done is to upload an archive of his columns and some feature articles but Unspun’s nasi lemak informant says that he will begin blogging with fresh posts soon. So at least reader KH now knows who’s the blogger.
The joke’s now on Malaysia- WONG CHUN WAI
Welcome to Blogsphere, Wong !
Malaysia's top bank cashed up, ready to buy
Malaysia's biggest lender, Maybank, on Wednesday announced a modest rise of 4.6 percent in first-half profits and voiced interest in acquiring a new bank with 2.1 billion dollars cash in hand.
Maybank attributed its performance to stronger loan growth in its overseas operations, such as in neighbouring Singapore, with net profit for the six months to December rising to 1.37 billion ringgit (393 million dollars) from 1.31 billion ringgit a year earlier.
Amirsham Aziz, Maybank chief executive officer, said the local giant was looking for a suitable acquisition locally or in the region, adding that it was flush with 2.1 billion dollars cash.
"We are looking at banks with a decent size. It has to be a top 10 bank in the market. With the war chest that we have, we should be able to acquire a top 10 bank.
"If we can't find anything, then we will return the capital," he added.
Maybank posted a net interest income of 2.547 billion ringgit in the first half to December, against 2.197 billion a year earlier.
Non-interest income came in at 1.34 billion ringgit from 1.34 billion a year ago.
Amirsham said he saw conditions in the second half improving as the bank would have completed a strategic review of its mortgage loans portfolio, while corporate loans should see a "big improvement."
(AFP via Yahoo! news)
Malaysia to launch 24-hour radio news channel
Malaysia's Ministry of Information will set up a 24-hour radio news channel in Bahasa Malaysia and English, within the next three months.
The country's Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said the station which would use the 93.9 frequency, would be transmitted around the capital's Klang Valley.
"In line with the objective of raising the service standard of the state-owned radio channel, we need a station which is more focused on news," the minister said.
Mr Zainuddin said an agency under the ministry would be entrusted with preparing the format for the radio network before it hits the airwaves.
To boost the station, professional groups in the local radio broadcasting industry were encouraged to contribute in terms of resources and expertise especially for the posts of announcers and reporters, Bernama News Agency reports.
Keen observers of Malaysian politics will tell you that it is the nature of Malaysian politics that election campaigns are fought out in earnest long before the date of the elections are announced. Despite the fact that the ruling coalition in power holds the mandate till 2009, speculation is rife that elections may be called as early as late 2007 or early 2008.
In the context of present-day Malaysia there are really only two major contenders: The ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party that leads the Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition, and the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). Demographic factors have added to the rise in prominence of both parties, as the emigration of non-Malays abroad and the growth of the Malay-Muslim population combine to ensure that the Malay-Muslims of Malaysia become the dominant political constituency in the country. For some, winning the Malay vote effectively translates as winning the country.
Or does it? For decades the Pan-Malaysian Islamic party was seen and cast as a Malay-Muslim party calling for an Islamic state and catering exclusively to the Malay heartland up north. This was particularly true in the 1970s when PAS was led by the vocal and charismatic Asri Muda, seen by many as the champion of Malay rights and Muslim issues. PAS was then thought to be so Malay-centric that it was even seen as being more ethno-nationalist in outlook than its rival UMNO.
But things have changed radically over the past decade. Following the economic and financial crisis of 1997-98, PAS took on the mantle of reform and democratisation, and has tried its best to re-present itself as a Malaysian party (albeit an Islamic one) that caters to the Malaysian people as a whole. This belated embrace of multiculturalism has sprouted a number of interesting developments. In the northern state of Kelantan, which happens to be the only state in the Federal system under PAS control, the Islamic party has initiated a grand project of building a Chinese-style mosque, in a predominantly Malay state. The rationale behind this move was to show to the country’s Muslims that PAS is fundamentally an Islamic party but not an ethno-nationalist one, and that it is actually Chinese-friendly.
This year PAS will transfer the base of its operations from its old office near Jalan Pahang to the predominantly Chinese quarter of Bukit Bintang in central Kuala Lumpur, which has for decades been seen as a Chinese area. The rationale for the move is once again pragmatic and logical. As Dr. Hatta Ramli, one of the senior leaders of PAS and head of the party’s research and analysis bureau, told this writer during a recent trip to Berlin: “This will show to the Malaysian public that we in PAS do not think in racial terms and we do not base our politics on racial communitarianism or sectarianism. By moving to the Chinese area of Bukit Bintang we show that we are now an urban-based party with urban support, and that we cater to all the ethnic and religious communities of Malaysia.”
Not to be outdone, the ruling UMNO party is bent of taking back the state of Kelantan which it had repeatedly lost to PAS for the past few decades. Should an early election be called however, UMNO’s chances of winning Kelantan from PAS are stronger than ever now. For a start, PAS’s grip on the Kelantan state assembly is held by a meagre single seat (PAS has 23 while UMNO holds 22 seats in the Kelantan assembly). Furthermore UMNO’s Kelantan Division is determined to appeal to the Kelantanese voters to give UMNO a chance, and continues to harp on the ‘poor’ record of governance by PAS thus far.
But as local political analysts point out, UMNO’s campaign in Kelantan has always been along the lines of playing to the gallery, and to demonstrate the nationalist party’s own Islamic credentials, thereby engaging PAS in an ‘Islamisation race’ to show who is more Islamic than the other. Ironically, while PAS is trying to reinvent itself as a Malaysian party committed to multiculturalism and transparent governance, UMNO in Kelantan is trying to woo Malay-Muslim voters with religious seminars and public talks on Islam.
Thus as election fever begins to raise the political temperature in Malaysia yet again, we may be witnessing the return to a politics of ‘holier than thou’ that was so prevalent in the 1980s. What is more the mood in the country has decidedly shifted Malaysian politics to a more religious, and specifically Islamic, character. In 2006 a number of prominent and controversial cases of religious conversion from Islam to Christianity and Hinduism mobilised scores of Malaysian Muslim NGOs and lobby groups, leading to loud public demonstrations in ‘defence of Islam’ and even death threats sent to Malaysian lawyers who defended the right of freedom of belief.
At the same time, at the UMNO General Assembly UMNO leaders were seen brandishing their kerises (Malay daggers) and talking about blood and ethnicity, falling back on an essentialist discourse of ethno-nationalism couched in terms of injured racial and ethnic pride. With Malay-Muslim sentiments set to boil, the contest between UMNO and PAS at the coming elections may well be decisive in determining the long-term political future of Malaysia, and whether the country will remain on the path of secular democracy.
What is clear however, is the fact that while parties like PAS are engaged in hasty ideological make-overs and re-presenting themselves as being multicultural; ethnic and religious sentiments still run deep in Malaysia and will undoubtedly be employed at the coming elections, regardless of whether the date for the elections have been announced or not.
- By Farish A Noor (Khaleej Times)
Dr Farish A Noor is a Malaysian political scientist and human rights activist .
Read also Dr Farish A Noor's Article titled : " Minding One’s Religion" here.
Bloggers United
Today, Rocky is again prepared for his hearing at Wisma Denmark, 2.30pm.
" I go back to court to face NSTP and 4 Others. I don't feel alone anymore. I've got Bloggers United behind me."
- Rocky
Amended claims. Last Friday, the lawyers for the plaintiffs (NSTP and 4 others) submitted amendments to their original writ of summons that was served to me last month. Given the long weekend (Saturday, Sunday and followed by the two days off in lieu of the Chinese New Year), my lawyer Edmund Bon and I felt we needed more time to study the amended claims.
Today's hearing was to hear my application to strike out the plaintiffs' lawsuit.
As the claims have just been amended, we sought for an adjournment. The Judge granted it and set April 2 to hear my application to strike out their suit based on the amended claims.
Some 50 bloggers and friends turned up at Wisma Denmark this afternoon to wish me well. We cut a birthday cake brought by Nuraina A. Samad and Marina Mahathir. Datuk Ron and Gen M bought tea and Maria served more than 20 plates of her special mi rebus brunch at Kafe-Four-teen in PJ to us bloggers. What A Lulu baked us cookies and some of us met Clark Gable, Walski, Rajahram, Mr Nobody, Tony Pua, June x2, Wielmaja, Lame Basket, and blogger-in-waiting and veteran journo Uncle Saad Hashim for for the first time.
The usual suspects were there. My thanks to all.
But before April 2 there's March 6, a date to walk with Jeff Ooi.
The Star’s #2 Man now a blogger
February 18th, 2007, Unspun wrote : "New Malaysian journalist-blogger to emerge in Year of the Pig?"
In the midst of this celebration of the Year of the Pig Unspun’s heard that a new blogger will emerge in Malaysia after the Chinese New Year festivities die down.
The blogger is a senior and very well-connected journalist with quite a high public profile.
Unspun is glad that his nasi lemak informant is spot on. Just days after he told Unspun of the emergence of a blog by a senior journalist that would soon be up and Unspun discovers in the blogosphere a www.wongchunwai.com blog.
Wong is, of course the Deputy Group Chief Editor II of The Star, Malaysia’s leading English daily, and he writes two columns for the paper: On The Beat and Comment. Wong, according to Unspun’s source, has always been a careful writer, conservative but quite fair, and he’ll be aiming to take the space somewhere between Jeff Ooi and Rocky’s Bru on one end of the spectrum and Kali and the NSTers on the other .
Wong is apparently taking this conservatism to his blogging - so far all he has done is to upload an archive of his columns and some feature articles but Unspun’s nasi lemak informant says that he will begin blogging with fresh posts soon. So at least reader KH now knows who’s the blogger.
The joke’s now on Malaysia- WONG CHUN WAI
HERE we go again – Malaysia has made it to the top news internationally for the wrong reasons.
Without any publication on the first day of Chinese New Year, the Internet was the option for news junkies.
And making the top 10 news items on many major news portals was the controversial remark by Islamic religious figure Datuk Abu Hassan Din Al-Hafiz that women should wear chastity belts.
The well-known alim said this was to thwart rape and incest and to protect women “from sex maniacs”.
A day after the ensuing furore, Abu Hassan reportedly said his comment was merely a joke and not to be taken seriously.
Unfortunately, the joke is now on Malaysia. Like some of our politicians and bureaucrats who suffer from “foot in the mouth disease”, Abu Hassan has again made a Malaysia a laughing stock.
Welcome to Blogsphere, Wong !
Malaysia's top bank cashed up, ready to buy
Malaysia's biggest lender, Maybank, on Wednesday announced a modest rise of 4.6 percent in first-half profits and voiced interest in acquiring a new bank with 2.1 billion dollars cash in hand.
Maybank attributed its performance to stronger loan growth in its overseas operations, such as in neighbouring Singapore, with net profit for the six months to December rising to 1.37 billion ringgit (393 million dollars) from 1.31 billion ringgit a year earlier.
Amirsham Aziz, Maybank chief executive officer, said the local giant was looking for a suitable acquisition locally or in the region, adding that it was flush with 2.1 billion dollars cash.
"We are looking at banks with a decent size. It has to be a top 10 bank in the market. With the war chest that we have, we should be able to acquire a top 10 bank.
"If we can't find anything, then we will return the capital," he added.
Maybank posted a net interest income of 2.547 billion ringgit in the first half to December, against 2.197 billion a year earlier.
Non-interest income came in at 1.34 billion ringgit from 1.34 billion a year ago.
Amirsham said he saw conditions in the second half improving as the bank would have completed a strategic review of its mortgage loans portfolio, while corporate loans should see a "big improvement."
(AFP via Yahoo! news)
Malaysia to launch 24-hour radio news channel
Malaysia's Ministry of Information will set up a 24-hour radio news channel in Bahasa Malaysia and English, within the next three months.
The country's Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said the station which would use the 93.9 frequency, would be transmitted around the capital's Klang Valley.
"In line with the objective of raising the service standard of the state-owned radio channel, we need a station which is more focused on news," the minister said.
Mr Zainuddin said an agency under the ministry would be entrusted with preparing the format for the radio network before it hits the airwaves.
To boost the station, professional groups in the local radio broadcasting industry were encouraged to contribute in terms of resources and expertise especially for the posts of announcers and reporters, Bernama News Agency reports.
Labels: Malaysia news
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