Thinking Aloud

The PM has given a verdict of his 3 years in office. My, my, isn’t he the politician. But let us remind him of the things that DIDN’t go so well yeah.

1. The AP scandal. So what happens now? If I recall, you still haven’t come clean with that. You let Rafidah off with her "answer" in Parliament which was more hot air than substance.

2. Proton? Need we say more.

3. Racial politics. Apparently it is "ok" for delegates to hurt the feelings of other races in the community. It it "ok" to assert superiority (which doesn’t exist by the way, not in the Constitution and not by any long shot). All you did was to give a grandfatherly nod, "They were just letting of steam". The broke the law and all you did was to invoke a little "discipline".

4. Your son-in-law. Same thing, refer to above.

5. The state of our public universities. Isn’t it so ironic that you give education your primary focus. And rightly so. But it doesn’t seem to translate to action on the ground!!?? Waste of public funds in erecting billboards, unbecoming attitudes by UPM undergraduates (harrasment case), drop in rankings and the fact that many lecturers in universities doesn’t even have a Phd!

6. Religous intolerance. Moorthy case, Rayappan, Lina Joy. Church in Ipoh. Overzealous religious officers knocking on the door of a holidaying American couple in Langkawi. Dear sir, seems that your version of Islam Hadhari is good, only on paper.

7. The NEP controversy. There always is controversy whenever affirmative action is concerned. But when affirmative action becomes racial pride and priveledge. This is racism. It is beyond any educated man to understand why when not one, but 3 bi-partisan reports on bumiputra equity ownership have contradicted reasearch by "official" sources; you still stand by the wrong figures.

8. Historical revisionism. With regards to the NEP, you aren’t exactly innocent when you allow ministers like Hishamuddin assert that the "special rights of bumiputras cannot be challenged and enshrined in the Constitution". That simply is false.

9. Misunderstanding of basic workings of government. When the former Lord President Salleh Abbas asked for a look into the event surrounding his dismissal from office by the Executive, Lord Nazri promptly brushed it aside. Even before that, he had the cheek to suggest the Parliament be made a government department. What ever happened to separation of powers.

10. Integrity and corruption. Malaysia slipped down many more places in the  Corruption Perception Survey. And all this while you, a professedly religious person was in power.

11. Press freedom and responsibility. Dear sir, how can you say, "The Press has never been freer," when a) Internal Security Ministry orders a media blackout on what Noh Omar said, b) The resignation of two editors of Chinese Dailies (wrt the nude-squatting case). Talk about missing the forest for the trees. c) Your "advice" to the newspapers to give more "feel good" stories. It seems to me when the press tries to be honest, you tell them to be "responsibile". When they are not, then they are "free". Great, such attitudes does not make a reponsible (not to mention a free) press. And ultimately, you are responsible for the Catch-22 situation.

Dear sir, if (which I don’t think you will) ever read this blog, don’t forget what one of the ministers said about registering bloggers and a merry Christmas.