30 January 2009

Painful but Hard Truth

Our politics and economy is extremely tumultuous, and on the deck we really need strong hands, but we are still unable to tell which the real is to the fake leadership.

Having the ability to envision the between the real and the bogus leaders are really…really crucial for Malaysians at this testing time.

We have so far being ruled by canny leadership for the past decades, but Malaysian now needs this ability as the world is getting more complex.

We desperately need real leadership who is able to get the people to face the bare and crude truth and accept ownership of the problems as at the moment we are only having leadership who is too preoccupied with dominance and perpetuates the idea that only one party has all the answers.

We admit that there are quite a number of talented managers and a few very good leaders, but for the overall well being of the country, particularly in this complex economic and political environment as the result of globalization, we require more than just managers.

Let us define leaders as people who can mobilize and confront problems and difficulties and address them collectively as opposed to mere managers who simply maintain order, protect resources and provide direction with the authority given to them.

Just good managers, in this political environment is not helping the country any good anymore as these political managers we are having now have huge shares in putting the nation into the current political and economic tailspin.

For this crucial reason I have been emphasizing that Tengku Razaleigh is the only one that we can sight to have all the ingredients to manage this nation which is part of the global community that are facing global economic melt down.

He is not just a politician, as he is the most testimonially proven technocrat who has proven excellence while he was given the task to manage the nation’s economy with insulations of social engineering for just one motive i.e. to achieve National Unity.

TR has the intimation as to how to take into custody all tribulations that the country is facing and I bet he would not just be distrustful with problems ahead of us.

He has the aptitude to originate ways and solution to turn around the nation out of animosity to an open space for us to stride with pride ahead.

What is certain, TR would be able to distinguish between leadership and management or leadership and authority.

Sensible minds would agree that whilst we have somebody to manage us with forwardness we must strive to get him to take charge of us as a nation.

We ought to be prepared for sacrifices at this particular epoch of political and economic slump, to avoid further perils by unwarranted and unconvinced leadership which ultimately would be obliterate what we have built since independence.

We need leadership who can keep people focused on important tasks that make a difference, rather than using the inadequacy of authority figures as an excuse.

Lastly, with the increasing complexities of the world, critical thinking and creativity are essential capacities if we want to thrive; this is where TR has all ingredients to be on the driving wheel.

If TR is given the tasks, we are certain that he would swiftly get acquainted to his functions as the savior to the future of this great nation which is not spared by the current global economic hiccups.

Just cross our fingers, he will just take the problems handily.


Thanks…………………………………………………………Aspan Alias

23 January 2009

Happy Chinese New Year, The year of the OX

To our Chinese friends and families I wish them Happy New Year, and may this year of the Ox brings us the happiness and our Nation blessed with perpetual peace and wealth and live within the border of a nation in consolation.

I wish to share all my Chinese friends who believe that the year of the Ox is an exceedingly good year as the year would bring wealth and happiness.

Despite of the world economic downturn, all of us hope that the year of the Ox would be the year of hard work and seriousness as characterized by the hard work of an Ox.

Malaysia is not spared from facing and enduring the effect of the world economic downward spiral and let us hopes that we will be led by leaders who are prepared to work like an Ox.

Almost half a million of workers are imminently to be laid off just in weeks as announced by a cabinet member just days ago, and it is a clear admonition that the economic slump has already reached our borders and no leader in the government should deny this fact.

Back to the Year of the Ox, it would start on the 26th January with 15 days festival, which lasts on the 9th February. If we can recall the years of the Ox since the 20th century, the years were 1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997 and the current year of 2009.

The Chinese believe babies who are born in the year of the Ox will have very positive traits in them that would be in them until their death bed.

Generally the people who were born in the year of the Ox are very patient in nature, strongly charactered and the most important and positive nature is the quality of a Master Planner.

They are honest, very responsible, reliable and logical; hence people with problems would go to Oxen for advice.

An oxen normally hates failures and generally they would always succeed in their well-thought planning.

As they are born leaders they are self-reliant and always prefer to handle their problems alone, with an innate ability to achieve great things.

However an Oxen has negative traits; they are normally stubborn and do not give priority to Public Relation effort as they believe in themselves in obsessions.

I know at least 2 known leaders who were born in the year of the Ox; they are none other than Dr Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Dr Mahathir was born in the Ox year of 1925 while Tengku Razaleigh was born in 1937 also the year of the Ox.

These two leaders have strong characters and for those who are long in UMNO would be able to witness these two leaders who were born in the year of the Ox interact each other and culminated their strong believe in their own individuals that led to their great fight of 1987.

Both have contributed incalculably to the nation. One could see Mahathir’s contribution as his history is still young while Tengku Razaleigh had given his life to UMNO with massive involvement in development of the nation’s economic make-up.

He was the real architect of the financial strength and economy of the country which made Dr Mahathir’s job as Prime Minister much easier; much easier than his effort to sideline Tengku Razaleigh from the mainstream politics during his long tenure as the Prime Minister.

With this current political hiccups many are hopeful that the man who was born in 1937 year of the Ox to be the Prime leader of the nation as the one who was born in 1925 year of the Ox had become one; in fact the longest that history of Malaysian politics can reminisce.

In fact this is the only available choice for the betterment of the current political and economic animosities.

Many people can distinguish that leader who was born in the year of the Ox can mitigate problems currently faced by BN and the government.

On the international political horizon let us wish Barrack Obama another son of the year of the Ox best of luck and may he become a President of US with dissimilarity to his predecessor, the War President, George Walker Bush.


Thanks……………………………………….Aspan Alias

20 January 2009

The support for opposition was REAL

“It is just a minor setback,” says Najib in denial when asked to comment on the BN defeat in Kuala Terengganu.

What else can he say? It’s a political answer and we understand that too well.

The result is the follow through of 8th March 2008 General Election and proved that the good support of PR in that election was no coincidence. That was an actual support and it was no fluke.

Our party leaders are like mad dogs barking and wailing aloud without knowing even a bit of what they are saying when being confronted with humiliating defeat like this.

On the other hand, PAS has leaders who are more level-headed and call for its members not to celebrate as it may injure the feelings of the losing party and their followers.

That quality statement by PAS leaders really reflects to the eyes of the voting public that the party is already well-prepared and fit to be the alternative for the Malays and the Muslims who are in the search for the party which can be their political sanctuary.

All Malays need an alternative party since UMNO is just an exclusive club meant for the rich and the famous where they conduct business with easiness and solve their business tribulations at the expense of the people in particular the ordinary members.

Too many Malays think that UMNO is already a pest to them. Their beliefs in UMNO are fading as they are not consulted for whatever the party wants to do.

Too many UMNO leaders are getting rich far too fast and too massive and that was the reason why there were too many sirens whistling around in Kuala Terengganu which made the voters feel disgusted.

“Menyampah aku, orang UMNO yang datang dari luar bukan nak kempen tapi tunjuk kereta besar dan bercakap besar. Anak saya pun ada kereta macam tu kat KL,” kata seorang yang sebaya dengan saya melalui telefon.

“Apa dia orang pikir kita orang Terengganu ni bangsat sangat ke?” tambahnya marah.

They believe the money spent lavishly by outsiders especially from KL is all their money which they solicit through corrupt practices and misuse of power.

They know those leaders who drive big and fleshy cars in Kuala Terengganu have tiny brains but have to be showy about what they have to cover all their defective else.

UMNO leaders were more focused on campaigning for party elections than campaigning for the by-election and some UMNO leaders themselves were saying in the open that chances for us to be defeated in Kuala Terengganu was promising.

The visible presence of over 4000 police personnel was another contributory factor that made the voters having contemptuous feelings towards the ruling party.

All in all BN committed fumbles after fumbles in the effort to retain the seat which they won slimly in the last General Election which in the end brought the tides against them.

One of Najib’s supporters today calls everyone not to blame Najib for the defeat as Wan Ahmad Farid was nominated by Abdullah Badawi.

What kind of statement was that? It only shows how shallow his political acumen is. But I have been told that even if Najib managed to put up his candidate he is going to lose as well, because the rejection of the voters is because of UMNO itself.

This statement clearly reflects UMNO does not have the fitting attitude towards its struggles. Now we can hear members in Terengganu blaming each other for the defeat and that is UMNO of today.

They cannot accept that Wan Farid was UMNO’s candidate and they should be collectively responsible whoever nominated him. This attitude has been the norms these days and that brings UMNO to this unmitigated problem as they are not united.

My opinion that UMNO should be reconstituted is conclusive. That is the only choice available to save the party, or else UMNO is certain to become history.

It may sound hurting, but what else can I say? Trust me, I am saying it with my heart.


Thanks……………………………………Aspan Alias

18 January 2009

UMNO hammered!

Kuala Terengganu voters finally decided to give the mandate to PAS in the by-election with a thumping majority of 2631 votes and our grand old party was hammered unceremoniously by the people and voters of this east coast constituency.

With this decision BN is certain of losing the PU13 as it is a clear signal of denunciation on the leadership of Dato’ Seri Najib, the Director of the election who spent days and weeks in Kuala Terengganu.

Whether we like it or not, Najib should start packing and leave the official Residence in Putrajaya and back to Langgak Duta.

Morally he is rejected, as he was the main figure to lead the by-election and the loss means his failure to secure support for his leadership.

As for other leaders it worth the while to think and start calculating their pensions as they are going to be rejected in any by-election and the coming General Election.

It is noticeable that Abdullah Badawi’s issue is not the factor any longer as he has decided to retire shortly with these results it is proven that all these while Abdullah was not the only person who should be taking the blame but all the bunch who are in the leadership line-ups.

The real issue is the rejection of incoming leadership of Dato’ Seri Najib and as I have strongly indicated in my previous posting, PAS would win as a strong signal of rejection for UMNO leadership as long as he is within the current line-up.

If it is not the total rejection of the party, what then is the real reason for the rejection?

Who is going to be carrying the blame for this dismal defeat? The candidate? Ahmad Said? Najib? Or anybody else?

BN in actual fact does not have any reason not to win even by a simple majority as the
basic cost of living has already gone down, with the reduction of petrol and the massive campaign the BN government is doing to reduce prices of essential goods that the people consume.

Much publicized animosities among the Pakatan Rakyat coalition over the hudud issue do not affect the opposition as the obsessions against UMNO are too enormously intelligible.

So, what do we do next? UMNO had tried to mend the wrongs since the humiliating defeat in a lot of UMNO heartland in the 8th March 2008 elections but the people just couldn’t be bothered about it.

Everything that UMNO does, the people take it contemptuously as the leadership has ignored them for the past 2 decades.
Leaders for the past 2 decades did everything without consultation with the people and they feel that they are in no part of the ruling government.

In essence, UMNO must reconstitute itself. The whole line-up has got to go and there is no two- ways about it. Get to somebody outside the current line up to steer UMNO to safe sanctuary if we are really members with passionate feelings towards the party.

By analogy, UMNO is like a cancer patient. In it, the useless and deadly cells are fighting and decomposing all the good cells for the past over 2 decades.

Now UMNO is at the incurable stage and we can clearly see that all the leaders up there are still in denial.

Our cancerous UMNO will fall heinously if they (the current leaders) are still there.

I believe what the late Jaafar Albar told us at a small dinner at The Lodge Hotel soon after he won as the National Youth Head.

He said that he went on for the UMNO Youth Head to save UMNO from suffering, as he believed that the moment Dr Mahathir and Musa took the party leadership, UMNO would slowly move towards decadence.

In private Jaafar Albar confided that he was eyeing to contest against Dr Mahathir as Deputy President in 1978 to save and avoid UMNO being led by Mahathir but he died prematurely in Johor in 1977.

The thrashing in Kuala Terengganu is not unexpected and to all leaders and members alike, I call for every one to soul search oneself as the party is at a critical stage.


Thanks……………………………………..Aspan Alias.

11 January 2009

UMNO yang 'jembel'

Dalam kita menghadapi pilihanraya kecil Kuala Terengganu, ramai yang memberitahu saya bahawa ianya merupakan pilihanraya yang sangat interesting kerana ianya berlaku dalam keadaan UMNO sedang rebah-rempah dengan masalah dalaman.

Pendeknya, harapan PAS untuk merebut kembali kerusi Kuala Terengganu bukanlah suatu perkara yang mustahil.

Seandainya PAS berjaya, ini merupakan satu profile yang kuat untuk memberitahu rakyat bahawa parti itu mempunyai consequence yang besar dan akan dijadikan bukti bahawasanya PAS mampu untuk menjadi parti alternatif bagi orang melayu Islam.

Sebaliknya, ini juga menampakkan kelemahan UMNO yang akhirnya akan menjadikan parti itu sebagai parti jembel yang sedang menunggu kemangkatannya.

Ada yang memberitahu saya bahawa peti-peti undi BN tidak begitu bersih kerana ramai yang secara senyap-senyap akan membantu PAS kerana perasaan yang tidak selesa dengan UMNO.

UMNO tidak langsung mampu untuk mengawal kesetiaan ahlinya kerana masalah dalaman memamah segala kudrat dan kemampuan parti ini untuk berfungsi secara efektif.

Sesungguhnya isu peribadi Najib menjadi isu besar dalam pilihanraya kecil ini dan nyatalah kepada kita bahawa seorang pemimpin yang ingin menjadi pemimpin besar wajib berkemampuan untuk menghindari isu seperti ini daripada menjadi buah mulut rakyat.

Terlalu ramai rakyat yang begitu terbuka bercakap tentang isu Najib dan dia tidak mampu untuk melenyapkannya.

Dalam amalan banyak negara maju, pemimpin seperti Najib memang tidak lagi layak untuk menjadi pemimpin…itu etika kepimpinan yang tulen.

Samada isu itu benar atau sebaliknya, Najib tidak lagi patut menerima jawatan dalam kerajaan dan beliau perlu mencari face-saving device yang sesuai untuk mengundurkan diri daripada apa-apa jawatan dalam parti dan kerajaan.

Jika UMNO tersungkur di Kuala Terengganu, ianya adalah isyarat yang nyata bahawa kepimpinan Najib tidak bermaya dan itu jugalah yang akan kita lihat dalam pilihanraya umum yang akan datang.

UMNO perlukan bukan sahaja reformasi bahkan ia memerlukan transformasi dengan batang tubuh yang lain daripada mereka yang ada pada hari ini untuk memimpin parti dan negara.

Rakyat tentunya ternanti-nanti untuk menyaksikan perubahan dan mengalami situasi yang baru untuk hidup dalam perasaan selesa dan berkeyakinan dalam negara yang aman makmur dan sejahtera tanpa menumpukan pemikiran dengan perasaan tidak menentu seperti yang kita alami sekarang.

Jika dahulu isu Abdullah Badawi berkumandang di seluruh negara, sekarang ini pula rakyat begitu runsing dan takut jika Najib mengambilalih kepimpinan dengan pelbagai isu yang dihadapinya.

Najib sedang bergelumang dengan isu peribadi yang berbagai dan semestinya beliau daripada segi etikanya memang tidak lagi boleh memegang jawatan yang diidamkannya pada bulan Mac yang akan datang ini.

Jelaslah pada kita bahawa sistem pemilihan dalam UMNO tidak lagi mampu untuk memastikan kepimpinan yang dipilih oleh perwakilan UMNO itu dapat diterima oleh orang ramai.

Kita tunggu 17hb ini, mungkin isyarat akan terdampar di hadapan kita untuk kita semua memulakan transformasi seperti yang saya sebutkan tadi.


Sekian…………………………………………Aspan Alias