Replying some readers on the probability of World Governments NOT giving aid to workers and their voters.

Messages from readers

[05/05, 10:42] Raju JP:          GDP may shrink 5% but it doesn’t mean we are all doomed
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2020/05/03/gdp-may-shrink-5-but-it-doesnt-mean-we-are-all-doomed/

[05/05, 10:44] Raju JP: Guna
Based on the above, governments can consider to provide universal basic income via monetisation of debt.

What is your opinion monetisation vs printing money?

[05/05, 10:54] Gunabalan.Esq: What is point of saving human lives from virus if they commit suicide or die of hunger?

[05/05, 10:56] Gunabalan.Esq: This is a WAR.
WAR against the Virus.
Country must be lead through wartime with responsible government.

Whether monetisation( jual asset) atau U.B.I. it matters not.
As no money means hunger and death.

٪%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

[05/05, 11:34] Tirath:
Sah,  Semua nya OK!

Politicians and their managers have The Cash flow and necessary legal and physical protection.

The ordinary are slaves to the T10 masters.

Slaves are meant to be used and discarded when beyond their use before date.

Relax, universal or any other income other than from the slaves' own personal slogging is huh a tantalising thought, what if!


[05/05, 11:52] Tirath: Social media marketing is spinning a tale.
The more stupid the better and faster it spreads like a wild bush fire.
90% social media never even read the first full para. They either forward it or delete it. Do you have a spin doctor doctoring a twenty word spin on Universal Income?
When ready i shall be happy to share it.


[05/05, 11:42] Gunabalan.Esq: No need.
The internet is the perfect medium to sell ideas to the masses.

When the masses turn, ie demand, even the 1% knows better than to cross their demands

[05/05, 11:59] Gunabalan.Esq: Its already being done as you read this🐥

As it is, this pandemic is showing workers worldwide, how every Worker has been brutally divided into two classes:

• those whose employers protect them from the virus,
• and those who lose their jobs or their unemployment insurance if they refuse to labor under dangerous conditions.

This pandemic is an eye opener as well to Big Companies, who will take the opportunity to replace demanding, imperfect people with machines or artificial intelligence wherever possible.

The path is straight. The path is open.
It just needs seeing.

On the other hand, further extrapolation on my part indicates that if in the short term ( before a cure is found and given out to the world) governments DO NOT identify and help their voters in this crucial times....... as more time unravels the sheer amount of financially broken society members everywhere, real change in leaderships will look newly possible......  even in light of,  the unprecedented measures the government has already taken to combat the crisis.

Thats when they will turn to AI and robotics in strength.
Its no longer a moot question.

Also, the effect of those conjured trillions of dollars to bail out businesses in USA, JAPAN, UK and the EURO will start to effect liquidity and currency base ( meaning: imported supply inflation locally will hurt more families ) which means it would cause further financial disruption for workers families world wide down the road.
( within about 2 years )....ie society would revolt.

Granted, that’s not what happened in the 1997 or 2008 financial crisis, when the government primarily rescued the banks — but this time the problem is world wide and its a supply chain disruption......a totally new beast. Not a demand problem as it was earlier.

So this crisis brings with it an opening for collective action.
Those people sitting in leadership roles have to be ready to counter this.
How it will work remains to be seen.

You see, Revolutions and Pitchforks aren’t effective against social-media algorithms, and GLcs and BIG COPRPORATES might not care if some large fraction of the population can’t buy its stuff, as long as the rest keeps buying more.

But if the 1% and the winners of the AI revolution want to avoid the business disruption of an actual revolution, they should be prepared to negotiate a new and very different deal starting now....for the workers and their families.

About Rohingyas.....Written by Syed Akhbar Ali

 here is some satire I received via WhatsApp :

Hukuman menyeberangi sempadan Negara.


1) Jika anda menyeberangi sempadan Korea Utara secara haram, anda akan dihukum 12 tahun kerja pecah batu.

2) Jika anda menyeberangi sempadan Iran secara haram, anda akan dipenjara 100%.


3) Jika anda menyeberangi sempadan Afghanistan secara haram, anda akan ditembak mati.


4) Jika anda menyeberangi sempadan Arab Saudi secara haram, anda akan dipancung pada hari Jumaat.


5) Jika anda menyeberangi sempadan Amerika Syarikat secara haram, anda akan dipenjarakan sebagai pengganas.


6) Jika anda menyeberangi sempadan British secara haram, anda akan ditangkap, didakwa dan dihantar ke penjara.


7) Jika anda menyeberangi sempadan Malaysia secara haram, anda berpeluang tinggi untuk mendapat:


- Mykad sementara atau

-Status PR Penduduk Tetap atau


- kad UNHCR untuk cari kerja





- Lesen Memandu

- Tempahan Kerja

- boleh dapat Kad kredit

- boleh buka akaun di mana2 bank
- mendapat pendidikan percuma termasuk dalam bahasa anda (eg Myanmar)

- Penjagaan kesihatan dgn kos minimal

- jika anda wanita hamil boleh bersalin di hospital kerajaan


- boleh jadi tauke kedai runcit.

- boleh jadi bos bagi orang Melayu
- boleh beli rumah
- boleh beli tanah free hold


- boleh dapat keistimewaan Khas Bumiputera jika anda Islam, berbahasa Melayu dan mengamalkan adat Melayu



- akan dapat hak mengundi (jika ada Projek IC di kawasan anda)

- boleh kahwin wanita Melayu lebih daripada satu

- boleh guna nama isteri Melayu untuk pinjaman / bantuan bumiputera
- boleh buang isteri Melayu dan lari balik ke Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indon
- isteri Melayu akan tanggung pinjaman bumiputera

- akan dibela parti politik Melayu / Islam

- boleh sertai kumpulan pengganas Salafi / Wahabi / Abu Sayaf



My comments :



First lets talk about those UNHCR Cards. The UNHCR card entitles the holders to work in the country where they are refugees.  I don't know how many thousands of these cards the UNHCR has issued to the Rohingyas in Malaysia.  But doesn't that give the UNHCR almost sovereign type powers inside Malaysia?

I mean as a sovereign country we have our own laws, there are processes and procedures according to Malaysian law.  Then comes the UNHCR and issues its own ID Cards which can override our own laws.

I am wondering - just how many Cards has the UNHCR issued in say the USA, UK or in Rumania and Poland?  Rumania and Poland have made it crystal clear - NO Muslim refugees.

I don't think Rumania, Poland and some other countries in Europe will allow the UNHCR to even think about issuing these cards for refugees wishing to enter and work inside their countries.

But this is Malaysia.
The tidak apa attitude is supreme.
Plus Rohingyas are Muslims.
Plus the Rohingyas pay RM15,000 satu kepala to get here.
Jual bangsa, jual agama dan jual negara.


*****************************************************************************************

To backtrack into our recent history - this whole pendatang asing tanpa izin or PATI thing started with Dr Mahathir and the Dasar Ekonomi Baru FAILING TO MAKE the Malays competitive in the marketplace.

Yes folks - almost ALL the problems in this country derive from that most foolish and failed policy called the Dasar Ekonomi Baru.

Which gave rise to that 'can-never-go-away' political risk - UMNO could lose the Malay vote.

Fearing which Dr Mahathir had to accelerate the implementation of more and more of those "Cash is king" policies. Yes lah - Dr Mahathir was the great sifu who invented the 'Cash is king' policies.

For example in 1996 (?) Dr Mahathir so grandly pronounced  "They are all my cronies".  Sudah lupa kah?  This was part of the Dasar Ekonomi Baru.

The Dasar Ekonomi Baru began in 1970 - one year after UMNO got their butts seriously kicked (by Malay voters) in the 1969 elections.

That was the year Dr Mahathir lost in the Malay majority parliamentary seat in Alor Setar, Kedah. The Malay voters kicked his butt too.

Malay politicians like Dr Mahathir know very well that despite Malays being in the majority, a split in the Malay vote could easily topple Malay political parties and hence Malay political dominance.

This is a constant fear of Malay based parties. It almost happened in 1969. Dr Mahathir was kicked out of Kota Setar. And in 2018 this fear came true on a grander scale. UMNO got kicked out by Malay voters themselves.

So to overcome the continuing failure of the Dasar Ekonomi Baru, the easiest remedy they figured out was more of the same ie "money would buy votes". Cash is king.

Without unending government crutches, without subsidies and without free money thrown at the Malay voters,  UMNO and Dr Mahathir faced the constant threat of losing elections. Which still did happen from time to time.

From time to time UMNO lost Kelantan (for 30 years now), Sabah was lost to the Opposition, Kedah and Terengganu were lost, Penang was lost to the Gerakan (pre joining BN), UMNO would lose numerous by elections, Dr Mahathir lost his parliamentary seat in Alor Star. These were constant reminders. UMNO could lose.

And there was a growing threat from PAS.  Inspite of the Dasar Ekonomi Baru the PAS kept enticing numbers of Malay voters who were getting fed up of not just being constantly poor but worse than that of being unachievers  in their own country.

So UMNO political dominance needed more voters. More Muslim voters.

To achieve this, more non-Malay Muslims would need to be recognised as Malays and bumiputras. So that they too would enjoy the Dasar Ekonomi Baru "Malay" freebies. Who would refuse easy "Cash is king" privileges?

Making it easier to create 'new Malays' was the strange proviso in the Federal Constitution which defined the Malays not as a race but as a "political category".

The Constitution said
those who were Muslimhabitually spoke Malay and followed Malay custom were Malays.

Basically what this meant was that Aliyar Abdul Kader Mastan the Tamil instantly became a Malay.

Later the Abdullah Club (the "bin Abdullah" converts) would also edge closer to being Malays. They too would get "Cash is king" privileges.  Just vote for UMNO.

This is when the mamaks, Indonesians, the Moros, the Rohingyas and now any and all Muslims became part of the plan.  The belief was "Muslims would vote for UMNO".  Or even if they did not vote for UMNO, Muslims would vote for Malay political dominance. Ergo  more non Malay but Muslim voters had to be recruited.

In Penang - without the mamaks there would be no UMNO. Or PAS.
So of course almost all Penang mamaks instantly became Malay and bumiputra.

Then to recruit non Malay Muslim voters from beyond our shores - if a sufficient number of non Malaysians ie Indonesian and Filipino Muslims could be 'Blue IC'ed it would / could / maybe / insya allah add to UMNO's voter base. 

Hence things like Projek IC in Sabah. I once had lunch with the Chief Minister who was the architect behind the Projek IC. He said, 'Syed we had to do it. I issued x0,000 ICs".

So in the late 70s and into the 80s the Indonesians first began to appear as street hawkers in Chow Kit where they were allowed to put up their tents in front of all the Chinese shops. They completely blocked off the Chinese shops  and killed off Chinese business in Chow Kit.  Nothing was done to get rid of them. It became part of the UMNO ketuanan policy.

I know that many of these Indons were given PR status in no time. Their children have been born and raised here as Malaysians.    In Masjid India one such Indon family has given birth to daughters who have become doctors - studying for free all the way through university.  All courtesy of UMNO's pro Muslim voters policy.

A long time ago three cute Indonesian girls walked into my kedai emas in Masjid India. They wanted to sell old gold jewellery. When we asked to check their IDs (our security measure)  they all happily said "Kami ada IC, kami ada IC" and pulled out brand new Malaysian ICs.

(Having said that I must say that the Indonesians are a wonderful economic force, without them our economy will stop. Plus they have as much right to the Nusantara as the fish that swim in these seas. They were here first.  And as Norman Fernandez has said in his article in the Malay Mail while begging is the national past time of the Rohingyas have you seen any Indonesian beggars anywhere? Of the 2.5 million or so Indons in the country, there is  none of them who begs. All Indonesians work and they work very hard).

There is another group of acquired Muslim voters ie the Thai Malays or Melayu Pattani. But in reality they are Melayu Semenanjung. We cannot look at them as foreigners even if their nationality is Thai. In my opinion the Thai Malays were just "trapped" on the other side of the fence. I have said this before - whether we like it or not, whether we agree or not - one day there will be a reunification of the Thai Malays with Malaysia.

But the way things are going on in Malaysia, it may happen that the Thai Malays would prefer to stay in Thailand than be associated with Malaysia.  Just like many Singapore Malays feel embarrassed to talk about Malaysia now.  You never know. Anyway many Thai Malays are also Malaysian citizens. I really dont know who they vote for now - PAS, UMNO or anyone else. But they will vote for Malay political dominance too.

Fast forward -  in 2008 after Abdullah Badawi lost the 2/3 Parliamentary majority  the "pro Muslim voters" policy was accelerated again. Muslim votes became critical. More Muslims meant more votes for Malay political dominance, or so they thought.

So after 2008 ALL Muslims citizens were immediately recognised as Malays / bumiputeras etc. All mamak citizens anywhere in Malaysia became Melayu / bumiputera. Then Arabs, Afghans, Uzbeks, Moros, Chechnyas, Rohingyas, Pakistanis even Banglas became PR holders. Using the DEB's 'Cash is king' carrot it was hoped that more Muslim voters would help secure 'ketuanan UMNO and ketuanan Melayu'.

And by this time new "future Malays" had been identified from a far away place called Rakhine State or Arakan in Myanmar.  The Rohingyas were welcomed. Soon there was talk about a Kampong Rohingya in Pekan.

The late Tan Sr Zam once told me 'Even if they are not Malays its ok, their children will grow up as Malays'.

The more the Dasar Ekonomi Baru was failing to move the Malays up, the more panicky UMNO became about losing the Malay vote. And the more "new Malay" voters who had to be recruited - from local non Malay Muslims, 'offshore' Muslims recruited from the Rohingyas, Cham Muslims from Cambodia (yes they are here as well, in small numbers), the Moros from Mindanao (Projek IC), Indonesians, Thai Muslims, some Banglas and some Afghans, plenty Pakistanis even some Chechnyans (I think they left).

It was simply a panic induced fear to crave for more Muslim voters.
To save ketuanan UMNO and ketuanan Melayu.

But this was a grossly mistaken and foolish fear.
Because it does not work.

Not only did it start causing its own ethnic problems (as is happening now with the 200,000 Rohingyas) but UMNO lost the GE14.
The majority of voters, including Malays and other Muslims, voted against UMNO and against  'ketuanan Melayu'  ideas.

So this idea of "memperbanyakkan pengundi Melayu dan Islam untuk kekalkan kuasa politik Melayu dan Islam" does not work. It will never work. Do read on.

So the sequence of events was like this :

1. Firstly, not referring to any economic textbooks or rasional thinking to formulate the Dasar Ekonomi Baru.  The Dasar Ekonomi Baru was not based on any economic theory. It was purely race based and designed to keep UMNO in power. It was designed to fail.

2. Hence most logically and most certainly the DEB failed to uplift the Malay  economy.  (Because minus a free market system how do you decide the all important "allocation of resources"? By colour of skin? Religion? Language?)

Hence 'Cash is king' was born.

And as a natural consequence, in zero time, the free money and subsidies made the Malays an even more non-competitive society. Even healthy Malays became wheel chair dependent Orang Kurang Upaya or OKU. I can tell you stories. An ex multi multi millionaire (who once owned a billion Ringgit bumiputra license business) almost turned dobi operator. I spoke him out of the dobi business  because he was going to pay "Mecedi" prices for the washers and dryers. Apparently a  dobi equipment seller had "convinced" him into doing laundry !!

3.  The DEB failed. Hence Malays were constantly below par, poor and angry or at best unhappy. They also became more envious of the Chinese because from the 70s to the 80s to the 90s and into the 21st century the Chinese, Indians and others kept going forward, upward, going overseas, became international etc.

4. Minus sustained economic success and economic independence the Malay vote for UMNO / BN was always precarious. It could swing wildly - which it did from time to time. Few people realise that for decades in states like Kelantan and Kedah, the voting results have always been thin. In Kedah and Kelantan it was always a razor thin win for either UMNO or PAS.  Then finally it happened - in 2018 the Malays kicked out UMNO.

The "lets increase the Muslim votes" experiment finally failed big time. Percayalah, it will never work.

5. But along the way something else crept in. The human traffickers picked up the scent of easy money. If UMNO wanted Rohingyas, someone had to bring them in. Plus the Rohingyas were prepared to pay RM15,000 satu kepala.

If Banglas are good policy someone had to organise the Banglas on an industrial scale. Hence that 1.5 million crony permits for the importation of Banglas. Can you multiply 1.5 million Banglas by say RM15,000 satu kepala?  It makes the Rohingyas chicken feed.

Why allow the corrupt Immigration fellows to get a measly RM500 satu kepala at the Immigration checkpoints? Or RM50 satu kepala off the east coast of Sabah. Better organise things on an industrial scale, complete with foreign agents, logistics, boat operators, funding providers and the whole works. Industrial scale.

And that is how there are now 200,000 Rohingyas in the country.
They can be troublesome? Who cares?

If they can pay RM15,000 satu kepala they can create all the trouble they want.

Jadi tuan-tuan, punca segala masalah adalah Dasar Ekonomi Baru atau DEB.

Selama 50 tahun DEB itu tidak mengikut sebarang asas-asas teori ekonomi yang mana pun.

DEB itu tidak terjumpa dalam mana-mana buku teks ekonomi pun.

Orang yang tidak faham apa pun berkenaan ekonomi, bisnes atau kewangan tiba-tiba  boleh terbentuk dasar "ekonomi" yang dikatakan boleh menyelesaikan masalah ekonomi, bisnes dan kewangan yang mereka tidak faham itu.

Dan ini telah berlangsung selama 50 TAHUN yang sudah - hanya sedikit selepas Zaman Batu berakhir.  Di ganti pula dengan Zaman Jahiliyah Baru.

DEB itu adalah dasar politik.
Bukan dasar ekonomi.
Dasar politik yang dilaksanakan ikut perkauman.

We need a Dasar Ekonomi Betul (DEB).
We do not need a Dasar Ekonomi Bangang (DEB).

Get rid of the DEB and switch to a free market system.
The country and the Malays will take off.
Percayalah.

The Malays do not need Rohingya or Moro votes.
Tak payah jual bangsa, tak payah jual agama atau jual negara.
Percayalah

Investing advice during a recession -you must have the right attitude and approach.

This COVID-19 pandemic has already terbalikkan our malaysian economy.

Betul. Percayalah. PM sendiri dah bagitau, everyday we are closed, the country loses about RM 128 million.

Right now, many of our service industry, manufacturing industry and daily rated workers are out of work while countless small businesses bosses are frustrated and risk shutting down their business due to operating cost losses.....on a permanent basis.

Any body still doubt a recession happening here ?

There's no single definition of what a recession is, but the classic description is a period of economic decline lasting several months or longer. And hard-core economists will tell you that it's a decline in gross domestic product for two or more consecutive quarters. Jadi, kalau ikutkan theory definisi, dan sebab MCO ini akan terus dilaksanakan sehingga hujung MAY 2020 , kira dah recessionlah tu.

But technicalities aside, it's safe to say that we're seeing recession-like characteristics already -- 

widespread job loss,
fewer available jobs,
and government relief that's consistent with previous periods of economic distress (think stimulus payments and increased unemployment benefits).

Cerita ini semua sudah kita pantau dalam tulisan tulisan saya sebelum ini, jadi hari ini, saya ingin menanya:  If we're in recession territory, is investing a good idea?
Or should you take every dollar you have and keep it in cash? (Bad idea kalau inflasi naik)

Answer: Its a great opportunity -- under the right circumstances and you must have the right attitude and approach.

Remember that one thing that tends to happen always, during a recession is that stock values decline.

That's bad news for an existing investors portfolio, though leaving investments alone means not locking in recession-related losses. (Like, for a few years so you better have strong holding power)

As such, investing during a recession is good idea, but only under the following circumstances:

You have plenty of emergency savings. You should always aim to have enough money in the bank to cover three to six months of living expenses, with the latter end of that range being more ideal. If you're there, and you have extra money at your disposal, then you're free to invest it.

If not, be sure to build a solid emergency fund first.

You're not planning to touch your portfolio for at least 3 years.
Investing during a recession isn't for the faint of heart.
You may think you're buying at a low, only to see your portfolio value decline a few weeks later.

The best way to avoid losses -- and come out ahead -- in a recession is to take a long-term approach to investing, and to plan on leaving your money alone for at least 3 years.

You're should also not check your portfolio obsessively. When the economy is in bad shape and there's lots of low market movemen and fear, you may be more inclined to second guess every day and worry how your portfolio is doing.
Why give yourself extra stress?

So, if you're going to invest during a recession, you simply shouldn't do that.
The more you check up on your investments, the more likely you are to panic.
And when you panic, you risk making rash decisions, like selling too fast and that may force you to lock in losses.

Remember, it's perfectly OK, and in fact, advisable, to invest during a recession -- but only if you're in a strong enough financial position to do so, and only if you have the right attitude and approach.

You should never compromise your near-term financial security for long-term gain, so remember, if you're hurting financially, there's no shame in missing out on opportunities, either.

Right now, a lot of people are struggling because of the COVID-19 situation, so don't stress if you don't feel comfortable investing in the coming weeks or months.

Instead, focus on paying your bills and staying physically and mentally healthy.

You can always up your investments at a later point in life -- one when your job is more secure, your earnings more steady, and your mind more at ease on a whole.


‐----------------------------------------------HABIS  DAH ‐--------------------------------------------------------

☆ *Gunabalan's Musings Travels and Travails* ☆

 (GMTT) Gua tengah pikir ada hal penting yang mesti di bawa ke perhatian anak anak muda kita, yakni ...given the systemic failure of politicians and leaders around the world to anticipate and address the pandemic, safety, security and future of our human race world wide...these great risks haunting us now and as a parikarum to all the lost lives........., and also because of a consequent decline in public trust and disdain for truth, transparency and accountability in politics and media, the youths of today must be taught to feel there is an urgent need for sweeping political reform, including new ways to confront corruption by vested interests and the influence they exert over governments.

However, these future youth leaders/groups especially must understand and recognise that the solutions to these great global problems, depends not just on government policy and corporate activity, but also on the actions of billions of individuals in their daily lives.

 Sebilangan besar tingkah laku kita sekarang, apa yang kita lakukan dan bagaimana kita melakukannya, harus berubah jika masyarakat kemanusiaan kita yang kini dan yang akan datang ingin berdaya tahan dan makmur.

 This means that many existing systems and practices that we take for granted – our economic system, our food system, our energy system, our transport system, our production and waste systems, our governance systems, our community life and our relationship with the Earth’s natural systems – must all undergo searching examination and reform.

We must empower everyone – young and old ( to guide, not lead), female and male, poor or affluent – to build this safe, sustainable human future The goal is for the young to grab the bull by the horns and to share leading thoughts and ideas from across the world about what society as a whole can do to build a better, safer, future – and how we can each play our part to limit and overcome these risks. Covid-19 and the health and medical, economic and other responses it has engendered occurred faster, and much more substantively, that anyone had imagined.

 Most would never have envisaged the restraints enforced on personal freedoms and movements to contain the infection, nor the extent it would be required to “crash” economies to cushion these responses. But the world has mostly accepted and is adjusting to these needs.

To learn from this experience we all must all become proactive, rather, than just reactive, anticipating and preparing to address the global risks, and start to develop the policy responses that will maximise the benefits of the opportunities that will flow as a result.
 A word of advice to the orang muda:

The only limit on your thinking should be the extent of your global imagination.



 ========================The End?====================

Faisal Tehrani mengenal Melayu

Di sesetengah negara yang korupsi menjadi endemik, mungkin juga di Malaysia, mendedahkan gejala rasuah dan korupsi boleh dianggap lapuk. Khususnya selepas skandal 1MDB, menelaah apa itu penyelewengan misalnya dapat dianggap ketinggalan. Ini kerana kelihatannya rasuah dan korupsi telah merata dan menjadi kebahagiaan buat sebilangan orang.

Sebagai misalan untuk masyarakat bebas atau minimum perbuatan rasuah, ia memerlukan kerajaan yang kuat. Akan tetapi untuk orang Melayu, dalam fikiran mereka secara tradisi; kerajaan bukanlah “government” apatah lagi “state”, akan tetapi ia bermakna sekadar keberadaan raja, atau memadai wujud sebuah, seorang, atau setompok manusia yang dapat dirujuk sebagai pemerintah.

Sama ada pemerintah, raja, atau setompok manusia yang pura-pura memerintah itu benar-benar memerintah untuk memberikan semula kebaikan kepada rakyat bukan lagi soalnya. Cukup sekadar ada. Oleh sebab itu, orang Melayu sukar melakukan perubahan dalam politik. Dalam hal ini orang Melayu dianggap sejenis bangsa yang selesa, atau relaks.

Maka dalam sejarah kepimpinan Melayu, setiap kali ada pengkhianatan dan pembelotan, ia diterima seadanya. Ini kerana kalau ada raja, atau seketul atau beberapa ketul manusia yang dianggap boleh dan berkebolehan memerintah, ia sudah dianggap okey. Dalam erti kata lain, parameter Melayu terhadap pemimpin mereka sangat rendah, malah dalam beberapa keadaan tiada pun parameter atau skala pengukuran.

Sebagai contoh, tanpa kedatangan Portugis pada 1511, dapat dikatakan orang Melayu akan membiarkan diri mereka secara berterusan ditindas pemerintah Melaka ketika itu. Ini tidaklah bermakna saya mendukung kolonialisme, malah penaklukan kuasa asing terhadap orang Melayu hanya menambah beban sejarah. Cuma, saya ingin menunjukkan bagaimana orang Melayu okey dengan pengkhianatan dan kezaliman.

Sebagai contoh, dalam Sejarah Melayu kita mengetahui kegagalan Sultan Mahmud Syah memerintah Melaka. Baginda adalah raja, justeru kerajaan ketika Portugis menyerang Melaka. Peribadi baginda boleh dipertikaikan. Baginda digambarkan sebagai seorang pemimpin yang melimpah ruah hasad dan iri hati semata-mata didorong oleh nafsu syahwat yang meluap-luap kelaharannya. Baginda digambarkan sebagai seorang yang suka berzina malah dengan isteri orang, iaitu dengan isteri Tun Biajid yang merupakan anak Laksamana Hang Tuah.

Baginda juga pantang melihat perempuan muda cantik, di mana sejarah mencatatkan keberahian nafsu baginda yang gasang kepada wanita-wanita ini tidak kira kepada isteri atau tunang orang sekalipun. Maka kita membaca perihal kecantikan Tun Teja Ratna Benggala anak Bendahara Pahang yang meskipun sudah ditunangkan dengan Sultan Pahang, Sultan Abdul Jamil, tetap Sultan Mahmud meleleh, “baginda pun ingin rasanya akan anak Bendahara Pahang itu”.

Tidak cukup itu, Sultan Mahmud juga berdendam ke atas Bendahara Seri Maharaja kerana mengahwinkan anaknya Tun Fatimah jelita kepada Tun Ali tanpa pengetahuan Baginda yang juga terkecur dan berkenankan Tun Fatimah: “Baginda berkata dalam hatinya; ‘Jahatnya Pak Mutahir ini, demikianlah baik anaknya tiada ditunjukkannya kepada kita’. Maka Sultan Mahmud Shah berdendam di dalam hatinya akan Bendahara.”

Selain itu tatkala Laksamana Khoja Hasan menyebar fitnah Raja Mendeliar (setelah Laksamana dituba dengan emas sebahara) iaitu kononnya Bendahara Seri Maharaja sedang berkomplot “kasadnya hendak naik raja di dalam negeri Melaka”, maka Baginda pun tanpa banyak timbang terus bertindak membunuh Bendahara serta 3 orang pembesar kerabatnya, kerana “kabullah pada hatinya (yang berdendam), seperti kata orang mengantuk disorongkan bantal.”

Pembunuhan Bendahara Sri Maharaja ini menjadi asas kegoyahan yang paling dahsyat buat Melaka. Ini kerana kepimpinan Bendahara dan keperwiraan Tun Hasan Temenggung merupakan faktor utama dalam kemenangan Melaka menewaskan serangan pertama kuasa Portugis yang diketuai Gonzalo Periera, seperti yang disebut oleh Sejarah Melayu. Hanya dalam serangan Portugis yang ke-2 diketuai oleh Alfonso d’Albuquerque, yakni setelah pembunuhan 4 orang pembesar dan perpecahan dalaman yang parah, baru kalahlah Melaka.

Oleh semua kezaliman, dan pengkhianatan yang terjadi dalam pemerintahan apakah yang rakyat atau masyarakat Melaka lakukan? Sifar. Tiada. Relaks. Okey. Belaka. Pemimpin dianggap abah, tok ayah, bahkan dalam doktrin tradisional “bayang-bayang Tuhan di muka bumi”.

Ini semua memberi petanda selera politik atau kemampuan Melayu menilai pemerintahan yang baik amat rendah, comot, tidak cukup canggih dan ke hadapan, malah purba dan paling penting ia bertentangan dengan Islam. Maka tidaklah menghairankan hari ini, terdapat kumpulan kanan Melayu yang suka menjual kegemilangan Melaka, dengan mendiamkan atau menutup kezaliman dan penindasan berjela-jela.

Inilah sebab sasterawan Melayu bernama Fatimah Busu menuliskan seuntai sajak yang tidak perlu pun puitis. Ia berbunyi begini, yang tujuannya adalah untuk menyentak:

“Melayu oh Melayu! Kaulah pengkhianat negaramu!

Melayu oh Melayu! Kaulah pengkhianat bumimu!

Melayu oh Melayu! Kaulah pengkhianat bangsamu!

Melayu oh Melayu! Kaulah pengkhianat bahasamu!

Melayu oh Melayu! Kaulah pengkhianat agamamu!”

Sajak ini termuat dalam “Gurindam Jiwa 50 Tahun Merdeka”, yang memaparkan Melayu sentiasa, dan memang okey dengan pengkhianatan. Malah, tidak keterlaluan dikatakan Melayu terbiasa dengan khianat. Kalau berniaga tidak khianat bukan Melayu. Kalau berpolitik tidak khianat lagilah bukan Melayu. Kalau beragama tidak khianatkan sunnah Nabi (dengan tidak mencegah mungkar orang atas) bukan juga Melayu.

Bezanya, selepas berlaku migrasi besar bangsa bukan Melayu iaitu Cina dan India ke Tanah Melayu, untuk setiap satu kebodohan dan kealpaan Melayu, mereka Melayu akan ada “punching bag” untuk dipersalahkan; “Apa lagi Cina mahu” atau “India balik negeri”.

Sikap sambil lewa Melayu dengan khianat ini bukan sahaja jatuh atas pundak Melayu, tetapi juga jatuh atas jemala gugusan Melayu yang lain, misalnya Jawa. Mereka juga tahu betapa okey dan relaksnya Melayu dengan khianat tetapi melayan ia seperti biasa. Prabowo (terlepas dari kecenderungan politik beliau sendiri) pernah membaca sebuah sajak yang tajuknya “Asal Santun” ketika berkempen di Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta pada 23 Mac 2014. Bunyinya begini:

“Asal Santun

Boleh bohong asal santun

Boleh mencuri asal santun

Boleh korupsi asal santun

Boleh khianat asal santun

Boleh ingkar janji asal santun

Boleh jual negeri asal santun

Boleh menyerahkan kedaulatan negara kepada asing

asal santun”

Jika menghuraikan apa itu kezaliman, rasuah, dan pengkhianatan sudah dianggap tidak bermakna, maka bagaimanakah kita melindungi rakyat, dan masyarakat keseluruhan dari petaka korupsi atau kejahatan pemimpin secara besar-besaran sekali lagi? Apakah yang perlu kita, di zaman moden lakukan?

Profesor Jerome Raymond Ravetz dari Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, Universiti Oxford menyatakan apa yang perlu dilakukan bukan lagi mencegah rasuah dan korupsi. Akan tetapi melakukan sesuatu yang lebih bermakna, iaitu mencegah aktiviti atau sebarang usaha upaya melindungi atau menyembunyikan rasuah dan korupsi tersebut. Justeru yang patut dilakukan kini bukan lagi menyelongkar korupsi tetapi menelanjangkan sebarang usaha untuk menutup korupsi itu sendiri.

Dalam tulisan beliau berjudul “Corruption” pada 2016, Ravetz menyatakan gandingan korupsi dan “cover-up” mestilah berani dirungkaikan. Beliau menyatakan, para sosiologi harus mulai mengkaji, bukan lagi tentang rasuah, tetapi tentang fenomena menutup apa yang sebenarnya ini. Kata beliau, “For, while corruption occurs at all levels, cover-up is the task of the higher levels responsible for direction and control. From this the lesson is that those at the top are never innocent. Indeed, it can be argued, the lower level corruption is the price of higher level corruption.”

Ravetz juga menulis betapa menjelaskan tentang skandal lebih mudah, tetapi memperihalkan tentang menutup apa yang sebenarnya jauh lebih payah. Apa yang berlaku ketika Kesultanan Melayu Melaka dahulu kala yang membuatkan orang Melayu dahulu, dan hari ini relaks dan okey bukan kerana mereka tiada agama justeru memejam mata segala kemungkaran; tetapi kerana kejahilan mereka diekploitasi orang atas dengan sungguh strategis lantas berlaku “cover-up” mempesonakan.

Contoh “cover-up” era tradisional adalah, kita biasa mendengar peristiwa Singapura dilanggar todak. Mengapakah fenomena alam itu lebih terkesan oleh orang Melayu berbanding rentetan sebelum atau selepas kejadian tersebut? Misalnya, kejadian “Singapura Dilanggar Todak” tidak dibaca sebagai peristiwa Tuan Jana Khatib dihukum bunuh raja kerana sebab remeh, atau kita tidak membaca judul Hang Nadim dibunuh raja meskipun menyelamatkan Singapura. Yang lebih menonjol bukan 2 peristiwa zalim tersebut, tetapi lebih kepada todak. Tidakkah menjengkelkan Melayu lebih sedihkan hal ikan dari pembunuhan tanpa belas kasihan.

Kita seterusnya mendengar kisah Sang Rajuna Tapa dan anaknya yang lawa itu dan jarang kita membaca dengan tajuk atau kata kunci begini; “Akibat Khianat, Singapura Dialahkan Majapahit”. Ini contoh cara “cover-up” yang pernah berlaku.

Salah satu cara mengenal pasti permulaan kepada menutup apa yang sebenarnya dalam politik moden ialah apabila agensi-agensi kerajaan diketuai oleh orang politik dan bukan lagi teknokrat atau para profesional. Ia adalah permulaan kepada penindasan, kezaliman dan korupsi.

Hari ini jika Melayu memejam mata kepada gejala di atas tanpa rasa bimbang, malah kekal okey. Relaks. Tidak apa. Atau bersikap ala orang Melaka pra 1511 yakni asalkan ada kerajaan. Atau lebih buruk, menyalahkan orang lain yakni meratib asalkan bukan Cina atau India; maka ketahuilah pusingan u yang penuh malapetaka akan berlaku sekali lagi.

Pusingan u itu adalah, kita sedang berpatah balik menuju destinasi lampau:

Selamat Datang Tirani.

Rebuilding Malaysia Mariam Mokhtar Yin’s heart-wrenching plea:

Tell Me You Want Me to Stay
By Mariam Mokhtar
9 March, 2020
Comment:  Yin’s heartwrenching plea must be the saddest piece written thus far…

In all the betrayals, counter betrayals, bluffs and counter bluffs it is very clear that the non-Malays do not count. 

This is a Malay fight for Malay interests among Malay politicians, like they are the only ones in this country. The non-Malays do not count – they never did for a very long time now. 

When the dust settled, it has become clear that the Malays (most of them anyway) has achieved what they wanted all along – A Malay Nation Governed by Malays for the Malays. The Perikatan Nasional Cabinet, is entirely a Malay Party (with a few token non Malays). 

I wonder what is going through the non-Malay minds. 
They must be thinking: I wont stay where I am not wanted even though it is my birthright to do so. You have made it abundantly clear – not once, not twice but for sixty years. You discriminate against me at every turn, you discriminate against my children and I dare say you will discriminate against my grandchildren. 

We will always be second class. Good enough to pay most of the taxes that run the country; good enough to provide the services needed to keep things going; good enough to put our lives on the line to serve the country but not good enough to be treated as an equal citizen. 

Yes I know we have to sacrifice in the name of ‘affirmative action’ so that the Malays can catch up. I believed it and was all for it. But sixty two years later there is still no end to it – in fact it’s getting worse. But since you do not want me in this country, 

I leave you to steal from each other and stab each other in the back. 
We are not beggars and we are not prostitutes like you call us; we are not guests. 
Our ancestors left a poor country to seek a better life. 

We have helped build the railroads in the United States, worked on the gold mines in Australia. In very country we have been to we have contributed to it economically and have not caused trouble. Swettenham was reputed to have said that the Chinese are the easiest people to govern; they cause very little trouble, they work hard and contribute to the economy of the country. 

When the Chinese got rich they opened hospitals and donated to schools all of which benefitted every community. Even the Perak Chinese Maternity Hospital (despite its name) was opened to all communities without discrimination. What about the Loh Guan Lye, Lam Wah Ee, Seventh Day Adventist hospital, Fatimah Hospital (largely from Chinese donations)– all are open to every race and religion. 

We donated to the national mosque, a Chinese doctor (Muslim) built a mosque in Ipoh We wanted to be part of the community. We want to be part of the country as full and equal citizens but you do not want that. You want us only as second class citizens. You want us for what you can get out of us and nothing more. There’s a limit. Enough is enough. 

We too have our dignity which is built on honest hard work. If we don’t make it we don’t blame anyone else but ourselves and we double up to work harder and smarter next time. You on the other hand blame us and everyone else for your lack of application and you stretch your hand out for money – most of which have been provided by the very people you want to kick out (Mahathir’s own word that the Chinese pay the bulk of the taxes). 

I told my children not to be angry about being discriminated against when they could not get into public univeristies or get a government job. I assured them that it was only a temporary thing – part of the affirmatiive action. Have they to lie to their children too. How many tears must I wipe away when my children cannot get into the football team because they are of the wrong colour. How do you console those who climbed Everest and their prime minister only congratulated them as an after thought. 

You know full well if it were Malays they would have all got titles and money. How do you feel when your idea is rejected by your own country and another country benefits from it. Every time you take a Grab think about that; every time you use a pendrive think about that. 

We are discriminated against in every facet of public life. We have to work doubly hard to be recognised; or to be successful in business. We cry out to be full citizens of this country. The country we were born in and the country we want to die in. Yet you push us away at every turn. You would rather accept an Indian fugitive preacher and give him land; hand out Blue ICs to Muslims from another country when those born here cannot get one because they lack a piece of paper. I used to criticise those who left . 

I used to urge those who remained to stay and fight. Now I am not so sure anymore; and if I am not convinced myself how do I convince others? While I won’t ask every Chinese to leave; unlike before, I won’t persuade them to stay either. I can’t keep selling them a nightmare and tell them it is a dream. Now that there is an All Malay Government there is no one else the Malays can blame but themselves. With the Malay leaders busy backstabbing each other who is going to govern the country? Let’s see where the country heads – to the Fourth World as an Islamic Nation is my guess. In which case the non-Malays don’t need my coaxing. 

They will leave in droves and with them the liberal Malays. For a moment in 2018 I thought there was a glimmer of hope after GE14; all that changed with the recent coup d’etat. But even then; the head of PH was a self professed Malay First prime minister. 

Those who think that the future generation Malays will be different and that with them will come a true Malaysian nation; should think again. A young Malay friend of mine (young enough to be my grandson) in one of our discussions said that “Religion is the most important thing in the education system” and that Muslims and non-Muslims cannot be brothers/sisters. How do you convince others like him about the need for a Malaysian nation. 

He (and those of his generation) are a product of the national school system. They are the ones who will run the country. I had a dream that ours will be a rainbow nation where everyone is accepted. Where a person is judged on his merit and his contribution but not on the colour of his skin or how he worships. But that is not to be. 

 Despite all this, I hold my Malay friends no grudge or anger. I just feel sorry for them. We can move away and seek our fortune and a new home elsewhere where we will be welcomed and treated as equal citizens. We will contribute our hardwork to that country; like our forefathers have done here. You on the other hand cannot leave because of the education system and the “entitllement” mentality your Malay leaders have brainwashed you with. Of course we want to stay; but only as equal citizens. No more Bumiputra and Non-Bumiputra – just Malaysians. 

Together we can make this country great – pooling our talents together. Trusting each other; helping each other; accepting each other. It’s up to you (my Malay friends) what it is to be, because you call the shots. The fate of the country is in your hands.

My fate is in mine; do not think that I have to take this apartheid any longer. 
Six decades is a long time. Please tell me you want me to stay. 

 (The views expressed are those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rebuilding Malaysia.)

 By Yin, Letters from Ward 5, Tanjong Rambutan

Taking care in times of impending troubles

Going into a potential financial crisis due to deflation and pandemic viruses characterized by the convergence of monetary, financial, economic, social, political and strategic crises in spring 2020; there are  certain personal questions that everybody here in Malaysia,- individuals and/ or  company needs to ask him- or herself.  

Because, while regular readers of mine are used to these questions, please remember, there is a whole bunch of " young people" out there, for whom a financial crisis is new.  

The last time a financial crisis was in the news circa 2008-2009 – Asians did not suffer much more than a scare and possible interest rate increases.

Asia actually lead the world out of the Global credit crunch. 
Year on year since then many asian tiger economies had prospered and are charging ahead worldwide with more export and manufacturing sales. Covid 19 is threatening to change all that by disrupting our supply chain and value chains.

The Malaysian government then,having timely reduced interest rates allowed more working families and middle class families to upgrade their lifestyles using the mortgage loans and credit card debts.......which was a worry but has been under control since 2016.

Since then, many new young people have also joined the work force, who had never experienced any form of Financial breakdown/ crisis before.

All of these young people have access to easier credit than the generation before them.

For them, the question will be - how to handle this?

This is new - what to do?

Well, for all of you, here are a couple of questions that might be of interest, to prepare yourself for the future inflation/crisis:

1.) What kind of activities are you going to continue?

 Where is your focus, and how do you want to go through any potential upheaval in your personal life or companies operations?

2.) What kind of activities are you going to stop?

It is easy to do a lot of unrelated stuff and expenditure, when the economy booms. Have a review - Which one of these activities did bring some returns? Which one did not? Stop those and, again, focus.

3.) What are you going to do lesser of?

Don't stop everything, but there is stuff that you need to do lesser of in order to succeed/ move onwards.

4.) What are you going to do more of?

Are you getting prepared for life after a crisis caused by hyper inflated price increases? In some cases wages may increase but so will costs associated to business and cost of living.

May be you can think of activities you need to do to be ready - get your workforce ready. 
Do you want to do more focused training? 
In a globalized future world with en-roaching AI and VR Mechanising outsourcing taking more and more jobs, the best way to safe guard your future is learn how to use the new tools to create new prospects to further yourself.

5.) What resources do you need to succeed?

There have been crisis before. May be you need advisors to get over with it in the smartest way possible. May be you need a different "type" of people. Find them now.

6.) What baggage do you drop?

May be there is deadwood in your organization?

7.) Are there lifestyle choices you can change to save costs?

Drop it and save the money for better times. Conditions are almost ripe for a tipping point to arise in our financial system. When such a tipping point occurs, you should expect wild volatility in the markets and be prepared for things to be moving far too quickly to react to with any sort of precision or grace.

That's why it's best to be pre-positioned in your financial, physical, and emotional preparations, so that when the next bout of extreme volatility exerts itself, little to no immediate action is needed on your part during the tumult.

8.) Ride out the chaos in safety and confidence.

Be a support to those less prepared within your family and community. And take advantage of the luxury few will have to plan your next steps carefully, once the corrective forces clear much of the current uncertainty out of the markets. Doing so will set you up better than most to prosper in the aftermath.

It is all about focus and having clear plans and objectives at hand.

Also, think of fallback plans. What do you do if all else fails?

What will you do, after the crisis, if all else succeeds? Focus on these questions and find your answers as things always change it’s best to be forewarned.

Posted by: Gunabalan.