THE holiday season is always the best time to watch TV shows. I am not sure if others will agree with me, but I spend an enormous amount of time in front of the small screen watching football, Netflix movies and Astro, too.

Right now, my favourite pick from Astro is a Malaysian-made TV series about politics.

The political thriller is aptly titled Kudeta or coup d’état, the French word for a coup or a sudden overthrow of a government by a small group.

It’s fictional but it’s too close to reality. Talking about art imitating life, but the politics is just too familiar. Perhaps, even too disturbingly true.

There is a former prime minister who is now in jail, a coalition government, an Islamist party with a hypocritical leader, a liberal politician who doesn’t understand compromise, and a female PM with a marriage issue.

Then, there is also a corrupt, manipulative and ambitious deputy who can’t wait to take over from his lady boss.

The fictional country is Masraya. Not Malaysia. But there is always this disclaimer in any movie – if there is any resemblance to any characters or persons or countries, it’s purely coincidental as it is a work of fiction.

No animals were hurt in the production of the movie either, although I haven’t seen any pet cats or dogs.

New calling: Maszlee playing jailed PM Jamal Banna in ‘Kudeta’. — Photo courtesy of Dr Maszlee Malik’s Twitter

Diversity in movies is, of course, now encouraged. Masraya is a multiracial and multireligious country, and the characters mostly speak English and Malay.

Sorry, I can’t use Bahasa Malaysia here, but I supposed Bahasa Masraya would be acceptable.

But here’s the surprise – the jailed PM is played by none other than Dr Maszlee Malik, the former education minister.

Watching Maszlee on TV as an actor seems surreal. He is no longer in the news, but I am watching him as an actor.

And in orange prison-garb and sometimes in handcuffs, it was chilling as it reminded me of a real-life PM who is now serving his sentence for corruption. And that’s in real life.

Seriously, Maszlee acts really well. I know most successful politicians have acting skills. Some make natural stand-up comics without them realising it, but I am complimenting Maszlee in good faith. Although he is behind bars, in the show, of course, ex-PM Jamal Banna is still able to plan and execute his political moves.

Come to think of it, Maszlee was previously the MP for Simpang Renggam, which has a sprawling prison. Perhaps he may have carried out serious research before taking up his acting role.

Then, of course, there is actor Nam Ron, who takes on the role of Hamid, the leader of a religious-based party, who was blackmailed into an attempt to overthrow the lady PM, Mariam Imran, played by Vanidah Imran, because of a compromising situation with a Caucasian-looking woman.

The role of the liberal politician was played by Sangeeta Krishnasamy. She is the Finance Minister, who still thinks and acts like an Opposition leader although her party is already in government!

She is hot-headed and unprepared to compromise or make deals, and she is still taking part in protests.

The scheming Rahman is played by Adlin Aman Ramlee, while Penangite Chelsia Ng plays the revengeful, seductive lover of the PM’s husband.

Koe Yeet is Flora, an investigative reporter who is seeking to find out who is behind the series of murders, mostly females, and it seems to be politically linked.

I won’t reveal too much anymore of this TV series, which is certainly a cutting-edge Malaysian production.

Using dialogue in BM and English, in an urban setting, the tempo is just too real. That made me stay glued to it and kept waiting for the coming episodes to know the ending.

Astro Shaw has also produced One Cent Theft about a financial-strapped bank officer who hacks the bank’s system and steals one cent from unsuspecting customer accounts – with a total amounting to millions – at the fictional Hock Hua bank.

Like Kudeta, it has the same urban flavour, using both Malay and English with a multiracial cast.

Both shows are produced by Raja Jastina Raja Arshad, the vice-president of Malay, Nusantara Business and head of Astro Shaw.

And guess what? There is a cameo appearance by former banker Tan Sri Nazir Razak, in One Cent Thief.

What’s with these Malaysian personalities, who seem to have taken up acting now? It appears there is still glamour in post-political and corporate life.

Now, back to my TV screen – will there be a Masraya 2.0 Move to overthrow the PM?

OUR food choice can make us draw swords even quicker than our feelings for our nation’s politics – such is our passion for pleasing our palates. Begging to differ?

Well, when Michelin Guide representatives announced their choices for Kuala Lumpur and Penang at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel recently, the guests at my table, who were conveniently Penangites, were already providing a running commentary on their thoughts.

Naturally, there were disputes because some of the eateries accorded accolades aren’t even familiar to them since these Northerners had relocated to Kuala Lumpur ages ago.

But their biggest bone of contention was the glaring omission of nasi kandar, which is almost sacred food in Penang. At that moment, I was certain the Les Bleus had lost 10 Malaysian supporters for the World Cup final.

Haven’t these food connoisseurs heard of Hameediyah, the oldest nasi kandar restaurant?

It’s an institution because it has been operating since 1907. Mais oui!

The long queues at Deen Maju on Jalan Gurdwara or at the Kampung Melayu flats surely beat the lines at the Louvre.

Likewise, it’s blasphemous to leave out of the list our national dish, nasi lemak.

Being the only media person present, I was surprisingly interrogated on the mechanics of the selection process and left to explain who these secret food inspectors were to rate the quality of our hawker fare.

Under the Bib Gourmands category, mentions – not Michelin stars – are awarded to excellent restaurants for food being good and reasonably priced, and the choices included smaller restaurants for regional and traditional cooking.

In all fairness, I will agree with the selection of the no-frills Taksen restaurant in Penang. In fact, it’s even deserving of a Star. Likewise, the Green House Prawn Mee on Burmah Road.

As far as laksa and char koay teow are concerned though, that’s a hornet’s nest of a debate since Penangites are divided by which one is best.

For Kuala Lumpur, De.Wan 1958 surely deserves it. Chef Wan has made his Malay dishes as authentic as possible because that’s exactly how it should be done.

It’s better to win the hearts and stomachs of your Malaysian customers who want the real thing, than to suit foreign taste buds, and worse still, for those who can’t even pronounce the food they tasted.

But for the Michelin Star category, I would say Darren Chin deserves the recognition. He has worked very hard, and his food really tastes good, although it’s expensive! But you get what you pay for.

As a Penangite, I’m also proud that Aunty Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery has made it to the list, although other Penang folk would surely insist that their chosen ones deserve to be awarded instead.

When the Nyonya restaurant was named, I quickly messaged my friend in China whom I’d taken to the eatery on Bishop Street recently, telling him that it now has a Michelin Star!

There seems to be less dispute over the Michelin stars, presumably because they are more expensive establishments.

Being the first year of the awards here, Michelin can expect plenty of flak, but that only bodes well. It means Malaysians are passionate and proud of their food.

After all, we’ve raised many south-of-the-border rackets with Singaporeans over the origins and quality of our food.

But the inspectors really need to get Malaysian partners involved for their tasting sessions. They can’t say they know better because as Malaysians, we surely know much better.

Still, it’s great that Michelin has agreed to come to Malaysia because this fanfare can significantly boost our tourism. Tourism is no longer only about sight-seeing since it also includes culinary, medical and even entertainment offerings.

Malaysia has become one of the favourite tourist spots in Asia because of its multi-racial character and compatibility.

But there’s also a lesson to learn – our restaurants and hawkers need to get their act together. They need to be cleaner and more health conscious.

Being a Penangite, I may be fine tucking into my favourite duck blood white curry mee or laksa assam stall next to a longkang (drain), but that experience would be horrible for the French Michelin food inspectors. Imagine them using restaurant toilets with no toilet rolls. Horror of horrors.

Let’s admit it, Singapore has fared much better than us in this respect.

The people behind it – CF Capital – or rather, entrepreneurs Faliq Nasimuddin and Chryseis Tan – deserve plenty of plaudits for bringing Michelin to Malaysia and setting a new standard.

They’ve surely played their part in bringing greater recognition to Malaysia.

But as the glittering night came to its conclusion, a friend who stays in Klang texted me – “Hello, the best bah kut teh is in Klang lah, not in KL.”

So, Selangor definitely needs to be recognised in next year’s list.

Still, let’s not forget the popular saying, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. As the old adage goes, you can’t please everyone all the time.

TENAGA Nasional Berhad chairman Datuk Seri Hasan Arifin found out that he had lost his job when he was overseas.

It came as a shock to him as there had been no indications that the contracts of political appointees in Federal statutory bodies (FSBs) and government-linked corporations (GLCs) would be terminated immediately.

He relayed his concerns of the instant sacking to senior Umno leaders, who are part of the unity government, asking for time to pack off and to hand over his corporate duties.

The directive, signed by Chief Secretary Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali, to the secretaries-general of all ministries, has already raised eyebrows as it was leaked.

Hasan, a former Rompin MP and former Pahang deputy mentri besar, was appointed to the chairmanship in October 2021.

He is also the chairman of Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad, another post that he would lose.

Another big name is Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) chairman.

He was the Terengganu MB and Besut MP.

PAS also has its share of appointments including Haji Abdullah Latiff Abdul Rahman, a PAS Kuala Krai MP who heads the government-owned Hotel Seri Malaysia chain as chairman.

Another PAS leader Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, who is the Pasir Mas MP, heads the Skill Development Fund Corporation, a federal statutory body under the Human Resources Ministry.

At the South Kelantan Development Authority (Kesedar), the board is led by Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz, who was the PAS MP for Bachok.

The list of political appointees from Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional in federal statutory bodies is lengthy, if not, exhaustive.

The Cabinet decision on Thursday has generally been lauded by the public, who feels that appointments to government related bodies and GLCs should not be regarded as rewards for politicians.

The public perception is that it used to provide well-paid jobs to politicians who didn’t make the cut or have lost their electoral posts but still wield clout in their parties.

But in all fairness, not every political appointee, are hangers on.

There are experienced and competent appointees, with strong academic and professional credentials.

Their contacts are regarded as helpful to even private companies.

It is understood that this was discussed at length during the Cabinet meeting with some Ministers bringing up these pertinent points but, in the end, a blanket decision was taken to clear all previous appointments.

There has been talk that some politicians have threatened to challenge the legality of their termination as it is provided for under the respective Acts such as the appointment of Mara board members under Section 3 of the Majlis Amanah Rakyat Act 1966 and in the case of Felda under Section 15 of the Land Development Act 1956.

These acts regulate who is responsible for appointing them, the number of board members and sometimes, the criteria for the appointments, according to a study by IDEAS, the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs.

Most political appointees, when contacted, have chosen to remain silent, saying they had yet to receive their termination letters.

”Let me read the letter first, then I will consult the party leaders for a collective stand before I can comment.

We will also study the legal implications,” one politician said.

Another BN politician pointed out that for uniformity, perhaps states like Penang and Selangor, should also end the appointments of politicians in their respective state statutory bodies.

Then, there is another obstacle.

With a leaner Cabinet, it meant less Ministerial positions to be distributed, and those who had to be left out of these government portfolios would expect to get posts to these government bodies.

In the case of Umno, the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is seeking to keep his president’s post, will be under tremendous pressure from his party leaders, who are used to being appointed to these posts.

Reduced to being in a non-dominant position, the new Cabinet decision would prevent Zahid from rewarding his supporters, especially the division chiefs.

For example, from 2015-2021, 12 politicians from Umno, Bersatu and PAS, have been appointed into the board of Mara, an important Malay agency.

According to IDEAS, from 2016-2020, 10 politicians came on board Felda with all 10 from Umno.

Under the PH government of 22 months, non-politicians were picked to head certain statutory bodies but Pakatan Harapan, on its own, may now find its hands tied, as compromises would have to give way.

There have also been suggestions that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim be given the discretionary powers.

But it is a good start.

Surely in a country of over 32 million Malaysians, there are more than enough qualified professionals, who can balance the political practicalities with the needs of the people.

Malaysia needs a reset, and many would find it hard to cope with new changes, but fresh approaches are necessary.

New administration must attract foreign investors, not shoot from the hip.

IT was a good headline grabber, but the purported violations, smacking of possible corruption, involving RM600bil now seem like just another political soundbite.

For a start, the staggering sum is larger than Bank Negara’s entire foreign reserves, which stood at RM509bil as of end-November. That should have been a red flag.

It is also reportedly twice the size of two Federal Government annual budgets put together.

Then, there was the insinuation that Perikatan Nasional’s election fund partly came from gaming companies involved in special draws, while there were also breaches in the awarding of the gigantic sum without tender on unspecified matters.

We are not quite sure why the newly-minted Prime Minister made the statement. Perhaps he was wrongly advised.

But the math doesn’t add up, to put it simply. Those who are not familiar with finances may swallow hook, line and sinker such political posturing.

Perhaps it was a way of telling off Perikatan, and particularly PAS, not to pretend to be pious as Anwar would probably be frustrated at the huge gains of the Islamist party.

But the bulk of the RM600bil, according to The Edge, is made up of the RM530bil fiscal package which included EPF withdrawals, moratorium on loans and direct cash assistance to poor families that came up to RM83bil during the Covid-19 pandemic.There were at least eight stimulus packages announced between March 2020 and June 2021 that were aimed at alleviating the hardships of people, including small businesses.

“These initiatives put money in the hands of the people and businesses. These were not government monies or government projects and contracts given out,’’ it reported.

In short, the business community is asking each other what tenders and contracts were purportedly given out.

Like all stimulus packages, there could be some leakages, but it certainly cannot amount to hundreds of billions, which even eclipses the 1MDB scandal.

The Malaysian public sector does not have RM600bil; it’s that simple.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has opened the investigation files and reportedly “called on relevant parties to submit information relating to the allegations of irregularities in the use of RM600bil” during the previous administration under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

But the MACC seems to have downplayed the RM600bil figure, saying its investigations would only focus on RM92.5bil the government spent on Covid-19 management measures, which involved government funds.

While it is good to hear the PM pledge action against corrupt ministers, promising they would be sacked immediately, the reality will be something else.

It is easier said than done because the procedure would be for the PM or someone to report to the MACC, and even if the person is charged in court, the PM will still have to exercise patience until the minister is convicted at the Federal Court.

The elephant is in the room. He has a Deputy Prime Minister who still has over 40 cases to answer and surely, he cannot act, based on allegations.

As Anwar himself has said, a person is innocent until proven guilty. So, he may wish to exercise caution when he makes such populist statements.

The new administration needs to ensure it is no longer in opposition. So, it needs to stop “ceramah-style” rhetoric.

Malaysians will tolerate some missteps from Cabinet ministers, who are still on a learning curve, but ahead of a difficult 2023, ministers no longer have the luxury of time.

The Cabinet found eggs thrown in its face when it announced that eggs can now be imported – only to be told that Malaysian eggs are the cheapest in the region and that eggs have a short lifespan of just 21 days.

One dozen Grade C eggs cost RM4.92, but in Thailand, they cost about RM7.42, Singapore (RM12.24), Indonesia (RM6.55), Brunei (RM10.15), and Vietnam (RM5.78), according to Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, the boss of Mydin Hypermarkets.

He has suggested that Malaysia, as an exporter of eggs, ban the export of eggs to Singapore and Hong Kong until the shortage is resolved.

The problem is caused by poultry farms which have cut down production due to the increase in the prices of maize and soya beans, the two main ingredients for chicken feed, with calls to the government to review ceiling prices.

The optics do not look good for the new administration if it continues to shoot from the hip.

The Pakatan Harapan government needs to learn from its many mistakes during its 22-month tenure when it sent out negative vibes – Malaysia in financial troubles with Tabung Harapan launched and Sarawak being declared a bankrupt state.

Malaysia needs to build investors’ confidence to encourage foreigners to put their money here as a new political culture is set. That is the narrative the world wants to hear.

It’s time to move on, please.