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IT would appear to many Malaysians, by now, that some of our politicians seem to be suffering from bipolar disorder. They can preach about the strength of our nation’s diversity to one audience and, on the very same day, spew out racist and hate remarks to stir up the sentiments of a different group of people.

Then we have the has-been politicians, in their attempt to stage a comeback, embracing communal politics in a rather bizarre manner that make them appear to be politically correct.

They can justify racism, one even in the name of Islam, while another wondered why there should be anything wrong to make a racist slur against the Chinese.

This same leader has suddenly become a household name with his rantings against the traders in Petaling Street and continuous demands to have the right to trade there. He claimed he once made an application to trade there but it was rejected.

Seriously, as a party division leader, peddling cheap watches and T-shirts can hardly be materially attractive to him, given the stories going around about the perks that some division leaders are enjoying.

In the case of Datuk Jamal Md Yunos, who reportedly admitted that he flunked his SPM, but now trades in luxury cars including driving a Lamborghini himself, it hasn’t been bad at all, securing AP permits, despite claiming to be “oppressed and suppressed”.

It is politicians like him, with their bigoted views, who alienate voters, especially those in the urban areas. He should not assume that by playing the Malay card, he has won the “most admired Malay leader” contest.

Then, there is Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob, the Rural and Regional Development Minister, who continues to be an odd ball. He has puzzled many of us in the media because he is really a nice guy with competent press assistants.

But his latest outburst – threatening to stop sending Mara students to Taylor’s University because the latter fired the operator of the university buses for ferrying Sept 16 protesters – is seriously childish and smacks of being a tit-for-tat response.

Surely, Taylor’s University would have done the same if its buses, bearing the varsity logo, were found to have sent Bersih protesters to the city centre.

And why is Ismail Sabri making such a big fuss if the Sept 16 protest only involves non-governmental organisations, which we are expected to believe?

Umno has remained a party that is known to be accommodative and moderate since its formation and that has been the trademark of the party.

Non-Malays understand and respect Umno’s stand in protecting the rights of the Malay community.

In wanting to keep the Malay vote, it is understandable that Umno has to project itself to be the bastion of Malay welfare but it must also not allow its members to go overboard, considering that it also draws its support from non-Malays and non-Muslim bumiputras in Sabah and Sarawak.

For that matter, there are many non-Muslim leaders and members from Sabah in Umno now.

Leaders like Ismail Sabri , Tan Sri Annuar Musa and Jamal sometimes forget that when they make offensive remarks, they are being watched by voters in these two important states.

The Barisan needs the support of these two states – which includes a huge chunk of Christians who have been loyal voters.

No party, regardless of which race is dominant, can win in the general elections without the support of the other communities. That is the beauty and reality of Malaysian politics.

The experience of Bersih 4 has shown that without PAS, the PKR and newly-formed Amanah Harapan would be quite incapable of gathering mass Malay support.

PKR has made attempts to send the olive branch to the Islamist party but the results have yet to be seen.

Likewise, the DAP can only hold on to Penang and the 38-odd Chinese majority parliament seats in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat but has no hope of capturing Putrajaya without PAS.

Similarly, if PAS persists in continuing to push for an Islamic State, it will just make an impact in the east coast but will remain on the opposition bench at the federal level.

Let’s not forget that in the 1999 general election, a huge number of Malays rebelled against the Barisan, in particular Umno.

It was the non-Malays who tipped the balance and rescued Umno candidates, and allowed Barisan to keep its two-thirds majority. In fact, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak barely scraped through with a 214-vote majority in the Pekan constituency.

In that election, the Chinese also dumped DAP’s Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh, punishing the DAP for working with PAS in the Barisan Alternatif alliance.

In Kelantan and Terengganu, the Malays rejected Umno. PAS won by huge margins – 41-2 against BN in Kelantan, and 28-4 in Terengganu.

In short, it will be myopic of any politician or party to focus on only one community for votes as the Malays themselves have deserted Umno before.

Likewise, in the past two polls, large numbers of Malays had backed Pakatan Rakyat, especially in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, and it is unfair to put the blame entirely on the Chinese without accepting the changing political landscape.

It cannot be denied that Malay voters have supported non-Malay candidates from Barisan component parties over Malay candidates from PAS or PKR.

That is the politics of consensus and power sharing and clearly proves Umno’s willingness to accommodate other races. That is the high mark of Umno since independence.

Trying to partner PAS may seem attractive, in the push for Malay solidarity, but it will lead to nowhere because the reality is that the Barisan works on consensus.

PAS will never be able to join Barisan because all it needs is just one objection from a component party.

It won’t be just the MCA, Gerakan and MIC but also the other Sabah and Sarawak parties, including even the Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu, that will stop PAS.

So Umno politicians who think the party should play footsie with PAS should not pursue this plan but stick with its loyal and tested component parties.

There is more to gain by branding oneself as rational, moderate and pragmatic in a modern Malaysia than to harp on communal politics.

Race politics has lost its appeal among many Malaysians and it is also foolishly damaging to race relations in this beautiful country of ours.

Malaysia belongs to all races and we should stop those who continue to harp on race. And if there is still law and justice, they should face the consequences, and not be allowed to escape because they are purportedly politically connected.

The late Usman Awang, the great national laureate. (inset: His book called Antologi Puisi Gemersik Tiga)

IT would have been the most appropriate time to launch a book on the late Usman Awang, the great national laureate, as the nation was celebrating Malaysia Day.

But the auspicious day, when Malaysians should be celebrating as one nation and one people, was hijacked by the Red Shirt protesters.

There was fear in the air with talk of racial clashes. At a time when we should be out in the streets celebrating, many opted to stay indoors and avoid the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

In the process, a very meaningful occasion was forgotten, if not ignored. In fact, most media organisations did not even bother to report the event. Perhaps they were short-handed, having to use their reporters to cover the protests.

A literary function to celebrate a dead writer would hardly be a priority when thousands were involved in a more dramatic and newsworthy event.

So most Malaysians were unaware that on Malaysia Day, the Usman Awang Foundation launched an anthology of poems on Usman put together by Dr Siti Zainon Ismail, Dr Lim Swee Tin and Dr Syed Husin Ali.

Usman Awang would probably have spoken up against the Red Shirt protest, which smacks of racism, if he were alive.

Yes, he would have undoubtedly supported the right of any group or individual to protest but he would have detested any form of uncouth behaviour.

We cringed when a prominent political figure arrogantly asked whether there was anything wrong with being a racist while a rally organiser defended the right of the protesters to hurl racial abuses at other Malaysians, including non-Malay reporters.

Have we sunk so low that it is now perfectly all right, and even politically correct, to be racist? And is it acceptable to call others names because there seems to be some form of protection for those who do so?

We had a rabble-rouser who made racist remarks, purportedly instigating a mob to act, over a mobile phone theft. And yet we are told there is no case against this serial trouble-maker with a known racist record. How do we explain that?

And what has the street protest got to do with Usman Awang, also known as Tongkat Warrant, who is acknowledged as a great writer, dramatist and poet?

Plenty! Usman Awang tackled issues of class discrimination, not race, and social injustice in the Malaysian narrative.

As a secondary school student, I was so fired up by his works that I signed up to do Malay literature for my Higher School Certificate (HSC) examinations instead of English Literature. I also took Islamic History.

By the time I entered Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, I was fortunate to have been taught by Dr Siti Hawa, one of the contributors to the anthology, who taught me the beauty of the Malay language in the Malay Letters Department.

Teachers like her opened my eyes to how Usman Awang wrote about peasants and labourers oppressed by uncaring leaders. He was able to transcend political and ethnic boundaries in his writings. While the street protesters may have their grievances, they were unfortunately not able to see things beyond the racial perspective.

Dr Wong Soak Koon aptly wrote in Aliran Monthly, which featured Usman, the People’s Poet, on the cover: “Usman Awang’s life-long concern for justice, fair play and for the lot of the oppressed must continue to energise us into action.”

It would be appropriate for us to just read his poem Bisikan Perpaduan (“Unity Whispers”) where he espoused the view that unity involves all the people and not merely one group of people.

His courage is epitomised in the poem dedicated to his friend, Dr M.K. Rajakumar, where he lamented over his own bumiputra status which his good friend did not have.

In the beautifully written Sahabatku, he wrote:

Sahabatku

suatu bangsa merdeka yang kita impikan

terasa jauh dari kenyataan

kemarahanku menjadi kepedihan

bila kita dipisah pisahkan

jarak itu semakin berjauhan

aku dapat gelaran “bumiputra” dan kau bukan

The essence is lost when translated into English but this is how it goes:

My friend

The one free nation we imagined,

Remains a distant truth,

my anger becomes sorrow,

When we are forced apart

The distance ever wider,

Now that I am proclaimed “bumiputra”

And you are not.

Usman asked, “When will all citizens receive equality, and come to be known with one name: Malaysian?”

While I have never had the privilege of meeting Usman Awang, certainly a true patriot and humanist, I had the honour of meeting the late Dr Rajakumar, certainly a great Malaysian.

In Usman Awang’s 1962 poem titled Anak Jiran Tionghua (Chinese Neighbour’s Child), he wrote of the friendship between Ah Chew and Iskandar:

Anak Tionghua kelahirannya di sini

Di bumi hijau ladang-ladang getah dan padi

Ia bisa bercerita untuk siapa saja

Di sini tanahnya dan ibunya bersemadi

Translated, it reads:

A Chinese child born here,

on this green earth amidst rubber and rice fields

he can tell whoever asks,

this is his land and his mother’s forever

Usman Awang wrote about the Malay race in his poem, Melayu, but he was also someone who understood the importance of pluralism and had advocated Bangsa Malaya even before we achieved independence.

His works have been translated into many languages, including English and Chinese, but it is only when they are read in the original Bahasa Malaysia that one is mesmerised by his work and the beauty of the Malay language.

But more importantly, he was able to rise above race despite his strong sense of nationalism.

It was a pity that a protest in Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Day dominated the front pages of all newspapers and was the main item on television.

Sadder still, a great day dedicated to a great Malaysian through the launch of this anthology was also hijacked.

It’s not make-believe: We should let the world know that multi-racial Malaysia is real and does not exist only in glossy brochures.

MALAYSIA loves to tell the world that we are a fantastically plural society. We spend millions promoting that image overseas.

We persuade tourists that they ought to choose Malaysia over our neighbours because we are Truly Asia. That’s our tagline.

Look at all the tourism advertisements where every race is represented. No one is missed out. That’s simply because the Tourism Ministry realises the value of a multi­-racial, multi-cultural and multi-­religious set-up.

It’s an asset for Malaysia and we sell it to the world. It is something that Malaysia is blessed with and we understand the occasional complications that come with it.

Why see only temples and eat tom yam daily when you can see our magnificent mosques, Chinese and Indian temples and churches in Malaysia, and enjoy the wide array of food from all races? Why choose a clinically sterile place with almost everything copied from us when we offer real adventure, and real food, for example?

In short, we have a great story to tell the world. We want the world to know that ­multi-racial Malaysia is real and does not exist only in glossy brochures.

Malaysia is Truly Asia and not a make-­believe theme park with actors dressed up in multi-racial costumes in parades. It’s for real.

For sure, ordinary Malaysians are not going to let anyone spoil it all with talk of racial killings. If stomping on the faces of politicians on posters and carrying out mock funeral prayers of leaders are already seen as gross and pathetic, posters threatening mayhem and murder are worse, and totally unacceptable.

Police reports have been lodged and these ugly posters, which had appeared in some towns, have been removed but we would like to see arrests being made as well.

Those who put up such posters are dangerous and they really need psychiatric help. No one with a rational mind would condone such thinking.

Protests are certainly a part of democracy. Like-minded people have a right to assemble and express their unhappiness.

If the yellow-shirted Bersih protesters could gather, despite being declared illegal, so can their red-shirted opponents. The police have not approved the Sept 16 gathering as well and if they proceed, then the organisers would have to face the same wrath of the police.

Just like Bersih 4 leader Maria Chin Abdullah, who has been charged, we would like to see the same punishment being meted out to the ring leaders behind the Red Shirt gathering, should they proceed. There should be no double standards.

But the difference here is that the Red Shirt gathering, at least according to some news reports, smacks of racism.

The impression Malaysians are getting is that the Sept 16 protest is a one-upmanship to show that they can gather more Malays than Bersih, which was predominantly Chinese.

What is worse is that some of their leaders want to pick Low Yat as the venue of protest, which, not too long ago, was a scene of tension due to the theft of a handphone from one of the stores which was transformed into a racial issue. The person has already been charged in court. He has pleaded not guilty and some parties have attempted to make him into a hero of sorts.

The shop assistants who took part in the ruckus have also been charged, pleaded guilty and fined. That’s all very fair because no one should take the law into their own hands. The police, too, have acted professionally.

In the case of Bersih 4, the police have also handled the situation very well by keeping a minimum presence. Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi must be applauded for this decision and he chose to act only after the protests ended.

While there were unnecessary, if not repulsive, side shows at Bersih 4, it cannot be denied that the protesters had generally acted well. It was carnival-like although our leaders naturally found themselves mocked, as in all protests.

Our politicians should stop expecting to be revered like an almighty. They can walk around with their entourage of political hangers-on and groupies, with their false sense of importance but really, those days are over.

Don’t expect the people to be their ­servants as it should be the other way around. Politicians can be elected but they can also be disposed.

Both the Bersih and Red Shirt protesters need to read up their history books. National Day is sacred to all of us Malay­sians.

Malaysia is one of the few colonies to have achieved independence without any bloodshed. There was no revolution, no riots and it was achieved mainly through negotiations. Tunku Abdul Rahman was accompanied by Chinese and Indian leaders – let’s not forget that.

The Chinese and Indians did not just take part in the push for independence, led by Umno, but also built the country’s economy. So, let no ignorant politician ask what the Chinese and Indians have done for this country of ours.

At the same time, we must recognise that the Malays welcomed the Chinese and Indian immigrants to this country.

Likewise, Malaysia Day is another important day. Malaysia would not have been formed without Sabah and Sarawak. The two states did not join Malaysia but they helped to form Malaysia.

That is why they still enjoy certain rights including immigration, legal and manpower privileges because they joined as equals. So, do not take Sabah and Sarawak for granted.

To choose Malaysia Day to protest, with no real reasons except to show one’s communal might and to strike fear among other fellow Malaysians is surely disturbing.

The organisers, in an odd way, are said to be unknown and, strangely, are able to gain some form of momentum, giving rise to suspicions that powerful forces are behind it.

For God’s sake, it is Malaysia’s Day. It is not Malay Day or Chinese Day or Indian Day or Iban Day. It is Malaysia Day and it is a day we should take pride in that we come together as a nation. We marked National Day on Aug 31 and took it a step further on Sept 16.

If there should be any gathering, it should involve all races. The strength of any leader, who represents all of us, is to bring together all Malaysians.

It is easy to be a communal leader, fanning racial sentiments by playing on imaginary fears of their ignorant followers, but it is more difficult to be leaders who speak on behalf of all Malaysians and understand our needs and aspirations.

Let us be Malaysians, not just when we are overseas or in tourism brochures, but to remember Sept 16 for the real reasons. We pray for rationality and reason to prevail – let the spirit of moderation reign supreme!

To mark Malaysia Day, we should be focusing our energy on nation building and economic competitiveness instead of spending time to see who can gather more people in a protest.

Online mockery: These were the creative memes which went viral via the social media after the humiliating 10-0 thrashing by the United Arab Emirates in the Asian Zone World Cup qualifiers last Thursday.

Our football teams used to be among the best in Asia. But now, we have fallen so far down and the spirit is definitely lacking.

IF there’s one thing Malaysians do not need at this juncture, it is another bout of bad news about the country. We have had enough black eyes over the past few months and something uplifting would surely be good for our morale.

Our ringgit has taken a beating, our stock market has been hit, and the political image of Malaysia, too, has been badly bruised.

But now, we have to live with the outrageous news that our Malaysian football team has been humiliated by the United Arab Emirates 10-0 in the Asian Zone World Cup qualifiers last Thursday.

This is a new all-time low in our football history. We don’t need another new low because that news angle has become repetitive through the updates of our ringgit’s value these days.

At the rate we are sinking, our footballers will probably be beaten by the Eskimos and Amazon tribes who have never played football in their entire lives.

Malaysia is now languishing with the minnows in 169th spot out of 209 countries, a drop of six positions from the previous ranking.

This is according to the latest ranking released by the International Football Federation (FIFA) on Sept 3.

It’s no laughing matter but in Asia, we are just above countries like Pakistan (No.170), Bangladesh (No.173), Laos (No.174), Yemen (No.175), Cambodia (No.180) and Brunei (No.182). Even Bhutan, the tiny Himalayan country, is ranked 164 – better than Malaysia. Bhutan may have been thrashed 15-0 by Qatar in the qualifiers on the same day, but Malaysia’s has had a longer history with the game.

Our downward spiral is obvious. We recently got thrashed 6-0 by Palestine on home ground and could only manage a 1-1 draw with Timor Leste.

Malaysians dare say that if we were to play against the top women teams in the world, we could end up being walloped. The US women’s team, which recently won the FIFA 2015 World Cup, will probably tear our Harimaus to shreds if such a match is allowed.

It is easy to fault the coach and players but let’s be brutally honest here – why shouldn’t the leadership of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) take the responsibility too?

Coach Dollah Salleh has decided to quit, announcing his decision upon arrival at the KLIA on Friday. It would have been wrong for him to cling on to the job after such a performance.

But is the leadership of FAM prepared to do the same as the same faces seem to have dominated the leadership all these years?

Rightly or wrongly, the FAM is seen as dictatorial, seemingly unwilling to tolerate dissent or any form of challenge. FAM has put to shame the North Koreans for its intolerance of public criticism.

When the team fails, everyone else is blamed except the FAM leadership, which seems untouchable.

The reality is that our football standards are at the lowest ebb. When the Malayan Tigers were knocked out of the AFF Suzuki Cup, head coach Datuk K. Rajagopal was blamed and made a scapegoat. Now, it’s the turn of Dollah Salleh. What next – blame the Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin?

In fact, Khairy who had questioned and criticised FAM on numerous occasion has even been reportedly labelled “biadap” (rude) for speaking out against FAM.

Don’t tell Malaysians that it is seditious to speak up against the FAM or even the Johor FA because they are headed by royalty. They are elected to head our football associations and ordinary Malaysian fans, as stake­holders, have the right to demand transparency and accountability. These sports bodies belong to us, the fans, and are surely not to be passed on from one person to another for hereditary reasons.

The irony is that while Malaysian fans are getting crappy deals, our football players are getting huge salaries – the kind of money that our legends like the late Mokhtar Dahari, Soh Chin Aun and Santokh Singh could never have imagined in their wildest dreams, as our politicians love to say these days.

Bhutan national players reportedly get a paltry RM582 a month and would probably have to sell cow’s milk to supplement their income but our players are getting five- to six-figure incomes every month. It’s a big deal even with the depreciating ringgit.

And is FAM poor? Far from it and that’s why no one seems to be keen to leave their seats. FAM is getting millions in sponsorship.

The leadership of the FAM is decided by 39 delegates – the 14 state FAs have two votes each (28 votes), together with Armed Forces (2), Police (2), Malaysian Malays (2), Malaysian Chinese FA (2), Malaysian Indian Sports Council (2) and Malaysian Coaches Association (1).

Like FIFA, which is currently embroiled in its own leadership crises, there is a lot of power in the hands of the delegates who sometimes do not necessarily carry the views of the people they are supposed to ­represent.

Malaysians love football. We have had our heady days when we were truly among the best in Asia. We even qualified for two Olympics. Our local league has strong support and the battles between the states show the passion in the game. Yet, when it comes to playing for the nation, the spirit is lacking.

Malaysian fans are the ones getting a poor deal, and probably find comfort in supporting their favourite Premier League teams.

It’s bad enough to be mocked at for our politics, and now we have to bury our heads and tails even when it comes to football.

THE Bersih 4 rally, as you read this, is still in progress. It will officially end at the stroke of midnight. The crowds are still there.

At the time of writing, the protest has been carnival-like and the crowd has exercised much discipline and self-restraint while the police, to their credit, has showed minimal presence this time, very much so compared to the previous Bersih rallies.

Ironically, if we are able to travel back in time, it was at the stroke of midnight on Aug 31, 1957, that the Union Jack was lowered and the then Malayan flag raised to signal the birth of a new nation. The crowds were there, at the same venue, in full force as well.

I have been an observer since early yesterday morning, watching the people gathering at various points.

In the lead-up to this event, we have seen how, in true Malaysian manner, some officials have reacted with sledgehammer directives over misguided fears of riots and mayhem.

Some, on the other extreme, seem to take it too lightly, thinking it’s just a weekend ­family stroll, forgetting that as in all protests, it can always take a turn for the worst.

Some just showed up, hoping for a showdown with the police, and to get their moment of fame.

But from what I have observed so far, it looks like we will survive this big protest – in fact, the fourth in the series and we have all survived every single one of them.

But there have been moments when I felt the parties involved were really testing each other – without fully understanding the ­ramifications of their actions.

But let us look at the bigger picture as we also prepare to celebrate our National Day tomorrow.

The Bersih 4 participants have their grievances, mainly political, but I know there are many Malaysians, right now, who are angry and sad with the many external and internal factors confronting the nation.

There is a sense of hopelessness and, when the pockets have been hit, there is also a sense of resentment.

It has reached a point that for some misguided Malaysians, they cannot even differentiate between love for the country and love for the government of the day.

The hoisting of the national flag can invite scorn from some Malaysians, who wrongly associate it as an instrument of the government.

Politicians come and go but our loyalty to the King and country remains steadfast. That means there should be undivided allegiance for the Jalur Gemilang at all times, more so in this Merdeka season.

Our politicians must understand and accept that in a democracy, there will always be a sizeable section of the electorate who will not support them. They just have to look at the election statistics to know that getting into power is not necessarily synonymous with having the majority of the popular vote.

In modern democracies, leaders have found that the majority that they obtained in general elections would keep diminishing as voters want to keep their government in check.

Party members must come to terms with such changes and should not expect their party leaders to deliver victory with unreasonable huge majorities. That is a thing of the past.

Malaysia is a not a dictatorship and the people won’t allow any directions, subtle or otherwise, towards that. The people have a right to love or loathe their leaders.

Likewise, those who take to the streets, demanding popular changes, must also not assume that they represent the majority.

You cannot change the government by merely staging protests because like it or not, the reality is that the present government is legitimately elected with still two years to go, no matter how unpopular it may seem to be to some at this point in time.

Without doubt, the leadership’s credibility has been challenged, if not severely dented, but any change can only come from within the ruling party and no one else.

It must also be recognised, no matter how difficult it is for some, that the current leader­ship has the support of its dominant party and other parties within the Barisan coalition.

But it will be foolhardy, at the same time, for the leadership to just ignore the sentiments of urban Malaysia, especially when they play a strong influence in shaping ­opinions – especially those that work against the leadership.

As in Bersih 4, surely no one can dispute that the sentiments of the protesters are fairly representative of the views of a large number of the electorate, especially in the urban areas.

In fact, our government should sit up and understand the ground rumblings.

There has got to be a better and more effective method of addressing the concerns raised instead of shifting the blame on non-existent ghosts and bogeymen. Haven’t we all grown tired listening to those who blame all the woes of Malaysia on the Jews, Christians and the shrinking Chinese community?

As a nation, we can face the storm ­together because we have gone through worse times. There have been dark hours before but we have survived.

We need to come to terms with reality. This country does not belong to one race but all races. This is a multi-racial, multi-­religious and multi-cultural country.

I am sure the government accepts that the nature of our racial composition is an asset. The country’s tourism promotions boldly proclaim that we are a country worth visiting because we are a plural society. There is great beauty in our diversity.

Despite the inefficiency of some of our ministers, including those who make racist rumblings occasionally, we must acknow­ledge that the Prime Minister has recognised the importance of multi-racial representation in the Cabinet.

Having to accommodate all races and all states, especially from Sabah and Sarawak, has resulted in what some cynics say is a bloated Cabinet. But it is a small price to pay.

We may compare ourselves to bigger countries with smaller Cabinet set-ups, but we fail to realise that these countries do not have the complexities of our racial dynamics which we have to grapple with.

No Malaysian government, at state or ­federal level, can claim legitimacy without the representation of the main races. Politicians who make bravado statements of not wanting the Chinese votes are just ­myopic or plain arrogant.

The last two years have been difficult ones for all of us.

Last year, we had to cope with the loss of two MAS planes and just as we struggled to move on, we ran into the unforeseen collapse of the crude oil price.

The plunge in oil price, which makes up over 30% of our revenue, has thrown our Budget projections upside down and, even after we revised our targets, the drop has continued and put our ringgit down to a level we cannot even imagine.

Without doubt, the domestic issues, especially political ones, have had an impact on our pockets and it is crucial that we come together to face the strong headwinds ahead.

The blame game won’t help and neither would the grumblings, understandable as they may be, to reverse the current financial nightmare.

It won’t be a happy Merdeka this time. But we can safely say that our forefathers, who fought for our independence, expected us to do better and surely, we must live up to what they have sacrificed for this country.

As anak-anak Malaysia, we must rise to the occasion. For Malaysia!

Malaysia must push itself to be more competitive if the country wants to see more visitors. And it is crucial to gather the best business brains to get ourselves out of this rough patch.

THE amount of time spent on politics by Malaysians is remarkable. One wonders if our politicians from both sides have anything else to do besides issuing daily press statements and calling for press conferences.

The 1MDB issue, without doubt, needs clear answers and a conclusion. The investigators have not come up with anything. Neither have they revealed what they have discovered to date.

The Public Accounts Committee, meanwhile, has had to put its own probe into the issue on hold following the promotion of some key members to be deputy ministers, which makes them ineligible to sit on the committee.

But even as this issue continues to captivate the people, and it must, we must also not lose sight of another important front – our economy.

Malaysia is hurt by the collapse of crude oil prices, the flow of funds, plunge of the stock market, devaluation of the yuan, strengthening of the US dollar and the shrinking ringgit. And it doesn’t help that investors see Malaysia as politically unstable now.

At meetings with foreigners overseas, Malaysian businessmen can tell you that they are asked point blank about the 1MDB issue and, most of the time, they can’t really tell much beyond what’s reported in the media.

And because we want to keep the Malay­sian flag flying, we have to speak well of this country. But we must remember that investors have plenty of choices as to where to put their money. We need to end this political controversy soon and move on.

Yes, we maintained the 2015 economic growth target of 4.5% to 5.5% despite potential external shocks.

Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz has pointed out that economic growth will be anchored by domestic demand, continued expansion across all economic sectors while the external sector is expected to remain resilient.

Domestic demand, which is projected to maintain at 6% growth, will continue to drive economic growth, supported by robust private investment and spending.

On the trade side, she said an expected narrowed current account surplus of 2% to 3% of gross national income (GNI) is in line with global rebalancing and structural transformation in the local economy.

But she also spoke of a lower projected current account balance of RM21.4bil due to low oil price and a higher deficit in income account.

It is obvious now that we have to look at other sources of revenue as crude oil prices continue to drop, with no sign of stopping anytime soon.

The tourism sector is crucial. The weaker ringgit will help make Malaysia into a ­cheaper tourist destination.

Even though 2015 was Visit Malaysia Year, we can still put in more resources to boost Malaysia as the ultimate tourist destination for 2016.

For a start, we need to tone down negative impressions, often caused by overzealous theologians and crime cases, that make headline news overseas.

I attended a Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra concert recently, where it paid tribute to the music of Queen. The American singer subtly asked if Malaysians were allowed to stand up and sing and dance along. And at the David Foster and Friends concert in Genting Highlands, he also made various jokes relating to the conservativeness of Malaysia.

We all know the world thinks lowly of Malaysia as a concert destination and those who shoot off their mouths do not realise how much our neighbours have capitalised on such a perception.

Our authorities need to realise concerts bring in tourism money and are not about promoting free sex and gender mixing.

Tourism Board chairman Wee Choo Keong said “there is no doubt that Malaysia is being ‘outshined’ in the region in terms of advertising”.

“You only have to turn on the TV and there are ads on campaigns such as ‘Amazing Thailand’ or ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’,” he said.

For example, after the outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), South Korea is fighting hard to get its tourists back, with the Korean Tourism Organisation (KTO) embarking on an aggressive promotional blitz worldwide.

For the upcoming national-level MATTA Fair to be held at the Putra World Trade Centre between Sept 4 and Sept 6, KTO has taken 24 booths and is bringing in top K-Pop stars and other artistes to promote what the country has to offer.

It is shocking that instead of pumping up the advertising and promotion budget to sell Malaysia, we are actually slashing it by RM50mil, which is 25% of the RM200mil that has been allocated for the past 15 years.

Tourism brings in close to RM70bil annual­ly and is the second largest foreign exchange earner and among the largest contributors to the economy.

Some 27.4 million people visited Malaysia last year but the numbers could drop if not enough is done to woo tourists.

It is quite perplexing that Malaysia conti­nues to insist on visas for Chinese tourists even though it is free now. It is just not good enough.

The summer season is usually when ­tourists from temperate countries, including China, travel and it looks like we have missed the window period. Wake up, Malaysia!

We recorded a shocking drop of 500,000 tourists from China for the first quarter of this year. The second quarter is just over and we can expect the numbers to go down further.

The records show that each tourist from China on average spends RM3,401 in Malaysia, therefore for the first quarter of this year, Malaysia has lost RM1.7bil from this sector alone.

Strong political will is necessary here to push through the implementation of visa application online like in other countries. Malaysia needs to be competitive and acco­mmodative if we want to see more tourists.

Anyone visiting the major shopping outlets in Europe, especially Paris and London, will know that Chinese-speaking sales assistants are hired to cater to the Chinese tourists, especially at branded outlets. That is how they treat their Chinese customers.

It is crucial now for the Government to pull together the best business brains in Malaysia, not just the academicians and bureaucrats, to work out how we can rough through this difficult period. It will lift a huge burden off the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

We need to identify the key sectors that can stimulate the various sectors of the ­economy to increase our revenue. Special incentives and stimulus packages need to be announced soon.

At the same time, it will be good for the Government to help ordinary Malaysians cope with the cost of living by reducing transport charges, including the price of LRT and KTM tickets. It is also time for electricity tariffs to be reduced in tandem with the fall in oil prices.

It can also look at reducing water supply charges to help consumers and as this is within the state’s jurisdiction, surely the ­various Mentris Besar and Chief Ministers can make it happen.

We need our leaders to focus on the econo­my. Their daily political charade isn’t going to help the people put food on the table.

HOW we all wish that some of our leaders, including Cabinet Ministers, would think before they speak. If there is an occasional slip, we can let it pass, but a few are simply serial offenders.

The days of playing communal heroes, using a different line to speak to different ethnic audiences and actually believing that they can get away with it, are over.

Even if the press is not there to record their stupidity, you can be sure that their distasteful remarks will make its way into the social media. These are the analogue age politicians who forget that the rest of Malaysia has gone digital. The moment they open their mouth, someone in the audience would have the smartphone ready.

Some of our leaders appear to be still caught up in a time warp and remain disconnected with Malaysians, especially the young.

Last week, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob called for an alternative digital mall solely for Malay traders.

Most Malaysians, judging from the response in social media, found Ismail’s proposal outrageous. More so, when he said it could be a second Low Yat Plaza, which just reminds everyone about what happened there recently.

It was strange, however, when he said that while these traders should be Malays, he was not sure if the suppliers would be Malays.

Earlier in the year, Ismail Sabri posted on Facebook allegedly urging Malays to boycott Chinese businesses that refused to reduce their prices despite a drop in fuel costs.

The Prime Minister’s Office later issued a statement saying Ismail’s comment was targeted at unscrupulous traders and not at any particular race.

Those who know Ismail Sabri can vouch that he is really a nice bloke and ever helpful but they can’t understand why he keeps shooting himself in the foot.

In the last general election, the Bera MP beat his PKR opponent and an independent candidate with a majority of 2,143 votes.

The seat has 50,997 voters of which 16,319 are Chinese, 30,088 Malay with the rest under the “others” category.

Ismail Sabri was apparently upset over why he failed to secure the Chinese votes in his constituency despite the huge amount of financial assistance given to the Chinese electorate.

The Pahang leader also got into hot water when he singled out the Old Town White Coffee chain, claiming that it was owned by a Perak DAP leader. He had to wriggle himself out of the situation when he could not back his allegation.

Ismail Sabri must understand that he cannot continue to sulk over the loss of Chinese votes. And he shouldn’t give up on his electorate. If they had backed him previously, but rejected him in 2013, he has to try harder to win them over.

As an MP, he should never turn away his constituents, whether they voted for him or not. If the constituent is upset, he has to find out why and do the necessary to win back his support.

A good businessman, for example, will listen to his customers and improve his products to meet their expectations.

If you look at Malaysian electoral history, you will know that the Chinese vote can swing one way or the other.

The Chinese voters have even kicked out DAP veterans like the late Karpal Singh and party adviser Lim Kit Siang before.

On his proposal for the alternative digital mall, even if his intention was to encourage Malay youths to be entrepreneurs in this lucrative business, he could have said it better without sounding communal, more so, when many rational and moderate leaders are trying to play down the racial elements.

As Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who heads the Global Movement of Moderates, said: “If you promote the idea of a second Low Yat, you are not helping but further polarising the communities. I don’t think this Low Yat 2 for bumiputras is a good idea.”

MCA publicity bureau chairman Datuk Chai Kim Sen meanwhile called Ismail Sabri regressive for making the proposal.

Newly-minted Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid also found himself in the news for the wrong reasons after he claimed the corruption allegations made by whistleblower portal Sarawak Report was an attempt by Christians and Jews to split the Muslims. The Wall Street Journal has also been labelled as a Jewish product.

Mahdzir, who is an Umno supreme council member, had made the controversial remarks at the opening of the Hulu Langat Umno division meeting last Sunday.

If we really want to use the Jewish conspiracy line, then we should just stop using Facebook and stop watching Hollywood movies as many are financed by the Jews.

And if you do a Google search for anything connected to this community, then you will have to stop using the cardiac pacemaker, forget about undergoing chemo­therapy treatment, throw away the TV remote control and give up a long list of medicines.

Blaming the Jews, the Christians and the Chinese for all the ills, or more precisely, fiascos, in Malaysia has become terribly tiring. It’s not working anymore, really.

With just two weeks to go before the National Day, Malaysians would prefer our politicians to focus on Malaysian commonalities. The moderation campaign, after all, is championed by no less than the Prime Minister himself.

We should talk about our common values, how people of different races can come together and pull our talents and strengths together to make Malaysia strong. We should stop dividing the nation with racist remarks.

No leader or government can be legitimate if the support comes only from one race. Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural country. That’s the reality, accept it.

While the political drama in the country is the most talked-about topic now, it’s time to turn our attention back to money matters. Our livelihood depends on it.

OUR ringgit hit another new low last week and there is every likelihood it will continue to be under heavy pressure as the price of crude oil keeps collapsing.

The prediction is that the price of crude oil will continue its slide and that Malaysia, as an oil-exporting country, will continue to bear the brunt.

Unlike Saudi Arabia and Russia, which have huge financial reserves, other oil-­exporting nations, especially the smaller ones like Malaysia, and those in Africa and South America, are in a real dilemma.

Malaysia is in a position it does not need. It is something that even our policy-makers could not have foreseen. The situation is made worse because of the drop in commo­dity prices.

Since the implementation of the GST in April, most companies have seen a huge drop in revenue and, by extension, their profits. As the second quarter results are rolled out in the coming weeks by the public-listed companies, we can expect most of them to post lower revenue and profits, if not losses.

Consumers have to cope with the increasing cost of living and market sentiments are weak.

Our stock market has also been hit with the anxiety over the slowdown in China, which is a major export market for many Malaysian companies. The local political sentiments have certainly not helped inspire confidence among foreign investors.

Why does the price of crude oil continue to slump when we are made to believe that we need to seek alternative sources of energy as the world is running out of oil?

According to reports, demand is now low because of weak economic activity, increased efficiency and more opting to switch from oil to other fuels.

Interestingly enough, the turmoil in Iraq and Libya – two big oil producers with nearly four million barrels a day combined – has not affected their output, it was reported.

News reports also said that unknown to many people, America has become the world’s largest oil producer. Although it does not export crude oil, it now imports much less, creating a lot of spare supply worldwide.

Total American inventory of crude oil and refined fuels are at the highest levels now since records began. The oversupply situation is global and refiners are now reducing their run rates.

But even a major player like Saudi Arabia has refused to cut down supply to bring stability to the price as it believes it would only benefit its rivals, Russia and Iran.

This is a form of geopolitical rivalry which the world can only watch but do nothing about.

No one foresaw that sanctions against Iran would be lifted by the United States, resulting in another drop in oil price.

Saudi Arabia is able to sit pretty, do nothing, and watch the price of oil plummet because it is said to have a lot in its reserves. However, the latest issue of Financial Times has reported that Saudi Arabia’s foreign reserves is now at US$672bil (RM2.6 trillion), down from a peak of US$737bil (RM2.8 trillion) in August last year.

The other advantage for the Saudis is its low production cost to pump oil from the ground, reportedly only US$5 to US$6 (RM19.60 to RM23.50) per barrel. It is still making a huge profit margin even if the price of oil drops below US$50 (RM196) per barrel. Other producer countries have to deal with their high production costs.

All these uncertainties affect Malaysia. It is a costly venture for Bank Negara to take out huge sums of money to defend our ringgit as no one can tell how far the oil prices will be dragged down in future.

So far, most of the analysts and experts have failed to get their readings right. It is rather ironic that the Indian currency exchange traders at our malls have a better understanding of the currency situation.

If this bad run continues, it will have implications for our economic and political situations. The ordinary consumer is unlikely to have an understanding of how the price of global crude oil will affect his wages and cost of living.

The politicians are likely to put the blame entirely on the national leadership for their purported incompetence.

Malaysia has already revised its growth rate and it will certainly need to take a hard look again when the Budget is presented in the coming months.

Bank Negara keeps us updated fortnightly on our international reserves situation. On Friday, it issued a statement declaring that our international reserves totalled RM364.7bil or US$96.7bil at the end of July, which is a decline of RM14.7bil or US$3.8bil from two weeks ago.

It said the reserves position is sufficient to finance 7.6 months of retained imports and is 1.1 times the short-term external debt.

Our reserves had fallen from RM379.4bil (US$100.5bil) as at July 15 while the ringgit has weakened by nearly 12% against the US dollar year to year.

Last week, The Star quoted Equities Research estimating that cumulative net ­foreign outflow from Malaysian equities rose to RM11.7bil at the end of July, significantly surpassing the RM6.9bil outflow for the entire 2014.

In its report issued on Monday, it said ­foreign money outflow from Bursa-listed companies continued unabated last week.

“Foreign investors have now been net sellers on Bursa for 14 consecutive weeks, the longest stretch of back-to-back weekly selldown since the 2008 financial crisis,” it said.

MIDF Research pointed out that in the week ended July 31, investors classified as “foreign” sold equity listed in the open market on Bursa (that is excluding off-market deals) amounting to RM845mil on a net basis, edging up from RM830.1mil the week before.

Foreign selling was heavy on Monday to Wednesday, with daily net sales exceeding RM200mil, but less than RM300mil.

This means that the daily threshold has already been exceeded 26 times this year compared with the whole of 2014, when there were only 23 days when net sales surpassed RM200mil.

The combination of domestic and external factors is hurting our economy. We need our leaders to put their focus back on the economy.

Malaysians may think that a topic like this is too dry compared with the many political dramas unfolding in our country. But we should look at these economic issues closely to understand how we are faring as a nation. At the end of the day, all these developments will affect our pockets or, to put it more ­seriously, the food on our table.

FOUR ringgit to a dollar – that’s what currency traders are looking at as the value of our currency continues to slide.

The ringgit, which slid to a fresh 17-year low on Thursday – RM3.8288 against the US dollar before closing at RM3.8190 – has been under tremendous pressure as weak sentiments continue.

It has been almost eight months since the value of the ringgit began shrinking.

Consumers may cheer each time the price of petrol drops (like what happened yesterday), but they have to be mindful that the ringgit will continue to be hit each time there is a slump in crude oil prices as Malaysia is an oil-exporting nation.

And it certainly does not help that the prices of other commodities, including palm oil, have been on the decline in this same period.

Since January, the price of Brent Crude has sunk to levels not seen since 2009 primarily on speculation that US crude stockpiles will increase, resulting in a global supply glut.

Unless there is some form of stability in the crude oil prices, Malaysians can expect rocky times ahead for the ringgit.

Bank Negara has been defending the ringgit, but so far it has not been able to stem the decline. Even upgrades by rating agencies such as Fitch have not helped.

It is learnt that our central bank has been talking to dealers to persuade them not to accept orders to sell the ringgit but to take the buy orders instead. But this gentle persuasion method has not yielded results.

Year to year the ringgit has lost about 8.4% against the US dollar, making it the worst performing currency in Asia.

What does the continued depreciating ringgit mean for us? Well, we will have less money to spend when we are travelling after converting the ringgit to a foreign currency, particularly the US or Singapore dollar. In fact, it has become more expensive to buy the Thai baht now.

We will also have a bigger bill for our food items as we are a food-importing country. In January, the import of consumption goods – which accounted for eight percent of total imports – expanded by RM85.4mil (+2.0%) to RM4.4bil.

The main components contri­buting to the increase were food and beverages, processed, mainly for household consumption (+RM58.3mil, +5.1%), semi-durables (+RM50.1mil, +6.9%) and food and beverages, primary, mainly for household consumption (+RM43.6mil, +6.2%).

While our bill for food has shot up, our exports have taken a dip, especially palm oil and palm oil-based products. The government derives about 31% of its income from oil-related sources, according to reports.

Malaysians can expect to pay more for their food items, especially processed food, and it will not be easy as we are already grappling with the increasing cost of living in the post-GST era.

Employers, staring at declining revenue as we enter the third quarter, are already combing through their books on how best to cut operating costs. Controlling recruitment and reducing wages are among the immediate actions being taken.

Last week, Royal Dutch Shell announced that it was preparing for a “prolonged downturn” by cutting thousands of jobs and slashing billions of dollars in investment over the next two years. It also said that “today’s oil price downturn could last for several years”.

A Malaysian business weekly reported last week that Petronas has abruptly ended or plans to end the contracts of 14 of its 18 oil rigs within a year to save the company millions of ringgit yearly as “it recuperates and plans its rebound”.

Malaysia relies heavily on Petronas for most of its oil and gas revenue as out of RM66bil in oil revenue last year, RM29bil came in the form of dividends paid by Petronas, according to a report. That dividend would be cut to RM26bil this year, Petronas said.

In simple language – we already know the government will have less money to spend on development now and it has already revised its growth forecast.

If the ringgit continues to slide, it will have a serious impact on our international reserves, which stand at a five-year low of US$100.5bil (RM384.3bil), down from US$105.5bil as at end June, according to a report in The Star.

A Singapore-based analyst at Bank of America Merril Lynch predicted the ringgit could weaken against the dollar to RM3.86 by the end of this year and RM4.05 by the end of 2016, while Malayan Banking Bhd in Singapore forecasted “the lowest the ringgit could go would be 3.85 against the US dollar but we still think the ringgit’s exchange rate could average at 3.82 against the greenback in the current quarter, before strengthening to 3.78 in the fourth quarter of the year”.

Well, for the sake of Malaysia and Malaysians, we hope the optimism of this analyst is right. While Malaysians are glued to the drama of the current political controversies, they should also follow closely how the ringgit is performing or not performing.

The government currently has its hands full on many fronts with many raging political battles but the sooner it gets back to refocusing its energy on the economy, the better it will be for us.

Clear minds are needed to make sure we can defend the ringgit as we look at other revenue streams to boost our economy and the livelihood of ordinary Malaysians.

Unlike those of the past generation who tend to remember things better as they need to commit everything to memory, we rely a lot on modern gadgets to do our remembering for us. In a way, we have forgotten to make use of our most important tool – our brain. 

IT has taken me a while to finally watch the movie Still Alice, a 2014 drama about a linguistics professor at Columbia University who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s ­disease.

Award-winning actress Julianne Moore plays the role of Dr Alice Howland whose fight with the disease began soon after she celebrated her 50th birthday.

She began to suffer memory lapses of words which she wanted to use at her lectures and, at one point, she even got lost while taking a jog around the campus.

That was the early onset of Alzheimer’s and her condition would deteriorate and take its toll on her and her family. At one stage, she could not even remember where the washroom in her home was located.

Alice could not even remember appointments or names of people she had just met a few minutes ago.

Her eldest daughter tested positive for the Alzheimer’s gene but fortunately her unborn twins tested negative. As the story goes, Alice’s son, a doctor, also did the test and it was negative. Her youngest daughter, an aspiring actress, decided not to be tested.

It is an incredible and amazing story and while Hollywood may sometimes use its crea­tive licence to dramatise the situation, I believe that many families with an Alzheimer’s patient in their homes can identify with this movie.

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia and as it progressively worsens, patients sometimes cannot even carry out a conversation.

There are reported cases of patients who cannot perform even the most basic activities of daily living like brushing one’s teeth and putting on clothes.

In Malaysia, it has been reported that there are 50,000 people who are suffering from this disease which has no cure.

Famous figures diagnosed with Alzheimer’s included former US president Ronald Reagan, singer Glen Campbell, actors Charles Bronson, Charlton Heston, Burgess Meredith and singer Ray Robinson.

Peter Falk, who was the star of 1980s TV series Columbo, reportedly could not remember the famous role he played towards the end. Closer home, we have just read reports of the legendary Malaysian musical maestro Ooi Eow Jin who is also suffering from Alzheimer’s.

I don’t usually have time to watch movies at the cinemas but I finally managed to watch Still Alice on a long haul flight on a recent overseas trip.

By the time the movie ended, I was already sobbing quietly. It was that emotional. I walked into the toilet of the plane and had a good cry. I just had to let it out.

I kept thinking of my 90-year-old father throughout the entire movie. He does not suffer from Alzheimer’s but his old age is causing him to lose his memory fast.

My Langkawi-born dad is still remarkably healthy for his age. He has no problem with any kind of food and his early years of ­physical hard work have helped him to be strong.

He has no sins like smoking, drinking or gambling, insisting that people should sleep early – as early as 8.30pm – if they wish to live long.

But the lapses in his memory are beginning to show. Many times he cannot remember what he just ate and recently, my mum, who is 84 years old, narrated how he ate the shells of the mussels instead of the flesh.

He also has to be reminded to take his bath and sometimes does so with great reluctance, claiming the cold water could kill him.

There have been times during my trips home to visit my parents when he would ask if I had just returned home, when I had actual­ly been back for three days.

Once, he spoke to my well-tanned daughter in Malay because he mistook her for my Indonesian maid, whom he has met only a few times.

Thank God, he never fails to remember me, his youngest son. My brothers and ­nieces who stay next door are still not a problem for him.

His long-term memory is intact. He can remember clearly he was born in Kuah, Langkawi, in 1925 and speaks fondly of his childhood days in Kedah.

I have made it a point to see my ageing parents at least once a month, no matter how busy I am with my packed schedule in Kuala Lumpur because I know time is running short.

There is no way we can fight against the biological clock and it will be a shame that I cannot spend time with them when they are still alive.

I do think a lot about them, especially in my moments of solitude. I think about how my dad or mum would cope if one of them were to depart first. It is a reality that we all have to face as much as we hate to think of such unpleasant moments.

I am 54 but think of myself as still being in my 40s, with songs from the 80s playing away in my head. But lapses of memory have begun to surface.

I would jokingly tell my family and friends that the brain cells have burnt out, a classic case of overwork and stress.

I have to jot down the things I need to do in case I forget, which is probable, as my colleagues can testify.

At my age, I have accepted that such physio­logical changes can cause glitches in brain functions, as one medical report aptly describes my predicament.

I have been reminded that the slowing down of mental processes should not be regarded as true memory loss.

The fortunate part is I also usually cannot remember the foul-ups of my colleagues that caused me to lose my temper in the first place. My assistants are the ones who have to remind me to issue follow-up memos.

I think we don’t use our brain cells that much to remember things these days because of the convenience of modern facilities. My parents, and people from their ­generation, have amazing abilities in committing telephone numbers to memory.

For us, we just add the numbers to our contacts function and just press a button when we need to call anyone.

I am travelling in Europe as you read this, and despite the different time zones and the holiday mood I am in, I am sticking to my schedule of filing this column. Nope, I ­haven’t forgotten.