9/2/11 WHY I JOIN POLITIC

(Look great. But, where are the Bumis? They have since Independent till this day are only petty traders by the road side! Would this able to give birth to High Income Community in a Developed Malaysia?)

Couple of week ago, after few meetings in KL, I went down to KLIA via a taxi. The jouney normally would take about 45-60 minutes depending on the traffic flow. In the docket of one of the seat, I picked up a magazine called KL Life-style. Flapping through I came across an interview with none other than Dr. Mahathir Mohammed (DMM). One of the point that really catched my attention was the very reason why DMM joint politic. His answer to such a question was: When I go to every town, I hardly see the Malays owning any good shopping facilities, thus I believe, I can contribute to such a need (roughly stated as such)! At the KLIA Bookstore I pickup a book title Confucius Co-Founder: Analect of Lee Kuan Yew, and finished reading the book before the plane landed at Kuching airport.

(2) The book was written by Lew Kuan Yew (LKY) potical rival, whom now couldn't set his feet back to Singapore in fear of imprisonment and torture (probably). The book in fact is merely a collection of Lee Kuan Yew selected statements made all through his political careers since before Independent to until he resigned and hold to the position of Mentor Minister.

(3) Since it is a selected interviews, one could esily see, the writter main intention of publishing such book. Dr. Mahathir Mohammed, as normally be done, being used (I use the word used) to be one of the key comentator of the book probably, mainly for commercial reason. His critic of Lee Kuan Yew is well known; bitter and sharp, just like he loves to comment on any book and statement of LKY especially when it touchs on Malaysia and worst the Malays. That sort of feeling and thinking of DMM is expected as we should know his Nationalism Spirit over the fate of the Malays in particular.

(4) Nonetheless, looking at the book from a neutral perspective, I would say there are lots to learn from how at that point in time LKY have to behave as such to make sure that Singapore would survive. As an oversea Chinese, being strongly influenced by the Western democracy ideology, against the backdrop of Socialist-Communnist up rising within the Far-East, LKY, definitely knew he is not accepted by the Mainland Chinese, and even worst his existence within the Malays-Native bound sphere, made him felt (even to this day)lonely and threaten. Thus his aggressive attitude to get a better footing for Singapore is well understood. LKY chosed Israel as his close ally is also not supprising since both State have similar political-economic environs.

(5) To LKY, why should he care about others, if those wouldn't contribute to the survival and supremecy of Singapore. To me, and as clearly stated in one of LKY interview, if one could see the threat and prospect of his community 100 years from today, definitely he would act very differently as compare if one would only see the same path for a horizon say 5-10 years ahead! LKY always want to be ahead of his time.

(6) Today as I was flying to Sibu, I gone through a book title: Warisan Ekonomi Mahathir by Jomo K.S. I was lucky while doing my postgrad in Denver, I used to read lots of Jomo writing on Malaysian Economic Policies. Osman Rani, Ishak Shaari and Salleh (all are Professor) are Jomo comtemporary in the analysis of lots of Malaysian Economic and Development Policies.

(7) In this book, Jomo as a Macro-economist and having high aptitude over statistic loves to see Mahathir policies from the International Comparative Macro-economic policies being practiced elsewhere. Despite his critical view on corruption and cronysm, Jomo used to point critically on the poor implementation and preparation of Mahathir's policies. In fact this is not only happening with regard to Mahathir's policies, but has been as such since the country gained Independent in 1957/63.

(8) In the book, Jomo correctly implying how Mahathir interest to see the Malays active role in developing their capacities and thus holding business entities had been shrewdly pursued by Mahathir despite lack of detail implementation mechanism. Most of Mahathir's policies seem to be made single handedly and some rushing in nature. A song by the late Sudirman Hj. Arshad probably gives the same impression of Mahathir's style of management: Kerja-Kerja, Cepat-Cepat!

(9) To me it is not suprising since Mahathir is a medical doctor and he had seen how the Malays had been far backward. Time is a factor. Nothingg could be done if one wait utill thing had to be formulated to the precise details. One must realise, even the Al Quran also come in bit and pieces for almost 20 years before it became perfect. Same goes with the confirmation of Islam as the religion of all humankind.

(9) Once I read, how Tun Abdul Razak was very mad with his own officials from the ICU of the PM Department, where he then had directed (with though words) fior the establishment of the Bilik Gerakan at all district and State level. This Bilik Gerakan is considered as a mechanism for him to get to the reality of issues being faced by the districts and State. With such, down to earth approach, Tun Abdul Razak could quickly gave his decision or direction on how thing should be done.

(10) The Bilik Gerakan system is nothing new as that has been well practiced in all military and security movement. Tun Razak as once was the Minister of Defense could see how this could be an effective tool, and thus deployed such system during his administrative era. In fact, Korea had emulated this system and now they had made this as their key practice in all of their key activities.

(11) What I could see, to this day, the very reason why we failed in lots of our development effort when policies and realities on the ground doesn't match. The matching of both need serious attention among the ground administrators, policy planners and decision makers. This team bottom-up working culture in fact had long been neglected. All because we are too much believer in IT-simulation!

Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
15 Feb., 2011