10/8/12 THE EFFECTS OF MAHATHIR-TAIB SHREWDNESS..(original title: Mahathir-Taib's dilemmas).

My focus in these couple of months was and will be about politic. My political concern, was and nothing more, to see that the Socio-economic Growth of the State and Nation must not be jeopardize by all the current political fuzzy noises. In this country, we can't be indifferent of politic to deal either in economic and socio-religious matters. Accordingly, as I always said, now is the time if the Nation and in particular the Malays-Muslim of this Nation want to be great. As Allah had promised, ....As a matter of time...., and that time, I believe, is now for the Malays-Muslim to take on their fitrah to lead the whole humankind into the much sustainable prosperity and unity. Thus, we must eliminate or suppress all these fuzzy noises to the best endeavor.

Tumpuan tulisan saya sejak beberapa bulan ini adalah prihal politik. Kepedulian politik saya tidak lain dan tidak bukan kerana saya tidak gemar untuk melihat dan mengalami kocakan kini boleh menjejaskan Perkembangan Sosio-ekonomi kita. Juga seperti saya sering katakan, kini adalah masanya bagi umat Melayu-Islam Negara ini untuk mengambil peranan besar menunaikan fitrah kejadian mereka, memimpin. Allah telah berjanji: Demi masa..., dan sesungguhnya pada pengamatan saya, kinilah masanya samada kita akan gemilang atau terkecundang. Kini adalah masanya Allah berikan peluang untuk umat Melayu-Islam untuk memimpin seluruh umat manusia ke jalan kesejahteraan sejagat. Sesungguhnya kita mesti belajar dari silapnya contoh Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, bila kita diberi peluang menerajui OIC (?), kita tidak melakukan langkah berani dengan cepat, begitu juga bila rakyat Kelantan memberikan UMNO peluang besar untuk menang lebih hebat, dia terus tidur. Sayang!

(2) In this article, I would give my piece over the dilemmas faced by both Mahathir Mohammed (Mahathir) and Abdul Taib Mahmud (Taib) in their quest to take the Nation and the State to the best socio-economic position the fastest. I have to declare that this is my piece, my pure thought, and I'm going to say it without fear or favor, InsyaAllah. I hope this article will set some light to resolve our current stupid and useless political squabble. The Malays must learn from the past, where when we were too slow or being indifferent, we lost all the chances at hand. These among others, we did nothing brave and fast when we were given to lead the OIC (?), and accordingly, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi keep sleeping when the Kelantanese were ready for a change. Now doesn't matter how much Najib is promising the Kelantanese, they, I would believe just hold to themselves, saying deep in their heart, was Najib not that sleeping Abdullah team or gedebe Khairy-boys!

(2b) Dalam tulisan ini, saya akan cuba mengenengahkan dilemma yang dihadapi oleh Mahathir Mohammed (Mahathir) dan Abdul Taib Mahmud (Taib) dalam usaha mereka untuk memartabatkan kedudukan sosio-ekonomi Negara dan Negeri ke kedudukan terbaik dengan pantas. Saya akan menulis atas sikap saya: tanpa gentar dan taksub serta setulinnya atas pengamatan dan fikiran saya sendiri, InsyaAllah. Saya berharap tulisan ini akan dapat membantu dalam kita mengatasi kemelut bodoh dan sia-sia yang sedang kita lalui.

Socio-economic Scenarios Brief:

Let me begin with a brief layout of the Nation and State socio-economic scenarios at the starting of both Mahathir and Taib in the realm of the Nation and State leadership to the point when Mahathir gave up his fighting spirit. Both Taib and Mahathir took the pinnacle of their political career in the early 1980s.

Biar saya mulai dengan membentangkan secara ringkas keadaan sosio-ekonomi semasa bilamana Mahathir dan Taib menduduki tahta tertinggi kempinanan masing-masing di awal 1980an.

(2) Firstly, in the early 1980s, the spin-off of the Iranian Revolution greatly affect the Nation political scenario. PAS (being physically seen as Islamic) under the illusion of sympathy to the Islamic struggle of Iran, pushed UMNO (as they were seen as secular) to the corner. PAS, being Kelantanese-based, believe that by drumming on Islamic matters, which are always at heart to the Malays would able to swing their political support to them. Unfortunately at such a critical moment where, the West particularly the American was working hard for the down fall of the Islamic influence, the Malays quarrel over petty issues: kafir mengkafir. I was at my Matriculation and University education level at such time, and was dragged into such tussle. Some Malays, but sound prominent, took the role of Allah as a judge to kafir any person and to decide who should ascend to heaven or being thrown to hell. Mahathir being not an Islamic scholar himself and being honest about his area of expertise, believe in the Islamic charisma of the then brother Anwar Ibrahim through his ABIM, took him into UMNO to neutralize the popularity of PAS. His move, though favored UMNO, yet created himself all the silent enemies.

(2b) Di awal peralihan kepimpinan Mahathir-Taib, negara sebetulnya sedang dilanda tempias hebat Revolusi Islam Iran. Kebencian kepada Barat khususnya Amerika serta simpati atas perjuangan Islam Iran, PAS khususnya cuba menangguk di air keruh dengan mengasak UMNO-BN sebagai Kerajaan tidak Islamis dan kufur. Malangnya, mungkin ketika nafsu menguasai akal, maka Melayu khususnya bergelut dalam kancah remeh-temeh yang sangat merugikan, kafir mengkafir sepertinya kuasa Allah telah diturunkan kepada kita. Kita tidak pun mengambil iktiar cuba melihat apakah segala yang bergolak pada masa itu suatu hakikat atau sekadar sandiwara dalam menegak benang basah. Iran kerana terdesak, cuba mengheret negara Islam untuk berperang sama dengannya. Amerika pula, mengambil segala peluang di atas kecelaruan, terus mengasak agar Islam menjadi lemah. Atas asakan inilah, maka Mahathir akhirnya mencari jalan memperkukuhkan UMNO, lewat kemasukan Anwar Ibrahim yang garang memperjuangkan Islam dan nasib mereka yang susah menderita melalui ABIM. UMNO dapat menyepikan PAS, namun Mahathir mengundang musuh senyap dengan kemasukan Anwar.

(3) Secondly, in mid 1980s, the global economy was in recession. I joined the Sate service in 1986, and it was really painful to look for fund to develop the Nation and the State. Poverty was at its turning point, reemergence. Agriculture commodities were on the downward pricing trend. That was the time, when Mahathir made a drastic developmental policy swing, ie going for Industrialization and slowing on rural development, which I believe led him to have problem with Musa Hitam (and Ghafar Baba) in view of his socialist-democrat thought. Mahathir believed that Malaysia must be going big for Value Added economies. Mahathir also favored more domestic borrowing, though the World Bank (WB/IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) were very keen to lend. Mahathir chose not to borrow from any as usually practiced during the Rahman-Razak-Husein period. At this juncture, Musa Hitam, as the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) can't work well with Rezaleigh Hamzah. Then, Musa himself can't work with Mahathir. What a pity, when the boss was supposed to be busy steering the Nation, his right hand man should be helping him hard to educate the Nation, Musa took the boss to petty political task. That lead to some second tier leadership crisis in UMNO. Such crisis, once again flung the Nation into political turmoil. If not mistaken, Najib, Shahril, and Muhhydin were Musa strong supporters. But Mahathir was and is a capable person, he managed to sail well. Anwar was then brought in as DPM. That was in fact Mahathir next political time bomb. In Sarawak, Taib was then facing split of support within his own PBB party. That then followed by a political crisis in PBDS, leading to the formation of PRS. The crisis didn't subside firmly, when then PRS split into SPDP and PRS. It was really hard for Sarawak, when the whole energy and resources were supposed to be consolidated for socio-economic advancement, had to be diverted toward fulfillment of the evil political greed.

(3b) Dalam tahun 1980an, keadaan ekonomi dunia tidakllah baik sangat. Kemiskinan masih berluasa dan bahkan ada tanda-tanda menunjukkan penularan akibat kejatuhan harga banyak komoditi utama. Para petani dan penduduk luar bandar sangat terkesan oleh masalah ekonomi dunia ini. Mahathir akhirnya memutuskan untuk merombak halatuju dasar ekonomi negara dari asas pertanian-luar bandar kepada industri berat. Pembangunan luar bandar dikurangkan dan sektor pertanian disusutkan peruntukkannnya. Saya berkira kedua-dua Ghafar Baba dan Musa Hitam kurang setuju dengan perubahan mendadak ini. Akhirnya Musa dan Rezaligh Hamzah bertelagah. Terjadilah krisis kempimpinan lapisan. Akhirnya Anwar Ibrahim dilantik jadi DPM, dan pastinya itu mengundang masalah lain buat Mahathir. Sayang saat Negara sedang dilanda permasalahan ekonomi, Mahathir terkesendiri bontang banting menmyelamatkan Negara sedang para leftenannya bergulat berebut perhatian. Di Sarawak sama juga prihalnya. Taib dilanda tsunami politik dengan perpecahan PBB kepada PERMAS dan keluarnya PBDS dari BN yang kemudian memberanakkan PRS yang sehingga sekian lama juga terus bergolak sehingga turut juga beranakan SPDP. Di peringkat Nasional dan Negeri, kita serabut dalam kancah politik sedang kemiskinan dan kemunduran sedang hebat mengetuk pintu.

(4) Thirdly in the 1990s, the bubbling economy of certain Eastern and Western countries, then followed by the Middle East crisis, the Kuwait and Iraq crisis took the whole world into great illusive threat through the American WMD campaign. International trading becoming very expensive. High inflation affecting many countries. Then, in 1997, Asian was affected by the Capitalist Speculation. To tackle the matter, Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim, then was having a divergence of Fiscal Policy choice. Anwar was in favor of IMF, as his natural affiliation to institutions, as compared to Mahathir whom diversified his advisory networks, chosen Kruger's(?) Capital Control theory. Probably, Mahathir enemies, plus those who had been patient to kill Anwar, faciliate for Mahathir to fire Anwar and thus brought the whole Nation into double jeopardy. But, Allah was kind to Malaysia, He inspired Mahathir to take all the right moves. We were save but we never reconcile to this day. Anwar was stripped naked the next day upon my return from my post-grad study in 1998. I don't know how my lips were very salty as the Malays' saying, when during the tea break with some friends, I was asked on what Mahathir should do in facing the the Financial turmoil, my cunning statement was he must fire Anwar from the Ministry of Finance Post, and eliminate the KLSE which promote more speculative rather true business etiquette.

(4b) Dalam tahun 1990an, terjadi kepanasan ekonomi di berepa negara Barat dan Timur jauh. Kemudiannya diikuti oleh krisis Timur Tengah antara Kuwait dan Iraq. Ini kemudian terus bertali arus sehingga melarat ke masalah gembar-gembur Amerika-Britain tentang WMD yang akhirnya memberikan kuasa kepada Amerika untuk bermaharajalela di Iraq dan Aghanistan. Dunia menjadi tidak selamat. Kos dangan antara bangsa menjadi merbahaya dan sangat mahal. Ekonomi dunia sekali lagi menguncup. Dan malapetaka terjadi pada 1997 bila mana Asian dilanda sifat tamak haloba kapitalis, George Sorrow. Nilai Ringgit menyusut dahsat. Mahathir-Anwar akhirnya bertelangah mengenai Dasar Kewangan Negara. Anwar sebagai sifat sejadinya sangat akrab dengan institusi, memilih jalan mencekik IMF (mungkin tanpa dia mengkaji jalanan membunuh IMF di Filipina, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Chili, dsb di tahun-tahun 1970an) sedang Mahathir atas sifat medical networknya ketemu dengan Kruger (?) seorang ahli akademik yang pasti tahu sejarah kegagalan IMF lalu mengusul kaedah Capital Control dalam menyekat penurunan tanpa asas Ringgit. Kruger(?) menggunakan Malaysia sebagai makmal ujiannya namun dia berjaya. Atas percanggahan dasar dan masalah-masalah sampingan lainnya, mungkin kedua-dua musuh Mahathir dan Anwar memainkan jarum berbisa sehingga Anwar terpecat dari Kerajaan. Mahathir dan Anwar akhirnya berbunuhan, sedang negara tengah menghadapi matapetaka hebat.

(5) Fourthly, in 2001, September 11, the New York Twin Tower was blasted by Osama Bin Ladden. That turned the whole world into the American mercy. Bush, whom himself was an evil-cowboy expert, pointing finger to Iran (and North Korea) as the exist of evil and declared unilateral war in Aghanistan. The world, then was no more a safe place. To me, America want to have an economic war with the Chinese, but they were too coward to confront them head-to-head instead choose to cripple the Chinese neighboring economies. The American hunting wolves-dogs then were running sniffing all over the world. Singapore, South Korea, Philippines, and Japan became the American caged dogs, while Thailand and Indonesia were force at gun point to be kitten.

(5b) Osama bin Laden, seorang yang dilatih khusus oleh Amerika untuk menyusup sebagai mulainya sebagai agen CIA, dan mungkin kerana persubahatan licik mereka meletupkan Menara Kembar New York. Dengan ini Amerika sang iblis bapa kepada segala syaitan meletakkan seluruh dunia di telunjuk jarinya. Amerika lewat Osama menemui jalan terbaik dalam melumpuhkan ekonomi dunia khususnya negara-negara Arab yang sudah tidak mahu mendengar kata. Buat Amerika, inilah jalan mudah dan selamat dalam usahanya untuk berperang dengan China yang sedang melonjak taraf ekonomi dan ketenteraannya. Amerika, sesungguhnya adalah sebuah Negara Pendengki MahaBesar. Amerika juga adalah negara paling pengecut untuk berperang berdepanan dengan China. Rakan karib China di ASEAN juga lumpuh.

Wisdom of Allah the Creator:

To me, Allah had been very kind to Malaysia. He blessed us to sail well in all the troubles that came, while other nations, remained tumbling to these days. Such kindness and blessing are not for nothing, but to test whether the Malays-Muslim in this country are steadfast to Islam and able to think and move further faster to please Him better. Allah had educated us to be smart to deal with our problems, we sort of made those to pass, and now, I believe He is giving us the chance to be great. Now is the time for the Malays-Muslim of Malaysia to lead at least to make Nusantara the region of the Islamic renaissance. Hutchtington(?) theorized in The Clash of Civilizations, branded Islam as the prime enemy of the global prosperity and security, now is the time we must take his Islamic negativity as savior to all humankind. The Malays-Muslim of Malaysia, do we dare?

Sesungguhnya Allah itu sangat sayangkan umatNya. Malaysia mendapat rahmat perlindungan yang tidak ada taranya. Sedang banyak negara lain terus tersungkur, Malaysia dapat belayar baik dalam gelora samudera. Namun rahmat Allah ini, bukanlah percuma, ianya adalah ujian agar Melayu-Muslim di negara ini akan terus cekal akan Iman dan terus berfikir tajam untuk dapat mendaulatkan keesaan Allah demi kesejahteraan manusia sejagat. Sesungguhnya, saya yakin, betapa Allah kini sedang memberikan Melayu-Muslim di Negara ini untuk berani ke depan dalam menebar dan memperkasakan roh Islam di Nusantara ini. Kita mesti berani dan gigih menyanggah tiori Hutchtington (?) betapa Islam adalah penghalang kepada kemamkmuran dunia sekali-kali tidak benar dan kita buktikannya bukan sekadar menempik menyanggah.

(2) The Chinese was identified by Hutchtington (?) as the second trait, thus, it is not surprising for America (West) the evil of the evil to destablize the Chinese neighbors, and unfortunate or fortunately are mostly inert rich Islamic states. By mean of circling the Chinese with the weak economies, America was and is expecting the Chinese Robust Economic Growth will subside, and thus won't be able to catchup fast with the West. Nonetheless, I believe, the Chinese are aware, as proven in the early history of the global trade, the Malays (greater Malays), the Chinese, the Indian and the Arabs were the much advanced nations prior to the emergence of the West. To me, Allah is reverting the whole world fate to where it belong, and thus such strengthen my notion and belief, this Nusantara and now is the time for the Asian and Islamic renaissance. But unfortunate, the Chinese being the great follower of Confucius and the Art of War, they choose to watch the fire burning across the river. But, the Chinese took the watching stage to Africa and South Pacific. They watch the fire in the Muslim nations not from China but Africa and South Pacific.

(3) From 1980s to 2000s, Malaysia was blessed having a leader such as Mahathir, whom by discipline was analytical, research-based and hypersensitive ie medical educational back ground. At times of troubles, Allah always has His way in securing His people. Mahathir existence at times when the Nation was infected with all sort of sickness, he has no problem of burning his candles to search for the acceptable prescription. It is the discipline of the medical practitioners to exchange notes on their patients' sickness, and thus I believe he broaden his note exchange network to a very wide based. Unfortunate, I believe, he has no patience with the lukeworm Arab's culture, thus he ignored the Islamic aspect of how to run the Ummah affairs. Accordingly, while he loves reading, but due to his Western oriented education, he lack the backup of Islamic materials. But his sincere sense to uplift the livelihood of the Malays and Malaysians as a whole, I believe placed him at the right path. Taib was and is of similar trait with Mahathir. An Australian trained lawyer, thus his ideology surely was and a bit western. But that suited Sarawak as a much complex socio-religious blending.

(4) In the country, while PAS was and is very eager to establish the Islamic Nation, the stance was and is more of political rhethoric rather of the hikmah approach. PAS was and is of the believe, politic is everything, and this stance I believe because they are just a typical Malay. Politic seem to be the blood of the Malays. I believe PAS had not understand the hikmah of Muhammad SAW defferment to take on Baitullah on his first pilgrimage after Hijrah, but won the no-fighting battle through the Hudaibyyah Treaty which include the voluntary coming of Aby Suffian, the great Quraish army general, to the fold of Islam. Surely, Muhammad SAW deed was inspired by Allah, but if we care to think, we then surely could see how such hikmah is our best choice. I personally can understand this, after now much of the Islamic books are being translated into English, Indonesian and Malays, and readily available in the market. I believe, Mahathir and much of the Nation, in the past were deprived of these knowledge.

(5) In the Islamic knowledge, Anwar Ibrahim was (I used the word was) far excellent than Mahathir and Taib. Through his strong association with ABIM, and other Islamic NGOs, and earlier personalities such as Nakaie, Hassan Ali, Fuad Hassan, Syed Naguib, etc plus all those in Indonesia, Arabs and Arabic scholars in the West, thus, his influence among the Muslim intellectuals was much greater. The push for an Islamic State among Anwar's circle was great, and that I believe was the reason for some Islamic out show at those point in time. Anwar in deed always being circle by those who lack patient to move higher fast, be they Islamist or secularist. I believe, Mahathir knew all these, but since he has a long vision to make Malaysia a Model of an Islamic State, he kept and made Anwar as the National asset. I believe, Mahathir knew he can achieve his Islamic course through Anwar, which took him to ignored other secularized UMNO veterans, who were seeing Anwar as deterrent to their ambition.

(6) The wisdom of Allah to the Malays was great in deed with the presence of Mahathir, Taib and Anwar. Allah blessed them with shrewd mind and cunning characters to push for greater success. In the era of Muhammad SAW, Abu Bakar As-Siddique, and Umar Al Khataab, the Islamic State was tooled with Khalid Al Waleed, Abu Ubaidah Al Jarrah, Aby Suffian, and Al Abbas to conquer the whole of Arabia, to diminish the Persian Empire, and to crush the East Roman Empire (Byzantium) for the great of Islam, and here in Malaysia, if Mahathir-Anwar-Taib could have work together, definitely we are of a very different Nation and State on this day. Unfortunately, when Allah put us to test, we tumbled. We seem not ready to be great. Rather focusing and making great the given strength, we focus to all the weaknesses to vindicate. With all that happening surrounding us, we should now have a clear idea, who are the wolves, and who are the hunting dogs, and be brave enough to gallop our horses to the front surpassing the wolves and the hunting dogs.

Being a Developing Nation:

Malaysia and Sarawak are both a Developing Nation and State. What is the meaning of this, and what does it mean by a Developed Nation or State? Both Mahathir and Taib have their own definition of a Developed Nation or State that they want to attain, all due to the different demographic structure and vision. But both have the same stance, that Malaysia and Sarawak must be a Developed Nation and State. It is a matter of long term survival. To me, there are a lots of ingredients out there. Some will immediately jump to the notion that, just be as Madinah at times of Rasullullah and the four guided Khalifah. But, there was yet detail account of such ideal social structure. Thus now we must search and formulate the best module acceptable to our current demograhic and economic structures. There is no single country that had shown the best-fit model. Singapore probably the best for public hygiene management. The US best for public security management. New Zealand, the best model for agrarian State. Switzerland is best in term of service oriented economy. German would be the best model for equitable and sustainable industrial-people participation development. Japan probably is the best for public integrity management. China, I would say, the best model for getting things done without much talk. Britain, French, and Spain are symbol of cultural functional architecture.

(2) In short, at the stage of developing, is just like we are in the state of preparing all the dishes needed by the large hungry mouths at a restaurant. In this Nation and State, we are indeed, flooded by hungry citizens, with each want or need different taste of food. Thus, our biggest constraint would be the scarcity of the ingredients, and based on the available ingredients; what then the best foods should be prepared to meet those huge hungry mouths; and surely on how to prepare all these foods quickly. That I would say was the biggest dilemma faced by both Mahathir and Taib. Under such scarcity choice, both Mahathir-Taib chosen to be shrewd and cunning. Thus they become very negatively popular.

(3) Both Mahathir and Taib, pushing their effort fast, to get the Nation to a Developed State, yet the people are not ready, to work at their speed; taking pressured by their tidal pushes. Accordingly, numerous mega-developments being introduced, were seen as alien by most. Our humid tropical climate, require us to take more rest than working hard all through the day. That is our nature that most of the time gives us the inertia characters. For Mahathir and Taib, they faced political hindrance, as the people resentment. At the National level Mahathir have to face the best actors such as DAP and PAS (later PKR). At the State level Taib had to confront PBDS and PERMAS (supported by those Peninsula Malaysia mosquitoes). Looking back at my personal experience, in the micro-states that I had managed (R&DO, SPU, and LCDA), I did faced such constraints, where, those who can't take it just leave or figh back negatively, and as such I could appreciate the deadly tasks shouldered by both Mahathir and Taib in facing the non-readiness attitude of the general population.

Mahathir-Taib Moves and their Constraints:

Both Mahathir and Taib, as I have earlier said, they wanted to take the Nation and State to a greater socio-economic positioning the fastest. In so doing, both are facing international and domestic challenges. As I quoted above, the West is hovering on anti-Islam and true liberalization. Domestically, PAS has and continue to brand UMNO as secular. In the Malays proverb, UMNO is in the real dilemma of Ditelan mati emak, diloek mati babak. To be in line with PAS, will invite the West attack, while to be lenient to the West, will turned the Nation into their greedy mouth. Allah is great. He inspired Mahathir to turn East and be friend to Japan, Korea and China. He hope to develop new Malaysians who are great and be loyal to the Nation. That how, I believe he want the Malaysians to be united, and most for the Malays to have great courage to change and be determined of their destiny including the implementing of the Adeen Illahi.

(2) In their pursuit to push for fast growth, initially, I would believe, both were having the thought that the public system would not be the best instrument to take the Nation and State to such a level. Both saw the private sector was the best choice mechanism. But, the private sector were still not well developed due to the heavy weight function of the public entities especially the statutory bodies. Both Mahathir and Taib, I would say were facing the human capital resources dilemma. Surely, they can just hired the international experts, but there are National agendas that these experts wouldn't be able to comprehend well. Allah is great, He inspired Mahathir to corporatize the prime and critical service providers public statutory bodies, initially agencies such as LLN, LPN, TM, Ports Authorities, Airport Authorities, and followed by many others including takeover of Malays dominant enterprises by individual corporate figures such as PERNAS, Bank Bumiputera, MayBank, etc. With all these massive and all the way corporatization, it then made a great brain drain in the public sector. The brilliant, ambitious, brave and some opportunist civil servants left the service and join large corporation, now term as GLCs. Now we have all sort of GLCs that are taking over the functions of the public agencies. The present worst results, we are having lukeworm public agencies, robust but some people indifferent GLCs. The very worst, some Malays who are now leading these GLCs seem to forget they are to care for the fate of their society and now they took such responsibilities as if they had forgotten the culture of Abu Bakar As-Siddique, Umar Al-Khattab, Utman Affan and Ali Abi Thalib. To me great if all the Muslim CEO could understand the lives of Abu Bakar, Umar, Uthman and Ali when they were the khalifah and accordingly, to know in detail why Umar Al-Khattab striped Khalid Al-Waleed off from the position of the Islamic Military Commander (general) despite his ever victorious success in every of his assignments given by Muhammad SAW and Abu Bakar As-Siddique.

(3) To resolve the human capital gaps, Mahathir then liberalized the higher education policies. More private sector higher learning institution were and continue to be established. With such effort, higher education becoming much affordable to the general population including the Chinese and Indian whom used to sent their children at high cost abroad. Our human capital development sprung to the level we are now producing more spring chicken graduates that required the Nation to re-invest greatly to really re-train them into fighting cocks or at least productive layers.

(4) In Sarawak, the same problem was faced by Taib. The size of the State, the disperse nature of the population, the large socio-economic demographic differences of the people, made his job becoming much challenging. Yet, the State had been over relying on subsidy-based development. He can't immediately stop the subsidies, or rural natives will fail him in the election. His rural political allies will discard him. The fiscal policies changed at the Federal level, affect the pace of development of the State. I would say at that point in time, the public sector was weak. The private sector was not yet developed and most were traditional-family-based managed. But, Taib has no choice, he trailed Mahathir policy changes very closely. He began to alienate large track of land to certain private sector. Unfortunately, the private sector whom were given the land were in lukewarm, some were bloody mere opportunist, while the approving public agencies were most in the state of inertia. All because, they have not come to the expertise on how to mobilize the private funding for such huge investments. To complement the private sector push, Taib instead of corporatizing the State public entities, pushed for the establishment of GLCs such as STIDC, LCDA, etc. He even tasked his own family members to spearhead the formation of big corporation eg CMS and thus assigning them with great responsibilities. Personally, I was at the State Planning Unit (SPU), whom suppose to be the think thank of the State, but since I had never dwelt in any private or corporate system management, worst I was a botanist, I was not able to provide the needed good ideas. I would say, the whole Nation were in the experimental process.

(5) Both Mahathir and Taib placed high performance demand on the public and private sector, but both favor the private sector drive. As such, both were then seen to favor the private sector and sidelining the public agencies, which then created huge load of speculation and coffee shops talk. Cronysm, Nepotism, Collusion (CNC) then and now becoming the State and National anthem, initially composed by foreign song writers now beautifully sung and sing by some locals. Anwar Ibrahim champion the local orchestration of the matters, with Amin Rais haprak shouting from across the border, and Mahathir cried on stage in deep sadness for the shallow minded Malays-UMNOs, while Taib now being pressured to step down, even by those so called brilliant thinkers from Harvard and Cambridge, of which were nothing more than greedy, stupid, and childish monkeys. With this statement, I'm not defending Mahathir and Taib in whatever their deeds, but I'm unwinding their possible good grand strategies to move the Nation and State far ahead. The stepping down of Mahathir cause a backward retreat to the Nation, thus Taib must be more smart in understanding the demand of the rakyat and not to fall trap to humble-soft yet quiet greedy characters.

Najib-Muhhyddin to Watctup

Mahathir-Taib had dramatically changed the socio-economic background of the Nation and State. Among others, which I believe is the most critical, there are much more educated younger generation. They came from diverse socio-structure and educational grounding: local, East, West, Middle East, etc. As the National economic landscape had changed, their employment structure also changed accordingly. Thus the normal human appetite change but at a different speed and course. In the conventional economic term, the Utility Function of individuals and group changed tremendously not only in term of it gradient but direction. This change in fact that had created the current different problem faced by Najib-Muhhyddin

(2) The tide is rushing, Najib-Muhhyddin can't just stand by the river bank to watch the big tidal bore pushing it course and destroying all the loose boats and sampan. Najib probably have to visit and see the phenomenal of the Batang Lupar and Batang Sadong Tidal Bore especially on the 15th Muslim lunar calender to understand this statement.

(3) As the country move into a much better economic footing, the Malaysian's families socio-economic status had improved drastically. The New Economic Policy (NEP) in a way had made it significant contribution. Today the feel free and independent among the new generation is awakening. The parents began and to certain extend had lost control over them. They are much mobile. They are much detached not only to family lives but worst to certain core tradition and morale values. The free and easy western cultures had successfully imbed into our new way of lives.

(4) To me, Mahathir-Taib had successfully built the human technocratic infrastructures but they had neglected the morale and spiritual software advancement. The communism and socialism values work best at time of economic miseries and political suppression, which had passed and had buried such ideologies alive. On the other hand, the capitalist values work well in the era of abundance, but as the world is shrinking fast in term of natural endowments, it is now in the verge of collapse. Currently, in the West, those Nation that practiced free and easy lives culture are facing it course, while morale bound Nations particularly German will steadfast.

(5) To me there is a clear message that Allah is sending. To understand this, the Muslim scholars and intellectuals are now call to provide their strategic guidance to our Najib-Muhhyddin leadership. We can't just sit back and continue to be a fasiqun. Their ignorance need to be light up and let walk and work to a better guided paths.

(6) In short, Najib must immediately address our dramatic urban-and suburdan socio-economic changes. Muhhyddin, our kids from the kindy to the universities and colleges, locally and abroad, they have to be skill and spiritually developed. We strike the balance of IQ, EQ and Spiritual Quotion (SQ) to give a nation with great population IESQ. Wan Mochtar Ahmad of Trengganu and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi almost made it, but I presume the clarity of the matters was not well thought and being decepted by some greedy wolves surrounding them.

Kuching, Sarawak
15-30 August, 2012