2/3/16 LET ADENAN SET THE TREND ....returning power to the rightful.

I was touched by Adenan's, the present Sarawak Chief Minister, introduction to his answer when he was confronted with sort of heavy questions such as What will you do, if you are given a mandate to administer Sarawak for the next five years?" Normally, a Muslim will answer with the phrase In Shaa Allah.... yet he choose to say We can plan, but Allah set everything.....  The phrase In Shaa Allah in its true Islamic sense is just as the same as We planned, Allah had set everything..... In both case, a Muslim will leave his course to the destine that Allah indeed had set. That is a humble true gesture of a faithful Muslim. In Shaa Allah if one takes it to his heart, it is indeed sort of a declaration of a promise to Allah that one will work to fulfill his promise to his best except by the invention of Allah. But among most of the Malays In Shaa Allah seem being used as an excuse of not taking the promise to his heart. In most case In Shaa Allah is a mere lips service, a pleasing phrase. Probably, consciously Adenan knows that In Shaa Allah could reflect how people may take his words lightly, thus he use We can plan, but Allah decides everything.... which means he will work to his best; on what would be the result, he would leave it to Allah to decide.

(2) I would believe, why Adenan chooses to say so is by the fact that his last 10 years political and even personal heath was in a true path that Allah had bestowed upon him. In the past 10 years, politically he was death. He indeed had been seen by many as a forgone case over the idea to succeed  Taib Mahmud. Taib's political position was then seen as too strong. In the eyes of many, in no soon Taib would relinquish his position. Accordingly in the hike of the urge for Taib to name his successor and the time frame for such purposes, Adenan was sent to be a Federal Minister, but was given a very minor ministerial post. He then chose to return to the State to face his then political sun set after so much hu ha of him to be immediately taking over from Taib. He was then assigned to a very insignificant role in the State Cabinet. He then fell very sick and messages were passing around that his health was in real bad shape. Indeed his fate was truly in the hand of Allah, made him to what he is today, ie being a Chief Minister with his second life. Thus his saying we can plan, but Allah had set all of our destiny.... instead of using the normal phrase of In Shaa Allah he indeed is sending his biggest determination in accomplishing his duties but with humble recognition of the role of Allah's upper hands in setting the results. Adenan, knowingly that, Allah is the one that had determined his destiny, now he further recognized the Al Mighty authority of Allah by making himself submitting to be a true slave of Allah, In Shaa Allah. His common remark We can plan, Allah decide on everything... is his sincere determination to do his best within Allah's guidance. He has to do what he has to do, but then he left everything to the care of Allah. To me, this indeed is the the Islamic Leadership and political approach that now the Muslims are looking forward, and I do hope and believe Adenan is setting the trend. In Shaa Allah.

(3) The one most significant in trend setting that Adenan had laid was sort of his promise that he will only stay on as the Chief Minister for the next five years. In his typical tone during a special session with the RTM lately, he said "Lima taun lagik cukuplah, apa lagi dimauk..." translated as Five years is enough, what else do I want.... Indeed George Washington, the first President of an Independent American, had made it clear when he refused to be nominated as the President after his two terms had expired, that the other American fellows be given chances to play their part to build America. He simply almost saying what Adenan had been mumbling. My salute to Adenan whom had set a trend, that the holding a position as the Chief Minister should be limited to ten years ie two terms. Though he may not clearly saying as such, but his action speaks the best. My salute also to Sim Kui Hian, the SUPP President whom then mooted the idea that the SUPP President position should be limited to three terms. Good to see all those whom had been too long in the Sarawak politic to give way to the others whom are also eager to serve the State. Similarly, I would say to lots of elderly civil servants that are still hanging around in the service. These people should emulate the humble gesture of Adenan to leave for others to share their wisdom and energy in contributing to develop Sarawak. It is not about how long you should be there, but are you giving way to others to do their part?

(4) Surely, there will be lots of polemic wrt the tenureship of either the party president or even Chief Minister position and as well as all the other public (and related) positions. The polemic should never arise. The reason, to me it is very simple. Why must we argue over whether ten years or fifteen years or even twenty years is enough for a leader to be effective or not. To me an effective leader only need 5-10 years the most to be seen as effective. In the Islamic history, there are so much evidences to this. For instance, Yunus AS need 900 years to be not effective, yet Umar Abdul Aziz only need two years to wipe out poverty in his Kingdom. In fact a leader effectiveness must be gauged from a clear leadership perspective. To me if a leader is effective, within the 5-10 years period he must had developed good governance and leadership succession plan to carry on on how to develop the State to the best. One can't say, he need to hold on to his position for he want to develop the State to his dream. One must remember, one's dream may not what the State need. Accordingly, it is not right to keep saying, I need to stay on for I had not seen any capable person to take on the leadership as yet.... Indeed Adenan's saying we can plan, but Allah determines everything... is a great rebutal to all those what I would say as nonsense perceptions. An Allah faithful Muslim should never demand the result of his act. He indeed just have to do what he has to do according to Allah wish. Be it in the development of a leader or leaders and or managing the State. He should just take those responsibilities in accordance to Allah wish, and he should just leave the result(s) of the execution of his responsibilities to Allah to decide. More that that, I would say those has nothing to do with leadership or effectiveness but a submission to personal greed. Just try to recall, how long did all Muhammad SAW best caliphs ruled the nation? Anybody succeeded more than 10 years? Even Muhammad SAW himself was only be given about 10 years to take Islam out of Mecca, the very heart of Islam.

(5) To me, building a leader is just like, guiding a toddler  to stand and walk. Every human being had been bestowed by Allah upon him to be caliph. Therefore every man wants his leadership to be realized. Equally, every toddler had been genetically Allah programmed to have an urge to stand and walk. Thus, it is only our duty to provide him to stand firm and walk well, and thereon, he will decide to where he should walk to and the then consequences. In short, a father can't pray to Allah to wish he stay alive until all his children to pass away ahead of him to ensure they should be always on his footsteps. The Law of Nature set by Allah doesn't necessarily fit to what our wish which in most of the time is a mere greed. I do hope Adenan, after the coming State Election and the PBB Convention come with a proposal to limit the President Post to be held not more than ten years and if agreed to accordingly going to the Council Sitting to get it endorse that the Chief Minister post must be vacant upon or before the completion of a ten years period.

(6) Nothing indeed had to be worried that any less than ten years, the Chief Minister would not be able to accomplished his jobs. Well, during his period if he had worked hard and sincerely be professional, the period of ten years will make him exhausted. A Chief Minister, if he had worked closely with everybody, to come up with good governance and development management system, he had nothing to worry of an unaccomplished jobs. Let those left behind to take charge and to swim over the rough sea, if necessary. A good father never worry about the performance of his kids if he had been a good father when his kids were kids.

(7) Accordingly, to me, the prime mover of Adenan's equitable socio-economic governance is his deep interest in economic empowering of the people. This to some may read as 360 degree divergence from the previous administration. Indeed it is not. Adenan still continue to pursue those strategic matters that Taib had been working on. He on the other hand, is reviving what had seem to be on the sidelined. He works to strike the balance. To me, Adenan wants the people to really benefit from the wealth development of the State. Both the people and the State must be wholesome prosperous, neither one to be neglected. The so call Welfare State is not what we should be going after. Sarawak must be prosperous and so do her people. Sarawak indeed can effort those. Sarawak is a rich State. Just that the State's wealth had not been equitably managed, so much so, vaporization lead to wastage, marginalization and even robberies. Thus Adenan seriousness to run the State on clean bill basis must be most welcome by all parties. Definitely, his next interest to ensure equitable distribution of socio-economic development must be well comprehend by the Government machineries. Sarawak civil service must go back to dedicate themselves to such spirit as shown by those in the past. Sarawak indeed could emulate the New Zealand way of developing its people and resources. Professional governance will lead to the best socio-economic wealth sharing of the State and thus building a cohesive State unity. The Malaya political and economic model had instead lead us to lots of prejudices and "sceptism". Such model won't help us to move forward fast and far. As such, my second salute to Adenan is his courage to take Sarawak for Sarawak a truly autonomous State within a truly Federation System. For Sarawak to develop well and better within the Federation, we must then as Sarawakian, putting aside our short term political agenda to get back all our right to be Sarawak for Sarawak, and really give Adenan the chance to kota his kata ie crystallize his promise and set the correct trend for the good everyone.

(8) I pray Adenan to succeed to keep to his present image of having no personal interest in developing the State and her people. Such is and will be my greatest salute to Adenan. His Islamic and clean bill images are very much a factor of does he has personal interest in what he is doing. Muhammad SAW was able to keep to be zuhud by reason of taking no personal interest or advantage over his duties. Such gave him not only be a great prophet but a truly Muslims' leader. A clean Adenan will energise to a clean and professionally dedicated State Civil Service and thus making doing business to be most cost-effective. The State and its people will then, In Shaa Allah will be in His blessing.

Kuching, Sarawak
9 March, 2016