Datuk Johari Abdul Ghan said one were to try and tease out some patterns underlying the events of G13, they might broadly fall under two, somewhat related heads. For one, we are beginning to see the tentative first steps towards the formation of the idea of citizenry; the notion that as citizens there exists a reciprocal responsibility to not only respond to one’s immediate environment, but also play an active role in managing it. Over the last couple of years, the interest in directly influencing modes of governance has grown; democracy as a practice is increasingly detaching itself from the narrow idea of elections. The political class has not understood this change; one has only to look at the fact that in the other pattern that has emerged is the deepening divide in society
What would you make of a set of people who have never ever received a word of appreciation – they are in fact reviled by the public at large.Theodore Roosevelt in mind “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” saw many incidents that underline the struggle to reconcile the many contrasting pulls and pressures that have followed in the wake of sweeping change over the last few years. It is now clear that the new came without any accompanying compass, and asked questions of the old that it did not have answers to. The larger question of change penetrating beneath the skin of the modern, into our everyday lives, and finding genuine and widespread acceptance is the really big one that we are left grappling with.
No matter what happens, Malaysians must now put the electoral results behind us and try to look forward. It is time for national reconciliation. For those who have won should do as much soul-searching as those who have lostA lot has been said about the sickness that lies within society and the need to change mindsets. The trouble is that society cannot be hectored into change, no matter how just the cause. Social change needs a whole ecosystem of actions, but above all it needs a real dialogue. We have seen unprecedented change in India that has come without any mechanism to justify itself or explain its implications. A small section of society has embraced enormous change and now looks at the rest of Malaysia with uncomprehending and often judgmental eyes. No intermediary mechanisms exist that would interpret this change and find place for it in the traditional way of life. The state does not function adequately nor do its institutions offer clear benchmarks, the market creates a sense of surface modernity while simultaneously reinforcing existing prejudices, and traditional institutions like the panchayat and religion have not really done their bit in making the new intelligible to the old, often acting to the contrary.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has done a fantastic job in helping BN march to victory despite a major onslaught by Pakatan Rakyat, senior Umno members and political analysts said.some fundamental structural issues with our political system were exposed, 2013 seems to have not only deepened our understanding of those shortcomings, but also made us alive to the deepening fissures in society. This was a terrible year in terms of PEMANTAU AND BERSIH TO STOP THE RAPE OF INNOCENCE allousness and insensitivity shown by the political class, underlined the fact that gender discrimination is deeply embedded into the societal fabric.
They said it was now time for Umno to stand behind Najib and let him continue with his transformation programme and further unite the country.Along with pushing for comprehensive reform that makes the legal framework more effective both in concept and delivery, it is also important to carry out a sustained societal dialogue. This is not the same as one section lecturing to another or ‘educating’ them from a superior vantage point, but a genuine dialogue between peers that addresses each other’s anxieties and aspirations. So many Indians are experiencing things for the first time in their lives. New freedoms need new boundaries, which in turn requires a framework that is relevant for the times. The old sources of authority that drew boundaries cannot make sense of the new, and no institutions are either facilitating a dialogue or stepping in to fill the void. The problems facing society have a lot to do with old mindsets being amplified by new freedoms, rather than being re-defined by them.
The fact is that change is happening across the board in India. Women, in particular are experiencing new freedoms and reveling in a greater sense of confidence and control that they increasingly have over their own lives. The need is to harness this and convert it into a deeper, more enduring reality. New conventions need to be formed; a new vocabulary of change needs to be established. The conversation needs to move away from the extremes to the centre, and the progress made, even if partial, needs to be welcomed and encouraged. Platforms that allow for people, not just politicians or commentators, to communicate on a broad range of issues, are vital to fostering such dialogue. So much has been said about India’s economic progress but very little is being communicated about the social change that has been embraced nor have been any real conversations about the questions that have been thrown up as a result.
There was a time when the sense of right and wrong was received as a legacy from the past. The definitions were by no means perfect but clarity certainly prevailed about was deemed desirable and what was not. As the past loosens its grip on us and we emerge as individuals that voluntarily organise ourselves as citizens sharing a common present and shaping a common future, we need to develop our own compass. The time to act exclusively as critics observing our lives must give way to becoming participants in determining not just the course of our life, but also play a role in framing the rules that govern it. And it is only when this compass has broad agreement across all sections of society that a common moral and ethical framework can get developed. For that there is no alternative to putting pressure on institutions to draw and guard the outer boundaries of behaviour and to negotiate through mutual dialogue, all that lies in between
Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz (left)said the opposition had described the 13th general election as the “mother of all elections” but Najib still managed to lead BN to form a strong government.
“This is a remarkable achievement because after the 2008 tsunami, no general election was going to be easy,” the Padang Rengas MP said.
“It was a hard fought battle and the prime minister has helped BN take back the state of Kedah from PAS.”
Nazri said that in this time of “crisis” there should not be any talk of changing the leadership of Umno.
He said that it was in times like this that Umno members needed to rally behind their leader.
Umno supreme council member Azalina Othman Said called on all BN leaders to re-look its policies and strategies that the government had implemented previously.
“Following the results of the general election, I find that the disparity between urban and rural voters is very obvious. BN does not want to be known as a rural-based coalition but a coalition that appeals to all forms of society,” she said when contacted by The Malay Mail yesterday.
The Penggerang MP (left) said that BN cannot afford to let the issue of racial polarisation, following the results, to continue in the next five years.
“It is clear not all rakyat want government assistance and that they want to be free from any encumbrances.
“Therefore, the government must find other means to regain its relevance to these people,” she said.
Asked on the question of the leadership being affected following the GE13 results, Azalina said that would not be in question if the suggested reforms are carried out.
Prof Azmi Hassan, a geostrategist, said that the outcome of the elections cannot solely be blamed on Najib because the BN component parties did not do enough to win over the voting public.
“It’s not Najib’s fault and he is the best prime minister that we have had in a long time and Umno members must support him,” he said.
PAS who are used to inefficiency and corruption is a good trait which today’s voter needs very badly said Ahmad Zamri Asa’ad Khuzaimi in high praise for former UMNO Vice-President Muhammad Muhammad Taib aka Mat Taib, at his final mesage to P119 Titiwangsa voters . Titiwangsa has had enough o PAS. I do not think that the country … Read more
