You cannot turn the clock back
Why are 160 Umno division chiefs fighting for him to serve the rest of his sentence in the comfort of his home? Haven't they heard of equality before the law?
Perhaps they have been blinded by the greed of an imagined Golden Age. What Golden Age?
We will not find any answers in our history books, but parallels and politics can prove useful.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Malay Mail
The future, with fewer bigots and Chinese, will have more Malaysians
AUG 7 — There was a kerfuffle in Dewan Rakyat this week. It's been polite days in the house but on Monday, Pendang got Jelutong's knickers in a knot by warning racial inequalities in a careless 13th Malaysia Plan may result in another May 13 riot. When and if Malays are left behind. Three times, May 13 was mentioned in that news report covering the petty parliamentary exchanges between legislators Awang Solahuddin Hashim and Jelutong's RSN Rayer. The portal is traditionally pro-Umno. The story was fine, it was the headline which caught me strange, or reactions to it. 'Pendang MP's May 16 tragedy quip if 13MP sidelines Bumiputera causes a ruckus (Kaitkan tragedy 16 Mei dengan RMK13 ketepikan Bumiputera, ucapan Ahli Parlimen Pendang cetus kecoh) Without intending it informs more about the present. For, the headline somehow misunderstood May 13 as May 16. Until a short while ago, there were two kinds of Malaysians. Those who lived through the race riots in 1969, and those who lived their lives learning about the race riots as a cautionary tale. The columnist falls in the latter. For a fair bit they both inhabited the land. Apparently, as a natural function of time, a new generation sprung and eventually nudged into play the game. These younger ones know somewhat about the riots as historical information. However are not encumbered by it. They will soon dominate the population as the first generation of Malaysians to slip away from centre-stage. The younger, uploading editors did not fret that they got the 13 as a 16. It is an error, and errors happen on the news floor, it is not a mortal sin to them. Forty-eight hours later, the headline remains uncorrected. Nobody alerted anybody. They did not grow up when May 13 meant May 13. What a wonderful reality to wake up to. Generation oldest would be incensed. Up in arms about it if nap time did not interfere. And their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, from the youngest generation remain lukewarm about the distant past. And they'll be increasingly in charge until the next generation comes in to replace. To the generation yet to emerge, it would be cold news. It's not only the overlook about the headline, there is a sense that the conviction that the hateful can shout in the dark and wait for a pliant lynch mob is fast expiring. The spectre of May 13 is not quite a thing to many, surely not as much as Anwar Ibrahim being imprisoned in 1998 or Mahathir Mohamad being PM again in 2018 or Muhyiddin Yassin the lockdown watchman in 2020. The recent past to them matters more than what grandma told mama. And in a further future, our recent past is a distant past and for other grandmothers to retell. That is expected, which leads to the material focus of the report and another recent development. Does — as Awang Solahuddin Hashim the two-time parliamentarian from Kedah does here quite inelegantly — scaring people about irrational fears still work anymore? A row of Jalur Gemilang flags adorns a building in Kuala Lumpur, celebrating Malaysia's Independence Day August 5, 2025 — Picture by Raymond Manuel He reminds the rakyat that a government which fails to immerse itself in Malay survivalism in a phase of faceless enemies at home results in comprehensive betrayal at levels only witnessed in scripture. Awang used the general mention of funding for Chinese New Villages and entrepreneurship as a segue to insist Malays are being left out. It bordered on pretending New York was geographically situated besides New Caledonia. He had no specifics, probably overwhelmed by his own allegations. The fact he is a PAS MP does him few favours, though it confirms stereotypes. This leads to the other press report mentioned. The one which stipulates in 2059 the Chinese, those alleged to be prime persecutors of Malays by the Malay right, slides down to 15 per cent. From close to a majority in pre-war Malaya, to 3 in 20 Malaysians in another 25 years, the presumed yellow terror seems less intimidating even to the completely racist. How much longer will Awang and his ilk milk racial insecurities and social upheavals? Historians may mark 2022, the last general election, as the final push by ethnic purists to pursue power in the country. Pendang proves he is the past. The other half of Perikatan Nasional (PN), Bersatu's senior leadership, toned down rhetoric and asked for better parliamentary processes, committees and even considered equitable economic restructures to fit all Malaysians. They realise madness as a method has limited applications. The shifts in demography, upping four in five Malaysians to be Bumiputera in 2060, turns arguments about a potent foe against Malays sitting in our midst more and more ludicrous by the year. There is social media evidence to the contrary currently but it'll over time dissipate. Not because the column is an oracle but the numbers do not lie. The real opponent for Malaysia is a larger world, filled with competition, as seen with the contest among countries to end up with lower tariffs when exporting to the United States of America. For Malaysia's sake, whether a future child is one or in the four in five, future tariffs and economic battles are the same. In the future it's about when and if Malaysians are left behind that should worry Malaysia. That works better when Malaysians look less wearily at each other and remember they are allies regardless of demography. Improving a Chinese New Village is improving a part of Malaysia which has Malaysians in them. That is true today, and no less true in 2059.
Free Malaysia Today
13 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
I can't erase my history, but I vow to protect judicial independence, says new CJ
Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh is Malaysia's 11th chief justice. PUTRAJAYA : Newly appointed Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh has pledged to defend the independence of the judiciary, despite his past in politics. Wan Farid acknowledged his unique background, having served in all three branches of government. 'I cannot erase my history, political or otherwise. Nor do I want to. That is who I am,' he said in his maiden speech to members of the legal fraternity today. 'But as I assume this role and for as long as I occupy this chair, I give my unconditional pledge that I will vigorously protect and relentlessly safeguard the independence of this branch with every fibre of my being,' he said. Wan Farid, a former Umno member who previously served as a deputy minister and a senator, said the judiciary must remain a reliable avenue of recourse for both the public and the government. 'We (judges) should not fail them. In any decision (made by the courts), it is impossible to please everyone. This is something we expect,' he said. 'In whatever decision we make, we must ensure that the losing party walks out of our courtrooms feeling satisfied that they were given the right to be heard, to present their evidence and be given their day,' he said. Backlogs of cases will be resolved Wan Farid also said the judiciary will work towards resolving the courts' backlog of cases. 'I am happy to inform you that we are working with the government on increasing the number of courtrooms and appointing additional judicial commissioners. 'We will assign circuit judges and judicial commissioners in various stations (locations) to hear ageing cases and dispose of them within a specified period,' he said. He also said Federal Court and Court of Appeal circuit sittings would resume, allowing litigants outside the Klang Valley to observe proceedings of the apex courts.
The Star
14 hours ago
- The Star
Bung: Sabah Umno won't be rushed into alliances without clear strategy
KOTA KINABALU: Despite having the autonomy to decide, Sabah Barisan-Umno will not rush into forming alliances with any party or coalition without a clear and well-defined strategy ahead of the state election, says Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin. The Sabah Umno chief said the party is mature enough that it will not panic and make hasty decisions like their opponents. 'Sabah Barisan-Umno has autonomy, yes, but we are also mature. We understand the meaning of unity, not only at the federal level but also at the state level. We are not hasty in announcing something without strategy. 'We do not follow the panicked rhythm of our opponents — those who argued yesterday, pose for photos together today, and return to backstabbing each other tomorrow,' he said in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 6). Bung Moktar was responding to Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) vice-president Arthur Sen's recent statement, who criticised Bung Moktar for using PBS as a political provocation, calling his conduct childish and unfounded. 'He (Bung) acted like a child… saying he does not want to work with PBS. But when did PBS apply to work with you?' Arthur was quoted as saying. Bung Moktar said he was amused by Arthur's remark, stressing that Barisan-Umno knows what it is doing and does not need any party, including PBS, to offer unsolicited advice. 'We know when to act, who to work with, and when to stand on our own. We have been consistent from the beginning — we don't want to work with parties that lack dignity, are insincere, and have a history of betraying their fellow comrades. 'Sabah Umno has had enough experience of being stabbed in the back, and this time, we will not turn back,' he said. 'We are not sulking. We are not threatening. We are preparing.' Bung said the GRS-led government has failed to deliver on basic needs, with unresolved water issues, unreliable electricity even in towns, and worsening roads. He added that the economy remained weak, investors are pulling back, and young people are leaving the state. 'GRS is not a unity government — it's a government in panic, scrambling for new alliances and trading principles just to stay in power,' he said.
