By SV Singam
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The ruling coalition has enjoyed an almost unbroken 50 years of 2/3 majority in parliament. The only time this overwhelming majority was lost was in 1969. Immediately, the race riots were triggered, parliament was suspended and the National Operations Council (with 100% control) installed. The semblance of democracy was only restored after the major opposition parties were sucked into a new and larger coalition and the 2/3 majority regained.
The ruling coalition operates on the Whip principle – component parties and representatives must toe the official line. Under no circumstances is a Wakil Rakyat allowed to vote according to his conscience or according to the mandate the rakyat he represents gave him.
So what has 50 years of 2/3 majority given us?
- The Malaysian Constitution has been amended some 690 times. The USA has been in existence for more than 200 years and their constitution was only amended 27 times.
- The Constitution is amended for matters as trivial as extending the term of office of the Elections Commission officers, simply to avoid facing rejection by the Agung.
- Because of the overwhelming power available to the Executive, the Legislature has been reduced to a rubber stamp, the Judiciary has been emasculated and corrupted and the powers of the Agung have been clipped.
- The legal system is a sad joke, serving only further the desires of the ruling clique.
- The Elections Commission serves only to ensure that the ruling clique is returned to power.
Look at the statistics…
In the last election, Barisan Nasional received only 63.8% of the popular votes but has 91% of all parliamentary seats. All due to gerrymandering, phantom votes, voter relocation, voter substitution… there are even suspicions of ballot box stuffing.
UMNO received 35.9% of the popular votes, has 50% of the parliamentary seats and holds 71% of the ministerial positions. The other members of the coalition have been reduced to running dogs, wagging their tails and begging for scraps.
Little Napoleons have been allowed to run rife and the rights of non-Malay, non-Muslim communities have been trampled upon. The Wakil Rakyat do nothing even when constitutional amendments threatening these rights are proposed. It is left to the opposition members to highlight these alarming matters and try to prevent total steamrolling.
Meanwhile, it’s not like the rights of all Malays are really being addressed. Claims of hard-core poverty among rural Malays indicate that wealth distribution is not making real headway. Under the umbrella of the NEP, wealthy UMNO leaders continue to steal the wealth of the country, feeding pittance to the rakyat. And the Malays are being deprived of the ability to compete and gain new skills.
Under the aegis of the NEP, incompetent people (skilled in politicking) are given promotions while capable people are being deprived of the opportunity to lead. Major national corporations and companies are blundering from error to error. We have lost our competitive edge in practically every field.
How much more of this can we take? How much more of this should we take?
Change may not necessarily be better.
But without change, it is not possible to become better.
If we want to become better, we must want change.
It is time the 2/3 majority in parliament is dismantled.
We hold that power.
Sharing
February 16, 2008
I will stress, not at least taken 1/2 of Parliament seats, NO SHOW!!
shar101
February 16, 2008
Hard-hitting stuff, Haris.
Definitely get my two thumbs up for inclusion into the Birdrun(s) initiative.
toyotarave
February 17, 2008
Haris
Been away for a while…..just got back……what I can tell from talking to a lot of Malaysians, eg Malay nasi lemak sellers, overseas businessmen adn even school teachers – all of them are tired of our sleeping friend…..they just want to get him out as fast as they can……..they may not be the majority but hell, change is coming
Sharing
February 17, 2008
http://malikimtiaz.blogspot.com/2008/02/at-face-value.html
A fair introduction of Cause & Effect on what causing today.
To remedy the problem, Law/Constituent reform must be there.
Therefore, without 1/2 of the Parliament Seats, no way!
Sharing
February 17, 2008
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Good Article on the Problems of EC!
500,000 deceased voter removed from previous entries!
This number is bigger than the total of all the differences between the Winning Candidates and the loosing ones!
Birdseye
February 17, 2008
SV Singam
Brilliant analysis, factual and succinct. You must try to get this information to as many blogs as you can.
Paul Warren
February 17, 2008
Only once, when the ruling party lost its 2/3 majority was there ever a riot.
Winners don’t have a reason to riot. Only losers do!
UMNO saw itself losing when together with MCA and MIC it failed to control 2/3s. May 13 was an UMNO initiated riot.
The opposition has lost in all 50 years. As losers they have conducted themselves very well. NO RIOTS!
One time, in 1999 when UMNO felt threatened, it threatened May 13, the Chinese fell for it, UMNO got its two-thirds.
The May 13 threat or bogey man has been a useful weapon and excuse for UMNO to assert itself.
The Bersih Rally of 10/11 debunked the bogey man threat. There is far more cohesion between the races now then ever was. This is what is uncomfortable to UMNO. This is what UMNO does not like.
If racial differences do not work, then the next thing to accentuate is the riligious differences. This is a more potent powder keg. UMNO needs racial/riligious differences to become an issue more than anyone else does in Malaysia.
Fact is there is no more May 13 threat. What is another loss for the opposition? Winners don’t need to fight. Winners celebrate!
Denying UMNO its two-thirds will be a victory for the people and the oposition. This will be a loss to UMNO.
Is UMNO suggesting that they are such bad losers that they would start another May 13, as they did the first time around, should they lose their sacred two-thirds?
lucia
February 17, 2008
agree with birdseye. this is a brillant piece. good for me to put up my blog as i had and will always cry for the denial of the 2/3.
the name sv singam is familiar. i wonder is he the same guy who used to be in ‘sangkancil’ and ‘beritamalaysia’ newsgroup. we used to debate with each other there.
where did you get the article, haris? any link?
lucia,
Got it from SV Singam
hamzah
February 17, 2008
well written haris and well said paul warren!
no more 2/3, let’s make a change!
hamzah,
It’s well written by SV Singam
Rakyat Teraniaya
February 17, 2008
May 13 is another disgrace of UMNO. Why UMNO uses it so blatantly to scare voters to vote for them? Because the scare technique works! See the TV clips showing BERSIH and HINDRAF rallies, with our Opposition leaders highlighted as criminals who instigate street protests etc. But who are the puppets used by the UMNO to show “Malaysians” nonacceptance of such things? = CHINESE!
They use a few puppet Chinese to condemn the rallies just in order to brainwash other Chinese to support BN. DESPICABLE!
We shall prove that the Rakyat are not gullible anymore!
We Rakyat must vote PAS,PKR,DAP for a new Government!
pavlova
February 17, 2008
I’d be keen to look at how this election has changed people’s perception.
We all know that there are a lot of dissatisfied people around. They make noise, they say they want change.
But we’ll only know it when it comes to the crunch– come election time.
It takes time for change though.
It might even take more than one generation to change.
And here we are saying change is needed, but are Msians truly wanting change? It’s a lifestyle, mentality, attitude change.
I’m not sure if people want it so much that it burns their heart.
As said above, I’d be interested to see what the results are like, provided the Election Commission isn’t corrupt.
farida
February 17, 2008
If there is anything we must remember about May 13, which the government does not want us to remember, it is that amidst the riots, the shedding of blood and loss of innocent lives, there were numerous instances of help and shelter given by one race to another.
There were Chinese families that took in Malay and Indian individuals stranded by the curfew, and Malays who took in Chinese and Indians who needed protection in Malay-dominated areas.
I remember my father’s scouting friend, an Indian, arriving at our house late at night on the 13th, calling out for my father to open the door because he had rescued 4 Malays from the Pudu area, got them to crouch down in his car and risked his own life to bring them to our house.
What made him do it when at that time the Indians were not yet involved in the riots?
I look back at that most shameful of times and I know it was pure decency, a disregard for racial divides and a love for humanity that made this Indian gentleman rise up to his best to do what he did.
Honouring and valuing life, that’s what they did, those who opened their homes and hearts to keep safe those not of their race.
They set the precedent for what it means to be anak-anak bangsa Malaysia.
When I remember May 13, I choose to remember that the darkness of hatred could not put out the light in loving hearts. Our early anak-anak banga Malaysia knew life is precious. Not caring what their community and neighbours might say against them, they reached out to protect, to feed and to understand.
So every time BN screams May 13, let us remember and applaud the ones who would not stifle their humanity, who refused to become the unbridled beasts the racists became. Let us honour them for they helped to bind the wounds of our bleeding nation.
Think about it. We are doing the same today. Like never before!
May 13 is dead.
arianna
February 17, 2008
Dear Haris,
……..(thinking hard)
Is it just me?. I just don’t know what to make of the oppositions…or SV Singham. Why am I hearing them say: “Deny BN 2/3 majority”!. Are they telling me they concede defeat even before going to the poll?
Why can’t they say: “It’s time for change. Let’s win this general election!”. Or am I the only optimist here?.
If all the oppositions want in this coming GE is to reduce BN’s 2/3 majority, then I am not going to vote. Wasting time don’t you think?
Still….(thinking hard). I’ll cast my vote even if I am the only opposition. And along the way, I hope to kick the butts of the opposition candidates and leaders for not having faith in the voters and for refusing to give themselves a chance to form the new government.
Again…(thinking hard). Why must I vote for the Barisan Alternatif if they are not interested in forming the new government, if they only hope to reduce the BN’s 2/3 majority….(hmnnn).
arianna,
No, you’re not the only optimist here.
Now there’s the two of us.
Anybody else out there?
SV Singam
February 17, 2008
Pavlova, you are right. Usually people are reluctant to move out of their comfort zone. This trait has been exploited time and again by the ruling coalition.
In all of the previous elections, when there were issues that people were concerned about, these issues affected only some part of the populace. Those unaffected by the issues swung their votes to the coalition to compensate for the ill-effects they feared (had been threatened with).
This time around, it appears that there are issues of concern to all segments of society. The divide-and-rule ploy may be harder than before to implement. More people than before are prepared to face the uncertainty of change. Whether the numbers are sufficient is the only question.
We can forget about expecting an unbiased Elections Commission. The message to be delivered at the ballot box has to be so massive that even the best efforts of the EC would be to no avail.
It is the time for those wanting to cause a change to go out there and spread the word. If those who are merely observing can also bring themselves to become agents of change, they may well have done something to be proud of.
Lucia, it’s the same old me. 🙂
Hilmi
February 17, 2008
Bro, nice artcle
btw, do comment on my artcle here http://warkah-buat-teman.blogspot.com/
Tq
oldmantalks
February 18, 2008
I would like to pose some questions. Can the BN be gracious enough to accept defeat if the ruling government loses in the General Election?
The last time 1969, BN lost only the 2/3 majority and a lot of untoward incidents happened. What now, if the BN loses its simple majority? Would BN be a sore loser?
KancilPu
February 18, 2008
In Kelantan, the movement led by KJ displayed the slogan ’18 Yrs is Enough’. Well, for Malaysia the slogan now should be ’50 Yrs is More Than Enough’ for the 2/3 Majority Umno Government that consists of HP6 MPs who often talk rubbish and use rotten English; waving kris; haranguing illogical, uncalled for, unsubstantiated trivialities unilaterally under the umbrella of ‘kongsi kuasa’; issuing insensitive racial, religious overtones; lying about ‘fixed economic data’; ‘cakap tak serupa bikin’ and continue to keep on bluffing some of the people all the time ….
I think it is time and timely for a change for the better; and nothing can be worse than status quo.
Therefore, we the people should now rise to the occasion and vote for change. Denying the UMNO-controlled 2/3 majority Government is now the only way towards change. Let us all work together for change to happen, it is now or never!
farida
February 18, 2008
Thank you, Arianna and Haris. All this time I thought I was the only one wishing people would stop talking about denying two-thirds and start clamouring about winning and declaring that we will win – definitely – if we stay on course. Some i spoke to looked at me disbelievingly but I know this is a now or never time.
So here goes – my adaptation of Elvis’s song!
It’s now or never
Let’s all vote right
Come on, Malaysians
Let’s show our might.
The BN must lose this year.
Just cast your vote
And have no fear.
It’s now or never
Let new ones rule
Throw out the old
For they’ve been cruel.
The BN must never win
For far too long
We let them sin.
au
February 19, 2008
Most people (including yours truly) do not care who governs M’sia (be it Bodowie, Samee, Ah War or Ah Ziz) as long as they govern it in a just and fair manner. Unfortunately what I see are abuse of power by police, corruption at all levels of administration (particularly bad at Ministerial level), different sets of laws applied to different level of people, and lots others. The current administration must understand that they determine the number of people who anti current administration. With so much resources (timber, oil & gas, palm oil, human resources),if they govern M’sia in a just and fair manner, our well being (economic progress, education, etc) will be so far ahead of HK, South Korea, Sillypore and even Japan. Compare with early 70s, only Philipines and Indonesia did no better than us. BN should be ashame of its “under-achievement”.
DAP
February 20, 2008
great acticle!
all the best for all opposition parties!
good luck!
jameschee
February 20, 2008
After 22 years of social destruction and autocratic misrule, our dear doctor must be crying and having sleepless nights with the ghosts of his schemes haunting him day and night. Being a good ‘ taichi ‘ master, he is deflecting all the blame on his chosen heir. Poor AAB.
What a shame…. Vote out BN and the UMNOPUTRA.
You have ALL to gain and NOTHING to lose.Be brave.
jameschee
February 20, 2008
After 22 years of social destruction and autocratic misrule, our dear doctor must be crying and having sleepless nights with the ghosts of his schemes haunting him day and night. Being a good ‘ taichi ‘ master, he is deflecting all the blame on his chosen heir. Poor AAB.
What a shame…. Vote out BN and the UMNOPUTRA.They SUCK. Surely all of you out there agree.
You have ALL to gain and NOTHING to lose.Be brave.
Malaysia Citizen
February 29, 2008
50 years of 2/3 majority …. It’s enough for us !!!!
Let’s make the chance …. we need enough seats for
opposition parties to monitor BN’s performance !!!!
zak
September 8, 2008
Overlooking the reality of geo-social demographics in Malaysia is foolish. For example, how do you convince a state like Kelantan that their interests will be best served by a secular DAP? Even if the DAP are more than competent, they will be rejected on the simple platform of religious affliliation. How do you convince a state like Sarawak that their interests will be best served by a PAS? Even if PAS are more than competent, they will be rejected on the simple platform of racial/religious affliliation.
industryfinest
September 16, 2008
Brilliant article!