Search for MH370 is self searching

         
                  The loss of MH370 still remains a mystery .The recovery of the aircraft has become  a part  of our national life .It is a tragedy that we know very little about as to  how it began and how it is going to end .Many questions remain unanswered .Up to now the exact location of the remains of the disaster is still a continuing  mystery . There  is no ending to the speculation of the entire saga  and these speculations have added more  confusion to the situation .
                  No one knows the exact story of the disappearance of MH370 and the  response to the confusion had been badly managed .As an example ,Plan A was to gather the families of  the affected passengers in KL or Beijing in order that they could be shown, at the earliest opportunity, the remains of their loved ones once they are recovered  .Plan A was a crash programme of sort and was going to be over in a matter of days.Now that the search is still on going after more than three weeks there is no Plan B  in place to redress the problem  .The affected families remain camped in KL or Beijing with nothing to do except to go through the agonising wait for some relevant news.
                             The only thing definite that they had was an announcement by the PM that flight  MH370 had ended in the Indian Ocean . It was a non conclusive statement that did not satisfy anybody ,least of all the families of the passengers. . The PM did not say anything that  could shed light on the fate of the aircraft or the passengers The statement had only added  more anxiety than ever was before. The crucial question of whether the passengers are dead or alive had not been answered. .It was elusive , intended to avoid deeper questions on the causes of the tragedy .The statements like these , although well intended, had caused more harm than good . They raised more suspicions and mistrusts  . Given the circumstances of an ongoing search operations the PM could not say more.
                  The families of the  Chinese  passengers who were already  disillusioned by the slow pace of the search started to voice their frustration by an open defiance of protocol when they stormed into the media room in KL. They carried with them unsightly banners demanding more information from the Malaysian authorities . .To add more fuel the Malaysian embassy in Beijing became a target of protests and demonstrations.
                   If everything possible was being done correctly,what then went wrong ? Why the show of anger ?Why has our credibility and competence put into question ?   The search was being conducted with an  international collaboration ?  why finger point at Malaysia alone ?
                       It is true that the disappearance of MH370 is mysterious but the  fact remains that it was an air accident .Air accidents happen  .The only differences  between one and the other are the causes of the accidents and the damages caused .From that stand point alone therefore the incident of the missing aircraft  MH370 is not that unique after all  .There are past experiences that we  fell back on , and on the expertise of other nations that went through similar tragic events .
                  We have not heard of fatal air accidents that brought  about such show of anger (by families  of affected passengers ) on  national governments that flew the aircraft .We have yet to hear of embassies being stormed at by the families of affected passengers when  air accidents happened .
                    We should be commended for our ability to rope in so many countries round the globe to join in the search at their own cost and to bring with them the use of the latest state of the art technologies in search and rescue operations .
                       If our good deeds are returned with such scorn and malice and  unappreciated the only reason that could be attributed to is our failure in the area of public relations .Our presentation of what had being done has not been properly executed .The media conferences had not been properly managed.The facts had not been properly and professionally presented to all .
                    The search is being conducted by highly technical and professional personnel .But the related media conferences looked like a social media conferences normally held at the conclusion of a company's AGM .
                   The presence of  ministers added stature to the conference but the technical personnel need to be around too to answer technical questions  . Put simply ,the media briefings lacked the benefits of a PR exercise .
                     The aim of a PR exercise is to establish rapport with the clients ,whoever they may be ..The members of the press are not the clients ..The clients are the world outside the conference room .The briefs must be given by those responsible for the technical details .If the details were given by other parties, the information therein becomes suspect and  less credible particularly so if they are uttered by politicians.   .
                  We have shown a high degree of concern for the families of the passengers on board MH370 but in our haste to demonstrate these concerns  there are things that are done prematurely . Take for instance the bringing of the relatives of the passengers to KL and camped them in   hotels away from their homeland .There  are no  definite time frame and no scheduled activities for them. These had added on  to their misery and griefs .It would have been more meaningful if they are allowed to be in their homes and yet remain ready to travel to anywhere required at a moment's notice. As it is now the whole episodes of transporting and feeding them have become a mockery and  counter productive where good intentions now become bad. .
                A display of a good PR is extremely important now that the "clients " are so varied and all over the globe .It is not an easy task and it requires  the professional advice and hard thinking inputs .
                 An engagement of renowned PR consultants could have saved us from the brickbats that had been thrown at us .
               As it is now,because we bungled in our PR exercise, despite the mountains of sacrifices that had been made, the safety of our nationals abroad has now become a talking point . What a pity !

A note on Balingian

       It is never easy to predict the  exact results of any election . It is not always the question of who wins or lose .   Winning can mean different things to different people .Losing the election with a smaller majority than the previous one can sometimes mean a victory worthy of a celebration .
Therefore it is amusing that on the announcement of an election result it is the losing candidate that jumps to celebrate because he has reduced the winning majority of the winner . .
        In Balingian the PKR is the underdog and hope to do just that. Their mission is to reduce the majority of the BN .When that happens they will tobe able demonstrate that support for the BN is declining and the PKR be is gaining more foothold not just in Balingian but in the state of Sarawak .
         With the help of political leaders from Semenanjong ,which were never there before ,the guess is that this will happen come 29 March .I believe the BN camp is looking at this possibility with a lot of scary fear  for many reasons  ,among which is the fact that Balingian is the former constituency of Taib the political icon of Sarawak for more than three decades .For this reason alone the BN will spare no effort whatsoever to prevent this from happening .With the banning of top PKR leaders from entering Sarawak the playing field is no longer level ,what more with the traditional vote buying which is the inherent part of Sarawak's political culture .
          But the growing awareness of the  voters to the rights and wrongs of the political leaders from the BN ,voting in Balingian can be an unexpected shock come 29/3 .

All about Taib

Its more  than two years since my last posting .Its a shame when there is so much that could have been written over the last two years  Indeed those were the times when our national history was in the making .Over the same period we also went through the 13th GE where we saw for the first time in our history the emergence of a new power source in the form of a united opposition .Anwar Ibrahim will go down in history as a controversial politician respected by all , a man feared by his opponents and loved by his supporters for being able to do the impossible .In the 70s and 80s who ever could think that PAS and DAP ,two distinct contrasting ideologies could come together to wage war against a common enemy .Anwar has built the foundation of a multiracial political platform that is acceptable and workable within the confines of the social and cultural diversity that exists in unique Malaysia . What Anwar did and is currently doing in the Malaysia political arena will continue to astound all .
                         In my latest post on Sarawak I said that Taib Mahmood will not find it easy to hand over the reign of his office when the time comes for him to do so .I said then that Sarawak since  the day it joined Malaysia in 1963 had always been a land of the "theatrics ". It is a land that is unreal where what you see are not what they actually are . I said that democracy in Sarawak is a freak because the majority does not rule . I said it is only a matter of time that the majority that is the Ibans and their brother natives will take over the task of governing the state . And when that happens it will not be without turbulence  I see that  things are happening right now . Taib's successor singlehandedly chosen by Taib himself is already in a disputed position where the rhetoric's of democracy does not seem to apply . Being a Melanau he does not represent the majority of the PBB party where the native Ibans and others form the main bulk of the two party coalition that has ruled Sarawak for the last three decades .He is not the most senior member of the Bumiputera party either . .One cannot find the rationale for his appointment except that he is a puppet of Taib who want his influence to continue in Sarawak .Already ,there are heated questions asked for the reasons that Alfred Jabu the Dy Chief Minister not being appointed or for that matter why someone deserving from  Pesaka not being considered .It is more than logical that a member of Pesaka be given its due turn now .For  Taib   ,Adenan's appointment as the chief minister is all about saving and protecting himself from his thirty years of wrong doings .
                     

Wait and See

                         It is now a guessing game as to when the 13th GE is going to be held. The PM who is responsible in determining the date as to when the dissolution of Parliament will take place [which is to be followed by the General Election ] continues to keep the date  close to his chest.He does this as a matter of strategy.A strategy that will keep the opposition parties anxious and nervous and drain them of their stamina. The Opposition's anxiety and nervousness are fairly obvious going by the reports that rifts are  beginning to show up between their leaders .In Selangor for instance, a senior party leader is said to have resigned from a government post .
                            To unseat a government is not an easy matter .In many countries it involves violent means of social .political and cultural change  .
                            The opposition leaders are working hard to keep the pace of their campaigns going  .  There must have been a lot of sacrifices made  to.their businesses and families. . So the question is how long can they last .?The Siri Jelajah Anwar Ibrahim,alone,for instance requires tremendous amount of work.Look at the party leaders involved .They are not society's small fries.How much time ,energy and money are involved ,one cannot easily imagine.
                          .When one looks at the manner the campaigns are being conducted and what it takes, one is reminded of the 'the rope a dope' tactic used by Mohammad Ali in his bout with George Foreman in Harare where Mohammad Ali allowed Foreman to throw punches at him until  Foreman completely worn himself out and then became an easy prey .
                          To cut it short in determining the date of the 13th GE.the ruling party has time on its side,relatively speaking. .There is no need to rush .An untimely call or a miscalculation of the strength and weaknesses of the opposition and of themselves  can be a costly affair .Because of that they continue to go on with the attitude of wait and see . The opposition's campaigns through the holding of ceramahs  are done at great expense.They  are  costly and requires tremendous amount of energy . How deep their pockets are and how fit and healthy the personalities are  must be  relevant questions .
                       . The wait and see is therefore basically to wait until the opposition tires themselves out ,just like George Foreman in the ring with Mohammad Ali  and to see the moment the voters begin to get fed up of listening to the ceramahs.
                         To say the least, therefore ,this delay in the announcement of the the date of the GE is worrying the opposition  .They are indeed running out of subjects in their campaigns. The issues  touted at the ceramahs are beginning to be repetitious.  . Corruption , misuse of power , economic mismanagement and misconduct of leaders remain the core of the speeches. .These subjects are getting stale by the day . A lot of people now throng the ceramahs grounds not so much to hear what is being said but for the sake of being there as one among the crowd . .This is all discomforting and the opposition leaders knew this  new phenomenon and all that they can do is to go on irrespective of  the risk of diminishing returns .
                         A stamina is  not an unending element .Sooner or later it will dry up .The signs of this process are already showing in the emergence of dissent and inter party squabbles among the opposition ,however trivial they may be.
                        The government party knows that they are the ones calling the shots  .The opposition can move the heaven and the earth in crying out for an early election but for as long as the  time is not right for the party in power to call the shots they will continue to remain in the wait and see module.
                          Given this scenario ,it is not too late for the opposition to change mode .

Sarawak----the next point .

                                Political developments in Sarawak to day are
unsettling .To say that it is unsettling is an understatement .  If one looks at the emerging conflicting political and social values  among the various ethnic groups , it is difficult to assume that there will be a smooth transition of power when Taib Mahmood steps down as Chief Minister .
                                Lets look back into history and search for similarities of life in Sarawak then and life in Sarawak now. May be by doing this we can see if there had been some basic flaws in our assumptions of  the political scenarios of Sarawak .
                                 Life in Sarawak  since the days of the Brunei Sultanate had always been one big phenomenon of the theatrics i.e of play acting and of make believe .  There were stand-ins every where just like in  the world of the theatre where you see things that are not .This typical life in Sarawak continued to the  days of the White Rajah .They inherit this phenomenon to  the present day where many things that they see are unreal and illusory
                                 Sarawak is the land of the Dyaks.This is the basic fact that sometimes becomes disputable  because of the illusions surrounding it . It is a fact that sometimes we see  and sometimes we don't .
                                  The Dyaks are the original settlers of Sarawak.They are the sons of the soil  , the same position as what their brothers  in the Malay Peninsula enjoy .If there is such a thing as Malay Privileges for the Malays living in the Peninsula Malaysia ,  the same must also exist for Dyaks in Sarawak .  And why not ?
                                   History tells us of different things about them but little of the misery they went through at the hands of those in power in those forgotten days.  It is time that the history of Sarawak  be re written to reflect the actual happenings of the past .
                                 The story of  James Brook  getting hold of a chunk of Sarawak and henceforth be given the title of  'Raja' by the Sultan of Brunei ,for instance, is hard to believe.The historical account of how the government of Sarawak was handed over to James Brook as a reward for his services to the Sultan  is too incredulous   that is only good  as a fiction in the English literature .The incidents were  fictitious and spoken and repeated  to insult the dignity of Malay royalty .
                               The most probable thing that could have happened  was  that the 'territory' had been acquired by James Brook through the use of force  and of fraudulent means and with the connivance and support of the British Government at that time .
                           The title  'Raja' was self proclaimed and was done in charity or in jest,perhaps in  response to enquiries  by foreign traders as to who was in charge of the place.
                         Sadly though , the Brooks stayed on in Sarawak for 3 generations spanning over period of 100 years in a world that was full of illusions. . The use of  the Malay Royal protocol  such as the use of the Malay state regalia by the so called white Rajah, complete with the use of the yellow umbrella, were nothing but  clownish acts designed to ridicule Malay customs and traditions . The unfortunate part of it all is that the Malay nobility ,the Chinese traders and the Dyaks submit themselves to all these regal pomp  as part of the sacred virtues and grandeur of the Brook's royal house .
                             While the Malay nobility was busy paying their obeisance to the Raja , the Dyaks continued to live in the jungles isolated ,neglected and miserably poor.
                              True enough in true spirit of democracy and in fulfilment of the principle of the rule by majority, when Sarawak gained its independence in 1963 the  administration of the State was handed over to the Dyaks in an untimely fashion .  The Dyaks were not yet ready to accept such huge responsibility of leading a government . . There was hardly any Dyak  that was capable of taking over the reigns of the Government and there were insufficient  number of qualified individuals in the civil service that could effectively support the policies of a Dyak government .
                                If  independence was not given in such a hurry ,there could be time and space for the development of core professionals and intelligentsia within the Dyak community  who could take over the administration from the colonial government smoothly and honourably.
                          On independence Sarawak was hardly stable and went through a period of political turbulence in which its first Chief Minister ,a Dyak was sacked .  For Sarawak to be stable it was generally accepted  that the leadership of the government  be in the hands of someone with strong leadership qualities and had the support of the Federal government .There were problems galore and the most dreaded was an anti west Malaysian sentiments  .The Federal Government saw this to be the imminent danger  that could lead to a break up of the Federation.
                               This was the time when Abdul Rahman Yaacob who was then the Federal Minister of Education was asked to help .  After winning a seat in the State General Election he was made the Chief Minister ,taking over the job from Tawi Sli .Abdul Rahman was a shrewed politician and an intellectual.He knew the political grounds of Sarawak well  and within a short time changed the entire political ,economic  and social landscapes of Sarawak .
                               New  state institutions were set up to strengthen the State's financial position. .His control over the state resources of timber and natural resources gave him further leverages to rule Sarawak the way he wanted .
                          However he also was aware that he comes from a minority ethnic group and that in a democracy there will come a day when the baton have to be passed over to the majority .
Rahman Yaacob retired in 1981 the post of Chief Minister was passed on to his nephew Taib Mahmood ,a person of equal calibre but with different styles of leadership .
                        Both Rahman and Taib know that in a democracy there is no such a thing as entrenched leaders. They were only stop gaps and remain in office at the pleasure of the voters. And  the Dyaks who form the majority would allow them such pleasure for as long  as there were no capable Dyaks around to lead their own pack .
                          Those in the minority,the likes of Rahman and Taib therefore govern Sarawak by proxy .
                           Many politicians in Sarawak do not subscribe to this premise .They had an entirely different vision of politics in Sarawak .They believed that the leadership of the State government must always be in the hands of the Malays regardless of the principle of  majority representation .This is the essence  of Sarawak politics .
                       Whenever the talk of succession in Sarawak surfaces ,it is  always a Malay succession.Little have been heard of other alternatives  .This is unreal .
                           The scenarios have now changed .The Dyaks as the silent majority have now waken up to this fact and are now looking hard at the imminent change of Sarawak political land scape .With the entry of opposition politics brought by Pakatan Raakyat ,Taib Mahmood must seriously take a look at the this fundamental concept of a rule by proxy .The MoFC rally in Sarawak in early August cannot therefore be viewed simply as an anti Taib exercise . It is indeed more than that .
                             The rule of the Dyaks are surely coming as a natural phase of Sarawak history .                
                            When that happens let them come over smoothly and not with a vengeance .If the leadership of  Sarawak continue to remain largely in the hands of the Malays , politics in Sarawak is nothing but a freak .
                               Let's leave the theatre for once .

Let's call it a Malaysian Dilemma

                   It is a week since the Bersih Rally .A lot have been said and much more will be said in the months ahead . Now that the dusts have settled down what is currently being touted appear to be more balanced and more sensible .Some of the views  expressed are now less emotional and more restrained and something that we can continue to build upon .
                    Take for instance the statement made by Rais Yatim which says that his organization is proposing to conduct a nation wide survey to determine the motives of those who took part in the Rally. I think this a fair statement and should be welcomed .
                      In the first place after all that has been said  we still do not have a clear profile of the protesters .Who are these protesters  ? Where do
they come from ?How many are urbanites and how many come from afar .? Being a multi racial country it is important that we know exactly the ethnic composition of the protesters .Equally important is a knowledge of the age groups and their  political inclinations and the number of men and women in the protests . These information and many others are useful when we want to
 state the success or failure of the rally .The handling of the Rally by the government is a side issue  and the public debate on this issue should end quickly .
                  The  main issue remains the debate on electoral reforms or the need for it . Our opinion on the state of the art on electoral practice in this country cannot be randomly made .The veracity of the expressions depends on which side it comes from .As we say often there are good losers and bad losers .
                      Another major concern is the level of commitment the protesters have when they took part in the rally.Were they united in their purpose? Or united only to see the march reach the end ?.A full commitment would be in the form of their understanding of the issues involved that necessitated in the Rally in the first place . Is it possible that the thousands were there for the fun of it ?. Is it possible that they were there to be with their  friends or simply because of the excitements of the occasion or because it was always fun to demonstrate an opposition to the government of the day or for some financial gains which some had alluded? If the full commitment to the call of electoral reforms cannot be found in their hearts and mind then the  Bersih rally had been nothing but a political shadow play .
                      The Bersih Rally is far different from the protest rallies that were seen in  Egypt or Tunisia . Those protests were  cries against the Government and for regime change . Bersih was not a cry for regime change .It was not intended to topple anybody in power . Najib and co can continue in office for all we care for as long as they subscribe to  the true democratic principles and practice .
                          Najib has said that the electoral practice in this country is free and fair and had used the loss in the last General Election of the five formerly BN states as an illustration  of democracy in practice. The illustration is incorrect.  Election results do not necessarily reflect the standard of the art of electoral management which is the subject of our debate.
                             The onus is definitely on Najib to prove  his claim.
                             Let's not be over simplistic .

The aftermath

                                      The government is now in a defence mode .This is pathetic.The defence mode is the realm of the accused and not that of the prosecutor . Statements from the Home Minister that the government is preparing video recordings of the rally for public viewing in reply to accusations made by Bersih supporters that there was police brutality during the Rally and that of the Defence Minister to say that political problems could not be solved through street demonstrations are all gasps coming from the loser's corner  saying that  reasons will be provided  for the dismal failure  .These are not the typical chest beating  cries of a Government .The government stays on top of any situation and will only admit failure under very extraordinary circumstances .Bersih is certainly not one of those circumstances .
                                 In the case of the video tapes ,the Minister should have said that the police had acted under extreme provocation .If there were scuffles between the protesters and the police they were unfortunate incidents and that the police acted in line of their duty to prevent further injuries and damages.
                                Likewise the Defence minister should have kept his  mouth shut .His statements should have been made before and not after the event . Statements like these gave the protesters a moral victory as they echoed those of  the protesters who through Bersih had always wanted the issues of free and fair election settled within the ambit of the political arena .
                                Sadly even the police were on the defensive when they commented on the arrest of the 1600 protesters . There was no need for the police to make a public announcement that all those arrested were given royal guest status at a sumptuous dinner that cost the taxpayer 30RM per head .Such statements were totally unnecessary .If one is under arrest then the normal procedure should follow irrespective of who and what are involved . The police do not run a welfare catering center and those arrested cannot expect to be feted in that extravagant style   . Why must those arrested be treated differently from the normal practice unless of course it is a form of apology . Is this the case ?
                                 The aftermath must be a time of soul searching .It is a time of stock taking and not a time to put on your fighting gloves and further arguments . As a government you are obliged to explain your actions , if so needed , to  Parliament  and not to the media. .
                                 Lets be quiet .