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Thursday, September 22, 2011

PM Najib disagrees with Koh Tsu Koon while Guan Engs preaches

In a recent dialogue session with Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, Minister in PM's Department, a question was asked if Gerakan has the means to wrestle back control of Penang state from DAP and the notion that DAP has gotten stronger.

Tsu Koon's reply? "Let them stay on for another term and let’s see when the honeymoon is over"
There can be no denial from Lim Guan Eng (who prefers to be known as Chief Minister Lim rathyer than Menteri Besar) that the Economist had provided much 'support' with misinformation in a recent article on his performance. In fact blogger Sat D gave Guan Eng's media team a runaround with his article recently.

So, what is certain is that Tsu Koon has thrown in the towel even before the fight has been called, and on the other Guan Eng has been preaching like this.

…(2003) was also significant in Malaysia, in that it marked the year which former premier Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed stepped down from office. New leaders have come into office since then, with new ideas. I am part of the new generation of leaders. We share an appreciation of the need to reform and adapt. Gone are the days when hardware - new HDB flats, new roads and clinics - can satisfactorily meet the needs of our people. We face the common task of bringing the more difficult software to our citizens, the tangible but intangible concerns with quality of life, while simultaneously strengthening institutions to bring about these changes.”

In his speech in Singapore, Guan Eng chose to portray himself as a leader from ‘the new generation’ and equate himself to the generation that ‘placed more importance in way of life and strengthening institutions’ to bring about changes.

How is it then ‘the new leaders’ can resort to taking to the streets to force changes?
And when the opportunity arise from the establishment of an election reform committee from parliamentarians from both divide, comes a call for boycott from his ‘I am from the Democratic Action Party, one of three coalition partners’ Partners? (Today, it seems PR has relented and are willing to discuss their involvement. Guan Eng must be preaching differently to his staff, because he has yet to take action against his staff for remarks that were inciting in nature during the lead up to Bersih 2.0)- cakap tak serupa bikin!

He further says this;
“Malaysians can make our common aspirations of freedom, justice, democracy and truth come true if we remember key values.  That it is not who we are that is important, but what we are that is important; not the colour of our skin that is important but the content of our character; and not our past ancestry that is important but how we connect with the present and with each other to face the future.  We cannot be locked in the past and allow the past to close off possibilities of a better future.”

If indeed Guan Eng meant what he had said, then surely DAP leaders of the new generation would not be harping on stuff that are of ‘BN’ in nature from their point of view right? Flag change? Indian child registered as Chinese?

So how can all these that Guan Eng has done be seen as something positive by Tsu Koon?
Here is where I think PM Najib has taken the baton and ran with it. Najib has said that he is a Prime Minister for all and his government will not discriminate states that are in the control of PR.
Figures have shown that to be true, as FDI’s pouring in to the states rate Penang as the frontrunner, with Selangor trailing, and Malacca in tow. 

Thanks to MITI, and all other agencies that have put in their efforts to keep Malaysia in the running. (Let’s give the benefit of the doubt to PR, for their efforts to create street chaos, shall we?)

Come Sunday, he will take part in Kwong Wah Jit Poh’s charity event to raise funds for Chinese Schools. This is not something new that Najib is doing. In recent events, he has proven that they government has put in more money into the Chinese schools system to ensure that it remains supportive of the Chinese community.
MCA has probably done more in Penang recently if one was to measure what Gerakan and MCA. That is where being a BN component party defers from the rest. Where one takes focus on recovery, the other helps in keeping the BN spirit alive.

Despite assuring the rakyat of their open policies, the DAP lead state government had not helped the local industries by ensuring unfair distribution of contracts. It was recently announced that only 0.2 per cent of 125 million worth of contracts was awarded to the contractors who were chinese (this despite attacking the NEP and BN for ‘protecting the bumiputeras)

Clearly, Najib believes that all is not lost in Penang, and because Penang has always been a chinese stronghold, it is better to woo them than to think of it as a forgone conclusion.
One wonders then why Najib sees Tsu Koon as one that is capable of leading Gerakan out of the woods. 

If MCA continues to do what it has been doing, why won’t Gerakan do the right thing by working hand in hand with it to help make BN stronger in the what was once the ‘Pearl of the Orient’? After all, their own leader has already given up hope.
 
*Guan Eng's speech quotes was from his 'Transforming Penang' speech made in Singapore on 12th August 2011





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