MEREKA YANG BERKUASA

1. Di mana Negara pun akan ada orang yang berkuasa. Mereka berada di berbagai peringkat. Di Negara yang demokratik pun terdapat orang yang berkuasa. Budaya orang Malaysia pula demikian sehingga orang yang berkuasa lebih berkuasa kerana tidak akan ada sesiapa yang akan menegur. Orang yang berkuasa boleh buat apa sahaja termasuk yang tidak dibenar. Hanya jika diadakan pemilihan oleh rakyat atau pengikut barulah ketidakpuasan hati mereka dilahirkan. Walaupun demikian faktor lain sering menenggelamkan faktor salahguna kuasa.

2. Saya mengaku bahawa inilah pengalaman saya semasa menjadi pemimpin yang berkuasa. Jarang terdengar teguran melainkan oleh musuh terutama parti lawan. Dan teguran oleh musuh jarang dapat diterima kerana ini memang sifat mereka. Saya dapati teguran pihak ketiga, pihak yang tidak punyai kepentingan biasanya lebih ikhlas dan perlu ditimbang secara serius.

3. Kebiasaannya ramai yang bersedia untuk menyokong dan memuji apa sahaja yang dilakukan oleh orang yang berkuasa. Sokongan mereka mungkin kerana mereka betul-betul dan ikhlas berpendapat apa yang dilakukan memang baik atau buruk. Tetapi ada juga yang menyokong dan mengiakan apa sahaja kerana ini akan disukai oleh yang berkuasa. Dan ini juga akan meningkat pengaruh mereka dan banyaklah nikmat yang akan dikecapi oleh mereka.

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Kassim Ahmad – 80

1. Saya sedih melihat pegawai Jabatan Agama Islam dibantu oleh polis menangkap Kassim Ahmad, 80 tahun.

2. Kita ingin jadi Negara Islam yang sederhana, tidak keterlaluan. Tetapi acara ini memperlihatkan Malaysia, seolah-olah ingin menjadi Negara Islam yang suka mengguna paksaan bagi menentukan orang Islam hidup dalam ketakutan kerana mungkin ditangkap apabila melanggar fatwa pihak berkuasa.

3. Kassim yang tidak sihat, berumur 80 tahun ditangkap, dibawa ke mahkamah, dituduh menghina Islam, dituduh tidak akur kepada fatwa Pejabat Agama Islam dan dikurung sehingga dijamin.

4. Yang menghina agama Islam di Malaysia ramai. Ada orang Islam yang memperlekeh Nabi Muhammad s.a.w, menghina Allah s.w.t, membuat fatwa sendiri, bahkan mengembang ajaran sesat. Tetapi mereka tidak ditangkap. Tegur pun tidak. Tetapi Kassim yang sudah tua, yang berjalan bertongkat dituduh anti-hadis dan ditangkap.

5. Yang anti-hadis ini ramai. Mereka tolak hadis dalam amalan mereka, tidak menurut banyak sunnah Rasul. Mereka tidak berjanggut.

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THE LOBBY SYSTEM

1.​We all know what a lobby is. But in the U.S. lobby refers largely to people specialising in influencing the Government through their contacts with the Congressmen and Senators and members of the Government including the President. We don’t have lobbyistsin Malaysia. They would be considered as cronies of the Government.

2.​In the U.S. the lobbyists are paid to work for certain interests. The Cuban lobby at one time lobbied successfully for the U.S. Government to purchase sugar from Cuba. There was also a lobby firm which was hired by Malaysia to influence the U.S. Government not to undermine the tin, rubber and palm oil markets. We were not very successful.

3.​But the most powerful lobby in the U.S. is the AIPAC (America Israel Public Affairs Committee). It can reach the President, all members of the American Government and all Congressmen and Senators as well as their staff at any time. This lobby which was responsible for U.S. support for the setting up of Israel and subsequent pro-Israel policies, is so powerful that candidates for President and other offices in the U.S. Government have to literally pledge support for Israel to his lobby or they would lose in elections.

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NATIONAL SECURITY

This is a translation of the earlier posting KESELAMATAN NEGARA

1. During my time as Prime Minister, both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister were jointly responsible for national security.

2. At times I held the post of Defence Minister while the Deputy Prime Minister is the Home Minister responsible for the police. At times as Prime Minister when I decided to assume the Home Minister portfolio, the Deputy Prime Minister would be appointed Defence Minister. There were only on a few occasions when the situation demanded it, ordinary Ministers were appointed to the Defence portfolio. This is because the issue of national security is of great importance.

3. On Nov 20, 1985, I led a massive private sector delegation to China because I believed there were abundant trade opportunities with China which had then only opened up to external trade participation.

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KESELAMATAN NEGARA

1. Semasa saya menjadi Perdana Menteri, masalah keselamatan Negara dipikul bersama oleh saya dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri.

2. Adakalanya saya memegang jawatan Menteri Pertahanan dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri memegang jawatan Menteri Dalam Negeri yang bertanggunjawab ke atas Polis. Adakalanya apabila saya tentukan saya sebagai Perdana Menteri akan mengambil tugas Menteri Dalam Negeri, maka Timbalan Perdana Menteri akan dilantik sebagai Menteri Pertahanan. Hanya beberapa kali apabila keadaan mendesak maka jawatan Menteri Pertahanan diberi kepada Menteri biasa. Amalan ini disebabkan soal keselamatan Negara begitu penting.

3. Pada 20 November 1985, saya mengepalai satu rombongan swasta yang amat besar kerana saya anggap terdapat banyak peluang dagangan dengan Negara Cina yang baru sahaja dibuka untuk penyertaan peniaga luar.

4. Saya tidak ingat yang Tun Musa datang berjumpa saya untuk saya tidak pergi ke Beijing tetapi beliau berada di lapangan terbang bersama dengan ramai orang yang ingin ucap selamat pemergian saya ke Cina. Di waktu itu pun saya tidak ingat yang Tun Musa menasihat supaya saya tidak pergi luar negeri.

5. Kejadian peristiwa Memali berlaku pada 19 November 1985, sehari sebelum saya terbang. Memanglah dalam operasi polis seperti ini kemalangan boleh berlaku. 4 anggota polis terbunuh dan 16 penjenayah. Ramai juga yang cedera.

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SPRINGTIME IN PUTRAJAYA

bongor1. Putrajaya is blooming. The trees along Persiaran Utara and Leboh Sentosa are like sakura trees, sometimes covered with pink and white flowers completely or with some leaves and more flowers.

2. It has never been like this. Perhaps it is because of the dry weather.

3. Unfortunately when it rains the flowers drop. But then the grounds under the trees are covered with pink and white petals, like snow.

4. It will not last long. But hurry to see Putrajaya in springtime.

CENSORSHIP

1. During the time when I was leading the Government, I was accused by Western nations, in particular by the Western media of controlling the press. Since retirement I read a lot about the administration of Western countries. The censorship they practise on their press and publication is more stringent than anything we have seen here.

2. The American and Western media and publishers are totally forbidden to say anything unseemly about the Jews and in particular Israel. They may also not report about the unAmerican activities of the Jews in their own country.

3. I read a book on banking, on the setting up of the central banking system, on how the banks finance both sides in the wars of Europe, how they actually manipulate the politicians into going into meaningless wars so they can earn profits from lending the money they created out of thin air. They abuse the financial systems to such an extent that financial crises would plague the countries and even the world every now and again. And when they go bankrupt they force Government’s to borrow money from them to bail out their companies and banks. Continue reading CENSORSHIP

Kuasa Mutlak

1. Sebelum British menakluki negeri-negeri Melayu, sistem pemerintahan adalah Raja berkuasa penuh. Semua perolehan hasil dan cukai adalah milik Raja. Pembiayaan pemerintahan dan pembangunan diperuntukkan oleh Raja.

2. Banyaklah penipuan berlaku semasa cukai dikutip. Yang didapati oleh Raja biasanya sedikit sahaja.

3. Kekurangan kewangan menjadi masalah kepada Raja. Bagi mengatasinya Raja terpaksa jual atau pajak tanah. Dengan itu wilayah negeri-negeri Melayu merosot dan menjadi semakin kecil.

4. Apabila British mengambil alih pemerintahan negeri-negeri Melayu, cukai dipungut dengan lebih tersusun dan dimasukkan ke dalam Perbendaharaan negeri dan persekutuan.

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THE RAW HATRED FOR PROTON

proton logo1. The raw hatred for Proton by some members of the media is quite unprecedented. Nothing is right about Proton. It should really be bankrupted and closed down. That will reduce the price of cars so everyone in Malaysia can own a foreign made car.

2. Firstly car prices are high because taxes are high. But the detractors will say the taxes are high to protect Proton.

3. The protection for Proton is minimal. Most of the exemption from tax that Proton gets can also be obtained by foreign cars if they are prepared to have 90% local contents and are made locally which Proton has achieved.

4. But who cares whether the local contents are high or low. I think we should care because the local contents and local car production have created almost 250,000 high-income jobs directly and indirectly. Imported fully-built-up cars create jobs in their own countries. Do we want 250,000 people to lose their jobs so foreign workers will benefit!

5. Then there is the acquisition of technology and engineering knowhow. We were just assembling foreign cars at inflated cost due to very low deletion allowances in 1983 when Proton was launched. Today we have the capacity to design, build prototypes, test and produce our own cars. Acquiring this capacity carries some cost. But because of Proton’s needs we have produced highly qualified engineers and technicians. And we are not penalised by low deletion allowance for high cost parts.

6. Do we need this capacity? We have ambitions to become a developed country. Can a country of consumers of foreign products ever become a developed country? We see some very rich countries with no industrial capacity at all. They buy everything from foreign countries. Can we say they are developed? We need industrial capacities and sophistication if we aim to become a truly developed country. We need scientists, engineers, inventors, innovators, highly skilled workers etc. etc. We will not have them if we cannot create jobs for them. Proton create those jobs.

Continue reading THE RAW HATRED FOR PROTON

THE RAW HATRED FOR PROTON

proton1. The raw hatred for Proton by some members of the media is quite unprecedented. Nothing is right about Proton. It should really be bankrupted and closed down. That will reduce the price of cars so everyone in Malaysia can own a foreign made car.

2. Firstly car prices are high because taxes are high. But the detractors will say the taxes are high to protect Proton.

3. The protection for Proton is minimal. Most of the exemption from tax that Proton gets can also be obtained by foreign cars if they are prepared to have 90% local contents and are made locally which Proton has achieved.

4. But who cares whether the local contents are high or low. I think we should care because the local contents and local car production have created almost 250,000 high-income jobs directly and indirectly. Imported fully-built-up cars create jobs in their own countries. Do we want 250,000 people to lose their jobs so foreign workers will benefit!

5. Then there is the acquisition of technology and engineering knowhow. We were just assembling foreign cars at inflated cost due to very low deletion allowances in 1983 when Proton was launched. Today we have the capacity to design, build prototypes, test and produce our own cars. Acquiring this capacity carries some cost. But because of Proton’s needs we have produced highly qualified engineers and technicians. And we are not penalised by low deletion allowance for high cost parts.

6. Do we need this capacity? We have ambitions to become a developed country. Can a country of consumers of foreign products ever become a developed country? We see some very rich countries with no industrial capacity at all. They buy everything from foreign countries. Can we say they are developed? We need industrial capacities and sophistication if we aim to become a truly developed country. We need scientists, engineers, inventors, innovators, highly skilled workers etc. etc. We will not have them if we cannot create jobs for them. Proton create those jobs.

Continue reading THE RAW HATRED FOR PROTON