AP = Approved Permits... :S
The ongoing 'sandiwara' of Malaysian politics continues, and the episode takes a turn to the national car, Proton.
(My sinus is acting up again, but that is impertinent)
Watching the political scene from the comforts and distance of Singapore, never in my life has the show become more interesting-I mean, one big story arc after another...hehe. I read a comment on Screenshots, that this controversy shows that Pak Lah is out of control.
Well maybe and maybe not. For one, it's not like there are 30,000 people in the streets calling for 'Transparency!" or " Trade minister, Resign!" like in Philipines. So one could safely say the our PM is in the shadows, watching carefully, waiting for the big players to finally tire of the game. It doesn't matter if either one 'wins'. In the eyes of the rakyat, both of them have already 'lost'-if not a confirmation of the undercurrents that have always been suspected of.
For one the PM can't side with either one, since clearly there is some hanky panky on both parties. Nobody is going to say the ex-PM is vindicated because of his 'concern' for the 'national car project-a national institution' and the country's welfare. The AP scandals have a history to it, the pandora's box is finally opened and of course who was the PM during those times?
Or neither is Pak Lah going to openly side with his minister (although he will of course stand by his cabinet.) She's been percieved as the 'bad guy' already-witness the bad behaviour of some UMNO delegates during her roundup speech during the recently concluded assembly. Perhaps unfairly, she is seen as a threat 'to a symbol of our national pride-Proton'. Can't help it that people will be incensed against her-some people are just plain irrational. But of course the claims (true or false) of irregularities in the AP allocation hurts big time.
In the end, the winner is the newspapers, who will undoubtedly enjoy wider circulation, and the coffee shop owners, with more people loafing there to hear the latest gossip on this issue. Such is Malaysian political culture-we don't hit the streets, we're not barbarians after all. We are the 'knights of the roundtable' after all. Everything can be discussed around the table.
Sooner or later this would come out, after all cars are an expensive commodity, and the money is good-and anybody who is smart enough not to get 'caught' will try to steal the mangoes from thier neighbours yard.
*post edit*
This article is merely my first attempt commenting on a socio-political issue, and certainly must contain plenty of flaws, take it with a pinch of salt
(My sinus is acting up again, but that is impertinent)
Watching the political scene from the comforts and distance of Singapore, never in my life has the show become more interesting-I mean, one big story arc after another...hehe. I read a comment on Screenshots, that this controversy shows that Pak Lah is out of control.
Well maybe and maybe not. For one, it's not like there are 30,000 people in the streets calling for 'Transparency!" or " Trade minister, Resign!" like in Philipines. So one could safely say the our PM is in the shadows, watching carefully, waiting for the big players to finally tire of the game. It doesn't matter if either one 'wins'. In the eyes of the rakyat, both of them have already 'lost'-if not a confirmation of the undercurrents that have always been suspected of.
For one the PM can't side with either one, since clearly there is some hanky panky on both parties. Nobody is going to say the ex-PM is vindicated because of his 'concern' for the 'national car project-a national institution' and the country's welfare. The AP scandals have a history to it, the pandora's box is finally opened and of course who was the PM during those times?
Or neither is Pak Lah going to openly side with his minister (although he will of course stand by his cabinet.) She's been percieved as the 'bad guy' already-witness the bad behaviour of some UMNO delegates during her roundup speech during the recently concluded assembly. Perhaps unfairly, she is seen as a threat 'to a symbol of our national pride-Proton'. Can't help it that people will be incensed against her-some people are just plain irrational. But of course the claims (true or false) of irregularities in the AP allocation hurts big time.
In the end, the winner is the newspapers, who will undoubtedly enjoy wider circulation, and the coffee shop owners, with more people loafing there to hear the latest gossip on this issue. Such is Malaysian political culture-we don't hit the streets, we're not barbarians after all. We are the 'knights of the roundtable' after all. Everything can be discussed around the table.
Sooner or later this would come out, after all cars are an expensive commodity, and the money is good-and anybody who is smart enough not to get 'caught' will try to steal the mangoes from thier neighbours yard.
*post edit*
This article is merely my first attempt commenting on a socio-political issue, and certainly must contain plenty of flaws, take it with a pinch of salt
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 at 10:35 AM.
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