Something happened in Washington that day. And they are not telling us what really happened. Then they lied and tried to wangle out of this very embarrassing situation by spinning untruths. But they did not know that Malaysia Today has eyes and ears all over the world. So we have now caught them with their pants down.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Read what Ernest Bower wrote in the Center for Strategic & International Studies website on 2 February 2010. Then study the invitation to the seminar held on Wednesday 24 February in Washington below that piece.
What happened? Ernest Bower had nothing nice to say about the Malaysian government in his 2 February piece. And then he suddenly did a U-turn on 24 February, just three weeks later.
Okay, look again at what the invitation to the 24 February seminar says. There were supposed to be THREE (3) speakers. Then only Nazri turns up while Gani Patail and Abdul Hamid Mohamed go MIA (missing in action, in case you did not know what it means). And note the part that says: The discussion will be on the record. Why did they suddenly announce that it is now OFF THE RECORD?
Nazri then explains that it was just a coincidence that he, Gani and Abdul Hamid happen to be in Washington at the same time. He then said he did not know where the two missing persons were.
In other words, Nazri is telling us that these two MIAs were not supposed to be part of or involved in the seminar. But the official invitation clearly mentions their names. So Nazri lied. And Ernest Bower also did not explain the sudden change of plan.
Something happened in Washington that day. And they are not telling us what really happened. Then they lied and tried to wangle out of this very embarrassing situation by spinning untruths. But they did not know that Malaysia Today has eyes and ears all over the world. So we have now caught them with their pants down.
Malaysia Today: 12 -- Malaysian Government: 0
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A Low Note for Malaysia: Start of the Anwar Trial Today
By Ernest Bower
Feb 2, 2010
For anyone watching Malaysian politics over the last five years, the message is clear: people want their political system to move on to represent a modern Malaysia and its more sophisticated electorate. Voters are fed up with the old ways and anachronistic political structures, as well as with some of the personalities that have become inextricably identified with those structures.
Yesterday saw the start of the second trial of Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister and leader of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat Party (PKR). It was a sad day for Malaysian politics because the fact of the trial itself is a result of the old politics of Malaysia panicking in the face of the inevitable—change. The most recent allegations against Anwar came amidst clear signals that voters were dissatisfied with governance and would no longer rubber stamp the ruling coalition at the ballot boxes. Whatever the mechanism was, the old system blinked and snapped him up on new charges of sodomy.
The trial can rightly be seen as part of a tragic last stand by those who fear change and reform. That group no longer seems to include Prime Minister Najib Razak. Recent statements and moves to begin serious reforms of his ruling party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), suggest that he has internalized the need for the party to change if it is to survive politically. The Anwar trial will not be helpful in that regard, because to enact real change, a viable opposition is a helpful, if not a necessary, condition. Najib has to convince a majority of the UMNO faithful that they must adapt to survive. That argument won’t come easy to a generation addicted to the politics of entitlement.
Even from a Machiavellian UMNO political perspective, prosecuting Anwar risks making him, once again, a political martyr and beacon for those seeking a new way. Left to his own devices, Anwar promised to be a strong opposition voice, but unlikely to wrest control of the political leadership of the country. He is leading an unlikely coalition of conservative Muslims, left-leaning Chinese, and vibrant reformers.
Most countries in Southeast Asia are in the process of working through historic political evolutions. Indonesia’s path to change is playing out most clearly—with the downfall of former president Soeharto and the breathtaking audacity of the introduction of democracy in the region’s largest country. Thailand is going through a less linear but no less dramatic change where forces are aligned similarly in some ways to those in Malaysia—one side wanting to preserve the status quo and others demanding new political structures and broader engagement. Vietnam is deep into its political cycle ahead of the January 2011 Communist Party Congress, with conservatives pushing hard on the reform-minded government of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung; and the Philippines has elections coming in May. Even Singapore is undergoing a quiet challenge to its postcolonial political structure dominated by the People’s Action Party (PAP), with indications that younger voters want new channels for political expression including, perhaps, an opposition that can speak freely and make the case for alternative approaches.
Putting the course of political evolution in Malaysia in a regional context, the country has a great opportunity to move ahead by implementing needed reforms, regaining full political stability, and concentrating on its competitiveness and economic growth.
However, victimizing Anwar is as counterproductive for Malaysia’s political progress as it is for the efforts of his political adversaries in UMNO to reform and regain political dominance. Therefore, this second Anwar trial is a sad and ironic benchmark in Malaysian political history.
Ernest Z. Bower is a senior adviser and director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.
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CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES & CSIS SOUTHEAST ASIA PROGRAM
Pleased to present
SEMINAR ON GOVERNANCE & RULE OF LAW IN MALAYSIA & MALAYSIAN LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES
Featuring
1. The Honorable Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
2. The Honorable Abdul Gani Patail, Attorney General of Malaysia
3. The Honorable Abdul Hamid Mohamed, Former Chief Justice of Malaysia & Chairman of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission
At CSIS Conference Room B1B, 1800 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Wednesday February 24, 2010
10:00 AM – 12: 00 PM
CSIS Malaysia is honored to invite you to a presentation and discussion with a panel of leading Malaysian officials with the responsibility for the legislative agenda, parliamentary affairs, governance, rule of law and anti-corruption initiatives in Malaysia.
The discussion will be on the record. Please RSVP the SoutheastAsia@csis.org by Tuesday, February 23, 2010. If you have questions, please contact Mary Beth Whyel at (202) 775 3278.
AGENDA
10:00 AM: Welcome & Opening Remarks by Ernest Z. Bower, Senior Adviser & Director, CSIS Southeast Asia
10:05 AM: Introduction by the Honorable Dr. Jamaluddin Jarjis, Ambassador to the United States, Embassy of Malaysia
10:15 AM: Keynote RemarksThe Honorable Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office
10:30 AM: Introduction of Expert Panel
1. The Honorable Abdul Gani Patail, Attorney General of Malaysia
2. The Honorable Abdul Hamid Mohamed, Former Supreme Court Justice & Chairman of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission
11:15 AM: Question & Answer
11:55 AM: Closing Remarks
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Ernie Bower
Senior Adviser & Director - Southeast Asia
Center for Strategic & International Studies
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