Tag: democracy

Merdeka 3

~ The Koboi Project

Mariam Mokhtar makes a scathing criticism of Anwar Ibrahim’s Madani agenda. While I completely agree with her in terms of the ideals of the liberal democratic nation-state, I must point out that the liberal secular state is not the only legitimate outcome of the democratic process. Generally, a liberal democracy will exhibit the following characteristics – governance based on a constitution, universal suffrage, regular elections, multiple political parties, the separation of powers, the rule of law, the freedom of information, and the equal protection of human rights for all members of the nation. There is a further expectation of a liberal democracy to exhibit these additional traits, it should be a market economy, enshrine private property and practice secularism. While I believe that Malaysia must remain a democracy, and while I personally would prefer that we tend towards the ‘liberal’ form of governance, there are many variations of democracy in the world. These forms tend towards diverse poles including collectivism, ethnocentricity, and theocracy. We might wish for a more liberal democracy, but we must, nevertheless, acknowledge that even a less liberal democracy can still fulfill the essential requirements of that form of governance. Indeed, I believe that demographic trends and the consequential machinations of opportunistic party politics will likely conspire to take Malaysia towards more exotic forms of government in the future. However, in the meantime, Anwar should heed Mariam’s list of criticisms –

1. Non-Malays fear the Green Wave, so they will fully support Anwar Ibrahim but he has not bothered to hide his Islamic credentials.

2. Anwar claims he is a reformer but there have been no reforms, especially in the areas of the cost-of-living crisis and religious extremism.

3. Anwar will have been a disappointment if he delays reforms.

4. The Hadith Module will impinge on non-Muslim students and even Muslims will loose out in terms of time for science, technology an IT.

5. Anwar himself has said he would focus on needs-based rather than race-based quotas for University entrance and so he should be more respectful of those who raise questions on this matter.

6. The Malay population is badly divided in terms of access to the purported Malay privilege, particularly in the area of education.

7. Madani, Hadhari and all other forms of political Islam, particularly the more extreme versions of PAS and Perikatan Nasional are empty slogans that confuse the people and fail to further a true Islam.

8.Contrary to his purported liberal and multicultural agenda, Anwar has given more money to JAKIM and wants them to be involved in policy.

9. Anwar’s bid to harmonize sharia and civil law is troubling as constitutionally, Sharia law only relates to “family matters” for Muslims.

10 Freedom of speech is being restricted blatantly, as when the Minister of Communications issued a threat that the police would knock on our doors if we criticized the administration.

11. When a bumiputera company fails, taxpayers should not have to bail them out.

12. Anwar has been slow to criticize PAS for their outrageous claim that Muslims must vote for PAS, or else they will go to hell.

Forms of Government 16

~ The Koboi Project

16. Politocracy: A form of government wherein all causes of the people are instrumentalized by the political class (di mana segala perjuangan rakyat diperalatkan oleh golongan politikus). Just think of the story of Malaysian governance since the rise of Mahathir Mohamed. Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Abdul Rahman said in an interview with the New York Times that he was disgusted with his extreme politicking. Tunku says in the 1988 interview with Henry Kamm, “the whole trouble today is, when he took over, he was trying to make sure he would stay on in power”. Mahathir set the scene and all who have followed him on the path to power have shown themselves as being part of the Malaysian Politocracy.

https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/08/world/malaysian-founder-disgusted-at-successor.html

Forms of Government 9

~ The Koboi Project

9. Democracy: A form of government that was a modernist ideal, but is turning out to be a postmodern illusion. As we know in Malaysia it can co-exist with Hypocracy, Ethnocracy, Hypnocracy, Infocracy, Meritocracy, Idiocracy, Plutocracy and Theocracy.

Forms of Government 3

~ The Koboi Project

3. Hypnocracy: A form of government based on the susseptibility of human consciousness to having its attention focused from the outside, resulting in a reduced awareness of political reality and an enhanced capacity to respond to manipulative suggestions. This term was coined by Mark Parlett.

Forms of Government 1

~ The Koboi Project

1. Hypocracy: The most common form of government throughout the democratic world. Particularly popular in Malaysia!

Update 20.09.2023: The recent DNAA (Discharge not amounting to acquittal) of Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi on 47 graft charges (involving  Yayasan Akalbudi funds), following on from various governmental actions and decisions like the announcement in May of various allocations and mega projects (despite a pledge to discontinue such practices), has laid Anwar’s government open to accuations of hypocrisy.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/09/04/high-court-grants-zahid-discharge-not-amounting-to-acquittal-in-yab-case

https://www.malaysianow.com/news/2023/05/12/anwar-cautioned-against-hypocrisy-in-billion-ringgit-allocations-mega-projects

Ke Mana Malaysia Kita? 19

~ The Koboi Project

Just as Rajinikanth is set to re-release Baba, the new Malaysian Cabinet has been announced with a sole Malaysian Indian Minister. Sivakumar Varatharaju Naidu is the Minister of Human Resources in Anwar Ibrahim’s cabinet. It is interesting that Sivakumar was the Speaker of the House who, on March 3rd, 2009, convened the Perak State Assembly, the shade of a rain tree. While this controversial move was seen both as democracy in action and rabble-rousing theatrics, what is undeniable is that the culture of momentous realization and action arising within arboreal settings is deeply Indian.

Image:https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/rajinikanth-unveils-trailer-for-remastered-version-of-baba-a-film-that-will-forever-be-closest-to-my-heart-8304393/

https://blog.limkitsiang.com/2009/03/03/perak-state-assembly-under-a-rain-tree-%E2%80%93-history-made-today/

https://bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/

The Jewel has the Crown!

~ The Koboi Project

The lion and the unicorn
Were fighting for the crown
The lion beat the unicorn
All around the town.

Some gave them white bread,
And some gave them brown;
Never mind the plum cake
The Jewel’s got the Crown!

This is a momentous turn of events for the UK. It is a bit like Obama’s arrival on the political scene of the USA. On the one hand, all people of colour should be happy and the Conservatives should be commended for looking beyond race, on the other, it is premature to congratulate the UK as the population has not voted for Sunak. Will race come into play in an election, when it happens? I believe it will, as it did around Obama’s election … but unlike the US electorate, the UK polity may be not be ready for black leadership. If, in fact, the UK is ready, that would of course, be a good thing …. but then again, what about Sunak in himself – is he worthy of ones vote beyond the virtue of his skin. He is a millionaire in his own right, billionaire by marriage, and an exemplary neo-liberal globalist. Those who are on the left of the political spectrum certainly cannot really endorse him … but then the Labour party no longer represents the British working people either ….. Regardless of its historical moment, the salient quality of this turn of events is irony – if India was once the Jewel in the Crown of the great British Empire, an Indian has now become the ‘head’ of a much diminished British Isles … indeed, now, the Jewel has the Crown!

Image: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/rishi-sunak-sports-sacred-hindu-kalawa-thread-during-his-1st-speech-as-uk-pm-at-10-downing-street/articleshow/95082750.cms

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_and_the_Unicorn

https://www.knowswhy.com/why-india-was-called-the-jewel-in-the-crown/

Ukraine: A Path for Peace

~ The Koboi Project

Now that the Russian invasion has come to pass and fighting has deepened, the possibility for peace in Ukraine can not be premised on ideals but must be based on compromise. Anatol Lieven, Professor at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Qatar; visiting professor in the War Studies Department of King’s College London; and a senior fellow of the New America Foundation in Washington DC, suggests that such a compromise is necessary to save Ukraine from destruction and loss of life, as well as to preserve Ukrainian sovereignty. A prolongation of the war will likely mean that large areas will be permanently lost to Russia, particularly the land linking Crimea to Russia.

Lieven suggests the terms of a possible peace –

  1. Russian forces should withdraw from all the areas occupied since the invasion began.
  2. Ukraine should sign a treaty of neutrality
  3. Russia should guarantee the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
  4. Ukraine should be precluded from NATO membership.
  5. Ukraine must recognize the administrative integrity of the Donbas separatist republics.
  6. Ukraine must recognize Crimea as a part of Russia.
  7. The West should lift all the sanctions imposed on Russia.
  8. Ukraine should be allowed to emerge as a Western-style democracy.
  9. Ukraine should receive a very large Western aid package for reconstruction.

Now according to Calum Roche, Russia has expressed a willingness to end the war on the following terms –

  1. No NATO membership and a neutral position.
  2. Russian should be the second official language of Ukraine, with laws prohibiting it abolished.
  3. Recognise Crimea as Russian territory.
  4. Recognise the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk.
  5. Demilitarisation of Ukraine and abandonment of weapons that could be a threat to the Kremlin.
  6. Banning of ultra-nationalist parties and organisations in Ukraine.

While it has been underplayed by the mainstream media in the West, this Russian peace proposal is close to Lieven’s suggestion as outlined above. Russia’s terms seem to constitute a reasonable (in realpolitik terms, not in terms of what is fair or just) set of demands given Russia’s overwhelming might and the West’s proven unwillingness to engage Russia directly. Can Ukraine keep fighting the Russians alone? What can Ukraine gain by pursuing this asymmetrical fight? In their valiant resistance thus far, Ukrainians have amassed much capital with which to negotiate. The Russians may have bitten off more than they can handle and be ready to compromise. On the other hand, a long and continued resistance will likely mean that larger areas will fall to Russia, not to mention devastation and loss of life.

Peace is an urgent necessity for Ukraine and Ukrainians! It seems, however, that Russia’s condition 5. might mitigate against NATO and the USA’s ascendency, and condition 6. might threaten the powerful ultra-nationalist forces that are aligned with Ukrainian state. Will these realities diminish the Ukrainian leadership’s capacity to make the compromises needed to arrive at a speedy cessation of fighting?

Image: https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/03/04/what-path-negotiated-peace-ukraine

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/putin-s-six-demands-to-end-russia-s-invasion-of-ukraine/ar-AAV5oMx?ocid=

Ukraine: George F. Kennan’s View

~ The Koboi Project

According to Davis Stockman, In 1998, at a time when NATO was extending into the former Warsaw Pact nations, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman asked George F. Kennan for his views. It is important to note that Kennan had been the US ambassador to Russia during the Stalinist era. He is known for having been influential in shaping the US policy of Soviet “containment” and in the creation of NATO. Here is some of what Kennan said 24 years ago concerning the US Senate debate on admitting Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic to NATO,

“I was particularly bothered by the references to Russia as a country dying to attack Western Europe. Don’t people understand? Our differences in the cold war were with the Soviet Communist regime. And now we are turning our backs on the very people who mounted the greatest bloodless revolution in history to remove that Soviet regime.”

. “It shows so little understanding of Russian history and Soviet history. Of course, there is going to be a bad reaction from Russia, and then [the NATO expanders] will say that we always told you that is how the Russians are – but this is just wrong.”

Image: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/11/14/getting-real

https://original.antiwar.com/david_stockman/2022/02/23/george-kennan-warned-nato-expansion-would-lead-to-this/