Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad believes that the creation of a decision making mechanism within Pakatan Rakyat is the principal milestone in the quest for a two-coalition system in Malaysia.
In remarks made at a seminar organized by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore earlier this week, the PAS legislator said such a mechanism was created by the PR government that ruled Perak from March 2008 until it was ousted by the Barisan Nasional last February.
Khalid, one of the Malaysian Parliament's least partisan voices, credited the DAP, which held the overall majority in the Perak State Assembly, for the success of the concept of consensual government whereby no policy would be passed if coalition partners were not in agreement.
He claimed the PR governments of Selangor and Kedah have yet to emulate the mechanism successfully wrought by the Perak PR government led by Nizar Jamaluddin, the PAS assemblyman who became Menteri Besar.
Khalid, a resolute believer in persuasion through reasoned argument, said the mechanism was necessary to obviate the impact of differing ideologies of PR partners on decision making.
Overriding political ideologies
He explained that PR coalition partners were propelled by a desire to provide responsible and transparent government in the five states where they were enthroned.
He said this motivation was sufficiently potent to override ideological differences among coalition partners such that the immediate policies that were being implemented were not held hostage to fundamental differences.
He added that the PR desire to provide government that moves the "country away from racial politics that has been the defining character of politics under BN" overrode the centrifugal pull of clashing ideologies.
Khalid said the "fear of one race being sidelined" and the fear of another race coming into power "has always been the bogeyman that has been projected by Umno-BN in order for them to stay in power".
He said the PR faced the challenge of educating the public that this "racial politics" was a tool employed by the BN to extend their hold on power rather than an actual danger posed by Malaysian society.
Cautionary note to PR
According to Khalid, another challenge faced by PR was how to manage change. He held that change would be better managed if PR partners correctly identified the reasons why the public supported PR in the last general election.
He said he personally believed the main reason why PR did well was that the people were tired of BN's corruption and racial politics. He said attributions by PAS for their success to increasing Islamic consciousness and of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and DAP to their attractiveness to voters, were not necessarily correct.
Khalid cautioned that incorrect attributions for their success would lead PR coalition partners to "bring about changes which probably society at large is not completely ready to accept".
He said the management of change would be better effected if PR emphasized the need for political socialization and reconstruction of social values which were warped by Umno-BN's domination of access to Malay society through mosque, and surau, and through the positions of village chiefs and security committees.
He said the values perpetuated by Umno-BN were based on fear, suspicion and racialist policies. He said PR should counter this politics of fear and race with a "more positive political philosophy where issues of social justice, economic justice and the role of government in ensuring national unity" is emphasized.
He said this philosophy must be imparted and explained to Malay society "in a more Islamic perspective".
Article courtesy of Malaysiakini originally published on 30 July 2009.
-Pejabat YB Khalid Samad-
In remarks made at a seminar organized by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore earlier this week, the PAS legislator said such a mechanism was created by the PR government that ruled Perak from March 2008 until it was ousted by the Barisan Nasional last February.
Khalid, one of the Malaysian Parliament's least partisan voices, credited the DAP, which held the overall majority in the Perak State Assembly, for the success of the concept of consensual government whereby no policy would be passed if coalition partners were not in agreement.
He claimed the PR governments of Selangor and Kedah have yet to emulate the mechanism successfully wrought by the Perak PR government led by Nizar Jamaluddin, the PAS assemblyman who became Menteri Besar.
Khalid, a resolute believer in persuasion through reasoned argument, said the mechanism was necessary to obviate the impact of differing ideologies of PR partners on decision making.
Overriding political ideologies
He explained that PR coalition partners were propelled by a desire to provide responsible and transparent government in the five states where they were enthroned.
He said this motivation was sufficiently potent to override ideological differences among coalition partners such that the immediate policies that were being implemented were not held hostage to fundamental differences.
He added that the PR desire to provide government that moves the "country away from racial politics that has been the defining character of politics under BN" overrode the centrifugal pull of clashing ideologies.
Khalid said the "fear of one race being sidelined" and the fear of another race coming into power "has always been the bogeyman that has been projected by Umno-BN in order for them to stay in power".
He said the PR faced the challenge of educating the public that this "racial politics" was a tool employed by the BN to extend their hold on power rather than an actual danger posed by Malaysian society.
Cautionary note to PR
According to Khalid, another challenge faced by PR was how to manage change. He held that change would be better managed if PR partners correctly identified the reasons why the public supported PR in the last general election.
He said he personally believed the main reason why PR did well was that the people were tired of BN's corruption and racial politics. He said attributions by PAS for their success to increasing Islamic consciousness and of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and DAP to their attractiveness to voters, were not necessarily correct.
Khalid cautioned that incorrect attributions for their success would lead PR coalition partners to "bring about changes which probably society at large is not completely ready to accept".
He said the management of change would be better effected if PR emphasized the need for political socialization and reconstruction of social values which were warped by Umno-BN's domination of access to Malay society through mosque, and surau, and through the positions of village chiefs and security committees.
He said the values perpetuated by Umno-BN were based on fear, suspicion and racialist policies. He said PR should counter this politics of fear and race with a "more positive political philosophy where issues of social justice, economic justice and the role of government in ensuring national unity" is emphasized.
He said this philosophy must be imparted and explained to Malay society "in a more Islamic perspective".
Article courtesy of Malaysiakini originally published on 30 July 2009.
-Pejabat YB Khalid Samad-
Comments
You are truly a statesman. Wish you every success in your endeavours.
-Manan-
bodohnya soalan... hanya Allah sahaja yg tahu setiap orang yang hadir di perhimpunan tersebut... nak tengok gambar YB? sila ke: http://anilnetto.com/democracy/aftermath-of-the-abolish-isa-rally/
Saya ada pada hari itu tetapi terlewat sedikit.
Saya terlewat kerana baru selesai program perjumpaan dengan penduduk di seksyen 7, Shah Alam pada pagi itu.
Bila saya tiba di belakang Bank Negara, kumpulan kita isitu telah pun berpecah kerana ditembak gas. Sebahagiannya naik ke JPM dan saya bersama mereka. Seterusnya kami melintasi jejantas ke SOGO, Jln Raja Laut dan bergerak ke arah Ibu Pejabat PAS Jalan Ipoh untuk bergabung dengan kumpulan utama. Pada masa itu jam sudah hampir pukul 4 ptg.
Sebelum sampai ke pejabat agong PAS, kami disekat dan di tembak gas. Kami berpatah balik ke arah SOGO. Tiba di SOGO, sekali lagi di tembak gas. Kami berlindung di Kompleks Pertama dan Bangunan MARA.
Selepas itu saya mendapat maklumat bahawa PC di Jln Raja Laut telahpun selesai. Kami dibenarkan beredar. Saya terus balik untuk bersiap ke program seterusnya di Stadium Melawati, Shah Alam.
Saya sedih tengok yg ramai datang semalam majoritinya orang Melayu, rasanya macam tak nampak pun orng Cina ataupun India. Adakah PAS atau orang2 Melayu telah diperkudakan oleh PKR dan DAP?
Jadi perhimpunan semalam mewakili suara rakyat ker? Orang Melayu yang terhegeh2, Cina dan Inda duduk relak2, entah2 mentertawakan orang Malayu. Adakah kumpulan semalan mewakili suara 24 juta rakyat Malaysia? Berapa ramai sebenarnya yang masih ada di dalam tahanan ISA. Harap YB boleh beri sedikit detail orang2 yg masih dalam tahanan sekarang ni. Rakyat nak tahu.
apa komen YB mengenai exco Ronnie Liu yang marah pasal MBSA angkut beer dr 7/11?
Apa citer ni YB, diharap ada penjelasan yang sebaiknya dan jalan penyelesaiannya..kawasan YB ni!!!
mm..ambo harap YB boleh bg sikit2 pendapat YB mengenai ini, sebab dalam website RPK, ramai yg tgh komen dlm web tu, kebanyakkannya marah n x puas hati tindakan MBSA, seolah Islam ni boleh diperlekehkan oleh mereka..
sedih, kecewa n frust ambo bila org bukan Islam bercakap pasal Islam tapi sebenarnya mereka xtau pasal Islam.Ambo rasa di Malaysia ni jarang kita dgr orang Islam bercakap pasal agama lain, tapi terlalu ramai yg bukan Islam cakap pasal Islam.
langkah yang tegas perlu diambik YB!bayangkan lah baru perintah selangor dah ada wakil DAP yg perangai mcm ni, mcm mana pula kalau perintah Malaysia, tak ke kelam kabut haru biru nanti!!!
Allahuakhbar!