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Friday, 04 April 2008 |
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©The Star (Used by permission)<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> By HAH FOONG LIAN (The Star) With the=
Perak
government having a mere two-seat edge, Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar
Jamaluddin expects to see more drama threatening the DAP-PKR-PAS coalitio=
n.
He speaks to The Star on the resistance to the change, which he expects w=
ill
grow more intense. EVEN before Perak P=
AS
secretary Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was sworn in as the state's 10th Ment=
ri
Besar, his days were riddled with heart-stopping drama. The players were fr=
om
within the new DAP-PKR-PAS coalition and also supporters of their politic=
al
foes who lost in the general election. The drama did not end even after he
was sworn in as Mentri Besar. The episodes contin=
ued
even as his State Executive Council members met for the first time to dec=
ide
on their portfolios. With a strong relig=
ious
background, Mohammad Nizar takes them all in his stride. Describing them =
as
"trials and tribulations," he believes they are part and parcel=
of
the change that is happening in the state. KL: Sensible thi=
nking.
And realistic and practical too. Good sign. Mohammad Nizar, the=
Pasir
Panjang assemblyman, describes his current position as "divine
intervention" and he has to accept the reality that comes with the j=
ob. Raised in a family =
of
hardcore UMNO supporters, Mohammad Nizar got along well with many Umno
leaders, as well as those from the MCA and MIC, and now from the DAP and =
PKR. His late father
Jamaluddin Ngah Ismail, his 75-year-old mother Hamidah Zainal Abidin, who=
is
Chinese by birth, and his brothers were all hardcore UMNO members.=
Q: A certain
section of society is taken in with your ability to speak Chinese dialects
and they talk a lot about your mother. Why is that? By birth, my mother=
is
Chinese, but she was raised by a Malay family from day one. I think the people =
have
inflated my ability to speak Chinese. I speak a bit of Chinese because I =
have
a lot of Chinese friends and I studied at the Anglo-Chinese School in Kam=
par.
The people there spoke Cantonese. So I can speak a bit of Cantonese, Mand=
arin
and Hokkien. When I was in Penan=
g, I
was exposed to Hokkien. I don't know it too well but I can get by with it=
. I
will get along. I won't get lost. KL: It's actuall=
y a
tactical advantage for him to know a bit of Chinese because that will pre=
vent
others from crapping in front of him. He'll be in a better position to
understand what's going on without the Chinese hoodwinking him. Q: PAS used=
to
talk about setting up an Islamic state. How would that affect Muslims and
non-Muslims in the state? Right from the begi=
nning,
I never uttered those words or phrases. They did not come from me. The
portrayal I'd like to show is based on universal values that are mostly a=
cceptable
by all religions. KL: I believe th=
at
too. I suspect a lot of people who already trying to undermine his integr=
ity
even before he began office as the State MB. I would openly admit that I,
too, was concerned about any hidden agenda from PAS. But I do agree that =
we
should at least give him the opportunity to prove his integrity to the pe=
ople
of the State. It is unfair to judge him beforehand. So let's give him the
benefit of the doubt. So the reason why I
didn't utter those specifically is because I truly understand the composi=
tion
of the various religious background in Perak and that uniqueness puts me =
in a
situation where there are certain phrases that can actually be coined fro=
m a
universal standpoint and they are well-accepted. So why should I go =
to the
level where it can create certain misunderstanding and wrong perception?<=
/span> I could use differe=
nt
terminologies that are acceptable by all religions and enhances the very
meaning and objective of each and every of these religions. My biggest challeng=
e is
how to interpret them in terms of my sayings, my movement and my body
language. That is the most difficult part. KL: Good honest
viewpoint. He realises that to cross the religious, cultural and ethnic
divide is not that simple but he is coming to terms with the fact that he
must be seen to try and he must be careful at the same time. I like that
answer from him. At least he is not complacent and he has forwarded a view
that people should consider to be transparent and sincere. Q: Muslims =
and
non-Muslims have voiced concern over the possible imposition of certain
practices like the dressing or wearing of tudung. What do you say to them=
? My message to them =
is
please have an open mind. KL: Excellent an=
swer.
"Have an open mind" What a breath of fresh air! The very basic teac=
hing
that was instilled in me is that there is no compulsion in religion,
religious beliefs and in everyday life including the way one eats, the way
one dresses and the way one has his own family. KL: Excellent ag=
ain.
What he's saying is that even if you are a Moslem/Malay, it doesn't mean =
you
have to comply with headscarves etc. You do whatever your conscience tells
you and I am absolutely sure that if you want a better definition of this,
Mariyam would be an excellent person to explain it. Those are basic hum=
an
rights that have to be tolerated and I allow for that. KL: Probably a g=
ood
sign of a broad and educated mind; one who knows about the importance of
tolerance in a pluralistic community. My ideology and bel=
iefs
emphasise respect for openness and freedom to believe. That comes from the
Quran, which says there is no compulsion in religion. That is the very ba=
sic
tenet that I think is being accepted under the United Nations Declaration=
of
Human Rights or whatever you have it. KL: It's good th=
at he
brought up these two points - (a) the Quranic reference to non-compulsion=
and
(b) the UN Charter for Human Rights. Both of these have never been amplif=
ied
by BN-UMNO at all. And even if they were, they were used for political
partiality on their part. The fact that he has voiced these two issues
suggest that he is already distancing himself from BN-UMNO and to make the
point so emphatically clear to everyone that Perak will be differently ru=
n -
run in a way that is fairer because he will observe the UN Charter as wel=
l as
his personal belief that everyone has a right to his religion and therefo=
re
everyone is free to express that right without any governmental hindrances
whatsoever. Very good. There is no compuls=
ion in
one's dressing. Even after 19 years of governing Kelantan, there has not =
been
a single moment that the Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat forced the
non-Muslims to use the tudung. For Muslims, they m=
ust
adhere to the teachings of Islam by virtue of being Muslims. But in no way
did the Mentri Besar of Kelantan enforce it for all Kelantanese irrespect=
ive
of race or culture. He actually advised=
those
who have accepted the Islamic belief to accept the teachings. There is no point in
being a Muslim and not accepting the Islamic beliefs. Likewise for Muslim=
s in
Perak, I would advise that they adhere to the Islamic culture. KL: I think he n=
eeds
to define the term he used here - "Islamic culture". I believe =
the
clarification and definition would be important so that everyone knows wh=
at
it means. I'm sure right now, "Islamic culture" is just way too
vague. But those who don't
accept the Islamic teachings have the complete freedom as allowed by their
own religion. KL: I accept that wordsmithery is academic because it's only on paper. What he needs to do = is to make absolutely sure that he has the opportunity to pragmatise what he= has said. It is important for him to keep proving and proving to the people t= hat what he says, he practises. That is the only way he can quell the fears t= hat remain amongst at least some quarters of the Perak community.<= o:p> Q: Incident=
s like
DAP Buntong assemblyman A. Sivasubramaniam quitting and pulling back his
resignation – does it look bad on the government? As you know, with e=
very
move towards change, there will be resistance and there will be tribulati=
ons. There will be a lot=
of
tests on your determination and commitment. Perakians have given the mand=
ate
through the ballot boxes. They wanted a change. I believe that any change
will come hand in hand with resistance. KL: Again a good
answer although he didn't exactly respond directly or incisively enough,
which I think the reporter would have been more interested in. Anyway, his
words, "...any change will come hand in hand with resistance" i=
s a
good admission that change does not come easy. We all know that but
"we" in this case does not mean everyone. It means only those o=
f us
who are open and analytical enough to realise it. As logical as it may se=
em
to some of us, many don't often realise that change in itself must change.
Getting the politicians to make way for change is one thing. The people m=
ust
also weather the change and go through it. As Randolph has said, it takes=
two
hands to clap or two dancers to tango. He failed in his
answer to actually respond directly to the question but I think this is m=
ore
about being diplomatic and not wanting to stir the pot of consternation a=
nd
rumours. It is very easy to be a loose canon and the price he'll then hav=
e to
pay would be quite horrible. As a new government freshly in place, one
mistake will be over-amplified by their rivals who are looking out for
mis-steps, errors and whatever slip-ups. So it's good that he actually di=
dn't
respond directly. He could've said "fire or impose a fine on that
bastard" but he didn't. He might have had that thought but in this c=
ase,
it's better that he didn't say it. And apart from
resistance, you'll have to face all those tribulations. I accept that they
are part and parcel of the change that we are going to create in Perak. KL: Good. As for=
right
now, it is crucial that EVERYONE in the EXCO is of the same opinion that
tribulations are to be expected AND to be prepared for them. To be prepar=
ed
for them means to know what to do when (and not IF) they come about. A
matured government should not be found wanting and certainly should have
considered such contingencies. The new government might be a fresh face b=
ut
it doesn't have to be naive. Sometimes one may not have the experience to
rule from the front because most times, pragmatism, love for your people,
cool headedness, sound analysis and the ability to think with commonsense=
are
often enough. I have told my EXCO
members that they have to be prepared psychologically, mentally and even
spiritually for these tribulations which will go on and they shall be very
intense, both internal and external. KL: There you go=
. He's
just said it here as I mentioned it above. Very good. By being prepared f=
or
any such outcome is good although no one knows if this planning will be
enough. But at least it's better to be planned than not. When all's said =
and
done, even the best plans can still go awry but if the EXCO were to act a=
s a
team, the dynamics of togetherness in problem solving will go a long way.=
If
there is any bickering and selfishness amongst them, then we will have
strife. It is then up to him to lead them out of this quagmire if it happ=
ens.
So my problem is ho=
w to
manage those changes and manage the resistance and to use them to further
strengthen the people of Perak. Q: Having a=
Malay
Mentri Besar may be considered "window dressing" with the DAP
having the most number of seats. What is your view on that? I don't deny there =
can be
a lot of insinuations and interpretations leading to that sort of percept=
ion
because everybody has the right to perceive and interpret what goes on. That's coming
particularly from a certain groups or sectors of society. However it is y=
et
to be proven. In principle, decisions will be made collectively and based=
on
consensus. KL: Another good
example of being politically mature and professional. He could have named
those groups but he didn't. He obviously wasn't interested in name-calling
and to go down to BN-UMNO's level of finger-pointing. It is a good and us=
eful
indication that he is more interested in getting things done rather than =
to
waste effort on his opponents. Among the EXCO memb=
ers
and supporters of the party, we have in principle agreed to accept the &q=
uot;institution"
of collective decision. If you use the
simple-thinking mind of a person, then it would be something unbelievable=
. Our friends in the =
DAP
have 18 seats, comprising 14 Chinese, three Indians, a Punjabi. In Keadil=
an,
it has seven seats comprising three Malays, three Chinese and an Indian w=
hile
PAS has six seats comprising five Malays and a Chinese. Now the normal mind=
of a
person would not be able to believe at the moment how so many races,
cultures, sexes and religious backgrounds, professional integrity would be
able to culminate and become a force to run the state purely on the basis
that we accept differences, we agree to disagree, we have a lot of
rationalisation. KL: Good observa=
tion.
Nothing wrong with that. This is based on ce=
rtain
professional etiquette and religious values. Even with you and I=
, we
have brothers and sisters living in the same house, taken care of by the
father and mother. Can you deny that under that flagship as brothers and
sisters we didn't argue? There was no bickering among us? KL: Good analogy=
. The
very basis of being human is to also differ in some ways and to come to
agreement in others. It is a fact of life. It should never have to be
overplayed. We did argue but th=
ose
were family arguments. I fought with my brothers and sisters when I was s=
mall
but I got along again with them after two or three hours. Now that is hav=
ing
the same brothers and sisters from the same father and mother. Even then =
you
argue. What more if we are 31 state assemblymen from diverse backgrounds?=
How
on earth could you believe we can come together? It is purely because of =
the
discipline and elements I just mentioned that have brought us together. KL: Isn't it ama=
zing
that so much effort has to be expended just to explain this seemingly tri=
vial
point? Isn't it equally as pathetic that a local newspaper reporter has to
spend his/her time coming up with this question when there are far more
important questions to ask such as where would the State find its revenue
from for the next number of years, what the prospective economic outlook =
be,
what forecast can he make, where do FDIs stand in terms of state governme=
nt
plans etc etc? It just shows that the standard of journalism in this coun=
try
is so tripe, trivialised and irrelevant. Because our interes=
t is
to serve the rakyat and they had bravely made the decision to give the
mandate to the coalition government. Certainly the aspec=
t of
divine intervention is very dear and close to our hearts. Q: Will the=
state
government last when it has to face various problems that come along the =
way? KL: This is anot=
her
good example of asking a stupid question but it is extremely clear what
weight this question came with and why it was asked. The obvious thing is
that this question was posed by a newspaper whose heart and plumpline der=
ives
straight from political ownership in the guise of some BN component party.
This question is asked to undermine him, to unsettle him, to pounce on any
minor mistake he might make in his answer. "Will the s=
tate
government last...!?!?" What a pathetic example of immaturity. The
spineless journalist ought to look at his/her mirror and ask what worth s=
uch
a question actually has and whether he/she has the intelligence to ask a
better question that offers a more useful insight into the new state
government that would benefit the reader more. My only comment is =
nobody
knows what will happen in the future. We can only anticipate through the
various factors that we can see physically. But to be fair to the people =
of
Perak, the civil servants and the various institutions that had played a =
role
in the formation of the coalition government, please do give us a chance.=
KL: I feel he ne=
edn't
have to say, "...please do give us a chance." It does show his
humble, soft and unassuming nature but I guess each of us is different. I=
f I
were him, I would take the opportunity to show some of my personal fire at
the reporter for asking a stupid question in the first place. A bit of
Mahathirism would have been very appropriate here if you can remember how
witty that mad Doctor was in dealing with stupid errant reporters. A hundred days is
probably a fair time frame. The same question w=
as
posed to Tuan Guru Nik Aziz. I can remember that the late Tun Ghafar Baba=
did
ask if the Kelantan Government would last a month. KL:
Hahahahaha.....very good. Good grasp of a bit of useful history here. Usi=
ng
"Baba" as a counter-example is an excellent foil for a stupid
reporter. After finishing one
month, the Kelantan Government went on to the third month, then to the si=
xth
month, then a year and now up to the 19th year. We are on that platform.
Nobody knows the future. We certainly are ve=
ry
confident with the ability of all the EXCO members with their professional
integrity and commitment. The
comments: " MP Nizar's leadership and approaches changed =
the
impression of many whom are suspicious of PAS. Good work and keep it
up!" " Nizar, you show the views of a=
very
mature and competent man and my respect deepens. Show to the rest of the
country how PR will succeed and U will continue to win for next 100
years!" " Impressive "Why the Star still talks about
"DAP-PKR-PAS coalition" when it is already Pakatan Rakyat. Play=
ing
dumb huh ? KL: Because like BN-UMNO, they too=
are
still in a state of denial
KL: I don't exactly agree here. The
measure of a state's progress is not only material. It is also about
developing the inner culture, the psyche of the people, the civic soundne=
ss
and moral obligation of the people to conjoin in helping to develop the
enduring. character and personality of the state. But I do believe,=
in
this particular case, that secularism is to be preferred over sectarianis=
m.
To run the State Government where politics and religion must be separated=
is
a crucial crucible for Perak to progress. "This man is genuine. He is humb=
le,
religious and love humanity irrespective of the race and creed. Malaysia
should be very proud to have a MB of this calibre and I feel Perak is
blessed. KL: Yes, I too think that Perak - =
and
Ipoh's time is now. The chance to grow and mature has just landed on our
doorstep now. To discount this would be foolish. To disbelieve is to be an
idiot. To grab the chance with both hands, to collaborate with the govern=
ment
and raise our level of business and social integrity would be the one thi=
ng
that will grow this State. I believe that Perak does not have to compete
directly with Selangor or Penang. It can very much establish its own pers=
ona
but it does need investments and it needs a stronger manufacturing base t=
hat
can only come from foreign direct investments (FDI). Having Nizar as the =
MB
does sound like a good starting point and provided he can lead and control
the EXCO, he will be good. The one thing that disappointed me with Tajol
Rosli is that despite his soft and humble disposition, which I like, he
failed to rein in his urchins and they ran all over him, trampling on his
integrity and in the end, he paid the price. He lost not so much because =
of
his own undoing but because of the people around him whom he completely
failed to discipline let alone control. Nizar is well advised to look at t= his story of Tajol and make sure that it doesn't happen. I don't care how well meant the new EXCO members now appear to be. They're all humans and some = of them might allow power to get into their heads. The temptations of being = in the right place at the right time would not have escaped at least a few of them. They will from time to time come across unscrupulous businesspeople= who want to selfishly fast-track their businesses and money would have been discussed. The lure to take short-cuts will always be there. <= o:p> Will any of the new EXCO members b=
ite
the bait and fall into the trap? It is possible and if it happens and if
Nizar discovers it, what would he do? Turn a blind eye like Tajol? Or act
swiftly and force the member to resign? Well as difficult to do as it see=
ms,
the latter would be the way as it will show the people that he means busi=
ness
and he has the people's interests at heart. It will also bolster his imag=
e of
integrity, accountability and determination to lead Perak prosperously for
the sake of the people.
KL: I'm not sure if Tajol Ro=
sli
was corrupt. There have been no talk of him taking money or usurping
positions for his own personal benefit. For all the years he has been in
power in Perak, he has hardly given anyone reason to suspect unlike his
predecessor, Ramli Ngah Talib who was notoriously and infamously known as=
Mr
10 Percent. Tajol, as far as I have met him briefly but have had the
privilege to observe him from a distance, was not an egotistical person. =
He
did his job with pride - yes, who wouldn't - but he was not corrupt as fa=
r as
I know. The other thing that he did not do that he should have was to acc=
ept
defeat openly and publicly and to congratulate the winning party. That co=
uld
stain his reputation forever. The Melaka, Pahang and Johor MB's SHO=
ULD
LEARN from Nizar Jamaluddin on how to be humble and yet be an effective
leader. Nizar, BE THE MAN FOR THE RAKYAT. Good luck!" "Yang Berkhidmat Nizar Jamaluddin
spoke with such clarity of vision and mind that the best efforts of the S=
tar
interviewer to inject negative elements failed. KL: Yes, I definitely agree here. I
believe he was intelligent and perceptive enough to know what the reporter
had wanted to do right from the beginning. All ye who doubted, this is the calib=
re of
leader that we, the Barisan Rakyat, have voted into office. I look forwar=
d to
seeing more of the same from Pakatan Rakyat. KL: I'd say that the initial impre=
ssions
are good but then so is a new car viewed from the showroom floor. What ha=
ppens
in years to come, we'd be glad to trade it in for a new one. I only hope =
that
doesn't happen with Nizar. So I ask all of you to be prudent with your ov=
erly
gushing enthusiasm and keep a level head and a constantly querying demean=
our.
It is important for us not to lose our heads over just one interview. Keep
watching them. Keep asking questions. Keep checking their transparency and
accountability. Keep reminding them. That is what Raja Petra had said and=
I
often echo the same concern. How I wish I lived in Perak. Melaka is
likely to be one of the last bastions of the beleaguered UMNO to fall.&qu=
ot; KL: Frankly I couldn't be bothered=
what
happens or will happen in Malacca. Sorry but Perak alone is already a mas=
sive
issue to manage on its own. But good luck to Malacca. "I met him (MB Perak) recently i=
n his
office. Frankly speaking, he is real well polished person. He looks v
distinguised, speaks v articulately and with confident. Wow he speaks
Queens English v well. Besides Tok Guru (MB Kelantan) YAB Nizar has d=
efinitely
impressed me." KL: OK enough of that. Come to thi=
nk of
it, if I have the opportunity to meet him, I might be equally as impresse=
d.
Who knows...but one thing is important, let us remind ourselves that we
should separate the flesh from the heart. Flesh offers the opportunity for
flashiness. The heart is far harder to discern because it is hidden. Only=
his
actions in the future will tell. Therefore being very distinguished on the
outside is good but so was Mahathir. So was Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. So
were many corrupted dictators around the world. Don't be hoodwinked. Don'=
t be
premature. Let's see what Nizar's heart produces for the State and her
people. |
--
"To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards of people"=
; -
Emily Cox