Malaysiakini :: Letters
Malaysiakini :: Letters |
| Mr PM: Is PPSMI issue used just to win votes? Posted: 01 Jun 2011 02:56 AM PDT Dear Mr Prime Minister, Is PPSMI now an election tool to win votes? Like many parents, I was elated when you and your deputy announced recently that the government is looking into the possibility of teaching Science and mathematics in both English and Bahasa Malaysia. This however quickly turned into despair when we hear no further news or announcement from either the Ministry of Education or the weekly cabinet meeting. Mainstream newspapers that were giving it prominent coverage for a few days are now conspicuously ignoring the issue. What little hope we had was totally doused when NTV7 news reported on May 7th that Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong had asked parents not to make use of Parents Teachers Associations to challenge the decision of PPSMI when the cabinet has already decided to implement MBMMBI. Looking back at the issue, it's clear there was no proper body to fight for or defend PPSMI prior to it being abolished. Page was quickly set up by a group of caring patriotic parents and despite it being an infant, has done a tremendously good job of poking numerous holes into arguments and debunked most of the facts, especially on TIMSS that were relied on by both MoE and anti-PPSMI groups. Many good and valid reasons in support of PPSMI were put forward by Page since then. Parents and numerous professional and trade bodies have since publicly applauded and supported Page's effort. The days of parenting by using the cane is long over, with the phrase "children are to be seen, not heard" probably alien to youths of this generation. Likewise, the government of today is expected to engage, explain and accommodate as much as possible the people's desire, so long as such requests are within the ambit of the laws. Bulldozing of government's view although bereft of supporting facts is regularly done by a number of your cabinet members who think that only they are right. In these days of internet and wikileaks, such wayward ways of shoving decisions are simply not acceptable anymore. The rakyat want their voices and opinions heard as can be seen in many online blog comments. Even our tiny but fabulously rich neighbor down south recently encountered similar public expressions of disdain. PAP quickly learned that despite managing their country well, with its people enjoying wealth, peace and security, their popular votes are down to its lowest. Could this simply be because their citizens, like those few other countries, felt they have been totally ignored with little say on most issues? As the PM of our country, we expect you to lead, make quick, firm and fair decisions by gathering feedback from relevant stakeholders. A clear instruction to the Education Ministry to immediately look into this would be the right thing to do. A good leader with the rakyat's well being at heart should not tolerate any little Napoleons who decides otherwise, more so with their own selfish motives. Lastly, any further mention of PPSMI without an accompanying concrete instruction or decision, especially if made just before the next general election would lend credence to the generally perceived thought that PPSMI was and is now merely being used to fish for votes. It might just confirm what many of us DID NOT want to believe - that Sarawak state election was indeed the motive for your sudden feel-good news then. The rakyat are not prepared to accept candies and sweets anymore. I am writing this very frank and open appeal to you on behalf of my nine year-old son who is feeling very disheartened having to undergo a mid-stream switch next year. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Sarah Palin, Anwar, and politics of distraction Posted: 01 Jun 2011 01:14 AM PDT I recently read the letter to Malaysiakini, 'Enough sex already'. The part about the taxi driver and ordinary Malaysians being fed up of all the sex allegations against Anwar Ibrahim struck a chord with me - it reminded me of something else I had just read. The Big Government article 'MSM Uses Palin's Own Children as Political Weapons Against Her' ) describes how the liberal-dominated mainstream media in America constantly shines a sickly spotlight on Sarah Palin. The MSM parades, mocks and lambasts every minute detail that is even remotely connected to Palin, including the personal lives of her children. The reason for this constant noise, according to the article, is that U.S. Democrats and their allies fear the impact she has on the political scene - even as they belittle her as wholly inconsequential and not worth a second thought. After all, Palin turned Obama's 2008 impending landslide against McCain into a mere majority of votes. She has made senators, congresspersons and governors out of underdogs by endorsing them in the 2010 U.S. elections. With just a Facebook posting, she has gotten US President Obama and Robert Gibbs leaping to respond on national TV, no less. If you thought the exact opposite of Sarah Palin, then congratulations! You've been dutifully following the MSM. According to them, Palin is just a retro-hairstyled bimbo who sees Russia from her house and thinks North and South Korea are the same. (Recently, our own local MSM pundits have not been innocent of this either - you know who you are.) Surround her with as much triviality as possible, and the American public will grow sick of even the mention of her name. They will think of her only as a joke. "Sarah Palin? That airhead? You can't be serious!" Soon even the world's public ends up laughing about her. This strikes me as exactly what is being done to Anwar Ibrahim. The establishment fears Anwar's impact as an inspiration and figurehead of the opposition - if not the de facto leader - even as they portray him as a sidelined, has-been, depraved lackey of America and Israel. Surround him with as much tawdry drama as possible, and the Malaysian public will grow sick of even the mention of his name. They will equate him only with dirty jokes. "Anwar Ibrahim? Maybe he can still win the next election if he suddenly comes from behind, ha ha ha!" Soon even the world's public ends up laughing about him. Just try this experiment out: Ask the next taxi driver you meet if they know what Anwar Ibrahim's economic, social and governance recommendations for the country are. The sex allegations have so permeated the atmosphere around Anwar that they have crowded out any serious discussion about him as a real political leader. That is why sex videos featuring men who look nothing like Anwar are being bandied about. Who cares if no one is convinced it is really him caught on tape, as long as they keep talking about it and nothing else! Tomorrow another 'whistleblowing insider' could even release a sex tape featuring only women, and still claim it features Anwar Ibrahim! The late community organiser Saul Alinsky is a major influence on Barack Obama's philosophy. In Saul Alinsky's book 'Rules For Radicals', Rule 12 describes how to delegitimise an opponent: Pick the target, freeze it, personalise it, and polarise it. Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. You tell me if this does not describe exactly what is being done to Anwar Ibrahim now. Malaysia has truly 'matured' politically if we are using underhanded tactics on par with the experienced Americans. Sadly, this is not something to be proud of. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
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