May 092009
 

A phyrric victory for the BN – but at what cost to its credibility?

This is a piece I wrote for Asia Times:

The battle of Malaysia’s ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to regain control of the second-largest state on the Malaysian Peninsula may have come at a heavy price to its long-term credibility and raises questions about new Prime Minister Razak Najib’s emerging brand of leadership.

Any semblance of democratic norms rapidly vanished this week when police entered the Perak state assembly hall and physically dragged away the opposition People’s Alliance House speaker, in full ceremonial regalia, so that a candidate from the BN could take over the position. Full article

  20 Responses to “When brute force ruled the day – but at what cost to BN?”

  1. They should have conducted this assembly in the deep jungles !Disgrace!

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  2. The market selling
    Shouting matches
    The highest bidder on the chair
    The tussel and the bids
    Marching in the police

    The House in chaos
    The host got ruffled and taken away
    Leaving the bids became illegal
    As the brute forces came

    The way of children
    The way of indiscipline
    The sanctity of the House
    It becomes “Jail House Rock”

    “Careless whisper”
    Who’s listening?
    When there is “I got the power”
    Ruling in usurping the host

    Democracy dies that day
    The Black Thursday in Perak history
    Today the little demons win
    Tomorrow God award the Putrajaya
    The peoples’ wishes will be realized

    Let the black knight digs
    The holes on the field
    When his rock rempits rushing in
    They will fall one by one into the pits

    The way of war
    Let the enemy feeling strong
    Whack them when the guard is down
    The smell of victory is patiently waiting

    p/s Mr Anil thank you for the coverage and You tube.

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  3. I guess the BN fellas were planning to use foul means to remove the speaker all along. Thus the original plan to allow only BN media in. Thanks to you and Malaysiakini TV, the world can sample the injustice of the BN govt. The police and the BN govt. are surely damned after this. A really sad day for Malaysia.

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  4. The best publicity stunt pulled off by the Opposition thus far without incurring the psychological and monetary cost of another by-election.

    It gives some credence to the conspiracy theory of misdirection. It wasn’t Anwar who had his head in the clouds about crossovers. If it happened, well and good. What was required was a repeat of the Sabah crossovers to happen here.

    Even his nemesis opined that the takeover was too hasty and had not been thought out properly.

    It’s like an itch. The more you scratch it, the deeper the lesion.

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  5. We love yesteryear and entering the time tunnel back to the
    WILD WILD WEST.

    The lawless and have gun will travel and plunder ADT (Any Damn Thing ) along the way.

    But time will tell as it gradually approaching the 13th GE judgement door….

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  6. THE REAL COST OF A BOAST

    Can anyone actually calculate the cost
    When it’s finally known that all is lost
    With what’s being held on to illegally the most
    Can anyone then still continue to openly boast?

    (C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng – 090509
    http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
    Sat. 9th May 2009.

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  7. how can Hee as deputy take control and over ruled Siva the legitimate speaker who still sitting on the speaker chair?

    Malaysia trully Asia!!

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  8. We know what to do in the next general election!!!!!

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  9. IF BN claims they are in majority, they can always vote out MB and assembly speaker through the democratic voting process.

    IF V. Sivakuamr is behaving like our parliament speaker with impartial stand, then Perak BN shall swallow this bitter pill as PR in the parliament.

    A speaker was dragged out from the assembly hall is a symbol of rule of thug by BN.

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  10. Firstly, who the “HELL” is Hee who decided to use her brains to step in..???
    She could have just sat down quietly right…? Why join in the “fun”…????

    I think its all a set-up to potray she’s an innocent victim & ought to be pity….?????
    Yeah…! Kiss my… !!!

    Everyone……………………!!!!!
    And…….. she said she was doing her duty ! What duty..???????
    Now only she wants to do her duty…!!!…

    Will continue later……
    Cannot tahan lah…………………….!!!

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  11. well, at least UMNO goons live up to their image. and as expected, the moronic civil servants and the thugs… perform their roles well to … savage the assembly.

    thank you UMNO for reaffirming what you are. and the supporting cast from Gerakan, MIC, thank you for confirming your role as ….

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  12. Utterly disgusted with this!!!!!!

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  13. absolutely shameful.

    I think its obvious now what kind of “leaders” we have.

    Where is our constitutional right?

    Where is the independence of the people’s protectors, the police?

    Where is the impartiality of our judiciary?

    Where is the people’s hopes in our Monarchy?

    Whats very interesting is how short sighted BN leaders seem to be. Let’s not kid ourselves that they are acting in our interest or in the interest of Malaysia, but even in the narrowest of self serving interests, do they truly believe think this “victory” has made things better for the BN, for themselves? Why the silence from BN? Is there not a single decent politician left in BN?

    A phyrric victory this really is. I don’t think any of us will forget the faces of the perpetrators seen in the video come election in 4 years time.

    - We will remember the faces of those with smug grins raising hands in victory as our fundamental rights were trampled

    - We will remember the faces of each and every Pegawai who dragged away with such determination our belief in the concept of “Malaysia” kicking and screaming with the Speaker of the House.

    - We will remember the face of the Sergeant of Arms who refused to do his duty.

    - We will remember the face of State Secretary who doesn’t know his place.

    - We will remember the faces of the judges who can confoundedly rule so consistently against our very constitution.

    - We will remember the face of assembly persons who only think they need to serve the people when courting our votes.

    We will remember. In 4 years time. We will remember.

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  14. When people heart switch to PKR, PAS & DAP, it will be an hill battle for BN in any future election. BN should learn the lesson from the collapse of the Roman Empire.

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  15. They are saying goodbye to BN and UMNO. Why? We find it quite difficult to understand. It’s all over the country… so sad!

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  16. A phyrric victory for BN-UMNO indeed! But the true victors were Pakatan. The strategy was simple, just let it happen, let the rkayat witness how low the BN-UMNO goons would stoop.

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  17. Hmm, :( this smells very, very fishily iffyesque to all here who were watching all terribly agog!

    Can see clearly from here that the very naughty escapades of the like kidergarten kids’ UMNO/BN ADUNs there have turned the silvery calmess of the Perakite-land into a peskily :( silly Keystone Cops movie for the poor, hard-working rakyat there.

    Some even fell off our comfy chairs here when witnessing the poor Speaker Sah V Sivakumar being attacked and shoved and dragged and pulled off from his sah Speakerchairship and ejected so unceremoniously like that by the very :( naughty capers of the “Kindergarten Kids and Keystone Kops” movie.

    Now if that isn’t taking the rakyat’s biscuit and their cake too for free, I ask you what is or isn’t then huh? :| Hmm.

    WE SAY YEAH! & NO TO ISA! :P AND HARIS FOR AG & RPK FOR IGP! GO FOR DSAI FOR PM & LKS FOR DPM & KIND WAN AZIZAH FOR HOME MINISTER.

    2009 Resolution: Seek out all garbage and recycle or dispose post haste for a healthier life and planet!

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  18. This is a total contempt to the state assembly, MALU!

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  19. BN has lost the war. This is the end of BN. The next government will be PR’s. BN chose it and the people have decided. Blame not others but BN.

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  20. I’d say, Penanti by-elections. Bring it on. Give us the opportunity to show you just exactly how digustedly angry we are at BN.

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