1MALAYSIA IS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH 1ISRAEL
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysian Prime Minister has expressed regret over allegations of 1Malaysia being a copy of a concept adopted by another country. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said 1Malaysia was Malaysia's own creation."There is nowhere in the world that has 1Malaysia, People's First, Performance Now. We move forward based on reality not based on dreams or try to trade on something that is unrealistic. It is easy to make a political promise," he said after officiating Cuepacs' 25th convention Tuesday.
Najib said the government was a responsible government, which formulated policies based on realities. On bonuses for civil servants, Najib said any payments would depend on the country's economic situation.
"The government must be realistic and not spend more than it earns. We cannot borrow to pay civil servant salaries or else we will end up being ruled by the IMF (International Monetary Fund). What is the use of being independent when our sovereignty is ruled by an international body like IMF?" he said. MALAYSIAN OPPOSITION LEADERS SAY PM ' 1MALAYSIA ' IS A WORK IN REGRESS
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Opposition Party, 'Pakatan Rakyat (PR)' leaders and analysts today denounced the 1 Malaysia policy as a “work in regress”, citing the rise in racial extremism and Malaysian Priminister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s refusal to defend the concept against ngo's PERKASA.
Yesterday, the prime minister stressed that the 1 Malaysia concept was not a failure but merely a “work in progress”.
Although he acknowledged that the results of the 1 Malaysia policy could not be seen overnight, Lim said that the government, under the rule of BN throughout Malaysia’s history, has had more than half a century to foster racial harmony.
“Of course, 1Malaysia cannot come about overnight but the Government has had more than 50 years to make it work - and now it is asking for more time - perhaps another 50 years?” asked Lim.
“The admission that 1Malaysia is a work in progress should not be used as an excuse for going slow in implementing the concept based on universal values and norms of justice, equality and basic rights and freedom,” he said.
Source:Malaysian Insider
Yesterday, the prime minister stressed that the 1 Malaysia concept was not a failure but merely a “work in progress”.
“It (1 Malaysia) is a work in regress,” DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang (picture) told The Malaysian Insider today.- “If it is a work in progress, we must see tangible steps in that direction, but we are seeing the reverse. During the last 18 months, we have seen a rise in extremism and he (Najib) himself has admitted it,” he added.
- Najib said recently that he was saddened by the rising tide of extremism in the country, including racism, but did not pinpoint the strident Malay right wing group, Perkasa.
- DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua said that Najib’s 1 Malaysia concept would “forever be a work-in-progress” if the premier failed to defend the policy against the likes of Perkasa.
- “Najib may describe his 1 Malaysia as a work in progress, but if he is not even willing to defend it openly against organisations like Perkasa that trample all over it, then it’ll just forever be a work-in-progress. No difference from ‘failure’,” said Pua.
- Perkasa stepped up the pressure on Najib today to explain his 1Malaysia concept clearly as failure to do so could result in Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) being rejected.
- The Malay group said that the 1 Malaysia concept was misunderstood by certain non-Malay communities who perceived the policy as an initiative to create racial equality in sharing the economic pie.
PERKASA had stressed earlier that the 1 Malaysia concept must be founded on Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which states the special position of the Bumiputeras and allows the government to set quotas for educational institutions, government jobs and permits.- Najib said yesterday, however, that the misuse of Article 153 could spiral into “sensitive” issues and hurt racial groups.
- Pua dismissed Najib’s remarks as a pointless statement that failed to improve people’s understanding of the 1 Malaysia policy.
- “There’s no point just saying there’s misuse when his men in Umno and Perkasa don’t see any misuse, and worse is not getting any lead from him on what is the right definition,” said Pua.
- “What is the issue with (Article) 153 that has been misused? Why doesn’t Najib ‘correct’ the view and put an end to the abuse?” asked the Petaling Jaya Utara MP.
- The 1 Malaysia policy has been decried by critics as a hollow slogan amid escalating racial tension, notably racially-tinged incidents involving two allegedly racist school principals and the furore surrounding a Chinese MP’s visit to a surau.
- Najib’s weeks-long silence on racial issues like that of the school principals has earned him much flak from the public and the opposition who accused him of being like his predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
- PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar characterised Najib’s 1 Malaysia policy as a construction project whose progress was “too slow”.
- “It is like a construction project. Work is in progress but progress is slow. Even though he (Najib) said it’s not a failure, he is slow,” said Mahfuz.
- The Pokok Sena MP blamed Umno as the reason behind the spike in racially-tinged incidents, like the controversy surrounding Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching’s visit to a surau in her constituency to deliver aid.
- “Racial elements are the agendas of Umno,” said Mahfuz.
- Umno leaders have slammed Teo for making a speech at Surau Al-Huda in Kajang while Perkasa called for a ban against non-Muslims from entering mosques or suraus.
- Political analysts echoed the views of PR leaders and said that the 1 Malaysia policy would remain a work in progress unless Najib made a strong stand against groups like Perkasa.
- “It will continue to be a work in progress unless he (Najib) gets some guts. You have got to show conviction that you believe in your policy,” said political observer Azmi Sharom.
- “One of the ways to show conviction is by opposing strongly the people who don’t agree with your policy. Not coming out against Perkasa honestly and openly shows that Najib is not serious about 1 Malaysia,” added the law lecturer.
- Political analyst Dr Lim Teck Ghee went a step further and blamed government policies as the reason behind worsening race relations in the country.
- “The new rhetoric sounds good, but most people are not only cynical but also point to government policies as the main cause of division and disunity,” said Lim.
Although he acknowledged that the results of the 1 Malaysia policy could not be seen overnight, Lim said that the government, under the rule of BN throughout Malaysia’s history, has had more than half a century to foster racial harmony.“Of course, 1Malaysia cannot come about overnight but the Government has had more than 50 years to make it work - and now it is asking for more time - perhaps another 50 years?” asked Lim.
“The admission that 1Malaysia is a work in progress should not be used as an excuse for going slow in implementing the concept based on universal values and norms of justice, equality and basic rights and freedom,” he said.
GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE EXPLAINING 1MALAYSIA CONCEPT
PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Tuesday the government will continue to explain the 1Malaysia concept so that more people will understand it.He said the government did not expect everyone to fully understand the concept only after slightly more than a year since the idea was first mooted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
- "We will explain the concept through various programmes so that the people will understand the concept in a holistic manner.
- "We expect that at one point in the future, everyone will understand the concept and that there will be no misinterpretation on what 1Malaysia is all about," he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the cabinet committee on youth development here.
- Muhyiddin said the people were actually beginning to understand the concept mooted by Najib last year which, among others, emphasises on acceptance of the country's cultural diversity. Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday that the concept must be explained in detail to provide a holistic understanding among the people.
- Muhyiddin said there were tendencies to interpret the concept based on the views of certain groups compared to those spelled out by the prime minister.
- "The prime minister has explained that 1Malaysia is based on the constitution.
- "That is the core concept and all interpretations should not stray from what has been provided for in the constitution either in terms of the rights and privileges of the Bumiputeras, the position of the national language and Malay rulers and Islam," he said.
JAPAN LOOK WEST TO MALAYSIA FOR LESSONS IN HARMONY
JOHOR BARU, Malaysia : Japan wants to learn how Malaysians from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures are able to live together harmoniously.
Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Masahiko Horie said Japan should have a “Look West Policy,” in reference to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s “Look East Policy.”
Source: mStar
Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Masahiko Horie said Japan should have a “Look West Policy,” in reference to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s “Look East Policy.”
- He said a “Look West Policy” did not mean Japan would look to the Western nations but to Malaysia for its uniqueness and strengths in promoting racial harmony.
- Horie said he met Dr Mahathir two weeks ago at an official function in Kuala Lumpur and raised the idea to him, adding that the former premier was supportive of the notion.
- “Unlike Japan which is too homogeneous where its people share the same culture, tradition and language, Malaysia is unique in many ways,” he told journalists after delivering a lecture on “Climate Change and Cool Earth” in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Skudai campus.
- Horie said he was impressed with the open house concept practised by Malays, Chinese, Indians and ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak during festive occasions.
- “I really enjoy going to open houses one after another here.”
- Whenever he is back in Japan, Horie said he would go to different prefectures and universities to give talks on Malaysia especially on its multi-racial society.
- Meanwhile, university deputy vice-chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Dr Marzuki Khalid said the university had forwarded a proposal to set up a Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology at its international campus in Kuala Lumpur.
- A Cabinet paper was being prepared on the matter which would be established with a RM300mil grant, he said.
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