10
speak up!
Where being
local counts
ARCHAEOLOGISTS last year
stumbled upon at least 30 structures
from an ancient Indianised civilisa-
tion that existed in the region of Ke-
dah as far back as 1,700 years ago.
The lost kingdom of the Bujang
Valley was once spread across a
vast tract of land that still surrounds
majestic Gunung Jerai. Over the
last fifty years, a stream of precious
artefacts have been unearthed from
the area, pointing to the existence of
the civilisation called “Kataha” or
“Kidaram”, with trading links with
societies in India and China.
Today, just miles away from
where this forgotten kingdom once
thrived, a different kind of history
is being made. A by-election for the
state assembly seat of Bukit Selam-
bau has generated a different kind of
excitement as a record number of 15
candidates are vying for the seat.
It is perhaps no surprise that of the
fifteen, eight are Indians. This quaint
southern part of Kedah, including the
districts of Sungai Petani and Kulim,
has one of the highest concentra-
tions of Indians in the country today.
In Bukit Selambau alone, some 30%
of the population are Indians, mostly
ethnic Tamils. Half the population is
Malay, and about a tenth is Chinese
along with a few hundred Siamese.
The unusual multi-cultural con-
figuration here is reflected through a
brand of interaction among the peo-
ple here that seems to have a unique
social texture of its own. As it is, an
outsider from
any other part
of the country
would find the
language used
here peculiar.
The Kedah TheNutmeg
Malay dialect, Verses
with its clipped
guttural sound by Himanshu Bhatt
and distinc-
tive diction, is
an interesting cultural feature that
has helped to bring the people here
together. And this feature can be
seen in the daily ceramah and rallies
being held in the area till polling on
April 7.
And most of the Indians here
possess this same accent when
speaking in Malay. It is normal to
see crowds of Indians and Malays
milling around chatting with each
other in the local lingo during politi-
cal gatherings, as they await leaders
to take to the podium.
If anything, the by-election has
brought to the notice of the country
how Malaysians of different races
can be brought together by a com-
mon ingrained native identity.
There were reports of lobbying
within both the Barisan Nasional
(BN) and PKR for Malay candidates
to vie in the by-election. But such
lobbying was somewhat small. Both
parties opted for Indians to represent
them, more so because Kedah now
does not have a single Indian assem-
letters
letters@thesundaily.com
blyman after PKR’s V. Arumugam
stepped down, paving the way for
this by-election.
Despite the speculations that
have floated around, the fact is that
most of the Malays here are well at
ease with the Indian candidates – as
long as they are local. It is this local
essence, not the racial identity, that
touches the soft spot of the electorate
here.
When PKR candidate S. Maniku-
mar, for example, addresses crowds
at rallies, people of different ethnici-
ties take to him like a local darling
just on hearing the familiar lilt of his
native tongue. Manikumar once told
reporters that if he were speaking on
the phone, a stranger on the other
side of the line would think he was
a local Malay.
The independents too are not
short of appeal. Most are strong local
community leaders who have been
holding posts in chambers of com-
merce, community societies, profes-
sional associations and charitable
groups at level.
Indeed, the level of integration
at grassroots level is remarkable. At
one ceramah in Bukit Selambau, a
multiracial crowd stood and clapped
together as an Indian leader spoke
in Malay and then at great length
in Tamil, without anyone the least
bit perturbed. What makes it unique
is that this integration has grown
organically with communities natu-
rally evolving together over the last
few centuries. By and large, the In-
dian estate workers, Malay farmers
and Chinese traders have somehow
developed a brand of bonding just
by virtue of being local.
With such a level of acceptance
and identity, one can say this by-
election is certainly making a new
history of sorts, just as the ancient
predecessors of this land did in a dis-
tant civilisation, some two thousand
years ago.
Himanshu is Penang bureau chief.
Comment: letters@thesundaily.com
Sarkozy
warns G20
over false
compromises
pg 13
theSun | THURSDAY APRIL 2 2009
PLUS takeover proposal
merits support
I AM very happy that my proposal would be an effective platform
on takeover of PLUS by the gov- for the MCA ministers to see this
ernment has been accepted by the proposal to its conclusion.
MCA presidential council and the
central committee.
A review of the financial com-
pensation to PLUS by the govern-
I brought up the issue on the ment would glaringly reveal the
possibility of the government tak- financial burden to the govern-
ing over PLUS on Feb 26 in Parlia- ment. The figures are as follows:
ment.
Following
that I made a Year 2003 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08
presentation Payout RM295m 307m 171m 654m 680m 730m
to the MCA
presidential
council meeting on March 3. I Even though the amount an-
also had the opportunity to brief nounced in the media for recent
the president on my proposal. deferment in toll hike for 2009 is
I understand that the proposal RM195 million, no reference is
was combined with the MCA Youth being disclosed on the amount of
legal team to explore the possibil- compensation of RM730 million
ity of acquiring PLUS. payable to PLUS. Hence, if the
During one of the dialogues RM195 million is additional an-
with Datuk Seri Najib Razak, I also nouncement thus the compensa-
brought up the proposal on the tion would have totalled to RM925
takeover of PLUS. As reported in million.
the media, Najib did not reject the I am willing to provide further
proposal outright, and mentioned assistance, especially on the finan-
that further study would need to cial aspect of it, to the newly setup
be carried out. He further added MCA team tasked for acquiring
that he is aware that the toll rate PLUS.
hike once every three years is a Since I was not informed of the
burden to the rakyat. existence of this task force until I
I understand that MCA has set read about in the papers, I assume
up a team led by Vice-President I am not a member of this task
Datuk Liow Tiong Lai to convey force. But in the name of the party,
the suggestion to the works min- I will do what is necessary as this
ister. proposal would greatly benefit the
I believe MCA ministers should rakyat and the government.
bring out the issue on the takeover
of PLUS and to champion it for the Chua Tee Yong
benefit of the rakyat. The cabinet Labis MP
Strategic retraining holds
key for premier party
THE most important ingredient Only then can the organisation
in the reform package of Umno boast of having the interest of its
must surely lie in the reeducation staff at heart. Only then will they
and retraining of its cadres and be motivated to give their best
members. performance and loyalty.
In his address to the Wanita, Umno leaders have sat on their
Youth and Puteri wings, the new responsibilities for far too long.
president, Datuk Seri Najib Razak Political rhetoric is no longer an
stressed the need for more courses effective tool to bring about the
to be organised for the improve- promised change and reform. Too
ment of Umno members. In the much talk is boringly circular and
outgoing president’s address, has been to no avail as the current
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad slide in the party’s performance
Badawi urged members to initi- shows.
ate change within themselves as In fact, the conflicting views are
much as within the party. confusing and potentially destruc-
In-house training is a basic pro- tive. When one leader condemns
gramme run by corporate organi- money politics and another calls
sations. Multinationals like Shell, for a standing ovation for a mem-
Nestle, GE and HP have regular ber who has been convicted, the
courses and workshops with the delegates at the recent general
aim of empowering their person- assembly were left directionless.
nel with skills and knowledge to What Umno must implement
boost the company’s performance. immediately in all its wings is
Nearer home, Petronas and the a structured programme for all
country’s GLCs have in place staff levels of the party organisation
training to create awareness of starting with the executive council
changing patterns in the market- and supreme council, the branch
place and how to effectively deal and division heads and their com-
with them. mittees. Mobilise the best minds
As part of the circuit, local and in the country’s think-tanks, NGOs
international gurus are invited and academia to work with the top
as facilitators. Even universities party leadership and come up with
and institutions of learning have a strategic training programme.
adopted corporate organisational These facilitators must come from
structures to run with greater outside of the party’s structure in
efficacy and efficiency, with order for the desired change in
on-going programmes to expose Umno’s culture and thinking to
academic staff to management and happen.
corporate best practice. Image- Among the areas that need im-
building and the establishment of mediate attention are ethics and
a credible corporate/ institutional decorum, including the proper use
culture is a key element in these of language for communication
programmes. and political discourse. This is a
The continuous training of key course that the members of parlia-
management personnel and heads ment must also be compelled to
of departments will filter down to attend.
their staff and so the corporate
mission, goals and culture will Halimah Mohd Said
be entrenched and reinforced. Kuala Lumpur