14 theSun | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 10 2009

speak up!

Long trail of power grabs

Comment
by Zainon Ahmad
WHAT is happening in Perak has a
striking similarity to what happened
in Sarawak in 1966. Less striking
but similar are the train of events
that led to the collapse of the PAS
government in Terengganu in 1961
and the Parti Bersatu Sabah govern-
ment in Sabah in 1994.
The Alliance government that
ruled Sarawak after it became part
of Malaysia was led by SNAP secre-
tary-general Datuk Stephen Kalong
Ningkan, an Iban. His independent
ways led to strained relations with
the federal government. Matters
came to a head after he sacked Taib
Mahmud (now Tan Sri), a member
of his state cabinet, accusing him
of undermining his government.
Taib, at the head of a delegation of
21 Council Negeri members (state
assembly members), flew to Kuala
Lumpur on June 12.
With the support of the federal
Alliance leaders, a letter signed by
the 21 was dispatched to state
governor Tun Abang Haji Openg
prevailing upon him to sack Ning-
kan which he subsequently did.
The chief minister protested and
refused to budge until after a new
chief minister, Penghulu Tawi Sli,
was sworn in.
In July he pulled SNAP out of the
Alliance and filed a suit against the
governor and the new chief min-
ister that in sacking him they had
violated the state constitution. On
Sept 7, 1966 the High Court ruled
that that Ningkan continued to be
the lawful chief minister of Sarawak
since he had not suffered a vote
of no confidence in the Council
Negeri. It said the “no-confidence
letter” shown to the governor was
no substitution for the confidence
vote in the Council Negeri.
But by the time Ningkan resumed
the office of chief minister some of
his supporters in the Council Negeri
had crossed over to “the other side”.
He unsuccessfully appealed to the
governor to dissolve the council.
Meanwhile, another “no-confi-
dence letter” signed by 25 Council
Negeri members was submitted to
the governor who then requested
the chief minister to resign which
he refused. The federal government
declared a state of emergency in
Sarawak giving as reason the com-
munist threat in the state. Using the
wide discretionary powers he had
during the emergency, the governor
sacked Ningkan. Penghulu Tawi Sli
returned as chief minister with Taib
as his deputy.
In Terengganu PAS had won the
1959 state elections but had only
a narrow majority of two in the
24-seat state assembly. But it was
riven with all kinds of problems
and in-fighting and subsequently
it was this that brought about its
downfall.
After two PAS members defected
to the Alliance in 1961, Mentri Besar
Mohd Daud Samad requested the
sultan dissolve the state assembly
but he was rebuffed. He continued
to lead a minority government
without calling for the meeting of
the state assembly for as long as he
could while negotiating for support
from Party Negara members. On
Oct 30, 1961 when the assembly
met the PAS government fell in the
ensuing vote of no-confidence taken
against it. In the vote two more PAS
members betrayed their party by
abstaining.
In Sabah the PBS government
fell in 1994 after several of its as-
semblymen defected to the BN
shortly after the state elections in
which Umno participated for the
first time. Led by Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim, Umno did splendidly but
its other partners failed it.
When his party lost its majority,
Datuk Seri Pairin Kitingan asked the
governor – whose son won a seat
on an Umno ticket – to dissolve the
state assembly but he was snubbed.
He, therefore, had no choice but to
resign his government.
PAS won Kelantan for the first
time in 1959 but was ousted in 1978
after its rebellious mentri besar,
Datuk Seri Mohamed Nasir, chose
to defy the party leaders who were
away in Kuala Lumpur as members
of the BN government. He froze
many of the logging concessions
given out by the party leaders and
threatened to expose some of their
underhand dealings. The party
leaders met and sacked him.
Because of his popular policies,
the people demonstrated their
support for him. Soon the demon-
strations degenerated into violence
and looting and an emergency
was declared and federal rule was
imposed.
After it was lifted a state election
was called on March 11, 1978. PAS
was almost wiped out and a BN
government headed by Mohamed
Nasir as leader of a hastily formed
Berjasa ruled Kelantan. One of the
architects of the PAS ouster then
was also the person who later
played a role in ending BN rule in
the state in 1990.
Perhaps an amusing anecdote
to all these cases in the nation’s
political history is the power-grab
attempt by a group of 28 Sarawak
state assemblymen which has been
referred to as the “Ming Court Hotel
incident”.
The group, which represented
a majority in the 48-seat Council
Negeri, gathered in Kuala Lumpur
to seek federal support to oust Taib.
They failed. They also attempted to
see the governor who was unavail-
able as he was either away fishing
or was sick. Taib easily got the gov-
ernor to dissolve the Council Negeri
and in the ensuing state elections
his BN coalition won 28 of the 48
seats.

letters
letters@thesundaily.com

THERE has never been a better

time for business. We are on the
fringe of exceeding targets. We
are able to exploit many opportu-
nities for increasing our business.
This is not a wish. This is reality.
Never been a better time for business
One of the drawbacks of our
civilisation is that we have cre-
ated a mechanism that spreads
fear and dampens confidence
quickly across the globe. This
mechanism is the mass media.
It is OK to be informed but let us
not be influenced by the mass
media.
What we are facing has
nothing to do with an economic
downturn. It has to do with a
crisis of confidence and a fear
of failure.
Allowing this shadow of
uncertainty to manoeuvre our
thoughts, feelings and actions
is a sign of weakness. Seeing
beyond this shadow and gain-
ing the courage needed to do
even better is strength.
Yes, there has been an
inherent systemic failure in the
banking system in the US that
has brought the country to the
throes of recession. Why does
that have to affect us when we
are halfway across the globe?
The economy may have a hic-
cup but as a whole it is fine.
We fail to recognise that
under a prevailing fear of eco-
nomic collapse, the price we of-
fer, the time we take to deliver,
the features the products and
services have and the mode
of distribution of the past are
not appealing to the client any
more. We need to take a hard
look at what customers need
and repackage the product
quickly to meet those needs.
By doing so, we will be able to
fulfil the changing needs being
satisfied through the products
and services offered.
Clients the world over are
clamouring for their new set of
needs to be fulfilled. All we have
to do is meet those needs. By
doing so, we can rest assured
that the demand for our goods
and services will increase.
We recognise that our cli-
ents are fixated on getting the
best deal that meets their im-
mediate needs at lowest cost
and fast delivery. We know that
the suppliers are even more
dependent on us then they ever
were before. By knowing this
we can manage the business
better. There has never been a
better time for business.
If organisations and busi-
ness enterprises seek from
within solutions to overcome
the situations they face, they
can only get better.
Is there a better way to
produce goods and deliver
services? Can we recognise
and deliver what the client
needs? Are we in a position
to garner the support, creativ-
ity and resourcefulness of our
workforce? The answers to
these questions at a time like
this are a resounding yes. All
we need is to look within our-
selves and seek for solutions
that lie before us. If we do not
have the expertise to improve,
we should look for it either ex-
ternally or develop it internally.
If we do not know what the
clients require, we should take
the trouble to find out. Once
this is found, a new approach
that is better and more client
focused will emerge. This will
lead to a new set of behaviours
that will converge to a point
where the energy of the work-
force will focus on meeting the
needs of the clients in the way
the clients want the needs to
be met.
Once this is achieved, we
will be on the fringe of exceed-
ing the targets set. We are able
to exploit many opportunities
for increasing our business.
By all means be informed by
the media but never be influ-
enced by it. The media has its
role and so do we. The media’s
role is to inform, not influence.
Our role is to meet the needs of
our clients as the client sees fit
not as we see fit.
Dr Rumesh Kumar
Subang Jaya

Tough call for Umno

IT IS painful to see the party that fought for our
country’s independence and established the sov-
ereignty of the Rulers, the Malay language and
Islam their religion being relentlessly pursued for
its present incompetence.
Not only is Umno and its leadership being
criticised, but what is even sadder is that many
Malays are repulsed by the perceived wrongdo-
ings and mismanagement within the party and in
its dealings with the greater Malaysian society.
The Malay unity once represented by Umno is
crumbling and will soon become obsolete.
The younger generation of Malays, equipped
with knowledge about democracy, justice, le-
gal and constitutional procedures and a more
equitable approach to affirmative action, is
questioning every move, every action taken by
the party which their fathers and grandfathers
pledged allegiance.
Even the old loyalists are beginning to doubt
Umno’s ability to survive the next general elec-
tions. And the Perak political impasse has only
served to exacerbate these sentiments.
It’s easy to be critical and condemning of
Umno. The real challenge for the Malays – if they
are worth their own salt and the “ketuanan” they
valiantly defend – is to remain steadfast. Instead
of deserting the Malay cause which Umno has
fought so hard to establish, they must consoli-
date it with new insights.
I challenged some bright young Malays to
suggest a few things that Umno must do im-
mediately to show it is serious in eradicating the
corruption and abuses within the party hierarchy
and in its business undertakings. Chief among
these is money politics and the wheeling and
dealing in business.
They suggest that three announcements
must be made immediately and implemented
soon after:
» The quota system in the party elections will
be abolished.
» Tenders and contracts will be awarded in an
open cyclical system where the races will get
equal opportunity to prove their efficiency and
efficacy.
» The big fish who are corrupt will be caught
and exposed.
Umno’s credibility is hard to reestablish but
I believe it is not impossible if the Malays are
serious about their honour and dignity.
Halimah Mohd Said
Kuala Lumpur