Monday, July 20, 2009

Zainul Ariffin, please take a hike...

I put it in simple statement - "Shocked and disgusted". That's what this scribe feels when a few friends pointed out that one Zainul Ariffin, NSTP group managing editor, has written something uncalled for in covering the unnecessary death of Teoh Beng Hock.

After years of re-building the trust and inter-racial harmony, Zainul has damage it with a single stroke of his pen in penning his article in Berita Harian titled " Kematian Teoh timbulkan pelbagai spekulasi politik" datelined 19th July 2009. That shows his denial-syndrome to Najib's pet-project - that of 1Malaysia.

In part, he wrote

Namun keraguan timbul, terutama di kalangan bukan Melayu bahawa SPRM, yang semestinya seperti agensi kerajaan lain banyak pekerja Melayu, secara selektif memilih bukan Melayu untuk disiasat. "
What has Malay staffs got to do with it? They are just carrying out their duties and in doing so, they shall be race blind. The question is why is MACC top brass adopting "selective investigation"? If you have cases to attend to, don't you go by numbers or priorities? Isn't it suppose, first in, first out approach? There are reps of all races in Selangor, why did MACC choose to "investigate" these particular batch first? What are the reasons? What are the justifications?

Zainul failed to address the real issue at hand. It is not a matter of a Malaysian institution is under the magnifying glass. Zainul should be smart enough to understand and to differentiate between the staffs and Malaysian institution. Unless, Zainul, like his UMNO political masters, failed to see the difference between Malaysians and Malaysian institutions.

In different part, he wrote
"Sedarlah jika setiap kali institusi kita dicerca dan dihina, lama-kelamaan akan ada yang terlekat. Makin lama semakin tipis kepercayaan kita. "
It is not a matter of looking down at the institutions. It's a matter of how much the institution potrays their transperacy? In this particular case, the questions racing in the rakyats' minds are :-
  1. Why was the witness interviewed for 10 hours?
  2. Why wasn't the witness provided with a place to stay, if the interview goes past normal working hours?
  3. Why was the witness kept in MACC's premises after the interview? Why didn't the investigating officers encourage him to go home and catch his sleep?
  4. What happen during the last few hours before his body was discovered?
  5. Why was his handphone in the possession of MACC? Was he allowed to make personal calls from MACC's office?
  6. Why was his body not removed for more than 5 hours?
  7. Why didn't MACC informed his boss immediately of his demise, upon discovering the body?

If the government institution can satisfactorily provide the answers, then the people will gladly accept it. However, when a minister jump the gun and claimed that the witness took his own life whilst another dismiss the setting up of Royal Commission, then something does not seems right.

In this case, Pakatan Rakyat demand justice and want to know what happened. This is not about a Malay, Chinese or Indian. This is about a Malaysian! And the call for justice and the setting up of Royal commission is getting louder with MCA and Gerakan putting weight to the commission. MIC has also joined in the call.

Zainul is writing dangerously. It is he who needs to be careful with his choice of words. Maybe, Zainul has been living too long within UMNO's comfort zone that he is now confuse when he see the combined Pakatan Rakyat, transends race and religion. Is Zainul getting scared of his own shadow? Or is Zainul too comfortable in his position that he failed to realise the changes? Is Zainul feel threatened by the combined Pakatan Rakyat?

In a way, Zainul slips when he wrote
"Pepatah Inggeris berkata: 'You reap what you sow' � jika ada pihak yang mahu popular dengan menabur syak wasangka kepada orang lain, lama kelamaan dia juga akan menerima kesannya. "
Zainul is admitting that BN is reaping what they have been sowing since 1970's. That shadow casted before is haunting BN and BN has no place to hide. BN has been planting the seeds of doubts amongst the opposition parties and now since the opposition has set aside their differences, BN is forced to a corner. A cornered cat is not a friendly cat...

From thereon, Zainul tries to cloud the issue between government institution and a specific race when he questions MB Selangor
"Kenapa Menteri Besar Selangor, seorang Melayu, meragui kebolehan orang sebangsanya bertindak dengan tulus dan adil? "
What has the post got to do with the case? An MB take care of his state, regardless of race and religion. Why tie up an institution with a specific race? The more I read, the more I conclude that Zainul is detached with the real world. He has been too long under UMNO's armpit, that he has lost his sense of smell as he has lost his sense of justice.

First and formost, nobody knows yet who is the leading investigation officer. He can be anybody. He can be Ahmad, Lee or Muthu - since the investigator's identity has not been revealed. So, why lump the probability to just one race? Maybe it's a combination of all the races?

The rakyat questions the institutions which is seen to be an extended arm of BN. Talk about judiciary, we have judges who can withold written judgement till the last minute, as in the case involving MB Nizar. We have police investigation papers that are still open as in the case of A Kugan. What happen to the police personnel involved with Kugan's untimely death? Now we have the case of MACC and the unnecessary death of Teoh. Look at it objectively and you will notice that the victims are Malays, Indians and Chinese. This is not a matter of a single race persecution but the problems transcends race boundaries. It is challenging the integrity of the institutions itself.

This is a matter of high possibility of government institutions being used for the benefit of a selected political party. In this case, it is the party that is running the federal government of the day.

Zainul is a mercenary of sorts. He is working to satisfy the pleasure of UMNO. And since the emperor is out of town, he place his bets on UMNO warlord Nazri...and Zainul bombs, this time. Gerakan has joined the chorus for the formation of Royal Commission. So does MCA and MIC. With the rate it's going, the government has no choice but to officially propose a Royal Commission. It is just a matter of timing although Rais is trying hard to slow down the inevitable formation of the Royal Commission.

Art Harun sees the whole episode as McBeth II. I sees it as Zainul losing his definition of 1Malaysia. And for those of you who have your personal views to share, please direct them to Zainul Ariffin Mohammad Isa. He can be reached at zainul@nstp.com.my and he is the NSTP group managing director.

Let's see how he dance when Najib returns to Malaysia today...For the time being, Zainul, take a hike because Malaysia do not need your kind of journalism to disrupt what we have been building for the past 50 odd years. Better still, do spare Najib the pains of booting you for being such an incompetent staff. Maybe, Zainul needs to take time off in Kamunting to think on what he had done.

This scribe feels Najib won't mind to put Zainul in an all-expenses paid, 2 year vacation in Kamunting.

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The instituitions in Malaysia have been compromised. I have stood by that statement months back.

And to me, its not just the MACC or the PDRM that acts 110% on the behest of UMNO and ONLY on the behest of UMNO.

The judiciary, the elections commission, practically the entire civil service is now UMNO servants.

Dont think for a second you can get redress from the judiciary!!

The instituitions are not the solution! How can they be the solution, NAY, they are the cause of the problem, not the solution to the problem!

nightcaller said...

Anon 9:29 am

Actually I did not see the institutions as the problems. The root cause are the people spearheading the institutions.

If those so-called "public servants" officers who run the institutions run it professionally and without bowing to political pressure, then they can elevate the institutions to be apolitical and unbiased.

From the accounts so far, Nades of The Sun looks highly on the present Chief Secretary who brood no nonsense in his approach. That shows that there are many public servants who diligently carry out the tasks given to them, without bowing to political demands.

Maybe time to revamp the leaders?

Anonymous said...

Okay, agree to the point, it is the people behind the instituitions that are compromised.

Right from the Chief Justice to the IGP to the MACC Head to the Elections Commission Head to etc etc etc.

Into the list above, you can also add all the govt appointed Heads to the GLCs etc etc etc. All of them even though heading private enterprises are beholden to UMNO and thus, nothing more than political eunuchs.

The end game is not to revamp just the leaders.

The end game is to make them REALLY fear us! the electorate, they MUST BELIEVE ....and thus fear us.......now, when we say we want to change the govt, they are laughing to our face !!!!!!!

nightcaller said...

Anon 10:50

Those non-performing GLC heads must also go. And that is why, the institutions are making a joint effort to deny the rakyats their dreams.

The heads (of institutions and GLCs') are looking into possible loss of income, titles (datukships, Tan Sri ships etc), influence (in rubbing shoulder with the elites), perks & priviledges. That sight frightened them and that is why they are now clinging to wahtever shreds of chances left to remain at the top including trading their reputation for "a few dollars more"...

It is time for them to make way for the truly talented and dedicated people to revive the institutions...and the GLCs'. Let's start small...training with 1st August 2009 gathering first before going to further, bigger issues.

ahoo said...

Yes, I fully endorsed your comment that this chap ( zainul's ) need some rest at Kamunting. If the tax payers' are against the idea of hosting him with tax payers' money during his stays in Taiping, I am more than willing to fund his stay there for up to two years.

His will is very much like those frogs hiding under the shell not knowing the beautiful world we live in. To him as long the ends justify the means, it is alright to spew out whatever he thinks is right. With people like him, Malaysia's would most probably need another 50 years to progress. BUT we thank God that today, we are witnessing more changes taking place with more politicians agreeing that change in many govt depts are needed if we want to move forward in unity.

People who insist on racialism should be confined to Pulau Jerajak as there they can live as king on their own island and nobody will bother them. From dust we came and unto dust we shall return irrespective of one's wealths, position nor society standing.

nightcaller said...

Ahoo

Pulau Jerejak? It may be a waste to taxpayer's money. That place is a tourist destination and close to the mainland. What about Pulau Bidong? Where boatpeople were housed there before making way to transit points and to host countries? It's a sharks infested area too...:)

However, this MACC incident brings PKR/DAP/PAS/MIC/MCA/Gerakan/UMNO together in a common stand ie the formation of Royal Commission. It shows that we are maturing as a multi-racial society where "justice is blind". Now, who will recruited in the royal commission?

ahoo said...

RC's should consists of men and women of impeccable character. Well, forming it is one thing but the key issue herein is whether the ruling regime has the will to follow it through ?

Remember the correct, correct, correct fiasco ? The time, money and efforts were in place BUT after the exhaustive findings, nothing matter to the authority. Why ? Maybe the findings were too embrassing for the govt and step on too many toes !!!

If we say one thing BUT do otherwise, we are like fools calling other fool and this is hypocrisy of the highest order. Thus, bn is the greatest fool in thinking that they can continue to fool others, day in and day out.

nightcaller said...

Ahoo

Once bitten twice shy. BN is welcome to bulldoze the RC (if there is one for Teoh) and we will bulldoze them out in GE 13. Not only flatten them but we will uproot BN then...

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