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Islamists’ current dilemma

January 28, 2012

This development is both consoling and promising for the future of Islamist movements the world over and indeed for the global community. At long last, Islamists are in unison to recognise that the world requires their democratic engagement and the international community (rather than just the ‘West’) are making space for that to happen. Preference for forging a Civil State and consciously moving away from the post-colonial notion of an Islamic State, once espoused by all Islamists Movement, significantly signifies a clear departure from the narrative of ‘Islamism’ – as Islamism has always been hinged on any effort at reviving the ideal notion of an Islamic State.

Are we in fact witnessing and heralding an era of Post-Islamism?  What would be its defining features and attending characteristics? What would be of its articulation of policy advocacy – in the entire gamuts of life – social, political and surely economy? Would it advocate for intense contestation as a mean to enhancing stronger democratic practices and reinstating a more vibrant and functional institutions to effectively check and balance the power-that-be. This writer too has always advocated for a new Muslim Scholarship on how Islamists should engage the world – as a critical player and actor in political contestation, alone and in coalition with others, in not just nation-rebuilding but on a bigger and higher trajectory, a human civilization rebuilding – Dr Dzul.

By Tariq Ramadan, Special to Gulf News

The Brotherhood prefers a civil state in Egypt steering clear of the notion of secularism or the idea of an Islamic state

One of the distinguishing features of political Islam in the early 20th century was its call for the creation of an Islamic state. Methods and strategies might differ (‘bottom up’ for the Muslim Brotherhood, ‘top down’ by revolution for other organisations, and as happened in Iran), but the aim remained the same. The structure of the state was conceptualised in the light of Islamic principles (as drawn up by the classical Sunni and Shiite traditions) and articulated around the core concept of ‘Islamic law,’ meaning the concept of Sharia. It was no accident that late 19th and early 20th century Islamist organisations expressly sought to revive Islam’s social and political heritage.

As the Ottoman Empire was being dismantled and broken up into numerous smaller countries, and as western colonial rulers expanded their control, it became essential to visualise the paths and the stages leading to independence and, in the long run, to reunifying the Ummah, the Muslim spiritual community, understood — or idealised — at the time as a political entity, which the Ottoman state had symbolically, though imperfectly, represented. It was only normal for the movements that identified themselves as Islamic to organise their action in pursuit of two priority objectives: the national and state structures that had been imposed upon them in the aftermath of the 1885 Congress of Berlin and the potential for transnational dynamics, as reflected in the pan-Islamism of Jamal Al Deen Al Afghani and later, of the international expansion of the Muslim Brotherhood at the time of Hassan Al Banna.

To the Islamists of the day, the Islamic state comprised the threefold response — religious, political and cultural — to the imposition of western models, and was understood as a call to resistance to the plans of the colonialists who were, in turn, seen through the prism of imperialism, and whose aims seemed crystal clear: consolidating the political and economic dependence of the colonised countries, enforcing secularisation, fighting Islam (and its forces of resistance) and traditional cultures in general.

Confronted with a multidimensional threat of this magnitude, the Islamists were convinced that only by referring to Islam could they resist western imperialism and the three-pronged assault of colonialism — a perception shared by all Islamist movements.

The state, defined as ‘Islamic’ was, according to them, the only structure that could ensure the political independence, religious identity (as opposed to secularisation, implicitly directed against Islam) and cultural specificity of the emerging Arab state entities. It was an ideological response which must be assessed in the light of the prevailing issues of the day.

Idealistic aspirations

The same pattern prevailed until the Iranian revolution, which would be the last revolutionary expression of political Islam within the strict framework of the nation-state in opposition to a pro-western dictatorial regime. The Iranian experience, failing as it did to fulfil the idealistic aspirations of many Islamists, was to have a powerful impact on both Shiite and Sunni movements and organisations. Factors like globalisation, the absence of a genuine pan-Islamic movement and the emergence of new forces (possessing new capacities) explain why the understanding, the vocabulary and even the objectives of the Islamists have taken new forms.

Some Muslim scholars and leaders — like Shaikh Yousuf Al Qaradawi or Tunisian leader Rashid Gannouchi — have readily accepted the democratic principle. For them, it is not in contradiction with the idea of Islam as a political project. Still, the Islamist leader of the Algerian Hamas party, Mahfoud Nahnah, appears to have been the first no longer to speak of an Islamic state but of a civil state.

It was not long before several Islamist movements replaced ‘Islamic’ with ‘civil’ in describing themselves, all the while avoiding terms like secularisation, secularism or non-denominational as such concepts continue to carry a negative connotation in the broad Arab and Muslim conscience (Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks about secularism during his September 13, 2011 visit to Egypt were badly received by the Muslim Brotherhood and by Islamists in general). In his on-the-spot (and highly optimistic) analysis of Egypt’s January 25 uprising, left-wing intellectual Mohammad ‘Imara’ — who has edged closer to the Islamists while maintaining a critical attitude — emphatically affirms that “the Islamic state is a civil state,” which, he adds, must be based on institutions and on consultation (shura) and that the operative decision-making process requires that its authority be civil in nature. For him, the civil state must administer majority preferences through the categories of ‘right or wrong’ (and not through those of “faith or of its rejection”), in full recognition of the plurality of religions and political ideas.

Some of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, like Abdul Moneim Abul Futuh in Egypt or Gannouchi (who has already appealed for full acceptance of all the implications of the turn to democracy), echo the position taken by the Moroccan movement Al Adl Wal Ihsan (Justice and Excellence, known for its firm opposition to any form of compromise with the power structure), whose priority, as Shaikh Yassine’s daughter Nadia Yassine explains it, is to found a democratic republic (as opposed to the monarchy).

The movement is now on record as preferring a civil state, according to its spokesman Fathallah Arsalane, a statement that confirms that Islamist leaders seek to distance themselves from the notion of ‘secularism,’ seen in the Arab world as shorthand for westernisation, while steering clear of the idea of the ‘Islamic state,’ stigmatised by its cumbersome baggage of negative connotation.

The Iranian experience has created the widespread impression that an Islamic state would be a kind of theocracy run by a clergy-like apparatus similar to Iran’s Shiite hierarchy. The perception is so widespread that Islamists have been compelled to revise their terminology and define their concepts more precisely. When referring to recent experience, they more often — like Nadia — prefer the Turkish model to an Iranian-style revolution.

‘Najib’s image soars, but UMNO leaders are not happy’

January 27, 2012

HARAKAHDAILY Thursday, 26 January 2012 22:20

EXCLUSIVE Jan 26: Pangs of dissatisfaction are being felt among UMNO leaders who are questioning its president Najib Razak’s self-promotion, while at the same time the party image suffers a steady decline.

Harakahdaily has been briefed by a well-placed party insider that UMNO leaders were starting to realise this development trend following various pollsters’ findings that Najib’s popularity has been on the rise, with some saying exceeding even that of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

And while this is taking place, other UMNO and BN leaders have seen their ratings taking a plunge, with Najib’s deputy Muhyiddin Yassin taking the brunt of it.

“If the trend continues, it would only be who will win the coming general election. The rest of us can pack up,” said the UMNO leader, a former state assemblyman who lost in the 2008 elections.

Citing the controversy surrounding the National Feedlot Corporation, he pointed how Najib absolved himself from the scandal by tasking Muhyiddin and Noh Omar, the current Agriculture and Agro-based minister, to handle the heat.

“However, it was Najib who chaired the High Impact Committee which approved the project. Some even questioned why Najib did not stop the Auditor General’s report on NFC when he had been privy to reports about the project’s problems as early as 2010,” he added.

Enter the ‘NCT’

Meanwhile, another source has revealed to Harakahdaily about the formation of a media agency called National Communication Team, an effort inspired by controversial image consultant Apco who has been tasked with boosting Najib’s popularity.

According to the information obtained, the NCT is an agency under the Prime Minister’s department, operating from Bangsar.

The source added that NCT is led by Sufi Yusuff, former press secretary to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Sufi replaces Jalil Hamid, who served news agency Reuters’s Kuala Lumpur bureau and who is said to have been given the responsibility to helm the UMNO-owned New Straits Times to prevent any sabotage against Najib.

Explaining further, the source revealed that the NCT was made up of ‘advisers’ comprised of senior journalists, including Khalid Mohamad, former chief editor of UMNO’s staunchly right-wing mouthpiece, Utusan Malaysia.

It said NCT’s original role to prop up the government’s image had now been replaced with efforts to ensure a positive image for Najib.

“Due to this, those in NCT are confused. Who do they report to? The country or the personal needs of Najib?”

Kajian: Kesan negatif pemecatan Hasan Ali minima

January 26, 2012

Harakahdaily,

26 Jan 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, 26 Jan: Pusat Penyelidikan PAS (PPP) melalui satu tinjauan yang dijalankan mendapati tindakan PAS memecat keahlian Dr Hasan Ali hanya memberi kesan minimum di kalangan masyarakat Melayu.

Pengarah Operasinya, Dr Ahmad Zuhdi Marzuki dalam satu kenyataan hari ini memberitahu, tinjauan tersebut telah menggunakan dua kaedah iaitu dengan menilai komen-komen pembaca terhadap isu pemecatan ini sebagaimana yang dipaparkan oleh media-media baru seperti Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider, Berita Semasa dan Youtube.

Manakala keduanya, dengan melakukan wawancara terhadap responden-responden terpilih yang mewakili 24 kawasan parlimen seluruh negara.

Menurutnya, hasil penilaian mendapati 85 peratus daripada komen-komen pembaca Malaysiakini dan 67 peratus daripada komen-komen pembaca Malaysian Insider adalah positif terhadap pemecatan, manakala bagi pembaca Berita Semasa pula 44 peratus menyokong pemecatan, manakala 49 peratus tidak menyokong dan selebihnya tidak pasti.

Tinjauan juga dibuat terhadap penonton klip Youtube berkaitan dengan pengumuman Presiden PAS mengenai pemecatan Dr Hasan Ali seperti yang diterbitkan oleh TVPAS. Daripada 67,796 penonton, 273 penonton memberi maklumbalas sama ada like atau dislike yang boleh menjadi petunjuk (indicator) sama ada menyokong atau tidak. 80 peratus daripada 273 penonton yang memberi maklumbalas itu, menyatakan ‘like’ yang boleh digambarkan sebagai positif terhadap pemecatan.

“Melihat kepada penilaian terhadap respon pembaca-pembaca dan penonton-penonton media baru, kesan positif hasil daripada pemecatan Dr Hasan Ali adalah lebih dominan,” katanya.

Menurutnya lagi, PPP juga menjalankan tinjauan melalui kaedah wawancara terhadap 24 Yang Dipertua PAS kawasan, dengan anggapan pandangan mereka mewakili pandangan golongan pakar disebabkan keterlibatan mereka secara langsung dengan masyarakat akar umbi di samping pengalaman mereka yang luas dalam kegiatan politik.

Tinjauan turut mengambil kira kemungkinan berlakunya bias dalam memberi pandangan sebagaimana yang biasa berlaku bagi tinjauan yang bersifat kualititatif.

“Hasil wawancara tersebut, dapat disimpulkan bahawa bagi ahli-ahli PAS pemecatan Dr Hasan Ali tidak langsung menimbulkan reaksi negatif.

“Manakala bagi masyarakat awam pula khususnya pengundi-pengundi Melayu, 9 Yang Dipertua PAS kawasan menjangkakan pemecatan itu boleh memberi kesan negatif kepada kawasan mereka, manakala 15 yang lain melihatnya memberi kesan yang positif atau tidak memberi apa-apa kesan,” jelasnya.

Hasil wawancara itu juga jelasnya boleh disimpulkan bahawa penerimaan masyarakat Melayu di kalangan bukan penyokong parti terhadap pemecatan tersebut adalah terpecah dua iaitu 50–50.

Tambahnya, meskipun tinjauan yang dilakukan ini dibuat dalam tempoh yang begitu singkat dan menggunakan kaedah yang agak mudah, ia dapat memberi gambaran awal tentang kesan pemecatan Dr Hasan Ali dari PAS terhadap pengundi-pengundi Melayu khususnya golongan atas pagar.

“Berdasarkan kedua-dua tinjauan, penilaian terhadap komen-komen pembaca media baru dan wawancara yang dijalankan, kesan negatif dari pemecatan Dr Hasan Ali di kalangan masyarakat Melayu khususnya adalah sangat minima.

“Malah sekiranya merujuk kepada maklumbalas pembaca-pembaca akhbar alternatif seperti Malaysiakini dan Malaysian Insider, kesan positif pemecatan dilihat lebih ketara berbanding kesan negatif. Sehubungan dengan itu, boleh disimpulkan kesan negatif pemecatan Dr Hasan Ali tidaklah membimbangkan,” katanya.

Najib ceding to Umno hawks over court appeals, says Pakatan

January 21, 2012

By Shannon Teoh (TMI)

January 21, 2012

PR leaders saw yesterday’s legal developments as signs that Najib was pandering to the right-wing elements in his party. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak is “painting himself into a corner” with the government’s latest court pursuit of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Karpal Singh, in what Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders say were moves designed to placate the hardliners in Umno.

Yesterday, public prosecutors filed to appeal against Anwar’s high-profile acquittal from a charge of sodomy, the same day the Court of Appeal reversed Karpal’s acquittal from a sedition charge and ordered the latter to enter his defence.

Anwar and Karpal are senior leaders in the three-party opposition PR bloc. Anwar is seen to be Najib’s political arch-foe in their scramble for Putrajaya in the next elections.

In Malaysia, the Attorney-General has sole discretion on prosecutions, but Najib’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which has held power for over 50 years, is seen to wield much influence on the bureaucracy.

“Najib has given up the opportunity to move on and engage the middle ground. By giving up other vote banks, he is narrowing his appeal and painting himself into a corner,” DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong told The Malaysian Insider…..Read more

PR’s meeting with Zahid ends on positive note

January 20, 2012

Harakahdaily   

Thursday, 19 January 2012 23:02
Jan 19: Pakatan Rakyat represented by three members of parliament from PAS, DAP and PKR today concluded their meeting with Defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi with a suggestion that a parliamentary oversight committee be formed to provide check and balance to the country’s defence expenditure.Dzulkefly, Tony Pua and Saifuddin speak to reporters after the meeting

PAS’s Dzulkefly Ahmad said Zahid and other officials from his ministry who participated in the meeting seemed receptive to the proposal.

“This is a good development. The people will benefit when opposition leaders who are also parliament members could play their role to ensure there is check and balance in government expenditure, specifically in the purchase of military equipment,” said Dzulkefly, the Kuala Selangor MP. He was joined by DAP’s Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua and Machang MP Saifuddin Nasution.

The meeting with Zahid was held at the Ministry of Defence this afternoon, and was also attended by its chief secretary Ismail Ahmad, army generals as well as Barisan Nasional MPs.

Dzulkefly said a major issue discussed at the meeting was the cost of six patrol vessels for the navy, which shot up from RM6 billion to RM9 billion.

Ismail had then provided an explanation, saying the actual cost was RM9 billion, but only RM6 billion was allocated in the Tenth Malaysia Plan for the purpose. The remaining RM3 billion, he said, has been added into the Eleventh Malaysia Plan.

Saifuddin said Pakatan Rakyat would study the explanation before giving its response.

Pua meanwhile said the country stood to gain from the ministry’s readiness to meet the opposition, and hoped the gesture could be emulated by other ministries.

Pua had last month mooted a parliamentary oversight committee after speaking out against the country’s spiralling defence costs.

Zahid to be quizzed on defence procurements

January 18, 2012

11:50AM Jan 18, 2012 (MKini)

Three opposition MPs are to raise issues related to controversial multi-billion ringgit procurements when they meet with Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi tomorrow, on his invitation.

NONEThe representatives are DAP’s Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua (left in photo), PKR’s Machang MP Saifuddin Nasution and PAS’ Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad (right in photo).

The RM9 billion contract with Boustead Naval Shipyards for six littoral combatant ships (frigate class) is expected to feature in the discussions.

“The contract was signed despite the defence minister having told Parliament, twice in March last year, that the ceiling price set for the acquisition of these ships was RM6 billion,” Pua said in a statement this morning.

“This represents a huge increase of RM3 billion or 50 percent of the original budget.”

Scandal-hit company to build warships

Pua said Malaysians were even more concerned when Boustead announced that the ships would be built by scandal-ridden French warship manufacturer DCNS.

DCNS had been convicted by a French court of bribing Taiwanese officials and fined RM2.5 billion.

abdul razak baginda pc 201108 06The company supplied Malaysia two Scorpene submarines, costing RM6.5 million, and has allegedly paid its local agent Perimekar Sdn Bhd RM500 million to for “coordination and support services”.

One of Perimekar’s shareholders is the wife of political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda (left), who is closely linked to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who was defence minister at the time of the Scorpene purchase.

Abdul Razak was one of three people charged with the gruesome murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shariibuu, who acted as a translator in the Scorpene procure deal, but was released without his defence being called.

Locally-based human rights NGO Suaram has filed a case in the French court against DCNS for allegedly paying kickbacks to Malaysian government officials for the submarine purchase. The payment of commissions for such deals is illegal under French law.

Pua also said that Zahid must also explain the RM7.55 billion purchase of 257 armoured personnel carriers, each of which cost RM29.4 million.

gerakan umno zahid hamidi penang penanti pc 150509 01Deftech Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of DRB-Hicom Bhd, owned by a businessman closely linked to Umno -  Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary – has purchased the “base system” for the carriers from Turkish defence company FNSS Defence Systems for about RM1.7 billion or RM6.7 million each.

Last month, Zahid (right) invited Pua and Kita president Zaid Ibrahim to meet him so he could answer their queries over the purchase of the patrol vessels, also known as littoral combat ships (LCS).

Zahid, however, questioned where Pua got his information that the total cost of the six vessels had gone up from RM6 billion to RM9 billion.

Said Pua: “The minister must be transparent about this procurement, especially since it was not done by open tender.

“The government must provide details of equipment and services which makes the difference between the acquisition cost of RM7.55 billion relative to the base system of only RM1.7 billion.”

He reiterated his call to the government to set up a Parliamentary Oversight Committee to review and to ensure greater accountability and transparency in the country’s defence procurements.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Media Statement by Tony Pua, DAP National Publicity Secretary and Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 18 January 2012 
Pakatan Rakyat MPs will meet up with Dato’ Seri Zahid Hamidi to meet up tomorrow to seek clarifications for recent defence acquisition controversies and to push for the set up of a Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Defence Procurement
Pakatan Rakyat Member of Parliaments, Saifuddin Nasution, Dr Dzulkefli Ahmad and myself will meet with Dato’ Seri Zahid Hamidi tomorrow 19th January 20112 (Thursday) at 3 pm at the Ministry of Defence after receiving his invitation to discuss the recent controversies with regards to defence procurement. Read more…

PAS defends sacking, says Hasan was on warpath

January 16, 2012
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal and Debra Chong (TMI)
January 16, 2012

Dzulkefly said Hasan was given every opportunity to challenge his dismissal, but did not do so. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — PAS has defended its sacking of Datuk Dr Hasan Ali, with one leader saying today the Selangor assemblyman’s attacks against the Islamist party left it with “no other choice.”

PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said Hasan’s criticism against the party and its policies left the leadership with little choice but utilise provisions in the party’s constitution to expel him.

Citing Article 82 (9) of the party charter, Dzulkefly said the central working committee was authorised to directly penalise members for “special and major” offences.

“What could be worse than waging war against party’s aspiration, decision and policies?” he told The Malaysian Insider.

Former Selangor PAS chief Hasan said today he will embark on a nationwide tour “soon” to explain what he claims are the true reasons behind his “unjust” sacking from the Islamist party.

Speaking at a press conference at his home, Hasan charged that his dismissal came a day after PKR deputy president Azmin Ali had attacked him for discouraging students from attending a gathering in support of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last week.

Hasan said the expulsion went against any “normal procedures”, and that it was undemocratic and “autocratic” of the PAS leadership to not give him a chance to defend himself against accusations that he was not then aware of.

In response, Dzulkefly pointed out that Hasan had ample opportunity to “correct and redeem” himself for his actions, but failed to do so.

“Hasan had all avenues… including meeting a senior member of the Majlis Syura Ulama sent to see him.

“But he even refused to see him… on numerous occasions he levelled caustic allegations against PAS, accusing us of deviating from our struggle in Barisan Nasional media including our Negara Berkebajikan document  which was endorsed in the PAS Muktamar, the party’s highest authority,” he added.

Hasan had also claimed that “parasites” had infiltrated the party, causing the leadership to “bow down” to their demands and compromise PAS’s Islamic struggles

Noh Omar passes buck on NFC scandal to Muhyiddin

January 16, 2012

Noh Omar passes buck on NFC scandal to Muhyiddin (TMI)

UPDATED @ 01:39:35 PM 16-01-2012
By Clara Chooi
January 16, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Facing heat for his alleged role in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) controversy, Datuk Seri Noh Omar today deflected all queries on the scandal to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister, when asked by reporters today to explain why the NFC’s operations have not been discontinued when its assets have been frozen, told reporters here to direct their questions to Muhyiddin instead.

Noh declined to answer reporters’ questions on the NFC scandal. — Picture by Choo Choy May

He was also asked on the proposed action to be taken against NFC, which is being run by Datuk Seri Mohamed Salleh Ismail, the husband of minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abd Jalil.

“It’s okay, this one, you ask DPM,” he said twice during a press conference here, before adding that he had to leave….Read More

Tawaran Jingga Pakatan Rakyat – ‘Bersihkan Malaysia’

January 14, 2012

14 JAN — Harakahdaily.net

Di ambang pilihanraya umum ke-13 (PRU 13), negara kembali berdepan dengan pelbagai kemelut dan suasana krisis hasil langsung dari urus-tadbir dan tata-kelola sebuah pemerintahan yang tempang. Sebuah kerajaan yang tidak benar-benar komited untuk mensejahterakan rakyat seluruhnya bahkan meletakkan keutamaannya untuk membela suku-sakat kroni dan membolot kekayaan negara untuk segelintir kelompok penguasa, lazimnya akan berakhir dengan kehidupan rakyat yang serba terhempit dan ternafi dari mengecapi kekayaan dan kemakmuran negara.

Justeru, jurang antara kaya-miskin tampak semakin melebar, kesenjangan pembangunan antara bandar-desa, antara pantai Barat Semenanjung dan negeri pantai Timur-Utara, serta Sabah-Sarawak semakin ketara. Begitu juga hal hutang negara, khasnya hutang awam (Kerajaan Persekutuan) terus membengkak, daya-saing terus menjunam, ‘brain-drain’ tidak mampu disekat, ketirisan akibat rasuah dan salahguna kuasa dalam sistem ‘delivery’ berulang setiap tahun dan ekonomi terdedah kepada ancaman kebankrapan hasil pengurusan dan defisit fiskal yang tidak mematuhi tuntutan amalan terbaik-best practice- dan prinsip tata-kelola kewangan pruden.

Lebih parah lagi kerana krisis ini bukan sahaja menyinggung aspek ekonomi dan kewangan akan tetapi melingkungi seluruh dimensi kehidupan bermasyarakat dan bernegara. Kebrentakan ini terpapar jelas dengan pelbagai pola-pola persengkataan yang semakin tajam dan mendalam, di segi pertentangan ras-perkauman, tuntutan kelompok pendukung agama secara sempit dan kelompangan atau ‘lacuna’ bidang kuasa legal dan perundangan yang  kerap disemarakkan api kefanatikan dan kejumudan politik perkauman. Read more…

Umno hawks sharpening their claws

January 11, 2012
Syed Jaymal Zahiid (FMT)

January 11, 2012

The Umno conservatives are not happy with Najib as they see his reform agenda as a weakness.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s reforms have not gone down well with Umno’s conservatives, who form the party’s power base.

High ranking officials told FMT that the Umno hawks disprove of Najib’s pledges to improve civil liberties which they saw as a sign of “excessive leniency”.

The starting point to the growing “silent revolt” began with Najib’s economic liberalisation promises that saw him vowing to open up key sectors to non-Malay ownership.

It is understood that many Umno hardliners had accepted Najib’s rationale behind the move on the basis of his vows to preserve Bumiputera interests in businesses.

But the trust soon eroded following his recent move to implement bold political reforms.

According to one party leader, Umno hawks failed to see the positive side of the move but instead perceived it to be pandering to opposition demands, an alien scenario in its history as the ruling class.

The reforms included the planned abolition of the Internal Security Act which allows detention without trial which party conservatives believe is key to “maintaining order” and drafting a law to allow street rallies. Read more…

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