Sunday, August 12, 2007

Merdeka Dialogue: Whither Bangsa Malaysia?

50 years ago, we were promised democracy. We were promised justice. We were promised equality. We were promised to be treated with human dignity. We were promised freedom.

In 1963, we became Malaysians and the notion of a Bangsa Malaysia was born. This was given form and substance by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his Vision 2020 that set out 9 challenges for Malaysians to achieve a developed country.

No mention is made of Bangsa Malaysia by the Abdullah administraton. Is the concept of Bangsa Malaysia still important or relevant in the light of failed promises in our original social contract?

The DAP is holding a Dialogue in conjuction with the 50th Merdeka Anniversary celebrations this coming weekend.
Date: 19 August 2007 (Sunday)
Time: 2.00pm
Venue: Crystal Crown Hotel, Petaling Jaya
The panel of distinguished speakers include:
  • Y Bhg Tunku Abdul Aziz, former President, Transparency International Malaysia
  • Datuk Param Cumuraswamy, former Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, United Nations
  • Mr Yeo Yang Poh, former Malaysian Bar Council Chairman
  • YB Lim Kit Siang, Parliamentary Opposition Leader
Following the session, a dialogue will be conducted with the participants hosted by another distinguished panel (subject to change):
  • M Manogaran, President, Malaysian Tamil Education & Research Foundation
  • Haris Ibrahim, Human Rights Lawyer
  • Jeff Ooi, Prominent Malaysian Blogger
  • Dr Oh Ei-Sun, East Malaysian Socio-Political Analyst
To ensure sufficient seats allocation, please register in advance with Lim Swee Kuan (03) 79578022 or via email at limsweekuan(at)gmail.com.

At the same time, the Party will take note of the views and opinions of the participants in formulating our vision for Malaysia, more pertinently, in preparation for the upcoming general elections. ;)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

it should be "whither", surely?

Golf Afflicted said...

yup, surely. error noted and corrected ;)

Anonymous said...

Saya sokong sepenuh-penuhnya apa yang dikatakan oleh Raja Nazrin tentang apa yang PM Abdullah buat sekarang?? Melancong dengan isteri barunya dengan tidak memandang serious masalah rakyat tapi mahu pula membangkitkan video clip yang menunjukkan realiti apa yang berlaku di bumi Malaysia kini.Saya berharap Raja Nazrin diberi kuasa untuk mengganti PM yang ada sekarang atas sebab negara kita telah kehilangan hala tuju sebenar.

Anonymous said...

UMNO dan MCA memang sekongkong..apa yang MCA buat untuk bangsa Cinanya?? tak ada~~ hanyalah ikut apa yang UMNO kata...oleh itu UMNO kata janji tu mesti kosong kepada rakyat MCA mengangguk kepalanya juga...memang mereka ni sama sekali....taburnya janji janji yang manis HANYA UNTUK PILIHANRAYA untuk mendapat undi dari rakyat yang tertipu....

Anonymous said...

UMNO hanya tahu untuk menuding jari dan mengkritik ini dan itu..tapi saya tak nampak mereka buat apa-apa yang menolong negara kita untuk menyelesaikan masalah yang lebih penting dari mengkritik dan membantah..MEREKA HANYALAH MEMALUKAN BANGSA MELAYU DAN MAKAN GAJI BUTA

Anonymous said...

Pak Lah: BN will deliver the promises made in 2004.

Agong: In view of the countless corruption cases being covered up, the fact that media is being suppressed, Billions of tax payers' money being wasted to your cronises, where is the integrity, transparency, and accountability of the BN government you promised?

Pak Lah: ....I disagree, any recent example to prove?

Agong: There is another DISASTER on the Port Klang project created by UMNO due to corruption and bureaucracy. Ironically, such imporant news is again being suppressed by you in most print media (http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/newsncom.php?itemid=7218)


Pak Lah: (speechless for a while)........I don't know. Give me more time for another honeymoon. I will get back to you again after consulting my evil son-in-law.

Anonymous said...

國慶廣告短片帶來的啟示

最近,配合國家慶祝獨立50周年,國油推出2007年默迪卡廣告短片。這支看似平平無奇的短片,畫面下卻真真實實、毫不避諱地道出我國在建國50年來的最大困境。

鏡頭下的老人就如馬來西亞,已走到知天命之年一般,開始感到力不從心。老人的好友哈芝為了讓老人清還所欠下的債務,便提供種種材料、資源和便利給老人,希望老人能夠幫他打造一艘新船,來替代所要償還的債務。


然而,老人卻投機取巧地將破舊、廢棄船只的船身重新組裝,掩蓋破舊船身的腐蝕漏洞並重新上漆。一艘新船很快地就完成了,老人也順利讓船只首次出航。

可是,哈芝過後卻不再需要老人幫他打造的船。他將船只送給老人並豁免其債務。他希望老人能夠藉著出租船只賺錢維生,在經濟上獨立自主而不再仰賴他人的幫助。

鏡頭一轉,當老人走向其之前完成的船只時,卻發現那艘粗製濫造的船只開始在沉沒……

這支短片的故事讓人感到似曾相識。那位哈芝就好比我國獨立之前的殖民地政府,留下了種種資源、技術和發展給這片土地的主人,寄望接下來的領導人能夠好好地利用各種資源和優勢發展本身的經濟脈絡,不再依靠他國援助或被人支配。

在風雨中成長的馬來西亞,在建國初期確實取得穩定發展。然而,經歷50年來種種導致國家政局動蕩不安、經濟體系嚴重受創、行政體制弊病重重、種族藩籬日益加深等問題,馬來西亞這艘承載2600萬人口的船只如今亦然百孔千瘡。

結果,建國初期的社會契約面對嚴峻挑戰,各族人民之間相互猜疑程度日益嚴重,就連原本受到聯邦憲法所保障的宗教自由亦面對種種衝擊。究竟這艘觸了礁的船只還能航行多久、多遠?

掌舵人在導航國家的未來前途時迷失了方向。國家金融體系一蹶不振、經濟蛋糕分配不均、國家財庫近乎空蕩,種種問題顯示我國經濟正面臨高度危機。

掌舵人在發展經濟方面裹足不前,施展政策卻又舉棋不定,讓原本作為我國經濟發展火車頭的東方硅谷(Silicon Valley)─檳城,如今卻淪為北馬經濟發展走廊(NCER)的“西邊”,這是何等的諷刺!

故事中的船隻出現腐蝕漏洞,我國現今的硬體建設又何嘗不是如此?從今年4月迄今,我國公共交付系統出現各種紕漏:布城的聯邦政府部門建築出現水管爆裂、天花板墜落醜聞;耗資2億7000萬令吉建竣的新法庭大廈出現裂縫;耗資1億令吉重新裝修的國會下議院會議廳發生漏水事件。

這尚未包括大大小小的豆腐渣工程!若將老人所打造的船只直接比喻為我國的公共交通系統,政府掌舵人在交通規劃方面的短視心態更是叫人不敢恭維。

對一個國家而言,50年歲月說短不短、說長不長。鄰國新加坡這個彈丸小國能在42年內迅速崛起成為區域金融中心,馬來西亞又怎樣呢?正當我們還在為擁有全球最高三甲建築物之一的國油雙峰塔自豪時,我們是否正被全球化的發展洪流所淘汰?

再過兩週,全民就要歡慶國家獨立50周年,但是馬來西亞究竟還能走多遙遠?我們今天所打造的船只,能否帶領我們航向明天的明天?


林芮光