Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts

Saturday 19 December 2020

How populist leaders use your economic and political illiteracy?

Populist leaders

Solving the economic crises was presented as the reason for expanding government power and limiting citizens' rights.  

Marginalised workers usually don't want to hear arcane economic arguments when confronting low wages, unemployment and job insecurity.

Countries are increasingly being governed by radical popular politicians keen to exploit the average voter's fear and insecurities.

Economic and social turmoil have led voters to allow the democratic process to be severely eroded.  

In many countries, the media has become a tool of the ruling party or leader, leaving virtually no possibility of disseminating opposing viewpoints or critical arguments domestically.

Once populists have gained power, a typical tactic is to attack the press or the justice system as being part of the problem, not the solution.


Autocratic leaders

In extreme cases, the populists become true autocrats by stifling any form of opposition, pointing out that they, and only they, are able to solve the economic problems in a way that will benefit the average worker.

Autocratic leaders often enrich themselves and their families at the expense of the voters or workers they are ostensibly there to protect.  

The dirty little secret of autocratic leaders is that many are more interested in protecting their own interests, such as protecting selected political supporters or an inner circle of oligarchic businesspeople, so they play to the fears of average citizens, manipulating them into voting against the economic interests of the country as a whole.

Sunday 5 May 2013

Lim Kit Siang - A Great Malaysian

Vote for a Better Malaysia 5.5.2013.

The campaigning is over and the stands of the various parties are disseminated by various means.
On this faithful day, let's vote for the government of our choice.
Cast your vote for a better Malaysia.

The issues that are dominant in this election, for me are:

CORRUPTION and good governance,
CRIME

Cost of living issues are very important for many Malaysians too.

VOTE FOR A BETTER MALAYSIA

Wednesday 1 May 2013

Be Proactive. You must be the agent for Change

The 3 Cs issues of this election. Which party is addressing these issues?

The 3 top issues to be addressed in this election:

1.  Cost of Living issues
2.  Crime issues.
3.  Corruption issues.


Sadly, in every election, some choose to focus on race and other divisive issues.

http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2013/04/30/dalang-sebenar-mei-13-dibongkar-oleh-dato-mohd-tamrin-ghafar/


So, who is telling the truth?  Are you enlightened or confused?

Friday 26 April 2013

Tuesday 23 April 2013

An apology is rewarded with a kiss. Change is in the air. Change for the better.

Yesterday, UMNO president Najib Razak urged Indians to forget the insulting remarks by Zulkifli, claimed that Indians had been warming up to him, and alluded to a photograph of an Indian man clad in BN shirt kissing him on the cheek. Thinking

In the latest development, 104 members of the Shah Alam division of MIC showed their displeasure by quitting the Indians-only party.  Shocked

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/headline/7104-indian-kiss-of-death-takes-its-toll-on-bn-with-exodus-from-mic.html


Here is a view of Zul’s apology 

APRIL 22, 2013
How does he imagine all this will help him go against Khalid Samad in Shah Alam and win “101 per cent” in the May 5 general election?
Khalid was the one MP who stood side by side with the Indian community after the cow-head protest in Shah Alam even when it was not the politically smart thing to do.
What did Umno do? They got the cow-head protesters to pose for pictures with their vice-president after explaining the protest against a Hindu temple in Shah Alam.
Put him where he belongs, in the garbage bin of history. Thinking





In this video, Rafizi Ramli clarifies the difficulty of PR in accommodating Hindraf's requests in an electoral pact.



Corruption is still the scourge. Please vote wisely for a better society.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=500613263339497&set=vb.296868620365231&type=2&theater





@ 2.50 min  Until 5 or 6 years ago, a 10 A student from a poor family was unable to get a scholarship from the government.

@ 6.30 min.  His explanation on why his donation of $30 million was rejected by UTAR..

@ 10.10 min.  How politics and the awarding of contracts without tenders, impoverished you?




Sunday 21 April 2013

The Politics of Fear, Mistruth and Confusion - Different message targeted at different crowd.

If only our politicians can ALWAYS address to a mixed Malaysian crowd in every election gathering.


Ghani: If Kit wins, Hadi might be PM
Vote Lim Kit Siang and you might get PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang as your next prime minister, warned Gelang Patah candidate and incumbent Johor menteri besar Abdul Ghani Othman to Chinese voters in the constituency.

MCA:  If PR wins, PAS would dominate the coalition.
However BN, especially MCA, has been warning the Chinese that PAS, which has the strongest machinery and largest membership among three parties, would dominate Pakatan and grab the premiership when Pakatan comes to power.

UMNO:  If PR wins, DAP will dominate the coalition.
Umno, on the other hand, is trying to convince Malay voters that DAP would be the dominant power in the coalition.


http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/227552

Not a surprise that BN candidate for Pasir Mas parliamentary seat withdrew.

This is not unexpected.   BN was suggested by TDM to field Ibrahim Ali, the President for Perkasa in this election.  This would be most unacceptable for some component parties of BN and not a popular move for some segment of the Malaysian society.

Even before this "unexpected event", it was already rumoured that BN candidate for Pasir Mas would withdraw and this seat would be a direct contest between Ibrahim Ali and PAS.

Sorry for those folks, especially the component parties of BN, who think that the true representative announced by Najib will be their candidate to represent BN and to win this seat for BN.

In true partnership and friendship, we should value INTEGRITY, above all else.


Tuesday 16 April 2013

The rakyat speaking up for their rights






All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.

... Thomas Jefferson


Sunday 14 April 2013

The Wisdom of Thomas Jefferson



Thomas Jefferson was one of our founding fathers and his words still ring true today. He knew that we would make mistakes with our government and he also knew what we should do to fix it. After viewing this pass it on to others.

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.

Educate and inform the whole mass of the people .....  They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government, those entrusted with power have, in time and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

Information is the currency of democracy.

It does me no injury for my neighbour to say, there are twenty gods or no God.

It is error alone which needs the support of government.  Truth can stand by itself.

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes.  A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.

It takes time to persuade men to do even what its for their own good.

Liberty is to the collective body, what health is to every individual body.  Without health no pleasure can be tasted by man; without liberty, no happiness can be enjoyed by society.

No government ought to be without censors; and where the press if free no one ever will.

That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves.

The government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part.

The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

When the press if free and every man able to read, all is safe.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

Friday 12 April 2013

What are the central issues in this general election? Number 1 issue is addressing CORRUPTION.


What are the central issues in this general election?  

For me, these will be corruption, accountability and transparency.  Other issues of equal importance are economic development and cost of living.

Are these adequately addressed by the main political parties?  How well are the political parties putting forward their arguments to win the debates on these issues?  How well are they in winning the hearts of the people on these issues?

In particular, almost everyone I meet, irrespective of race, have a united view that they perceive corruption is rampant and uncontrolled.  This is their perception and how are the political parties addressing the concerns of the voters on this single issue?

Yes, there are also politicians who are still wearing their racial glasses, spurting out racial issues and negatively talking about racial unrest post election.  Strangely, such exhortations seem to be predominantly from a particular party and not from the other.  Just wondering why.

Do exercise your votes wisely.  You should feel free to exercise your vote to elect the representatives of your personal choice.

Wednesday 10 April 2013

The truth is the first casualty in an election. Please respect the intelligence of the voters in having access to information to make their appropriate choice.


Rais says ten minutes airtime is what Pakatan manifesto deserves

UPDATED @ 07:20:49 PM 10-04-2013
BY SYED JAYMAL ZAHIID
APRIL 10, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — Datuk Seri Rais Yatim said today the 10-minute airtime given to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties to explain their polls manifesto was “suitable”.
The interim information, communications and culture minister also said the short time offered to PR was more than enough to showcase PR’s pledges.
“It was more than enough because we are only explaining the principles of a party’s struggle. So for BN and the opposition, they deserve to receive the respective airtime after we consider how important it is to explain their manifestos.
“For BN, its more than that, it is a commitment and a vow just as announced by the prime minister,” Rais (picture) told reporters after attending a closed door meeting between BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the coalition’s division leaders at PWTC here.
PR had snubbed the offer, calling it a “joke” and a mockery to the freedom of press.
Leaders from the opposition pact said it had wanted the right of reply, not only during the general elections, but at all times in all of the mainstream media and TV stations, almost all of which are BN-controlled.
Free access to media was among the key eight demands made by the opposition and poll reform group Bersih 2.0. It was also one of the recommendations made by a parliamentary select committee for free and fair elections.
Rais, who told state news agency Bernama it was “ok” to use state assets to campaign ahead of the official campaigning period, said the opportunity was provided in respect of the democratic system of the country and described the snub as “arrogant”.
Meanwhile, the Elections Commission (EC) claimed the offer was to be serial and not one-off and said the opposition had misunderstood government’s intention.

Thursday 4 April 2013

Can you feel proud of your representatives after listening to this video?

All these changes occurred over the recent years and only after 308!
It would have been more credible when these were never issues to be resolved.