Merdeka - Nut Graph

28 Aug 09 : 8.00AM

By The Nut Graph team

(Pic by ~ezs @ Flickr)

THIS year, Merdeka falls on a Monday. Obligatory flags have been going up on most streetlamp posts and in most public spaces. Yet the number of cars sporting miniature Jalur Gemilang is notably sparse. It seems reasonable to believe that the fanfare surrounding Malaya's 52nd independence anniversary will be muted.

What has happened to the citizenry's display of patriotism?

An obvious factor is the commencement of Ramadan, which will render most Malaysians, an estimated 60% or more of the population comprising Malay Muslims, sluggish. Or the international economic downturn, which has rendered our collective pockets slim. It doesn't help that there's an influenza pandemic out there, too.

Maybe it's because it has been more than a year of political uncertainty. Since the landmark 2008 general election, we've seen the Barisan Nasional (BN)-engineered takeover of Perak, the constant stream of by-elections, and problems and infighting in Pakatan Rakyat (PR)-governed states. All these have undoubtedly caused consternation.

And then there's the perennial issue of race, a colonial construct designed to ease governance through communal divide-and-rule. One need only look at Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's accusation of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as a race traitor, to see how much traction race-based rhetoric still has.

There is also that nagging feeling that Malaysia does not care for the welfare of all its citizens in equal measure. One doesn't even have to look at the long mismanagement of the New Economic Policy (NEP). Just consider the lack of action with regards to the Penan task force report.

Maybe our lack of enthusiasm stems from a suspicion that Malaysian independence is not all that it is cut out to be — being, as it is, a deal struck between Malaya's elite right and the British.

Between May and August 1947, the multiethnic and left-leaning Putera-AMCJA negotiated particulars of the "People's Constitutional Proposals for Malaya". They recommended, among other things, equal citizenship rights, a "conference of races" to block discriminatory legislation, and swift independence.

The proposals were ignored by the British administration. They instead adopted the less-progressive Revised Constitutional Proposals for the Malayan Federation, which was formulated jointly with the Malay Rulers and Umno.

The rejection of the so-called People's Constitution resulted in the All-Malaya Hartal on 20 Oct 1947, a peninsula-wide strike modelled after Indian strategies of non-violent protest. Notably, this part of our history is missing from our school curriculum.

The British reacted to the hartal with the declaration of the Emergency. What does it mean when colonial-style legislation, such as the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Emergency Ordinances — used to detain the Malayan left at the outset of the Emergency — still remains intact today?

And why does Merdeka receive so much attention while Malaysia Day receives so little? Especially since the latter commemorates, on 16 Sept, the actual date Malaysia — Sabah and Sarawak included — came into being?

These are just some of the issues The Nut Graph finds itself mulling over, in the lead-up to Merdeka. We'd like to know what independence means to our readers. Is it everything, nothing, or a middling somewhere-in-between? What about Malaysia is most important to you? What are your hopes and worries, as independence day swings around? Tell us in six words.

Tunku Abdul Rahman declares Malaya's independence (Public domain)

Cindy Tham:

Step 1: Merdeka from colonial rule.

Next step: Remove relics of colonialism.

ISA, Section 377, divide and rule ...

Deborah Loh:

Selective historical interpretation can spoil Merdeka.

I feel most patriotic when overseas.

At home watching parades on TV.

Jacqueline Ann Surin:

Why did Britain deal with Tunku?

But colonial laws are still intact.

Colonial divide-and-rule is still officially practised!

Merdeka negara tetapi tidak merdeka minda.

What role did wasiat raja-raja play?

Still considered "pendatang" despite our independence.

Nick Choo:

Freedom from oppression and ... oh, wait.

52 years young and already deteriorating.

(Pic by Chris2K / sxc.hu)Independence Day: when the aliens attacked.

Country. Hell. Handbasket. Connect dots. Merdeka!

Shanon Shah:

Malaya: founded as a secular state.

Kemerdekaan siapa? Rakyat atau parti politik?

Kisah tanahair sentiasa berkembang. Hayatilah sepenuhnya.

Politik? Merdeka. Institusi? Merdeka. Minda bagaimana?

Let's focus on Malaysia Day, too.

Unity in diversity — theory or practice?

Erasing and forgetting the left's contributions.

Zedeck Siew:

Long weekend! Want to go holiday?

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The Nut Graph is truly independent.

Inspired by Ernest Hemingway's genius, the Six Words On... section challenges readers to give us their comments about a current issue, contemporary personality or significant event in just six words. The idea is to get readers engaged in an issue that The Nut Graph identifies, while having fun and being creatively disciplined.

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siew eng Posted: 28 Aug 09 : 9.32AM

Sidai bendera kat luar condo je.

Stringing up Jalur Gemilang around condos.

Superficial celebrations propping up flagging patriotism.

Robert Tori Posted: 28 Aug 09 : 10.25AM

Colourful fireworks wonder, 1BlackM'sia race ponder.

terri Posted: 28 Aug 09 : 12.46PM

ARISE! Dear Malaysians, arrest the rot!

Ritchie Posted: 28 Aug 09 : 2.50PM

Merdeka became replacement history and ketuan-ism.

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Govt set to enact security law in Thailand

PM cautions red shirts to control protest rally

Writer: PRADIT RUANGDIT and AEKARACH SATTABURUTH

Published: 26/08/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

The government will enforce the Internal Security Act in Dusit district from Saturday to Tuesday as part of strict security measures to cope with planned red shirt protests.

Police officers react to the testing of a special high-intensity loudspeaker at a riot control demonstration at the Metropolitan Police Bureau yesterday. The device emits a high-frequency sound painful to humans and has a range of three kilometres and will be on hand in case this Sunday’s rally by the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship turns violent. APICHART JINAKUL

The act will be imposed in the district to protect Government House and government agencies which the demonstrators might target, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has been authorised to take charge of security operations in the district.

The act allows soldiers to step in to ensure law and order in the area. The government enforced the Internal Security Act in Phuket in July to prevent protesters derailing the meeting of Asean foreign ministers.

Red shirt protesters plan another major rally on Sunday at the Royal Plaza.

Under the law, the government would not ban peaceful protests. A rally could take place but it must not prevent government officials reaching their offices, Mr Abhisit said.

People would only be searched for weapons and authorities would consider the suitability of demonstrators' routes.

The prime minister said although the protest leaders insisted their demonstration would be peaceful, the government had learned from intelligence reports that there could be attempts to prolong the rally and make it spiral out of control to try to destabilise the government.

The government had to secure political order and a good atmosphere in the country to guarantee an economic recovery, he said.

Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep said the government would not wait for the situation to get out of control before invoking the act. The act could be exercised when a situation was looking likely to occur, the prime minister said.

"I would like to stress that the government respects the rights and liberties of people but it is also duty-bound to secure order.

"We want everything to be as normal as possible. I don't believe people nationwide want to see a recurrence of April's incidents," Mr Abhisit said, referring to the anti-government protests that turned into riots in Bangkok during the Songkran holidays.

Jatuporn Prompan, a leader of the pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) that is planning the rally, said the government was abusing its power by invoking the internal security law and red shirt demonstrators would take strong retaliatory action.

He said the UDD originally planned to rally this Sunday only to protest against the government's delay of its petition for a royal pardon for Thaksin.

But by invoking the internal security law, the government was limiting people's rights, being dictatorial and showing its intention to confront the demonstrators, he said.

The red shirts would also wear black today to protest against Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda. They would gather in front of his Si Sao Thewes home today, Gen Prem's birthday.

U.S. Troops, Civilians to Become Less Protected on July 1

By Ernesto Londoño

Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, June 26, 2009

BAGHDAD, June 25 -- U.S. military officials fear that the closure of inner-city bases and restrictive guidelines that go into effect next week will leave American troops and civilians in Iraq more vulnerable.

Of particular concern is a new rule that bars U.S. troops from using mine-resistant armored vehicles in urban areas during the day, officials said.

Also worrisome, they said, is the recent closure of a small outpost in eastern Baghdad that is adjacent to a site militiamen have used to launch deadly rocket attacks on the Green Zone.

Thousands of U.S. combat troops will remain at a handful of bases in Baghdad and on the outskirts of other restive cities, such as Mosul and Kirkuk, in northern Iraq, past the June 30 deadline. But U.S. troops say their ability to respond quickly to thwart attacks could erode significantly because Iraqi officials will have unprecedented authority over their mobility and missions in urban areas.

"We won't be providing the same level of security for ourselves and Iraqis," said 2nd Lt. Jason Henke, a military police platoon leader who will remain at one of the few inner-city bases in Baghdad. "With only a small window of time that we are allowed to operate in, it's going to be easier to target U.S. forces when we are outside the wire."

Henke's concerns were heightened this week by a string of powerful roadside bombings near his base, Joint Security Station Loyalty, in central Baghdad.

On Tuesday, one of his squadrons was attacked with an armor-piercing bomb that struck the passenger side of a mine-resistant armored vehicle, igniting the fuel line. His platoon lost another truck Thursday in a similar attack.

As other soldiers rushed to help their comrades out of the burning vehicle, insurgents opened fire with AK-47 assault rifles in the densely populated area.

The soldiers returned fire and escaped without injuries, said Henke, 29, of Newbury Park, Calif. But had they been in a Humvee, a smaller, less-fortified vehicle soldiers will use during daytime as of next month, "they would have all been killed -- all of them," Henke said.

Two other powerful roadside bombs that day were placed on the same route, not far from Iraqi National Police checkpoints, Henke said. One seriously wounded a soldier. Another that detonated nearby on Wednesday night killed an Iraqi police commander. The Pentagon spent billions of dollars in 2007 on the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles. They are believed to have contributed significantly to the decrease in American deaths in Iraq.

Ten U.S. soldiers were wounded in an ambush Thursday in Baghdad. A military spokesman provided no details about the incident. Nevertheless, attacks on U.S. troops remain low compared to other periods of the six-year war, but American commanders say they anticipate an increase in coming weeks as insurgents seek to make a statement after the first deadline of a security agreement that charts the withdrawal of U.S. soldiers.

In the past few days, several attacks in urban areas, including two that each killed more than 75 Iraqis, have heightened concern about the readiness of Iraq's security forces to operate with limited American assistance.

Brig. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza, the top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, said U.S. troops would depend on their Iraqi counterparts more than ever to detect and respond to threats.

"We'll be relying a lot on the Iraqis for situational awareness," he told reporters Wednesday.

Several soldiers and officers said they doubt that Iraqi security forces will be willing or even able to stop the types of attacks faced primarily by U.S. soldiers. Those include strikes with armor-piercing grenades and armor-piercing roadside bombs.

"The vulnerability of our soldiers will increase when the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army come to the realization that they don't need to take suggestions from our soldiers," a top U.S. military official said on the condition of anonymity so as to speak candidly. "The only reason they listen to us is we give them equipment and money. Once we pull out, much of that stops."

The security agreement gives U.S. soldiers the right to self-defense. But U.S. commanders have struggled in recent months to clearly define how they will exercise that right after June 30. Any perceived overreaction or violation of the security agreement is bound to anger Iraqi leaders, many of whom have tied their political futures to the U.S. pullout and their ability to handle security with minimal help from the Americans.

Lanza declined to say how many soldiers will remain in urban areas or at how many facilities they will remain, saying the final details are still being worked out.

At least 10 facilities that house U.S. troops in Baghdad will remain open past the deadline, including two bases in the Green Zone, according to officials familiar with the list that the Iraqis agreed to.

In recent days, the Iraqi government declined to allow the Americans to keep a small outpost called Comanche on the edge of Sadr City, in eastern Baghdad, that was instrumental in stopping the barrage of rocket and mortar attacks that terrorized residents of the Green Zone in 2007 and 2008.

Kadhum Irboee al-Quraishi, a leader in Sadr City who has worked closely with the Americans, said residents are bracing for violence in coming days. A bombing Wednesday at a bird market that killed more than 75 people was the deadliest attack in the vast Shiite slum in more than a year.

"Sadr City is huge," Quraishi said. "It's not easy to control it. I'm pretty sure that roadside bombs and mortar attacks will be back just like before."

Is UMNO Over?

In a highly critical (free, not fee) article in the March 2009 issue of Far Eastern Economic Review, Barry Wain, former editor of The Wall Street Journal Asia, seems to argue, no, but maybe it should be. He doesn't say this explicitly but that's how it sounds to me in his long article on Najib Razak's impending succession, through UMNO, as Malaysia's next Prime Minister. As I read it, I thought, like father (former PM Abdul Razak) like son. All the same behind-the-scenes power plays and dirty tricks through UMNO political secretaries. All the same fleeting gestures of tolerance to non-Malays while wielding the iron first in practice.

UMNO logo

The difference now is that UMNO in Tun Abdul Razak's time held overwhelming parliamentary control through UMNO, abetted later by the new Barisan Nasional coalition which replaced the original Alliance. But in the 2008 elections, the Barisan nearly lost power. Too, Tun Razak proved not adverse to invoking a state of emergency and widely abusing the ISA (Internal Security Act). The ISA is still with us, but in 1969 many (not including me) believed it necessary and arrests made under it justified. Now, the ISA is widely reviled and most Malaysians understand it is just a tool to repress any democratic opposition posing a threat to UMNO rule. Last, unlike the bad old days in which there was no obvious Malay politician who could hold the country together in an opposition coalition, in Anwar Ibrahim with his PKR, there is. And there is even the unacknowledged possibility, that Lim Kit Siang from DAP could become Deputy Prime Minister. While some may say, dream on, a new Pakatan government led by these two figures is now UMNO's nightmare, all the more so since the Barisan's many non-UMNO political party partners are, for all practical purposes, dead in the water.

Maybe ISA lightning and thunder are in the offing once again.

Background:
Far Eastern Economic Review
Wikipedia entry Politics of Malaysia
Wikipedia entry Malaysia General Election 2008
Anwar Ibrahim's blog
Lim Kit Siang's blog