The question of Malay participation in the Singapore Air Force had always been a touchy one, especially before one or two Malay-Muslim pilot had been appointed, presumably in part to address the issue. The official explanation in response to criticism was interesting: an explanation which seems to fuse both ethnic considerations with national security concern. A senior cabinet minister said in a much publicized speech that the Singapore government did not want to put a would-be Malay-Muslim pilot in a dilemma should Singapore be engaged in a conflict with the neighboring countries. The pilot concerned would then be torn between his loyalty to Singapore and his loyalty to his Muslim brothers of the opposite camp. Considering how expensive a jet fighter had cost Singapore, he explained the government simply cannot take the risk of a Malay-Muslim pilot flying a jet fighter over to the enemy camp. Now this suggest very stringent attitude towards national security and defense equipments, even spilling over into ethnic considerations!
Now on the Malaysian side of plane saga, a few days ago Malaysians are hit by the shocking news that two jet-fighter engines had been stolen, each engine worth about MR50 million. The details suggest that through massive and complicated local and international conspiracy, the engines were sold off to an international company based in South Africa. A brigadier-general and 40 armed forces personnel had been sacked last year over the scandal. It is also reported that the police had arrested 4 people, including air force officers. These are scanty details I read in today’s The Sun, front page, reporting on revelation by the prime minister and the minister of defence ( I seem always to be out of step with the Malay Mail mass distribution, finding only an empty kiosk when passing by)
Wow! The Malaysians seem to be much more at ease over the matter of national security and sensitive defence equipments. Kadir Jasin of the Scribe and Rocky Bru is quite right in saying, given the details, what is there to prevent elements like those who traded our jet engines from selling not only sensitive defence equipment but the very integrity of our national security system itself? They seem to be quite above all considerations of national loyalty, patriotism and ethnic loyalties. Only money and greed seem to motivate them.
This scandal should really worry us Malaysians, sweet music though to our enemies. To them, it does suggest Malaysia can be bought easily if you know where the weak link in the chain is, and work it to their advantages.
I find the prime minister’s statement in today’s paper perplexing. Though calculated to reassure the public there was no cover up in the matter, I remain to be persuaded. He said, according to the report: ‘Mindef took the position that we had to address this and take action, even criminal action, against those involved’ Was Mindef of two mind over the course of action to be taken upon discovering the debacle? So much so Mindef had to ‘take the position to address this and take action, even criminal action? Shouldn’t this be a matter of course, instead of being recounted as a process requiring mulling and great deliberation? Why ‘even criminal action’? Was there remote possibilities of it being non-criminal and innocent? Or was there reluctance and hesitation over the course of taking criminal action? The prime minister gives credit to the RMAF and Mindef for having ‘no intention of covering up at all. In fact, we went forward to the police. At that time I was minister in charge. I decided we should report it to the police’. Well..was it really a difficult decision on the part of a cabinet minister, worth recounting and taking credit for? Further more, excuse me for saying so, the issue really is how could it have happened and who should take the final responsibility for failing to prevent it in the first place, The issue is not whether to report it to the police or not or whether action should be taken or not! And lastly,reading the details given by the minister of defence, and the chief of the armed forces, on how investigation had to be conducted 'discretely', away from public attention, they do suggest in essence a 'cover up' of sort.
The above post does not pretend any analysis or evalutation over the issue. I am still in a state of disbelief as to the extent of degeneration in our national integrity and resilience. I am just stating the facts and relevant information.
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Salam Tuan Pakpandir
ReplyDeleteNow I really don't mind showing my fright by sweating in my pants, shivering like leaves in the wind and shitting bricks (sorry to dirty your courtyard tuan, dah terlepas nak buat macamana?)
When he was Menteri Pelajaran, he let his power as menteri be curtailed. When he was Menteri Pertahan he let his fighter jet engines stolen. Now that he is PM, he might do a Pak Lah, ... letting somebody form a nation within his nation?
I read somewhere, by an eminent analyst, his "pencapaian didahulukan" could very well mean meritrocracy. Is this the beginning? Is he doing a LKY?
Dal,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment.
Like you, I am far from being happy with the s tate of the nation.Malaysians are in real need to be reassured that our national leaders are in control and staying on top of things.
Best wishes
This is a country - correction: a city-state - that came into being as a result of Lee Kuan Yew's concoction and flaunting of the slogan "Malaysian Malaysia", mischievously implying lack of equality in Malaysia, that led to Tengku A Rahman "kicking him and Singapore out" of Malaysia in 1965.
ReplyDeleteLook at what this chauvinistic fellow (as Minister Mentor he wields tremendous influence, if not control, over his son Prime Minister) and the entire Singapore Government's attitude towards the Malays, the original settlers and rulers of the island.
The stand that the Singapore government did not want to put a would-be Malay-Muslim pilot in a dilemma should Singapore be engaged in a conflict with other countries is in itself chauvinistic. It presumes a lack of loyalty on the part of Malays there - a natural tendency on their part because when they were in Malaysia their slogan "Malaysian Malaysia" implies non-respect for Article 153 of the Malaysian Constitution on the Special Position of the Malays.
That chauvinistic stand also presumes that China will never be a threat or an enemy of theirs. This is very clear from the fact that they have, as a complete opposite to employing a Malay as a fighter pilot in their Air Force, recruited the son of a communist Chinese food stall operator as an Officer in the very same Air Force. This is the kind of thinking that made some Singaporeans even attempting to re-write the history of the island, almost obliterating mention of the early settlers and rulers.
The Malaysian Government and the Malay leaders in Malaysia must be on constant watch on developments on the Chinese chauvinists on the small island and take counter-measures.
Aku.
This "Little Emperor" and the "Little Middle Kingdom" (as Tun Dr Mahathir refers to them) are really nasty in their thinking and appear so in their intent as well.
ReplyDeleteThey brought in military advisers from Zionist Israel of all places. They couldn't be bothered about the sensitivities of their Muslim neighbours. They have been exploiting the good nature of the Malays who, as Sir Frank Swettenham described, "have a pleasant disposition ... until they run amok." Swettenham lived in Malaya for 30 years until becoming the highest ranking officer in British colonial Malaya and knew what he was talking about. In fact, the word "amok" became adopted into the English language and exists in the Oxford Dictionary now.
Singapore is an island only about 600 square miles yet has submarines and sophisticated attack aircrafts. Despite Lee Kuan Yew whacking the communists in Singapore to ensure continuation of his power at one time, we can safely assume that these days communist China is not on their Threat Assessment list. Neither are the communist-turned Indochina states because, like China, they have turned capitalistic and want markets and economic rather than political influence. Since Lee Kuan Yew's so-called "Malaysia Malaysia" days, he has been at the Malays - he has been attacking, in subtle ways, the Special Position of the Malays under the Constitution of Malaysia.
I think this pre-occupation of his remains even 40 years thereafter. He left behind in Malaysia his legacy of the chauvinistic and at times even subversive "Malaysian Malaysia" concept, being propagated by his asslickers, the DAP, since the time Singapore went out of Malaysia. He spent considerable time with them when making an official visit to this country recently.
Dot.
(Continued in Part 2)
Part 2
ReplyDeleteLobbying by the Singaporeans and by the Zionist Israelis via the extremely influential "Israeli Lobby" (described by one Harvard Professor and one Chicago University Professor as "having unmatched power" in the US), Singapore has been getting preferential treatment by the US, especially under the highly unpopular but Israel-backing George W Bush (30% popularity rating when going out of office). True, US has a strong vested interest in Singapore - safe passage through the Straits of Malacca and stop-overs in Singapore for refuelling etc are of paramount importance to US naval and commercial ships. But the fact remains that the military hardware that the US allowed Singapore to have, including the sophisticated attack aircrafts, can be used against the Muslim neighbours with whom the Zionist Israelis have no love lost, like the chauvinist Singaporeans as well.
Indonesia doesn't bother much about the potential menace that can come from Singapore. In fact short-term President Habibie at one time referred to Singapore as "the little red dot". But they, and our Malaysian leaders, must realise that Lee Kuan Yew has been admiring and worshipping the Israeli tenacity and military skills in crushing big-sized Arab states in only six days during what has been called the Six-Day Arab-Israeli War in 1967 that has led to Israeli occupation of Palestine and all sorts of bullying, misery and suffering as a result.
The old strategy of a blitzkrieg that was adopted in World War II, that the Israelis also adopted during the Six-Day Arab-Israeli War, is still valid today. A quick push of ground forces supported by sophisticated attack aircrafts may get them past Johor or even Negeri Sembilan in a matter of days, too. And they have been training in the jungles of Peninsular Malaysia for so long. Heck, they even have their forces guarding the water treatment facilities in Johore - unwittingly agreed under flip-flopping and sleepy Abdullah Badawi's rule.
Malaysia and Indonesia must not under-rate Singapore's military capability. Their military spending has been very high in many years. Yet Malaysia has cases of stolen arms and military jet engines. The authorities really must buck up. Those responsible for the jet engine losses must be given the same treatment as the Al Maunah theft of rifles, etc. These jet engines are weapons all the same. Whack them hard, put a noose round their necks so that no others dare to think of doing the same again.
And, for goodness sake, our military planners must look at Singapore as a threat to Malaysia militarily and counter such a threat solidly.
Dot.