I'd say that the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah is the man of the moment for me. Has been that for me for quite sometime since I heard him say in April that Malaysia belongs to all Malaysians equally, and all have an equal right and responsibility to take ownership of their country and its future.
He's been making statements that I thought were honest, direct and forthright since.
My kind of man, I mean, prince, I thought.
Well, those statements Raja Nazrin had been making ought to come from elected leaders.
Just yesterday, he said that people "with a chequered past or clear evidence of questionable morality should be prevented from taking office".
Hear! hear! How I ditto, second, support that statement.
Raja Nazrin was speaking at a lecture "Towards A Decent Social Order For All Malaysians" at the Islamic Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur.
The lecture centred on the works of the late Prof Datuk Syed Husein Alatas.
Raja Nazrin further said that "figures in authority must be chosen for their integrity first and qualification second."
Here's part of the Bernama story.
Raja Nazrin said corruption was mankind's most deadly social disease, as it could undermine good governance, weaken institutional foundations, distort public policy, compromise the rule of law and constrain the economy.
He said corruption curbed competitiveness to the detriment of economic and social development, led to tremendous misallocation of resources, and made the cost of doing business become unacceptably high.
"Corruption exists because of man's enduring desire for personal gain.
"Once corruption becomes widespread, it will no longer seem immoral and unlawful - just business as usual," he said.
He said there must be concrete anti-corruption measures and management practices based on efficiency, transparency and accountability.
Unnecessary or complex regulations and licensing requirements should be discarded or simplified to discourage `under-the-table' deals, he said.
Well, I see some people having no right being in their current positions, if we practise what Raja Nazrin is preaching.
But...aah. I don't see that happening.
The prince said more. So click here and here to read.
i have been his fan for quite sometimes but those days its more for his look laa...masa muda2 dulu ha ha ha....and now because i think he has some substance...but i do not think most of our leaders / politicians would give a second thoughts of his statements...they are people with no conscience...
ReplyDeletezai,
ReplyDeletei know what you mean. and he was a bachelor prince for a long time. sigh.
anyway...would you believe he used to live in he same neighbourhood as I did -- in section 16, PJ. Dont know whether his family stll maintains the same home there. They (his dad Raja Azlan Shah, mom Tuanku Bainun and siblings) used to live there for a long time, even until his dad was Lord President.
in fact, if you go further up the road, you;ll get to Dato Mahmood's house (the late Endon's family home)
oh..well it is a small world.
Nuraina Dear,
ReplyDeleteYg Mulia Raja Nazrin Shah has always been the man I admire as early as my secondary school days. I'm of the same age as he is (51).
I tried to emulate his bacherlorhood but at 35, I cannot "tahan" anymore... hehehe. But as fated, I got hitched with a girl from Kuala Kangsar. And when my first child, a boy, was born, I named him Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi and very proud of it. Now, Bukit Chandan is a place where we will always visit during our "balik kampung". Do you know that they now have a swimming pool in K.K.?
It's at the vicinity of the Rset House.
Clearly , today Malaysia ( not Malaysia Today ) is marred by very childish/evil 'its all about me myself and I ' corrupted kind of mentality , fuelled by and large by the great no of uneducated intimidated kampung folks who have , by their 'never question' type of mentality horned skilfully thru religion been exploited to full advantage by a select few dirty bas#$&@s ! Even good prince like Nazrin is like a drop in the dirtiest swamp west of Putrajaya and need I say of no consequence ?
ReplyDeleteka ena
ReplyDeleteHe is MY Prince. Seorang Putera rakyat.
Kak Ena ..
ReplyDeleteAny words from the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah ... is wisdom to be shared by all Malaysian!! :) :)
Our politicians?
ReplyDeleteSubstance?
Those words cannot, must not appear in the same sentence. Ever!
They need to learn to string together a coherent sentence and then only we talk about substance.
Conscience?
Don't mention that to them. They'll think that it's the new Harry Potter book.
Hmm... Imagine that. Harry Potter and The Politician's Conscience. Scarier that Lord Voldemort himself, perhaps? :)
My dear,
ReplyDelete"All hail the Prince"....yes dear, Raja Nazrin is the answer to clean-up all that "trash" inside and outside of the Parliament !!!
He's out-spoken and will do a fantastic job in throwing out the rubbish !
And I will offer my services to my Prince...long live my Country..long live Perak.......errh......long live Taiping...and long live rightousness..!!!
anon@11:04: people had already admired him way back then?
ReplyDeleteand you really did admire him, naming your son after him.
thnaks for telling me about the swimming pool. My good friend, Mia, is Kuala Kangsar-born. My daughter adn I have accompanied her and her kids to Kuala Kangsar (her house is behind the Petronas gas station on the main road (that leads to MCKK).
The last time I was in K Kangsar was during the full moon (a month ago, I think).
I shall check out the swimming pool the next time I'm there.
Team BSG: I do see your point. But, I do have faith in the good, honest and clean people of this country. So far, they are not a rarity...yet.
adik: that's right..good looks, royal blood and good brains can go together.
razzler: i'm sure many will agree with you.
kimster: hahaa... the latest on ministry of magic Vs Harry Potter. JK Rowling had malaysia in mind...hahaha
Yes Nuraina, he's a Prince after my own heart - and mind!
ReplyDeleteHe has taken the bull by the horn and hit the nail on the head - in other words, he has addressed the most serious scourge of our society and asked the government to take responsibility.
The responsibility of appointing people with integrity, and the responsibility of seeing that mechanisms are in place to stop people from committing acts of corruption.
I would like to go a step further and suggest that the biggest culprits of corruption are not the receivers of bribes, duit kopi and bunga mas i.e. not the policeman you give RM50 to for squashing your summons, or the Dewan Bandaraya officer you bribe to push your application through, or the ACA director you open an overseas bank account for to close your case.
The real worms in Malaysia's corruption rot are the givers and initiators of bribes.These are the people who work quietly and insidiously to sweet-talk, tempt and cajole the officers of government and decision making agencies to approve their profit making projects.
The business and corporate people are the ones who boast that government palms have to be greased and pockets lined before anything moves. This they do without any scruples because it is all accounted for in their billion dollar deals.
I'm sick to the core Nuraina - sick of the hypocricy of and in our society, where people scoff at the policeman who takes the bribe which they offer in the first place.
While I'm with Raja Nazrin in wanting the government to ensure that the people who run the country
are incorruptible, I'm not sure how Tuanku would address the issue of a corrupt citizenry!
OFF: indeed, indeed.
ReplyDeleteyou know.. i think there is really very little our prince can do..
he can admonish, whack, criticise... but really.. i wonder..
i hope they dont stop him from speaking his mind.,
stephen: better learn to say "daulat tuanku", man.
ReplyDeleteabout the best thing to happen to Perak, huh? a handsome and intelligent prince.
In view of what the prince has said, perhaps someone should start an SMS poll for 10 Politikus Keparat Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteThe results would be very interesting indeed, I think.
This is one case where the government will sit up and listen and act because a future King - and a clever one at that- has spoken and, I think, will continue to speak up on many matters to effect change in society.
ReplyDeleteBut the corrupt citizenry? I agree with you Nuraina. The practice of giving duit kopi or carrying bunga mas is deeply rooted in our society and will take a lot of education to eradicate. Not in this generation, not in the next!
It is part and parcel of a hierarchical social system where the lower classes grovel at the feet of the upper classes. It is characteristic of migrant societies who curry favour with their political/economic masters - who pay for state and federal honours and then use their titles to leverage their economic standing.
These acts which we view as bribery and corruption are a way of life in some communities. What do they care? As long as their business prospers; as long as their periuk nasi and rice bowls are filled!
Apa salahnya "tumbuk rusuk" kata mereka? They're not harming anybody so they say!
It is only you and I and Raja Nazrin who will cry our hearts out!
Kak Ena,
ReplyDeleteOne Royal Highness who truly deserves "Perintah Di Junjung Tuanku".
To OFF,
It's a sickening simbiotic relationship of one blood sucking onto another between these two 'entities'. If the ethics and integrity is led by example by the top leadership, it would not have entrenched that bad.
p/s Kak Ena, don't u think OFF sounds a bit like Kak Mek Yam? hmmm...
p/s Kak Ena, thanks for your well wishes. Ni tgh dok berehat kat rumah la ni, sbb tu banyak masa merayau di alam cyber. hehehe...
Something sensible coming from someone who count.
ReplyDeleteThe statement will carry more weight if it comes from the council of rulers who sat for the conference recently. But alas they will ignore him knowing full well that that is all to it. More rakyat should get to read those speech by YM Raja Nazrin. Without the coverage of the mainstream media, how far can it go?
yup... me either.
ReplyDeleteOFF: Yes.. i am stil a very optimistic Malaysian.
ReplyDeleteIbu: I am glad you're ok, at home, recuperating and surfing the net.
aah... raja nazrin -- the anak raja berjiwa rakyat. I am just remembering, he paid for his own wedding.
how cool is that?
Yes, OFF does sound like MekYam.. but trust me, she is no MekYam.
Zawi: I think the fact that Raja Nazrin said that, counts as very significant.
How far his statements will go -- well, I know that they have gone down well.
Zewt : If we could make a difference....
Did not I say so many times since April that Raja Nazrin ought to offer himself as the next PM A Prince was our first PM. We should begin the next 50 with another Prince.Viva Les Perakkkkkkkkkkk.
ReplyDeletemay be you bloggers can initiate to get Nazrin as the PM of the country, yes?
ReplyDeletehe's the man for the country; not some present charlattans selling snake oil as the real thing.
Yes, Raja Nazrin would make a PM Malaysians would be proud of!
ReplyDeleteI'd SOOO campaign for him if he decided to run.
Ena, aaah the old hood... on 16/9 as I remembered it was not only Lord President Raja Azlan Shah and Mahmud Ambak, but also the current Sultan of Selangor, Tuanku Idris, right up on the hill, and somewhere on the slopes was our TDM when he was still DPM. To think I never realised what a posh hood it was... sigh!
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To Ibu,
I'm flattered no end of course to be even the tiniest bit mistaken for OFF, but our styles are markedly different. I'm sure most regulars can see that OFF not just writes beautifully, but also with a confident, assertive style that indicates someone very sure of her position and standing in Malaysia and Malaysian society.
While mekyam, not having a leg to stand on when it comes to things Malaysia, would no longer dream of putting her foot down on anything for fear of falling flat on her presumptuous face. :D
Mekyam,
ReplyDeleteyes, yes... i am so aware of the sultan of selangor's house.
TDM's house was the other side, i believe near Musa Hitam's and Datuk Lokman's house.
Also along the main road Jalan Dato Abu Bakar was another former Lord President's house (although he lived there before he was Lord President) Tun Salleh Abbas.
And did you know rafidah aziz lived along Jalan 16/6?
And where was your house in section 16, Mekyam?
oh before I forget --- yes yes yes...Raja Nazrin has got my vote.
Zorro,
ReplyDeleteyes...i do remember that..he's the man, isn;t her?
MEKYAM
ReplyDeleteNow I'm flattered and utterly pleased you think I am what I'm not!
I write about the things I'm passionate about or truly believe in or have an aversion to. There lies the secret of my confidence and assertiveness!
And more of us must do this MEKYAM so that our voices are heard and hopefully we can make a difference.
I have many friends who are full of ideas as well as criticism about ini dan itu but will not put them down in writing. Either they don't have the courage to go public or they don't want to make a commitment. I say WHAT A SHAME!
I'd like to think I'm very sure of my status in society to feel I have a right to say what I like or don't like about it. I hope you do too MEKYAM.
Dear Ms. Nuraina,
ReplyDeleteOT: Until Mekyam played a role in the unmasking of OFF in TWB(15), I too thought they were one and the same. To me, these two elegant commentators are simply "merak kayangan" who belong to 3540 Jalan Sudin Hall of Fame. Wouldn't it be nice if you could feature them one of these days?
zhmi,
ReplyDeleteyes...that's really cool.
but you know, sometime ago, i highlighted MekYam's comment to my blog. I posted it. I also highlighted/posted something OFF felt strongly sometime ago.
they are indeed to me elegant writers from whom I draw much inspiration and whom I feel blessed to have "known".
I hope they continue to contribute their inelligent, sharp and witty comments to my blog.
three cheers for MekYam and OFF -- hip hip hurray, hip hip hurray, hip hip hurray...
Dear Nuraina,
ReplyDeleteI came across OFF's comment while reading Marina’s blog. I hope OFF wont mind me reposting it here since you guys have been talking abt OFF and what an elegant writer she is.
Besides, this thread is abt Puutera diRaja, Raja Nazrin, the Prince of the common people. So here goes.
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old female fart said...
Yesterday I had the rare experience of listening to 3 impassioned speeches! Impassioned not in its loudness, repeated cliches and verbose rhetoric but in its content and message. And I was moved to tears - of joy and sadness!
The launch of the Malay translation of the book on Tun Ismail BUKAN KERANA PANGKAT... was a modest, low key event officiated by Tuanku Raja Nazrin. The hosts were Tun Ismail's family and Bernama. It was held at the Akademi Islam in UM and attended mainly by university staff and people who care " ... insan-insan yang memiliki budaya mengenang budi yang amat tinggi, mengalir dari jiwa yang luhur dan terpancar dari hati yang ikhlas, lalu bersedia meluangkan masa untuk memperingati seorang negarawan yang telah terbujur kaku, namun begitu banyak menabur budi kepada negara bangsanya". The poignancy of this speech was reflected in its beautifully articulated presentation.
And then came Tuanku's tribute to the man esteemed by his colleagues and the rakyat of the Merdeka era.The audience was stunned into silence and reflection as Tuanku quietly acknowledged Tun Ismail's contributions, choking on his every sentence and pausing throughout the presentation to gather his thoughts and emotions.
In the audience I couldn't help but think that some of Raja Nazrin's sobs were for the people that we have become- shallow, artificial, materialistic, corrupted!
When Tun Ismail's son Taufek spoke, he was brief, modest and humble - like the Malays of his Dad's era.
This I consider to be eloquence! This is the "kejujuran", "keikhlasan", "hati murni" and "budi" of the Malays that endeared them to their friends and colleagues of the Merdeka era and a generation beyond that.
Not the fist shaking and keris wielding stance of the UMNO group or the deafeningly silent rhetoric of some Malay politicians like ZAM!
August 4, 2007 7:31 AM
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Terima kasih ZHMI, NURAINA dan ORG LAMA.
ReplyDeleteInspired by your kind words I will forge ahead in my writings to dream... to hope ...to pray ... that this beloved country of ours and its people will be known for their goodness and integrity!
But let me warn you that my students called me HARIMAU!
Rugi tak dapat pergi. Had to attend to some emergency presentation. Sigh ...
ReplyDeleteI have read a few of the Prince Nazrin articles and speech, he is a man of wisdom, a very responsible prince that know the real social issues.
ReplyDeleteMany politician causes the mess in our today society by using religion and race to gain power and stay in power.
Hopefully, his speech will provide some check and balance to prevent the continued social disintegration.