Thoughts on Hulu Selangor By-election, Part 1

As I write this, BN is leading the voting count. Of course once counting is complete I fully expect the losing side to demand a recount (assuming the rules allow it). This by-election had the most effort put in by both sides so far, more than any by-election to date. (Note: I am aware I left out mention of political issues e.g. no corruption, but I have my reasons to focus solely on PKR).

Why PKR needs to win

• Zaid Ibrahim needs a win to legitimise the important role (post?) he was given when he joined PKR. Remember when he had to cancel a trip to Sabah/Sarawak because some leaders disapproved?
• Tan Sri Khalid needs a win because his leadership style has made a lot of enemies among party grassroots.
• Anwar Ibrahim needs a win because the party hoppers that were his close friends hurt his clout among the grassroots. It surprises me when I hear long-time members make disparaging remarks about him. Since late last year there was serious talk that Zaid should replace him in the near future. Such talk only increases the internal squabbles.
• PKR needs to show that they can run a by-election with the grassroots and leadership that they have. It will affect member morale nationwide.

So if PKR loses, I expect the usual complaints about phantom voters or even so far as declaring the by-election invalid due to the 14,000 voters that had their voting stations moved.

What works in PKR’s favour

• Use of state govt machinery to get votes. The MB moved his office to Hulu Selangor and for the first time in history, held the weekly State Exco meetings there instead of Shah Alam.

What works against PKR

• Lack of cooperation between PKR and PAS. Whether this is due to PAS disapproval of Zaid, or just lack of organisational skills of PKR is anyone’s guess. However PAS did state publicly that it was due to difficulty in coordinating with PKR.
• Lack of strong PKR grassroots. By strong I mean given a task, they will really do it and not just come back later and say they did.

What works in BN’s favour

• Crazy sums of money to give out. I don’t agree with bribes but I have to say that if their concerts had attendees (PKR had concerts too), and gifts accepted then the blame lies with the electorate. If bribery was the right way to get their vote, sadly that show BN understands them better.
• Larger grassroots base. Functional or not I wouldn’t know.

I actually hope BN wins, for several reasons:

PKR members (not just elected reps) have gotten too arrogant. They have forgotten that they were handed power in 2008 and need to earn it in the next GE. They should have invested time in defining party culture and developing leadership at every level, not just blindly recruiting and ordering members to volunteer. Our message is good but our grassroots management strategy is weak.

PKR needs to learn that different communities require different tactics to win their vote. For some people all they understand is how to vote based on race or which side gives more money. The only way to change that mentality is by education and 2-3 weeks of ceramah is not enough. This is where strong grassroots come in, if not ceramah then by leafleting. It’s an epic task but it needs to be done.

All 3 ADUNs under the MP seat are BN. Even though they have been crippled by having their state allocations withheld by the Selangor State govt (and given to Exco members Ean Yong and Elizabeth under ADUN Angkat programme), they still matter. The previous PKR MP could not have achieved much because he did not have a strong grassroots or ADUNs to help manage the constituency. The Exco members are too busy to be there for him as regularly as ADUNs. So if Zaid won, by the next GE the BN candidates can say, “You see? You voted for Zaid but he couldn’t help with local problems”.

Win or lose, an MP gets no allocation if he is from Pakatan. Zaid would have to carry the burden of managing a large constituency, raise issues in Parliament and whatever leadership tasks he has in PKR/Pakatan Rakyat. If he loses, he can still help the voters and work on building a strong grassroots for the next GE. It’s only 2 years away. If he wins he has to hope the Exco members are available to disburse funds from the ADUN allocations for him. They are very, very busy people. The pressure to perform as MP will be high, whereas even as a non-MP he could work with the Excos for the constituency, as preparation work for next GE. That is why I see a loss as a good thing.

You could argue that if BN wins, Kamalanathan will use use his allocation to reinforce voter support. But win or lose he can do that anyway. Zaid does not get that option. The fact is that you need money to solve people’s problems.

I learned a lot these past 2 weeks and saw a lot of ugliness on both sides; I’ll try to document it soon.

Moving Towards a Change in Lifestyle – No Plastic Bags

Several years ago I used to stockpile used plastic bags from supermarkets, with the intention of sending them for recycling. Then a friend pointed out to me that such plastic bags were bio-degradable (actually, photo-degradable) and all my collecting was for naught. She was right. As the years went by plastic bags became thinner and quickly changed composition after exposure to air. They become flimsy constructs – a single touch and they break apart into tiny pieces. Pieces that are tough to clean up as they stick to rags, fingers and the inside of a vacuum cleaner. I still have a drawer full of stored plastic bags that I’m hesitant to open in case a gust of wind breaks them into pieces. This decomposition happens in stages by the way, I wouldn’t recommend you experiment at home.

These plastic bags used to come in handy for throwing rubbish, but due to their deterioration I had no choice now but to buy the black/blue/green plastic bags sold in supermarkets. What was I to do now? I can’t recycle them. I can’t use them. I hate just throwing them out with the garbage because it is so wasteful. I don’t even like that plastic bag usage is so dominant in our society – I’m strongly anti-plastic/Styrofoam/polystyrene. At one of the places where I worked I brought my own bowl to takeaway food from the nearby restaurant.

So the only solution left was to change my lifestyle to reduce the number of useless bags lying around the house. For years I’ve been following the lifestyle of ‘only buying what I can carry’ because I conveniently find myself near a supermarket every few days. Sometimes when I buy many items, or items that can’t mix I do use plastic bags. I often keep a scrunched-up bag in my pocket for such situations. These lifestyle changes have effectively removed the problem I used to have.

No Plastic Bag Day Campaign

In Selangor/KL, IKEA set an example by charging for all plastic bags in June 2009, with the proceeds going to the Malaysian Nature Society. This was part of its commitment to phase out plastic bags at all its outlets worldwide, initiated in March 2007. This was followed by Village Grocer since August 2009 that gave an option of getting a used free plastic bag, or paying for a new plastic bag. Cold Storage made the bizarre move of banning plastic bags on Thursdays, forcing customers to buy a canvas/polymer bag or use their own. For shoppers caught unawares at the cashier this seems like cruel punishment. Why buy a bag that can last for years, just because you forgot to bring your own? I have personally witnessed angry customers demanding they be given the option of a plastic bag rather than buy a bag. I learned my lesson after a few visits – don’t visit Cold Storage on Thursdays.

In July 2009 Penang government started a ‘No Plastic Bag’ campaign, implemented as a tax on businesses, with the proceeds going towards welfare. Retailers had to start charging customers 20 sen for plastic bags and starting 2010 the state government made it mandatory for retail outlets to adopt ‘No Plastic Bag Mondays’ or ‘No Plastic Three Days (Mon-Wed)’.

This month the Selangor government started a similar campaign for Saturdays and is considering making it mandatory like in Penang. I guess the Penang campaign started on weekdays to ‘test the waters’ and now that Selangor has seen the good reception there its safe to start with Saturdays where the consumer base is larger.

Unfortunately the campaign implementation in Selangor is left up to the supermarket, so the proceeds from sales of plastic bags are not guaranteed to go towards welfare. No wonder so many stores are eager to sign up, it’s a no-brainer for them because they can earn profit from previously free bags! You can read about how major supermarkets implemented it at this blog.

No Plastic Bags? Are They Crazy?

The name ‘No Plastic Bag’ sends a mixed message. As the unlucky customers of Cold Storage found out, one message is fear. The Penang and Selangor state governments had to clarify that they don’t mean to ban plastic bags completely, just reduce their usage. They want to promote reusable bags as an alternative to plastic bags, hence ‘no plastic bag’.

Couldn’t they come up with a less scary campaign title though? I know ‘No Plastic Bag, Reuse Bags Instead’ and ‘Less Plastic Bag Day’ aren’t catchy alternatives and given time people will understand. My first reaction to the campaign title was shock, because I don’t want to live in a future where I’m told to go home and get my own bag (because the store doesn’t provide any)!

We are right to fear a ban on plastic bags. Some items stain or smell so they need to be kept separate, especially meat, fish and vegetables. You can’t be expected to bring a container for each category of item, especially when its something small like a dozen eggs. There is also the hygiene aspect – reusable bags I see offered by supermarkets today aren’t easy to clean and wouldn’t survive repeated trips in the washing machine. Some form of disposable packaging is needed.

We didn’t always have the luxury of plastic bags. We used baskets, paper bags and cardboard boxes for our shopping. That was before the advent of hypermarkets where food, sundries, clothes, footwear, electronics and more can be obtained in one visit. You know how it is when you go shopping for a few items and end up at the cashier with more than you planned for?

Even if you did bring your own bag(s), the option of a plastic/paper bag should always be there. Start with 10-20 sen now, make it daily instead of one day a week and slowly raise the price over the next 5-10 years to phase out its usage.

Impact for the Future

The reason supermarkets moved into shopping malls is because of the convenience of it. Shopping malls with cinemas, restaurants, supermarkets and retailers meant people could go there for one reason (food) and sidetrack into shopping for clothes and buying groceries.

There will come a time when the cost of a plastic bag becomes prohibitive. Forcing consumers to bring their own bag means they will only go to the supermarket when it is planned. This reduces the amount of casual shoppers like me, who go to a mall for one reason then pop in for a few items because it’s convenient. When that day comes I will have to start making shopping lists and planning my shopping trips well in advance.

In the future I would like to see:

1. A ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags and food containers.
2. The government publish standards for biodegradability and reward manufacturers of low-cost, high standard plastic bags.
3. The Selangor government to adopt the Penang government policy of channeling the plastic bag sales funds towards welfare.
4. Stores reward consumers for bringing their own bag. People respond better to rewards rather than punishment, even more so in a materialistic urban society like Selangor/Penang. TESCO for example has a rewards system in place that I hope other supermarkets adopt.

I hope this ‘No Plastic Bag’ campaign runs daily like Village Grocer, with the option for used plastic bags. The price being charged is negligible now and what is important is to get the consumer used to the idea of paying for something they took for granted. Then phase out the use of plastic bags slowly.

Update 2/2/2010: I read the notice issued by Elizabeth (Exco for Environment, Consumer Affairs and Tourism) on 29th December 2009 to participating businesses where she states that consumers must pay 20 sen for each plastic bag and the proceeds from those sales are to be channeled towards charities as part of the companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The wording implies it is compulsory because the campaign comes into force starting 4th January 2010. However it is clear that the Selangor govt is taking a soft approach as the participating companies are implementing CSR in their own way, such as absorbing the profits then giving discounts without a clear link between money earned and money returned to the people.

The main focus in Selangor now is on reducing usage of plastic bags and not about welfare as there is no tracking being done. This explains why I found no mention of channeling the money towards welfare in any media. I stand by my hope that we follow Penang’s example one day .

Arsonists Blacken the Name of Islam

I was shocked to wake up yesterday and read the news about the church bombings. Though I think the media could have used a better word – arson seems more appropriate because when people see ‘bomb’ they start thinking C4 and dynamite. It makes me sad to think that in all likelihood Muslims performed this crime. I cannot think of a group more motivated to do it other than the group that want Allah to be exclusive to Muslims in our country. That’s a large group with many suspects.

Reactions were swift and there were so many, I’ll only list some:

1. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak issued a statement condemning the attacks (link)
2. Selangor Chief Minister Khalid Ibrahim visited one of the churches attacked, condemned the attacks and called for calm (link)
3. BN Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin also visited a church, condemned the attacks and urged for caution by the public in making statements or taking action following these incidents (link)
4. The King urged people to remain calm (link)
5. Cabinet Minister Bernard Dompok stated that actions by irresponsible parties had clouded relations between the races in the country, and called for reflection and prayer (link)
6. Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein and Information Minister Rais Yatim condemned the attacks (link1 and link2)
7. The government warned that ISA will be used if necessary (link)
8. Pakatan Rakyat condemned the church attacks (link)
9. PKR President Wan Azizah issued a statement calling for tolerance and peace (link)
10. DAPSY and Selangor DAP issued statements condemning the attacks (link1 and link2)
11. PAS issued a statement condemning the attack (link)
12. Pakatan Rakyat asked UMNO to take responsibility for the attacks (link)
13. 121 NGO groups released a joint statement condemning the attacks (link)
14. Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan gave frequent updates on the investigation, too many links so I’ll only list one (link)
15. PM Najib allocates RM500,000 to Metro Tabernacle Church to be rebuilt elsewhere (link)

For the record, the four churches attacked by arsonists were:

1. Metro Tabernacle Church in Desa Melawati, KL
2. Assumption Church in Jalan Templer, PJ
3. Life Chapel in Section 17, PJ
4. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in PJ

After reading the reports I can’t help but feel that these attacks were coordinated. The hacking of the Judiciary and Herald websites; the use of motorcycle helmets as bombs; the close timing of the attacks – all of these indicate an organised group at work to intimidate our people and keep our country divided.

What message do these attacks send to non-Muslims in this country? The SMS messages being forwarded around sounded extreme – if you wear a cross you will be beaten; if your car has a church sticker it will be smashed; a church in Kg.Subang torched; cars in Bangsar KL smashed. All lies yet people still forwarded it around.

Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance yet too often we see Muslims practicing bigotry, inciting hatred and curtailing personal freedom. Small wonder then that people are so gullible and paranoid.

It makes my heart weep to know these criminals have created fear of Islam and reinforced fear of Islam in this country. I am glad that leaders from both sides have condemned the attacks and the PM gave the allocation (despite losses of est. RM1+ million by that church).

Hopefully everyone will remain calm and there is no escalation to the conflict. I sincerely hope that Christians understand these acts do not reflect the feelings of most Muslims in this country.

I made the poster above, feel free to forward it around.

Hassan’s Moral Police Draft

It bothers me greatly to hear that many people believe that Dato’ Dr. Hassan Ali has created something new: a moral police that watches Muslims and arrests them for drinking.

JAIS officials have been empowered to ‘nab’ Muslims drinking alcohol and committing adultery for many years. Hassan Ali did not create any new laws – the moral police already existed. Just because you don’t hear about raids does not mean they do not happen, or that the threat does not exist. Maybe this ignorance among the people explains why it’s not hard to find Malay-Muslims drinking outside convenience stores in the wee hours. They have no fear of getting caught.

What Hassan Ali has done is draft more people into the moral police. Empowering untrained persons to monitor the morality of others… it’s a recipe for trouble. There’s bound to be a case of some overzealous chap harassing a Malay-looking fellow drinking beer or worse, starting fights.

Personally I don’t see how PAS/JAIS can implement their moral police. It is not right to enforce Islamic practices on non-Muslims. When a raid is done on a hotel/disco, the very act creates fear among the non-Muslim patrons. They should have the freedom to enjoy their life without being suddenly harassed on suspicion of being Muslim.

I am conflicted on the issue of JAIS keeping an eye on Muslims though. I know alcoholism is a problem among the urban Malay youth. JAIS has the responsibility of ensuring Muslims don’t stray from the path. But I disagree with the methods currently used. I think that finding out the reasons Muslims drink in the first place, then addressing those reasons makes more sense than banning alcohol or having moral police.

JAIS should only advise errant Muslims on why Islam has such rules. Fining, jailing, whipping and shaming are such harsh punishments in comparison. If a Muslim is flaunting the rules of the faith, chances are their faith is weak. Such punishment may then only serve to scare them into pretending to be Muslims; and be more careful when breaking the rules in future. They need to be convinced in their heart, and to reach someone’s heart is a slow and arduous process.

I hope one day that religious officials in our nation remember that Islam’s goal is to help spread peace and harmony. They need to focus on co-existing peacefully with other religions, instead of trying to police their brethren at the expense of non-Muslims’ quality of life.

References

Sultan wants explanation over arrest powers for mosque officials – Malaysian Insider (link)
Crackdown: Breweries not targeted … yet – Malaysiakini (link)
Pegawai masjid S’gor boleh tangkap pesalah serta-merta – Malaysiakini (link)
Selangor mosque officials can detain beer-drinking Muslims – Malaysiakini (link)
Selangor mosque officers can now arrest Muslims drinking in public – Star (link)