Anwar and his allies shoud look at how to form a sort of northern peninsular quasi federal mechanism covering the 5 states to provide a more coordinated governance promoting openness, efficiency and also participatory democrarcy. That would provide a a glimpse to the rest of malaysia to see what kind of governance Barisan Rakyat (People's Front) can provide if they are mandated to form the federal government.
On American Democratic primary, it has been said that Hillary runs the last 20th century campaign and Obama the first 21st century campaign.
Without a doubt internet is really a powerful tools in almost every aspect of our life. Even the so-called Malaysia's political Tsunami in large part is attrivuted to bloggers and on-line activists. DAP's Jeff Ooi, is probably the first blogger elected to parliament.
Speaking about political volunteers, this is an ultra mature sign of partipatory democracy. I too admire the American democratic culture. Politics has a lot of similary across the globe. Former MCA health minister resgined after a video secretly filning his extra-marital affairs went public. Today we have Spitzer resigned for hiring a hooker. Even in China, a lot of political bigwigs were brought down over sex scandals. Publis life really means the only form of legitimate sex is really matrimonial sex.
On LKY, I would suggest Guan Eng to take some pages out of LKY's volumous biographies to devise ala-Singaporean style governance in Penang. I have hell lot of respect for him but his way of disabling his opponents by all legal means, if copied, will definitely be disgusted and held in contempt. Those kinds of techniques were perhaps acceptable during his era but has no place now.
With the 6 weeks break until the next primary, we can shift our attention to Taiwan presidential election, about 10 days from now. Ma has an upperhand based on the opinion polls. However, I also believe that there is a similar phenomena to that - was it Bradly theory - that many of the ben sheng ren (my hokkien clans) who remains uncommitted or says would support Ma in opinion polls, would actually show up to vote for Hsieh. Let's hope that there is no repeat shooting incident this time. If it does, the bullet is likely to strike Ma rather than Hsieh. This remind me of the similar fact evidence we studied in the law school.
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KY,
From Anwar to Obama ... actually it is not that far removed. I just finished Obama's autobiography called "Dreams of My Father". he wrote that 12 years ago when he was about our age.
Two things struck me.
First, by what a good writer he is. He wrote of his uncovering of his family's recent history - and in the process his own self-disovery - with an unusually clear and unself-conscious manner. In the pages, his complex family came alive and shone through with their own personality, with Obama just being a clear and reflective guide. Quite amazing for an autobiography, he let his ego hang back while letting the readers stands in his mind's eye and feels his thoughts.
The other thing is how misleading it is to say he is someone on his way to be "the first black president". With his thoughful, multi-cultural, non-judgmental and nuanced idea of the world...I think he is actually Southeast Asian (!!) I saw that when he wrote of his experiences growing up in Jakarta, eating rambutan until he got stomach ache, going around Kenya in leaky buses with his family visiting all relatives near and far (such as visiting his grandaunt in a slum). When he wrote of conversations with his extended family, they sounded like our distant aunts in the village talking about other relatives. May be its our expereince with the British, may be its just the shared similarities of all humanity but when he talked of family history in British Kenya, it all sounded very familiar. When he talked about life or politics in thrid world countries he did so comfortably and with understanding; no sense of gawking at the alien, no sensationalism or with superiority. You sense he sees things as natural and as they are. I was impressed. When he made a quick cursory link between his observations of the sentiments towards Kenyan Indians to their persecution in Uganda and to the experience of Indonesian-Chinese; that shows his understanding. Same thing when he described the ethnic tensions in Kenya or corruption. He understands them as the reality of an imperfect world, not as a reason of why the world needs the American-way. I am more convinced than ever that the world will benefit from the first US President who also sees himself as a global citizen.
And frankly, he is more Asian than most people think, 6 years living in Indonesia with step-father and extended family (muslim in the javanese sense), whole primary education in a local school - apparently still speaks some Malay, his mother lived and worked in Indonesia for most of her adult life until she died, growing up with all kinds of Asians in Hawaii, his half-sister Maya is married to a Chinese-Canadian with surname Ng. To me, he is almost as white as being a black man - and almost as Asian as well :)
I am even more impressed now that I read his book and saw his personal perspective of "his" very wide world.
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