Im trying to remember when during a parliamentry term a PM in a westminister system did not call an election for a fresh and personal mandate. I guess Najib not only makes the Malaysian book of records but also the Guinness Book of records on this.
The Najib era is all but finished. Whether he wins decisively or marginally doesnt really matter anymore. Unless he wins a 2/3 majority (a fantasy and he needs fantasy),he will roll. No move has been made upon him becuase no one in UMNO can win the election and make up the lost ground from 2008. Better let him take the rap. Najib knows this very well, he is an intelligent guy. So why wouldnt Najib hang out and enjoy the premiership and perks of office until the very last moment he is legally able to. After the election even if he wins, the pressure to stand down will be overwhelming. If he loses, the private jet is ready at Subang for a quick trip to London (Shopping is good in the spring I hear).
Najib missed the opportunity back in 2009, and everytime he had a chance to call the election, some issue came up which influenced him to stall. The anwaur acquital evened the race out a little, many PKR people actually wanted him to go to jail. It would have been so much easier and sealed victory.
I’ve never before heard such a groundswell for change on the streets and in the coffee shops. However what Im also hearing is that many young voters are far from impressed with the young YBs from Pakatan who have let their unexpected win “go to their heads”. Without reliable polling (no public figures available) the election outrcome is a Malaysian mystery story. There could be massive gains for the opposition Pakatan in regions like Perlis, NS, Pahang, Terengganu, and Johor, and cliff hangers in Selangor. Making it even more challenging for Najib is Taib Mohd. offering his support to whoever will grant immunity from prosecution.
So the election in Malaysia may be something akin to a melbourne cup race. A dark horse may arise from nowhere. There will be big winners and unexpected losers due to many factors.Dont even rule out a certain reluctant Tunku has has to come in and create a govt of national unity made up of all parties if the results are extremely close. However this maybe more of a wet dream.
Getting back to this wonderful article, it all could have probably been avoided by a quick snap election back in 2009.
Hat Yai seems to have been replaced by Sadao, which is reportedly dominated by Malay mafia. Are these types covered by “vibrant Islamic businesses”?
I recently went by van from Penang to Hat Yai. Next to me was a 60 year old taxidriver. Shortly before the border, he pulled out a small plastic container with six viagra pills. His destination was Sadao, not any longer Hat Yai.
Thanks Nick, much appreciated.
Although PAD was not officially involved I guess there was certainly some behind-the-scenes organisation by certain groups to suddenly produce such a large turnout
Cities like the notorious Hat Yai, a sexual playground for Malaysian tourists are being transformed into vibrant Islamic business centres
Anyone who has been to, say, Dubai (or for the well-connected, Jeddah) know that “sexual playground” and “vibrant Islamic business centre” are not mutually exclusive terms.
[…] Spivak reportedly characterized Leider’s views towards the Rohingya “toxic”. Here is a must-read article from New Mandala for anyone concerned about the systematic attempt to erase […]
“I expect this post not to make it to the forum, and if it is then the flock will doubtless rush to give multitudinous ‘thumbs-down’. All that’s fine of course, it just makes my point for me.” >> Isn’t this too cheap a trick, even for the low standards “Annie” thought she/he could manage to reach?
New Mandala is a Mandala, it can never go astray. It is ubiquitous, bigger and more kaleidoscopic than all of us. You form part of it. Maybe your spluttering is the Mandala’s immune system playing up…. It’s okay Mandala, it’s okay. We shall make offerings to the oracle for your well-being.
Annie, instead of using all of that effort to go and do some photojournalism as a Nick Nostitz 2.0, you decided to write drivel in the cake crumbs mashed into your keyboard. You are the only one to blame for this sorry state of affairs. Go have a shower.
Hmm. May I be a bit skeptical of this enthusiasm? I am not recently well informed, though I once may have been. Why do we think that Malaysia is less entrepreneurial than Thailand? I recall a few years ago that we saw it the other way, that Southern muslims went to Malaysia for work and opportunity. Can you make that case with data? Rate of job formation in eastern and northern Malaysia vs the South? And has the nature of cross-border tourism changed? Data? Malay tourists in Thailand come for the sushi and fashion? Are there statistics on Malays buying condos in the South and retiring there? Statistics on business formation? Gross sales? Migration from the three further south provinces? It would be worth filling this in, if the argument is sustainable.
If i have the time i may make a picture based post. As to the numbers, the police estimate was too low, and the 20 000 was too high. Special Branch estimate, which is usually the best and most neutral estimates of crowds, was 10 000 people at its peak.
This number was nevertheless quite a surprise, as based on similar such rallies in the past year (Siam Samakkhi, etc) most expected 2000 to 3000 people.
I think an anthropological study of New Mandala users everywhere would be instructive. I predict it would show that they are the same as forum contributors everywhere. No more no less.
The irony of Embittered Expat notwithstanding, if a forum is going astray then it is incumbent upon contributors to say so, whether Messrs Farrelly and the other bloke like it or not.
New Mandala with no contributors is no good to anyone. New Mandala with a club of fanboi’s is also no good to anyone, it just appears to be all warm and fuzzy in the short term.
Trust me (or not) there are no free rides in life and the task for a good forum of staying in business is tough enough these days, the not-so-good forums generally go to the wall. And university forums that rely on outside readers rather than just nimrod students generally do badly anyway because the whole university ethos and life-style has little to do with the real world. Seen it all before.
“Chrisb & Annie, do you think New Mandala has become “professionalised”?
I don’t, no. I believe it has become humdrum – over qhite a long time, which may or may not be the same thing.
‘Professionalising’ a blog means stopping moderation policies which reject perfectly reasonable though non-compliant posts, non-compliance meaning saying something which the moderators don’t happen to like, don’t happen to agree with or which chellenge their omnipotence. It means a better quality of article, it means encouraging better discussion. New Mandala has done no of these things in the several years I have been watching.
Perhaps it might be worth remembering Nich, Andrew and Greg are all fairly busy people and that this is crunch time of the second semester in most Australian universities.
I understand but I have no sympathy. if they’re too busy to do the job properly then they should find someone else to do. Easy really. I can’t paste wallpaper, so I learned its better to get someone else to do it. I don’t have time to write my book, so I’m getting a ghost writer to do it and will probably get a better job for doing so. Excuses don’t cut it, if they can’t take the heat of their voluntary obligations…
Having been responsible for some of the fun (nonsense) on this site over the years, I can say with some certainty that the edge of the editors has not been lost due to a new theme. Be patient…”
Well, that’s your opinion. It isn’t mine, though I think the search for a new ‘theme’ was probably prompted by an observed decline not the other way around. Putting lipstick on a pig doth not make the pig a sexy animal.
The popularity of blogs and forums on the internet is decreasing markedly, and the same reasons usually apply. I have said before that when a forum becomes clubby, moderation policies are applied with reference to the moderators personal likes and dislikes, and when the quality of contributions declines, the forum is all but dead in the water and closure becomes inevitable. In my view NM has been clubby for a while, has existed principally to boost the egos or academic CV’s of the moderators instead of achieving any constructive objective, and has suffered from a paucity of *high quality* academic articles. These, combined with a willingness to apply moderation policies based on who is posting rather than what is posted – usually based on whether or not the poster is a part of ‘the club’.
“Be patient…”
Why? Cake later is never a good motivation for action or inaction now. It is what it is.
Its my opinion, based on my observation and experience. Its as valid as any other opinion and more valid than opinions based on warm and cuddly feelings which are usually based on people feeling comfortable secure – being a part of the flock.
I expect this post not to make it to the forum, and if it is then the flock will doubtless rush to give multitudinous ‘thumbs-down’. All that’s fine of course, it just makes my point for me.
Diversity, community initiation and advancement, prosperity and most of all happiness are all in the article. Thank you for this uplifting news.
As the global fear of “Islamization” is voiced everywhere, it is definately a way forward to have a “progressive”, “integrative”, “bountiful” way of Islam to lead the way.
Racially Chinese and “bumiputra” Thai mixture have been quietly successful in business as seen in most successful “medical tourism” sector beating arguably technically more advanced Singaporian private medical sector as well as that of Malaysia.
When there is hope and opportunity, even the dreaded “high profile” terorism will not be able to move it.
Achievable hope, community pride and soliderity will carry the day.
For terrism to succeed, there must be enough background deprivation, mistrust, paranoir and community disperity and disengagement. Exhibit : Burma west. Granade with pin off.
Excellent article. It proves again the well-proven fact that evil Socialism (government or central planning) eventually fails and individual freedom always brings prosperity.
Compare the auto industries in Thailand and Malaysia. Malaysia has that govt-sponsored lemon PROTONs no one wants while Thais are making and exporting cars like BMWs to USA and Australia like hot cakes.
Hey Colum – you’re missing the point my friend. If embittered expats can’t bag new mandala then what else is there for us to do? Who cares if Farelly and his ivory tower mates are busy – here in Thailand we have plenty of time on our hands and a good supply of chips on our shoulders. We need an outlet! We need to be able to come here regularly and complain about how boring it has become. We need to be able to predict NM’s imminent demise on an ongoing basis. And we need regular coverage of our complaints about being censored. That’s why we hate new mandala – its perfect for us. Red thumb for you I’m afraid.
Excellent review. I was struck,however, by one comment that echoes the argument in the book: “Second, mobility rather than attachment to place has become the dominant mode of existence in many if not most people’s lives.” This view, I would hypothesize, might reflect the cases studied more than the reality across Asia, where mobility has long been a reality. Mindanao, for example, had a large influx of settlers after World War Two. And in areas affected by war or civil conflict — Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam — mobility has been a fact of life post-1945.
I am really hoping that Nick got down to Pitak Siam’s outing last Sunday at the Turf Club. It would be really great to read a reliable account of the proceedings – Police estimate 6,000 turned up whilst the BP tell me “The club’s stadium was filled to capacity with the crowd estimated at 20,000”
Interesting that anyone could write an article about this man without mentioning the Khmer rouge once – his collusion with them, for example. A very conspicuous absence from this extremely naive love letter.
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Najib the Delayer
Im trying to remember when during a parliamentry term a PM in a westminister system did not call an election for a fresh and personal mandate. I guess Najib not only makes the Malaysian book of records but also the Guinness Book of records on this.
The Najib era is all but finished. Whether he wins decisively or marginally doesnt really matter anymore. Unless he wins a 2/3 majority (a fantasy and he needs fantasy),he will roll. No move has been made upon him becuase no one in UMNO can win the election and make up the lost ground from 2008. Better let him take the rap. Najib knows this very well, he is an intelligent guy. So why wouldnt Najib hang out and enjoy the premiership and perks of office until the very last moment he is legally able to. After the election even if he wins, the pressure to stand down will be overwhelming. If he loses, the private jet is ready at Subang for a quick trip to London (Shopping is good in the spring I hear).
Najib missed the opportunity back in 2009, and everytime he had a chance to call the election, some issue came up which influenced him to stall. The anwaur acquital evened the race out a little, many PKR people actually wanted him to go to jail. It would have been so much easier and sealed victory.
I’ve never before heard such a groundswell for change on the streets and in the coffee shops. However what Im also hearing is that many young voters are far from impressed with the young YBs from Pakatan who have let their unexpected win “go to their heads”. Without reliable polling (no public figures available) the election outrcome is a Malaysian mystery story. There could be massive gains for the opposition Pakatan in regions like Perlis, NS, Pahang, Terengganu, and Johor, and cliff hangers in Selangor. Making it even more challenging for Najib is Taib Mohd. offering his support to whoever will grant immunity from prosecution.
So the election in Malaysia may be something akin to a melbourne cup race. A dark horse may arise from nowhere. There will be big winners and unexpected losers due to many factors.Dont even rule out a certain reluctant Tunku has has to come in and create a govt of national unity made up of all parties if the results are extremely close. However this maybe more of a wet dream.
Getting back to this wonderful article, it all could have probably been avoided by a quick snap election back in 2009.
Southern Thailand’s other revolution
Hat Yai seems to have been replaced by Sadao, which is reportedly dominated by Malay mafia. Are these types covered by “vibrant Islamic businesses”?
I recently went by van from Penang to Hat Yai. Next to me was a 60 year old taxidriver. Shortly before the border, he pulled out a small plastic container with six viagra pills. His destination was Sadao, not any longer Hat Yai.
Here were Men in Black!
Thanks Nick, much appreciated.
Although PAD was not officially involved I guess there was certainly some behind-the-scenes organisation by certain groups to suddenly produce such a large turnout
Southern Thailand’s other revolution
Cities like the notorious Hat Yai, a sexual playground for Malaysian tourists are being transformed into vibrant Islamic business centres
Anyone who has been to, say, Dubai (or for the well-connected, Jeddah) know that “sexual playground” and “vibrant Islamic business centre” are not mutually exclusive terms.
Making Rohingya statelessness
[…] Spivak reportedly characterized Leider’s views towards the Rohingya “toxic”. Here is a must-read article from New Mandala for anyone concerned about the systematic attempt to erase […]
New Mandala site upgrade
“I expect this post not to make it to the forum, and if it is then the flock will doubtless rush to give multitudinous ‘thumbs-down’. All that’s fine of course, it just makes my point for me.” >> Isn’t this too cheap a trick, even for the low standards “Annie” thought she/he could manage to reach?
New Mandala site upgrade
Annie,
New Mandala is a Mandala, it can never go astray. It is ubiquitous, bigger and more kaleidoscopic than all of us. You form part of it. Maybe your spluttering is the Mandala’s immune system playing up…. It’s okay Mandala, it’s okay. We shall make offerings to the oracle for your well-being.
New Mandala site upgrade
Annie, instead of using all of that effort to go and do some photojournalism as a Nick Nostitz 2.0, you decided to write drivel in the cake crumbs mashed into your keyboard. You are the only one to blame for this sorry state of affairs. Go have a shower.
Southern Thailand’s other revolution
Hmm. May I be a bit skeptical of this enthusiasm? I am not recently well informed, though I once may have been. Why do we think that Malaysia is less entrepreneurial than Thailand? I recall a few years ago that we saw it the other way, that Southern muslims went to Malaysia for work and opportunity. Can you make that case with data? Rate of job formation in eastern and northern Malaysia vs the South? And has the nature of cross-border tourism changed? Data? Malay tourists in Thailand come for the sushi and fashion? Are there statistics on Malays buying condos in the South and retiring there? Statistics on business formation? Gross sales? Migration from the three further south provinces? It would be worth filling this in, if the argument is sustainable.
Here were Men in Black!
Yes, of course i was there 😉
If i have the time i may make a picture based post. As to the numbers, the police estimate was too low, and the 20 000 was too high. Special Branch estimate, which is usually the best and most neutral estimates of crowds, was 10 000 people at its peak.
This number was nevertheless quite a surprise, as based on similar such rallies in the past year (Siam Samakkhi, etc) most expected 2000 to 3000 people.
New Mandala site upgrade
I think an anthropological study of New Mandala users everywhere would be instructive. I predict it would show that they are the same as forum contributors everywhere. No more no less.
The irony of Embittered Expat notwithstanding, if a forum is going astray then it is incumbent upon contributors to say so, whether Messrs Farrelly and the other bloke like it or not.
New Mandala with no contributors is no good to anyone. New Mandala with a club of fanboi’s is also no good to anyone, it just appears to be all warm and fuzzy in the short term.
Trust me (or not) there are no free rides in life and the task for a good forum of staying in business is tough enough these days, the not-so-good forums generally go to the wall. And university forums that rely on outside readers rather than just nimrod students generally do badly anyway because the whole university ethos and life-style has little to do with the real world. Seen it all before.
Love
Annie
Annie
New Mandala site upgrade
“Chrisb & Annie, do you think New Mandala has become “professionalised”?
I don’t, no. I believe it has become humdrum – over qhite a long time, which may or may not be the same thing.
‘Professionalising’ a blog means stopping moderation policies which reject perfectly reasonable though non-compliant posts, non-compliance meaning saying something which the moderators don’t happen to like, don’t happen to agree with or which chellenge their omnipotence. It means a better quality of article, it means encouraging better discussion. New Mandala has done no of these things in the several years I have been watching.
Perhaps it might be worth remembering Nich, Andrew and Greg are all fairly busy people and that this is crunch time of the second semester in most Australian universities.
I understand but I have no sympathy. if they’re too busy to do the job properly then they should find someone else to do. Easy really. I can’t paste wallpaper, so I learned its better to get someone else to do it. I don’t have time to write my book, so I’m getting a ghost writer to do it and will probably get a better job for doing so. Excuses don’t cut it, if they can’t take the heat of their voluntary obligations…
Having been responsible for some of the fun (nonsense) on this site over the years, I can say with some certainty that the edge of the editors has not been lost due to a new theme. Be patient…”
Well, that’s your opinion. It isn’t mine, though I think the search for a new ‘theme’ was probably prompted by an observed decline not the other way around. Putting lipstick on a pig doth not make the pig a sexy animal.
The popularity of blogs and forums on the internet is decreasing markedly, and the same reasons usually apply. I have said before that when a forum becomes clubby, moderation policies are applied with reference to the moderators personal likes and dislikes, and when the quality of contributions declines, the forum is all but dead in the water and closure becomes inevitable. In my view NM has been clubby for a while, has existed principally to boost the egos or academic CV’s of the moderators instead of achieving any constructive objective, and has suffered from a paucity of *high quality* academic articles. These, combined with a willingness to apply moderation policies based on who is posting rather than what is posted – usually based on whether or not the poster is a part of ‘the club’.
“Be patient…”
Why? Cake later is never a good motivation for action or inaction now. It is what it is.
Its my opinion, based on my observation and experience. Its as valid as any other opinion and more valid than opinions based on warm and cuddly feelings which are usually based on people feeling comfortable secure – being a part of the flock.
I expect this post not to make it to the forum, and if it is then the flock will doubtless rush to give multitudinous ‘thumbs-down’. All that’s fine of course, it just makes my point for me.
Love,
Annie
Southern Thailand’s other revolution
Diversity, community initiation and advancement, prosperity and most of all happiness are all in the article. Thank you for this uplifting news.
As the global fear of “Islamization” is voiced everywhere, it is definately a way forward to have a “progressive”, “integrative”, “bountiful” way of Islam to lead the way.
Racially Chinese and “bumiputra” Thai mixture have been quietly successful in business as seen in most successful “medical tourism” sector beating arguably technically more advanced Singaporian private medical sector as well as that of Malaysia.
When there is hope and opportunity, even the dreaded “high profile” terorism will not be able to move it.
Achievable hope, community pride and soliderity will carry the day.
For terrism to succeed, there must be enough background deprivation, mistrust, paranoir and community disperity and disengagement. Exhibit : Burma west. Granade with pin off.
Southern Thailand’s other revolution
Excellent article. It proves again the well-proven fact that evil Socialism (government or central planning) eventually fails and individual freedom always brings prosperity.
Compare the auto industries in Thailand and Malaysia. Malaysia has that govt-sponsored lemon PROTONs no one wants while Thais are making and exporting cars like BMWs to USA and Australia like hot cakes.
New Mandala site upgrade
Hi Embittered Expat.
I think an anthropological study of New Mandala users in Thailand would make for an excellent post, and may even get things fired up. How about it?
New Mandala site upgrade
Hey Colum – you’re missing the point my friend. If embittered expats can’t bag new mandala then what else is there for us to do? Who cares if Farelly and his ivory tower mates are busy – here in Thailand we have plenty of time on our hands and a good supply of chips on our shoulders. We need an outlet! We need to be able to come here regularly and complain about how boring it has become. We need to be able to predict NM’s imminent demise on an ongoing basis. And we need regular coverage of our complaints about being censored. That’s why we hate new mandala – its perfect for us. Red thumb for you I’m afraid.
Review of Revisiting Rural Places
Excellent review. I was struck,however, by one comment that echoes the argument in the book: “Second, mobility rather than attachment to place has become the dominant mode of existence in many if not most people’s lives.” This view, I would hypothesize, might reflect the cases studied more than the reality across Asia, where mobility has long been a reality. Mindanao, for example, had a large influx of settlers after World War Two. And in areas affected by war or civil conflict — Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam — mobility has been a fact of life post-1945.
Here were Men in Black!
I am really hoping that Nick got down to Pitak Siam’s outing last Sunday at the Turf Club. It would be really great to read a reliable account of the proceedings – Police estimate 6,000 turned up whilst the BP tell me “The club’s stadium was filled to capacity with the crowd estimated at 20,000”
New Mandala site upgrade
chrisb, I have been quietly thinking exactly the same thing. This place needs a post to fire things up a little.
A much misunderstood monarch
Interesting that anyone could write an article about this man without mentioning the Khmer rouge once – his collusion with them, for example. A very conspicuous absence from this extremely naive love letter.