BFM-ZUBEDY Unity Series - Why The Rakyat Must Lead

April 15th 2010

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Have A Meaningful Vaisakhi - In The Star today :)

Have a meaningful Vaisakhi

A revered spiritual leader who changed himself first, lead a simple life and becamea role model to many- Sant Sohan Singh Ji (1902- 1972)

What is to be done: To change our leader’s behavior, we must first change ourselves


Our politicians, MPs and ADUNS take their cue from us.

There may be some who can chart new directions but most look at us, the Rakyat, to decide how to think and what to do. If we want our leaders to change their behavior, we must first change our behavior. If we behave like ultras, to show that they are with us, our leaders will present themselves as ultras. If we behave rationally and demand sensible alternatives, then there is a very good chance that our leaders will get the clues and act sensibly. To create better leaders we need to be better Rakyats.

For example, if we want to our leaders to practice meritocracy, we must do it first. We seem to have lost our ability to evaluate wisely: we demand meritocracy from politicians but we ourselves do not judge ideas on merit. Instead we judge them by whose idea it was. If the idea is from the other side, we will do our utmost to find a hole in it, or poke a hole or two to kill the idea. If an idea is from our leader, we follow blindly and find justifications to support it.

Whether it is PM Najib’s 1Malaysia or CM Guan Eng’s CAT (competency, accountability, transparency), opponents on both sides are not studying closely the qualities of these ideas. What’s being practiced is “condemn everything on the other side, and follow my leaders no matter what.” Instead of criticizing 1Malaysia or CAT, find out as much as you can about these concepts and ask yourself what you can do to make them a reality, what action can you take to make a difference?

If we want our leaders to empathize, we must lead the way and show real concern for one another. If we don’t want our politicians to be racial or racist then we must embrace unity.

We the Rakyat have produced the two political sides today. They are like two people trying to get out of a hole; instead of reaching for the light, the two parties are busy pulling each other down. We need politicians on both sides focused on the economy and working for the future of our nation so that Malaysia remains viable and competitive. This must be our center of attention and we the Rakyat must change and reflect this focus, so our leaders can change for the better.

At zubedy our programs draw strength from shared values and traditions. We
believe at the heart, all Malaysians want good things for themselves and for their brother and sister Malaysians simply because our nation cannot prosper as a whole if some of us are left behind.

Have A Meaningful Vaisakhi

BFM-ZUBEDY Unity Series - Vaisakhi (April 8)

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BFM- ZUBEDY Unity Series - 3 Good Books To Read

... to understand each other better.

April 1st.

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BFM-ZUBEDY Unity Series - From Tolerance to Acceptance Part 1 - 4

I have been rather full with work and teaching and stayed of blogging, not even posting the BFM Unity Series. So here's a whole bunch of them on Acceptance. Happy listening :)

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Part 1 March 4th




Part 2 march 11



Part 3 March 18



Part 4 March 25

Najib's promise - From Malaysian Insider

By Sheridan Mahavera

SINGAPORE, April 6 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak claimed tonight that he has put his political career on the line by committing to purging rent-seeking and patronage politics in Malaysia’s economy.

He said this is because those who benefit from these practices are powerful and politically connected, and he hinted that they could even exert their influence in Umno, the party of which he is president.

Najib, who has made needs-based instead of race-based affirmative action an important plank of his administration, said that his approach has put him in a “dangerous” position.

“We don’t want rent seekers and the politics of patronage in our economy. I committed to that and it is dangerous because they are politically connected.

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