Malaysia's powerful
Women,Family and Community Development
Minister faces fall from grace
In "Cows-Condos" Crisis.
The worst
Has yet to hit hard home
For once popular female rising star politician
Wanita Umno chief
Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil ~
Now out of special survival sympathy
Having enjoyed years
Of extraordinary political favour
Lady Luck good fortune
And high-profiled support
By some top Malaysian politicians and corporate captains
That did not stop her defeat
As Lembah Pantai MP candidate
By political novice
Nurul Izzah Anwar -
Daughter of sacked Former Deputy Prime Minister
Turned Opposition Leader
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim -
In Nurul Izzah's election debut
During 2008 political tsunami.
Malaysia's Auditor-General
Has highlighted discrepancies
Spot on
National Feedlot Corporation(NFC)
Scandal ~
Clearly exposing the Wanita Umno chief's
Family business
Gone publicly bad and wrong ~
Controversial "National Food Security" Project ~
Big business involving cow breeding and fattening for slaughter and meat marketing
To reduce Malaysia's beef import bill
And cut foreign exchange outflow
Under Former Prime Minister
Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's
Stated policy thrust ~
Trust on her husband as NFC's Executive Chairman
And her son as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Weak knee-jerk defences
Are no strong excuses,
As good lawyers know,
To spare
Any aspiring heroine the bright glare
Of mass media spotlight
Like her ousted predeccesor
Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.
Calls for "Kak Ijat"
To be spat
Out for fierce exercise of power and influence
In using the women's wing
As her shield
To deflect public outcry
Scrutiny and criticism
And direct attention away
From the NFC fiasco controversy
Exposing personal family
"Cows-Condos" Crisis
Involving millions
Of ringgit of tax-payers' money
Surely will mount
By the day
As Malaysia's next national election
Looms.
"Winnable candidates"
In winnable areas
By winnable parties
For winnable campaigns
Are hot news issues
Burning bright
In future think tank
Political strategy
Public trust accountability
Transparency to catalyze
Greater social economic political transformation
Modernization of Malaysia
Into rank of developed nations
In line with Vision 2020.
Already outrage over alleged corruption
Has turned the heat on her
To go.
Former Prime Minister
Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
Has spoken out
Advising her
To know when to quit:
"Don't wait
For people to chase you out."
Her own party chieftains
Kinabatangan MP
Datuk Bung Moktar Radin
And Cheras Umno chief
Datuk Syed Ali Alhabshee
Have also urged her to resign
From Cabinet Minister and Umno Women chief posts.
Facts must speak louder than words.
Top powerful holders
Of public office and trust
Must face the music
For they are subject
To public scrutiny,criticism and accountability.
Family values and fundamental principles
Must matter
In intelligent political discourse and debate
On any nation's future bold vision and courageous leadership -
More vital and deeper
Than sweet smiling persona.
Any leader of high calibre
Entrusted with the vital duty and heavy responsibility
To take good care
Of "Women,Family and Community Development"
Must know
When to bow out gracefully.
Her time
To strut her stuff
With wealthy lifestyle and personal ostentation
Like her family's policy distortion
Strategy misdirection
Via alleged investment management misplacement
Of public funds
From purchase of cows
To luxury condominiums
Must soon be over.
While women,the poor,needy and distressed suffer
Without more meaningful drastic reform and improvement,
Big question mark
Hangs over her political future.
Can she champion causes
Credibly
To organize,mobilize and motivate people
To win votes
And deliver effective results
With the dark cloud
Of "Cows-Condos" Crisis
Eclipsing her once bright political star?
Can the nation and people
Give her public trust and support
When her husband and son
Have used public funds
To buy luxury condominiums
In Malaysia's affluent Bangsar
Instead of cows?
Any wise warrior
Must weigh
Pros and cons
Of whether to be or not to be
Famous infamous
Fodder focus
Of opposition firepower
And fresh firestorm
In fast changing global political landscape.
Political leaders seldom
Wish to give up power.
But events
Can force
Entrenched politicians to lose high position and power overnight.
Like it or not,
Dummies,
Few politicians are angels
For politics can be clean or dirty
Games of power and privilege
Depending on one's true virtue
And overarching vision and mission
To serve the public interest
Above and beyond self-interest.
