No burden, carry rocks - tiada beban, batu di Galas

This is an old Malay proverb. It means, the stupidity of someone who proactively seeks to burden himself. At the end of the day, people mock his stupidity. You begin with having no problem, but you intentionally create one for yourself.

I read with incredulity a suggestion that TRH-Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah be made the BN candidate for Galas state seat. That would be like using a thoroughbred horse pulling a milk cart. Why don't we suggest that TRH be made the finance minister instead?

This is the major problem within UMNO. All this talk about human capital, people being the most important asset etc etc are just gimmicks to show you have read the current management literature. When it comes to practice, you throw out everything through the window. The number one rule is, it's all in the name of expediency.

In the case of the Galas by election, TRH should be asked to do what is expected of a Ketua Bahagian. If you want to ask him to be the director of operations in the elections, ask him to suggest the candidate. After all he is the ketua Bahagian, the most senior of all the MPs in Parliament.

Coming back to asking him to be an ADUN. He is a former finance minister, the first chairman of PETRONAS. His credentials will probably fill up the suitcases of many UMNO leaders. Clearly that suggestion is an attempt to further humiliate the only UMNO leader now who commands non partisan respect.

Tengku Razaleigh as long as he is healthy in body and mind is more suitable for national office. With the country facing a lot of economic problems and a serious creditability image, the better strategy is to appoint TRH to a senior government post and then persuade him to lead BN in Galas buy by-election. You remember what the former Speaker of Congress Tip O'Neill said of Reagan- when Reagan was compared to some respected leader- half of that man's brain is equivalent to the whole of Reagan's person. The same thing can be said of Tengku Razaleigh compared to many UMNO leaders now.

Update: I hear on this 9th of October, the man with the personality of a wooden post, Dato Mustapha Mohamad will lead a delegation, welcoming back TRH from overseas trip. This kind of reception is usually accorded to statesman with a stature like Dr. Mahathir or currently serving PM. if it has come to this, it can only mean, the the acceptance of Ku Li as Director of Operations is not a done deal. Muhyidin is therefore doing a kite flying ruse. Who is Muhyidin trying to spook into action?

Here is a man whose insights and accumulated wisdom you can leverage in managing the country, but has so far been ignored. Its like Singapore dismissing the wisdom and insights of MM Lee Kuan Yew. TRH shouldn't be asked to do more that what is expected of a Ketua Bahagian. He is as loyal as any other UMNO leader to the causes of UMNO. With this kind of stature, people are asking him to be ADUN of Galas. Its like asking Dato Najib to be the ADUN of Peramu Jaya in Pekan.

courtesy of Sakmongkol47