KUALA LUMPUR: The death of the two RMAF pilots in last week crash in Langkawi highlighted the top to bottom mentality that continue to prevail over Jalan Padang Tembak. Instead of highlighting our soldiers, airmen and sailors, Kementah, especially its website continue to be a platform for its political masters.
Just look at their website.
So my colleagues in the daily press (see Utusan story) had to disturb the bereaved family members for interviews and even worse, pictures. I remembered doing just that several years back. I know its sad but we simply trying to honour our fallen heroes but the powers that be seemed oblivious to the fact.
Click here for examples from other countries which had realised that while the politicians come and go, its the soldiers, airmen and sailors that are the focal point of the services.
The Malaysian syndrome has been going on for years now as long as I could remember. It happened before I joined the media, it happened during the time I was a full time reporter and I half expect that it will continue into the near future. Of course they could still could include the politicians in the website but hogging the bandwidth is simply sacrilegious. Whatever happened to the 1Malaysia concept of Putting the People First, just another slogan?
I had hoped that with the new administration, Jalan Padang Tembalk will revolutionise its PR since the department now got a new civilian boss, brought in from the outside to bring in new ideas and concepts. Furthermore, the Minister got two PR types working for him and nation’s media behind him. There is no need for him to hog the Kementah bandwith. But it seemed nothing has changed.
–Malaysia Defence
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This is Malaysian “bodek” ideology, very2 strongly entrenched in Malaysian government departments. Its a milder version of the Juiche ideology.
“Peneraju Utama Kementah”…wow.
Juche? I’m sorry but that was a policy of self-sufficiency. Bodek was what Kim the Younger did to gain favour with Kim the Elder. Bodek, brown nosing, apple polishing etc. is a cultural phenomenon in Malaysia, particularly with regard to the public sector.
Anyway, we digress. It is absolutely imperative that the minister gets as much visibility as possible because the job currently sucks donkey gonads with minimal allocations etc. God forbid that the services will look upon him as unfavorably as the ‘not Najibs’ and it leads to a political grave.
Why even the ooportubnities to play tentera masuk desa etc. are so limited, unlike the good old days.
I’m waiting for the current Minister to start getting his Para wings and his GK beret. Those should be earned but their leadership is so spineless that they give these honours away just to bodek. Aiyoyo…kemaluan betul….
Marhalim: I believde he got his GGK beret a few months back, in July or June if I not mistaken, just scroll down the website news pages…
A GGK beret should be earned and not just given out to VVIPS. The Indonesians do the same thing with their Kopassus and Kopassandara berets.
Marhalim: Only invisible SF outfits declined to give honorary berets the rest has to follow the party line..
Honouring the people is what the leaders should do and not the other way round. Leaders find their name in history, commoners are only remembered by their friends and family. To lead is to serve and not being served. Let us judge them when they are no longer in service, how much harm or good they did to the security of the nation