E Contrario

Last Thursday (15 May), I was invited by Astro Awani (Channel 501) to participate in the “Sudut Pandangan” program, hosted by Kamarul Bahrin Haron. The broadcast was live at 20:30hr.

On the same stage, purportedly my ‘opponent’, was Datuk Saifudin Abdullah. The new deputy minister for Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development was once the chairperson of Malaysia Youth Council/Majlis Belia Malaysia. With both of us having NGO background, we tend to be in agreement rather than arguing against each other.

I supposed the younger leaders of BN also understood the need for change, or at least to be seen understood the need for change.

The host Kamarul was a passionate and eager person. He seem even more impatient for change than either of us.

Before the start of the program, I was chatting with friends: Suresh Shanan and his “NI TV” gang (who proposed this program to Awani). I asked what exactly was “New Governance”? I only knew of “good governance” or “bad governance”, what is “new”?

Then I joked: Perhaps the host meant “New Government”?

Soon, I realized I was right. Besides the discourse on “governance”, the discussion eventually shifted to the issue of power transfer from ruling parties to the alternative. Unfortunately due to time limitation, we were unable to elaborate. Otherwise it would be interesting to hear what Saifudin has to say.