Abdullah Badawi the current Prime Minister of Malaysia is stepping down from his post in March 2009. It was a bit shocking to me that he is willing to step down. Giving the current situation where he has nothing to lose if he stay on and fight to the end. Why must he succumbed to the pressure from the UMNO warlods to step down? If he stay on and fight, at least we can remember him as the shortest serving PM and a BRAVE one. Someone with guts. Now he has chose to step down, he will be remembered as one of the shortest serving PM alive and as the weakest, powerless, incompetent and useless PM.
This incident somehow brought me back to few thousands years ago incident. A history in ancient China dynasty. It happened between pre Dynasty Han era and ending of Dynasty Qin era. I learned the story below from online materials + TVB movie drama "The Conquerers".
Main figures: Lau Bong (Liu Bang), Hong Yu (Xiang Yu), Hon Soon (Han Xin), Siu Ho (Xiao He)
1st idiom - Sing Ya Siu Ho, Pai Ya Siu Ho
Hon Soon was someone who is very familiar with military strategy and tactics. Apart from this, he was also very well versed in wheather, landscaping and other geography knowledge. All this criteria is the basic need for a successful general during the wartime. Hon Soon had always wanted to become someone very important during the wartime. He dreamt to be a General one day.
Initially he went to join rebel army Hong Yu. During the first meeting, Hon Soon presented few brilliant ideas for Hong Yu on what are the criterias for a good general. He even boasted to Hong Yu that in order to conquer China, he only get 1 person and kill 1 person (Tak Yat Yan, Sat Yat Yan). Hong Yu asked him, who are they? Get 1 person which is him, Hon Soon and kill 1 person which is Soong Yi. Soong Yi is very a cunning person that caused the death of Hong Liang (Hong Yu's uncle.). At that time, Soong Yi was very appreciated by then the Chu's King. He was one of the powerful officer at that time. Unfortunately, the conversation was overheard by Soong Yi. In order not to spoil his plan during the wartime, in turn Hong Yu punished Hon Soon. But later, Hon Soon did make it into Hong Yu's rebel army. The problem is Hong Yu didn't want to make use of Hon Soon intelligent and knowledge due to this ego of being invicible at that time. Hon Soon was only given the post as guard under Hong Yu. Hon Soon become very upset and took Cheung Liang (Zhang Liang) advised to join another rebel army called Han under Lord Liu Bang (Lau Bong).
Initially Lord Liu Bang also did not think much of Hon Soon. He had assigned Hon Soon to manage the food supply instead of making him the General. In fact Lau Bong was waiting for a person that was recommended by Cheung Liang to be made as General. The problem is when Hon Soon met with Lau Bong, he didn't reveal that it was Cheung Liang who asked him to join Lau Bong army. Hon Soon, the Brilliant I called, instancely improve the food supply management for Lau Bong's army which has been the major headache for them due to the poor process in managing the food supply that cause majority of the food rotten before it is being used. Reason being, they mixed up the old and new supply. Hon Soon make use of the military tactics, "Dui Chan Chut San" loosely translated to "remove the dust, use the new". Hon Soon make army open two doors in the food store. One side to get the new supply and the other side to get the old supply. By doing this, it ensure that nothing was mixed up.
I am almost towards the agenda of the first idiom and how it links to both Abdullah Badawi and Mahathir Mohamad.
The turning key, was one day Hon Soon noticed that Lau Bong made his cock fighthing bird as General instead of him. He was so upset and left Lau Bong's army camp at that night as well. Luckily for Lau Bong that have so many loyal servants that serving him. His Prime Minister Siu Ho, quickly go and chase Hon Soon under the moonlight to persuade him to serve under Lau Bong. Siu Ho awared of his tremendous skills. This event also become a major hit in chinese opera with the title "Siu Ho Yuet Ha Chui Hon Soon" "Siu Ho Pursuing Hon Soon Under the Moon". As of then, Lau Bong made him the senior General for Han's army. And with this, Hon Soon had helped Lau Bong to defeat "The Invicible" Hong Yu become the founder of Dynasty Han.
Later, it was Siu Ho that trapped Hon Soon back to the palace and caused Hon Soon being executed under the conspiracy of rebelling against Lau Bong. It was Lau Bong's wife Empress Lu who executed Hon Soon.
Hence, later when a person succeeded just because of someone, and also because of this someone, he met with failure, We will say this "Seng Ya Siu Ho, Pai Ya Siu Ho".
Although Tun Dr Mahathir has reiterated many times that he did not appoint Badawi to the DPM post. It was UMNO who did it. But I can't feel like not linking him to Badawi for the constant attack to Badawi from Tun Dr Mahathir from inside and outside of UMNO. Beside please bear in mind that Tun Dr Mahathir being the PM at that time has the prerogative/exclusive privileges to choose his own cabinet. Being appointed to UMNO No 2 does not warrant/guarantee that person to be appointed as Deputy Prime Minister. Similarly to being UMNO president does not mean automatically be the Prime Minister. Our constitution said, the ruling party choose the leader in the Parliament. Ruling party here I suppose is the 14 coalition parties in Barisan Nasional.
You guys have to decide who is who:
Siu Ho = Mahathir / UMNO
Hon Soon = Badawi (hey of course Badawi is not where near as good as Hon Soon.)
2nd idiom: Meng Sao Chan Tou, Ngam Touh Chan Chong
Back then, when Hon Soon taken Cheung Liang's advised to join Lau Bong's army, the only bridge (chan tou), a very narrow pathway that linked central Ham Yeung to Ba Suk has been destroyed. Cheung Liang gave Hon Soon a secret alley to go inside Ba Suk. When Hon Soon was made Senior General and preparing to attack Hong Yu, he purposely disguise the action of repairing the bridge and in the same time, smuggling out the army from the secret alley out of Ba Suk to attack Hong Yu.
Later, people will say, when a person purpose do something to disguise something while intented to do something else, we would say, "Meng Sao Chan Tou, Ngam Touh Chan Chong".
Hence Badawi's action of stepping down is a pure stepping down OR just purely just a disguise from his genuine intention, we won't know. Let's wait and see.
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