TOMKINS: WHAT DO I KNOW?

TOMKINS: WHAT DO I KNOW? Paul Tomkins 20 August 2009
	I honestly don't think I can remember a greater overreaction to a result than the weekend's defeat at Spurs. So bouncing back was doubly vital.
Perhaps Burnley in 2005 was the last time things went this OTT, but that was an FA Cup exit. Liverpool still had the Champions League to contest (what happened there, I forget?), but it was the end to that competition. So it was conclusive in that sense, even if its significance was massively overplayed. By comparison, in terms of the title, losing to Spurs was like going a goal behind in the third minute of a match: not ideal, but why would you panic with so much time left? Games are never over that early, just as seasons are never over that early. Liverpool went a goal down in the third minute at home to Manchester United around this time last year, and that didn't work out so bad, did it? They also went behind to an early goal at Old Trafford, and that was even better. It's the same principle. It just needed victory over Stoke to make it feel like 1-1 in the fifth minute: game on. Except now you have momentum on your side. Especially if you get a good win. (Of course, with perfect timing for this piece, Burnley and Man United met each other last night as well.) Things change quickly in football. That was always going to be apparent this week. But part of the reason they change so dramatically is that the starting point is an extreme, and the fluctuation is like a pendulum. We all have those crazy emotions, it's just a case of taking a deep breath and thinking clearly. Yesterday, Liverpool's 'season was finished' yada yada yada, and United were not missing Ronaldo and in tip-top shape. A few hours later, Liverpool, despite more injuries and tougher fixtures than their rivals, were suddenly above United in the table, with five different players opening their scoring account, including almost all of the main goal hopes getting off the mark. Suddenly it was United failing to score against a newly-promoted side. Liverpool had ended their Stoke hoodoo, and Glen Johnson had helped do what he was bought to do: beat such teams at Anfield. Two games, three outstanding contributions to goals from the lad: one to win a penalty, one a great finish, and the other a cross after some great stepovers. I read some nonsense this summer about how he's 'only a full-back', but that misses the point. He's not some bog-standard defender, but a quasi-right winger, who can make use of the space Dirk Kuyt creates. Even today I read a newspaper article that said 'full-backs don't win you titles'. Well, not on their own they don't, but read Jonathan Wilson's excellent tactical disseminations on how the attacking full-back has become a key tactical weapon for the best teams, and gain some insight. But then he studies the game, rather than just blurting out nonsense. However, even I didn't expect Johnson to make such a massive impact so immediately. He has added a spark of creativity that many wingers can't even supply. Of course, it's still very, very early days, for Johnson and for the season. But this result gave me more satisfaction than many I can remember for a long time. Extreme reactions lead to an intensification of pressure, when there really should be more equilibrium. I didn't think failure to beat Stoke would signal the end of Liverpool's season, but I did expect to face a barrage of such proclamations had it come to pass. I know a lot of older Reds, and while not all of them are free of jerking knees (and creaking ones for that matter), many can't believe the change in reactions to results. At 38, I'm old enough to remember the pre-digital era, and when newspapers had no mention of pre-season friendlies, let alone there being the chance of seeing a sniff of them on TV. Nowadays it's at saturation point. Every little thing is made to mean more. In many ways it's great: a greater amount of football is accessible (although it's often not free), and information is everywhere. Interest in football, and Liverpool, has never been greater. The game has also improved in many ways, despite a few negatives on the pitch (such as diving and play acting). But with progress of any kind there will always be drawbacks. The internet is a great resource for football, but it gives voices to some who might be better off biting their tongue, figuratively speaking. Blogs and news sites encourage outlandish opinion, and the pot gets stirred in ever more fervent circles. So this is not a case of nostalgically pining for the way things were. I don't miss pitches like bogs and games played five yards either side of the halfway line. I don't miss the back-pass, or the proliferation of cloggers. But I do miss the days when a defeat was a disappointment, a setback, but not the end of the world. After the Spurs game I spoke with Chris Rowland, a veteran of all 10 of Liverpool's European finals, and who has a book on his experiences at Heysel coming out later in the year. He said solemnly, 'It never used to be like this.' And I spoke with Vic Gill, son-in-law of Bill Shankly, and former LFC trainee under the great man. He couldn't believe the impatience either, and thanked me for my efforts in trying to reintroduce some knee-stability to the debate. (I have seen a few other articles along these lines to: kudos to Hesbighesred on RAWK, and Rory Smith in The Telegraph.) Both Chris and Vic are internet users, so it's not the medium. And it's given me a platform, so I can't complain too much. But just as players need apprenticeships, young fans do too. There are some very astute young folk out there, but there are those who, as is par for the course at that age, think they know it all. I had some pretty daft views myself some 20 years ago, but the internet wasn't there for people to gather in packs of negativity and doom, and I had no outlet to make a fool of myself, bar a couple of mates to moan to. Younger fans are not helped by a media that has gone berserk, and in many ways they know no different. To them this is the norm. My greatest worry is that hysteria makes it even harder for Liverpool to win the title. It's not about points scoring between pundits, but trying to have fans keep their heads. The pressure on Liverpool is immense because of the historical situation and the long wait for the title, and that has to be managed, not stoked. And I often admit that I do not have all the answers. Far from it. A lot of the time I'm proving heavily-critical arguments wrong, because they are too definitive, or they are factually wayward. Theories are fine, it's the certainty of these people that irritates me. And that goes for pundits, too. Why did Liverpool lose at Spurs? I can only guess, but I didn't conclude that 'the personnel aren't good enough' or 'the formation is all wrong' or 'there aren't enough goals in the side'. Common sense told me that these players can score enough goals: they did so last season. Common sense told me the front two didn't look sharp, but not to panic. Class is permanent. Lo and behold, much better four days later. Why Liverpool didn't pass well at White Hart Lane was never clear-cut; the same players, plus Benayoun, passed brilliantly against a dogged and defensive Stoke. So it was never going to be down to the absence of one player, or the inclusion of another. Benítez was mocked in one article (cum-character-assassination) for talking about certain oft-criticised players being good in training. I remember about eight years ago, doing the same to someone who said, 'Igor Biscan is apparently excellent in training'. 'What good's that?' I answered, in my naïveté, as if it had no relevance to the debate. Admittedly, it doesn't mean that a player who excels in training will translate that into the first team. But we have to respect that a manager, through training with these players several hours each and every day, knows what his charges are capable of, and what they have the potential to achieve. It's moronic to ignore the fact that very, very few players enter the first team as the finished article. This is of course even more apposite with youngsters and imports. It's a manager's job to get them to translate that into the first team, but it can take time. Impressing in training is often the first step in development, because it's far harder with the pressure of a proper game. Some players may never overcome their anxiety, but it can take time to adapt to the expectations. If he doesn't get the chances, he'll never blossom, but it has to be the manager's decision if he's worth that chance in the first place. Allow him the benefit of the doubt before spouting off. At times I forget that I'm not 25 anymore. But then I see some teenager walking with his trousers halfway down to his knees, his boxers on display, and like some retired army major I tut at his scruffiness. So maybe I'm just getting old. However, I just wish more fans and journalists, if they don't have the facts to hand, would stop and think, 'Well, what do I know?'

LIVERPOOL 4-0 STOKE CITY

LIVERPOOL 4-0 STOKE CITY Wednesday 19 August 2009 20:00 , Barclays Premier League

LFC 4-0 STOKE: THE VERDICT Here's the pick of the post-match reaction following Liverpool's 4-0 victory over Stoke City at Anfield on Wednesday. The local paper Stoke were chasing their first win at Anfield for 50 years and Liverpool were looking to avoid starting a season with two straight defeats for the first time since 1924. In truth neither ever looked likely after an opening period in which the Reds flew out of the blocks in the same fashion which left the likes of Real Madrid and Aston Villa gasping for air in the closing months of last season. James Pearce, Liverpool Echo The tabloid Benitez bought England full back Johnson to provide attacking verve down the flanks and a surprise extra man in attack, especially here at Anfield and especially against sides like Stoke given that their draw here last season provided the template of how to steal points from Anfield. A year on, and the Reds have passed their first big test, because they demolished Stoke and in the process posted warning that they may be a different proposition at home. David Maddock, Daily Mirror The broadsheet A year ago, Stoke held Liverpool to a goalless draw at Anfield, a result that owed a much to a Steven Gerrard effort being ruled out for no apparent reason after just two minutes. This time there was to be no such reprieve for the visiting team. Gerrard helped to tee up Torres's first goal of the season, Johnson's acrobatics effectively ended the game as a meaningful contest, and in the second period Liverpool simply kept up the pressure, with Lucas Leiva controlling play in midfield. Dirk Kuyt scored the third goal with 12 minutes remaining after a moment of inspiration from Gerrard, who produced a graceful pirouette that was too much for Danny Higginbotham, the defender ending up on the seat of his pants watching Kuyt finish the move. David Ngog, a substitute, completed the rout, leaving a content Benitez to enjoy not only the spoils of victory but also the knowledge that his team had carried out his orders. Tony Barrett, The Times The tabloid Many judge Pepe Reina to be the best goalkeeper in the Barclays Premier League and that number can only have increased after the way he launched himself to his left and tipped Delap's effort around the post at full stretch. It was to be Stoke's only genuine threat on goal and their fate was sealed by a flash of brilliance from Gerrard in the 78th minute. The England midfielder is renowned for his surging runs, but it was close control and inspired vision that allowed him to bring down Mascherano's chipped pass and turn past Etherington in one movement before rolling the ball along the six-yard line for Kuyt to force home. John Edwards, Daily Mail The broadsheet Johnson's principal rival for the man-of-the-match award was Steven Gerrard, who was behind each of the first three goals. If he had done nothing else, the England midfielder's high-speed "Cruyff turn" in the build-up to Kuyt's goal deserved the thunderous acclaim on his substitution. Phil Shaw, Independent The manager The first goal was important and the second was a big difference because they had to go forward, we had more space. We were patient, played well on the ball and took our chances. Rafa Benitez The player Obviously it was brilliant to score my first for Liverpool and to do it on my home debut was amazing, but the win was more important to get us out of the starting blocks. Glen Johnson The opposition manager I think when they have their tails up they are a great team and I thought Johnson and Kuyt on the right and Benayoun on the left were excellent, and then Torres up front as well, he was fantastic. Tony Pulis, Stoke City The fan Johnson deserved his goal for an excellent performance. He was always a threat and you can see why Rafa brought him in. He will be very useful against park the bus teams as he has trickery and skill going forward. Mascherano was tigerish but Lucas was the main man in midfield tonight with good distribution and some excellent tackling. Benayoun and Kuyt were lively and Gerrard and Torres did their bit too - lovely skill from Stevie for the third. Dousty, Liverpoolfc.tv forums

TNB Online

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《马来西亚前锋报》的受害者

【乱石崩云／唐南发专栏】纳吉就任首相之时，信誓旦旦推动“一个马来西亚”为其施政之最高“指导思想”，但四个月下来，与此相关的相应措施，除了1Malaysia信托基金引发全民投入抢购之外，丝毫激不起一丝涟漪。

尤有甚者，巫统的喉舌《马来西亚前锋报》自2008年3月8日全国大选以来就不时打出耸动的标题，试图制造族群关系紧张的假象，并且见缝插针，一旦民联成员党之间出现矛盾，则加大力度煽风点火，试图使争论升温，字里行间充斥着种族与宗教情绪，不在话下。

有人问：如果纳吉真心诚意要推动“一个马来西亚”，何以任由以《马来西亚前锋报》为首的马来文报章肆意扭曲读者的焦点，凡事种族化和宗教化？

事 实是，巫统素来习惯玩弄两面手法。当马哈迪领导的政府在1990年代初期提出“2020宏愿”和“马来西亚国族”的同时，马来文主流媒体－从报章、杂志、 电台和电视－亦营造“新马来人”论述。当时保守的马来民族研究重镇国民大学就曾主办研讨会，公然鼓吹把马来人的定义扩大到涵盖中南半岛的土著及台湾的南岛 语系族群，以显示这个民族并不弱小，而且历史悠久，足以同其他民族抗衡。

这 种论述和大中华思维一样具有保守性质，于促进多元族群社会的和谐毫无裨益；但类似舆论在1993年的巫统党大会前一再出现，而无视其他族群的感受。如果要 追究，当时逼退嘉化巴巴的宏愿队伍要员：安华、纳吉和慕尤丁等都不能推脱责任。而他们的目标也很清楚：马来民族永远必须在马来西亚国族之上，因为那才是权 力基础的来源。

因 此，纳吉在塑造本身是“全民首相”之时，也不能放弃他身为马来人领袖的地位。巫统是国阵最大党，也是纳吉延续政治实力的命脉，默许《马来西亚前锋报》之流 继续愚弄草根阶层是必须的。相反的，无论是翁诗杰、蔡细历、许子根、卡维斯或三美威鲁，他们充其量只能是族群领袖，没有几个马来人－无论巫统或民联的支持 者－会认真把他们看作“国家领导”；他们的存在，不过是为了点缀国阵的彩衣而已。

纳吉慕尤丁

一黑一白脸

我们且回顾纳吉出任首相后，对新闻自由的首次重要谈话：

“马来西亚需要的是世界级，且以事实为根据的报道。媒体在报道中必须公平与负责。至关重要的是，我们在关乎国家未来方面应打造一个具建设性的论争。至于提供阴谋论和谣言的新闻事业，我相信我们可以超越之。”（纳吉，2009年4月6日）

纳 吉（左图右）这番话一出街，主流报章纷纷转载，趁机为其涂脂抹粉者亦大有人在。但身为巫统的最高领袖，掌握多家平面和电子媒体的纳吉不可能不知道，《马来 西亚前锋报》近日的所作所为同“世界级媒体”的目标完全背道而驰。他选择沉默，是为了扮白脸；而副首相慕尤丁（左图左）敢于挡关，对记者的提问嗤之以鼻， 一句媒体“有评论时事的自由”轻轻带过，是黑脸。

巫 统主席有权决定《马来西亚前锋报》的舆论方向，是不争的事实。反殖民斗士Shamsiah Fakeh在其回忆录《Dari AWAS Ke Rejimen Ke-10》中，数次谈到被巫统强行收编后的《马来西亚前锋报》如何把她和其他革命同志诬蔑为恐怖分子。不过，当马哈迪于1994年初亲自指示内政部和外 交部准许Shamsiah一家回国定居以后，马来文报章的文风立改，甚至刊登退休军人和警察呼吁马来人社会莫与前革命份子为敌的谈话。与陈平欲回国所引发 的争议作比较，谁是《马来西亚前锋报》的后台，难道还不够清楚？

熟悉马来西亚政治历史的媒体工作者，不会连这点都不了解；缺乏这方面的认知，就不配担任报业高职。

事 实上，巫统垄断马来人的资讯管道已经长达将近半个世纪，期间无所不用其极地控制马来人社会，同时也把回教党逼到另一个极端，在两个马来人政党保守角力之间 的马来人社会才是最大的受害者。这些年来，国家经历了一次又一次的政治危机，而每次《马来西亚前锋报》妖魔化反对巫统当权派的马来人时，非马来文的主流报 章媒体何尝不是置身事外？

如今《马来西亚前锋报》炒作种族课题过了火，《星洲日报》等“大报”忽然正义地反击，不过是出于维护华人市场的考量而已。然它们之前吹捧纳吉过了头，骑虎难下，最终只敢批判《马来西亚前锋报》，而不敢把矛头指向当初所推崇的纳吉，这也是中文报的悲哀和无奈。

TOMKINS ON JOHNSON AND TRANSFERS

Paul Tomkins 29 June 2009
	While there are a number of journalists I like and respect, I find it's best for my peace of mind to not focus too much on transfer speculation in the newspapers.
I'm sure if you combined just a few different reports, you'd conclude that Liverpool are losing the entire first team to various other clubs, and buying 179 players in their place. While there are good journalists, there are those who appear to have been sampling the kind of mushrooms that aren't really advisable to consume. Obviously there will be truth in some stories; but I think I once saw a stat that only about 10 per cent of transfer gossip tallies with subsequent transfers. Other stories may be true but for one reason or another don't come to fruition, but you do suspect some journos have an 'invent and submit' button on their keyboards that automatically throws a few random names and prices together in time for the print deadline. For my sanity, I find it's best to just wait and see who arrives and who leaves. I don't want any player the manager wants to keep to be sold, and I want him to get his first choice targets, but it's rarely that simple. Stirring the pot is what the media has to do, to hit its own targets. Agents also benefit from creating unrest. Whatever happens will happen. If anyone genuinely wants to leave Liverpool, then I won't lose any sleep; the club needs those who want to stay and fight for that 19th league title. And I'm sure most do. Likewise, if anyone Liverpool are trying to sign wants to earn more money elsewhere rather than compete in the Champions League and contest the title, then however gifted they are, they are no loss. I want players like Fernando Torres, who eschew silly money to be part of a top-class team and play for fans who adore him. I understand the desires of those targets who want regular first-team football, which is rarely guaranteed at a top four club. This summer is vital for a number of internationals, with the World Cup on the horizon – where achievement is the ambition, not money. But Liverpool need those determined to prove themselves in the year beforehand, even if it means fighting for a place in the team. Then there's the issue of transfer fees, and what a player is 'worth'. As each individual is different, there is no set value. It's about how much the selling club need to hold out for, and how much the buying club are prepared to pay. If supposedly overpriced signings lead to success, then they are worth the money. Does Alex Ferguson care that people said Michael Carrick "wasn't an £18m player"? Of course, a transfer merry-go-round appears to have been started in motion by events in Spain. Real Madrid, humiliated by Liverpool last season and envious of Barcelona's historic and über-stylish success, have gone into overdrive, spending more than the entire cost of the current Liverpool squad on just two players, and their largesse won't stop there. The era of the galactico has returned to the Bernabeu, and the repercussions are being felt across Europe. Chelsea are threatening a return to big spending, having slipped to the third best team in the land; Manchester United have £80m for Ronaldo and AC Milan are flush with £60m for Kaka; and Manchester City are determined to be taken seriously, with more money than anyone else, but hampered by a fairly mediocre recent history and no Champions League football to offer. As a result, at a time of widespread economic belt-tightening, several clubs appear to be abandoning anything that holds up their metaphorical trousers. The knock-on effect seems to be general price rises, and an even more frenzied summer of speculation than usual. The hidden factor, as ever, is that of wages. Liverpool pay very good wages, but have only the fourth highest wage bill. Manchester United and Chelsea pay between £30m and £60m more on wages per season (based on the most recently published financial figures). If you want a £30m player, you also have to set aside £30m for the wages of his full contract. The way they are going, Man City, with their apparently bottomless pit of money, will also overtake Liverpool in this area, if they haven't already. The trump cards that the Reds have are: a sixth-successive season in the Champions League; a manager voted the best around by the readers of newspapers in several major European countries; a side capable of challenging for the Premier League title; and a cachet that, with all due respect to City and even Chelsea, puts the club up there with the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan, Bayern Munich and Juventus, thanks to serious European success and a massive global fan-base. You can add Anfield and the Kop, too. Who, then? Predictably, I am often asked who I think Liverpool should sign. Like most fans I have my favourites: those who look like good players to me. But this is always the problem with any fan's wishes – it's almost the dreaded 'Director of Football' approach: enforcing your tastes on the manager, telling him (in your mind, or on a forum) what's best for his team. It is the man in charge of the side who knows best what he wants to add to the system, and so my wish is always that the Liverpool manager gets the players he wants, whether they are ones I happen to appreciate or not. Because let's face it, not all star names will fit the system, and sometimes the manager and his scouts will have spotted something in a more unsung player. Look at Dirk Kuyt: I can think of far more vaunted wide-men, and yet he was the sixth top scorer in the entire Premier League last season, and the league's sixth top assist-maker, with not one single winger ahead of him. Given that he doesn't take the corners and free-kicks that help players rack up assists, that's a great contribution, even before considering his work-rate and general team-ethic. He's not flash, but he delivers. The manager and his scouts will check a player's background, his attitude, his lifestyle. They will be the ones looking into the player's eyes in a negotiation, to find out what motivates him. Bill Shankly always preferred players with less skill if they had more character. A lot has changed in the game, but core attributes, like commitment and temperament, remain crucial. Not tricks on YouTube. We can all drool over superstars, but it can do more harm than good to bring in a top player who'll disrupt the great team spirit; earning big wages – or rather, failing to 'earn' them. Again, you can't quantify such things, but that's why good managers try to buy strong characters who won't upset the apple cart. Of course, a manager can also try and find the solution from within the squad. We might think a certain position needs addressing, but he might know who's ready to step up. Emiliano Insua developed brilliantly last season, and let's not forget Yossi Benayoun's transformation from squad player to one of the league's brightest lights from February onwards. In the coming season, Ryan Babel might yet be considered for more time in his favoured position behind the main striker – that's something only the staff will know. Then there's David Ngog and Krisztian Nemeth, both of whom could be ready sooner rather than later, and also Lauri Dalla Valle and Daniel Pacheco, who also have bright futures ahead of them. My point always comes back to the manager knowing best. Not only does he have a better footballing brain than any of us (and if he didn't, we'd be in the role instead), he also has an infinitely greater amount of information relating to his current team, his budding youth prodigies and his potential targets. By contrast, we're looking through a fog. It doesn't mean that every signing he makes will work out, or that every promising kid he rates will make the grade. But it does mean he is in a far better position to make what are always going to be judgment calls: who to buy, who to promote to the first team, and when. Also, Liverpool are getting to the stage now where there's less scope for improvement. Certainly the spine is hard to better; I wouldn't swap these players for anyone. It's hard to find top players prepared to play second fiddle, so maybe an impact sub is better to find than a bigger name. Above all else, anyone who can improve the Reds' First XI could be worth his weight in gold. You pay whatever it takes to make your team better, within your budget. Glen Johnson fits the bill of what I've been talking about: someone who can add pace, skill and crossing ability from right-back; doubling up as a winger, which a) allows Kuyt to drift into the box and b) takes advantage of the massive space the Dutchman's movement can open up. Johnson's also big enough, and quick enough, to do a job at both ends. His defending is certainly underrated, perhaps because he was in a high-profile team when still very inexperienced (and reputations stick), and because, as an overlapping full-back, he will naturally be caught out of position at times; after all, you can't be in two places at once. All the same, defenders tend to improve under Rafa Benítez, and at 24, Johnson has plenty of scope to get even better. I'm still a big fan of Alvaro Arbeloa (who has also done very well on the left, particularly when man-marking), but Johnson is the perfect overlapping full-back – and if there's one thing Liverpool have lacked in comparison with the other top four teams, it's the ability to get in behind the opposition with very quick marauding defenders who become wingers when in possession. Players like Evra, Boswinga (early last season), Sagna and Cole have been as crucial to the good results of those teams as some of their more illustrious names. Arbeloa, by contrast, is more of a defender who gets forward, rather than one who naturally excels in the final third. Again, there are no guarantees that players who improve the team in theory will do so in practice. They could get injured, or homesick, or wilt under the pressure of a massive club; you just hope that good judgement comes with good luck. In the case of Johnson, he's matured, having been too young when moving to Chelsea, and crucially, is improving rapidly. But his talent has been there for all to see since his West Ham days. He has plenty of big-game experience, and unlike some players, hasn't wilted when playing for England, all of which suggests he can handle the pressure. The fact that Chelsea wanted to buy him again for four times what they sold him for, and that other top clubs were interested, shows his worth. Whatever people think he was worth, others were prepared to meet the asking price. And adding a new dimension to the Reds' play could yet prove priceless.

非踹倒国阵不可！

作者／唐南发专栏 Jun 30, 2009 04:16:39 pm

【乱石崩云／唐南发专栏】在1900到1997将近一百年间，保守党执政英国的时间达到三分之二，被视为“当然的执政党”（the natural governing party）。到了1997年，保守党连续执政已长达18年，意味着25岁以下的年轻人不曾真正体验过工党执政的滋味。

执 政久了，保守党要员们都染上要不得的习性，丑闻弊案层出不穷。纵使英国在1997年5月的经济形势一片大好，失业率达到世纪新低，厌倦了保守党政客面孔的 选民依然义无反顾地把票投给了工党，使其以狂风扫落叶的姿态上台执政，以至具有两百年历史的保守党在本世纪尚未曾执政。

同样的政治变化也出现在德国。尽管成功促使东西德统一，复兴经济，也为德国在冷战后的欧洲大陆找到了新的角色定位，但基督民主联盟的党魁科尔依然在1998年9月的选举中败给了社会民主党，结束他长达16年的总理任期；原因无他：管你治国功绩如何，人民就是要换人做做看。

当 然，马来西亚“国情不同”，无法与这些成熟民主国家相比；但往深一层思考，除了怪胎式的种族／宗教政治结构以外，这个国家和世界上的任何一个民主体制比较 都没有任何特殊之处。即便我接受英国和德国社会富裕，族群成分单一，民主实践历史悠久，依然不能解释为何其他处在发展中的多元文化／民族／宗教的国家可以 享有稳健的民主进程，我们却不能？

印尼十年深化民主文化

远的甭说，就看看咱们身边的印尼吧！这个全球最大的回教国家在今年有两场重要选战，即四月的立法议会选举和下周三举行的总统选举。各党派人士――包括相对保守的回教势力――都在公开的平台上理性论争，争取选票，至今不曾听闻任何煽动性的种族性言论。

苏 哈多政权垮台以来，印尼在短短的十年间发展出本区域最稳定和成熟民主文化，从形式到内涵都不断深化。四月份的议会选举期间，我身边一些朋友的印尼女佣还收 到寄自雅加达的邮寄选票，提醒她们到印尼驻吉隆坡大使馆履行选民义务，我们那缺乏专业操守的选举委员会还真应该到印尼取经。

国 阵执政超过50年了，从思维到方式都极为僵化。纳吉上台前后，高谈阔论“不改革即灭亡”的次数之多让人生厌，却始终是雷声大雨点小。其巫统同僚，上至慕尤 丁下至莱益斯雅丁，都不断在教育，文化甚至甲型（H1N1）流感课题上为“全民的马来西亚”倒米，而巫统掌控的《马来西亚前锋报》也继续在煽动其读者的情 绪，丝毫不见任何反省。

阁员脑袋都生锈了

其 他内阁成员的脑袋也生锈了。旅游部长黄燕燕呼吁媒体不要炒作甲型（H1N1）流感的新闻，以免吓走观光客，却忘了我们的政府也促请国人没必要莫造访所谓的 流感疫区国家。疫情扩散的非常时刻，保护人命最重要，此时少了旅游收入事小，掩盖真相破坏国家的公信力事大。马来西亚究竟站在哪个道德制高点上“宽以待 己，严以律人”？这样的思维，不就是50年政权不变造成的吗？

这些“当然执政党”的通病已经算是小儿科 了；国阵治下，警队贪污、司法不彰，官僚的种族主义作风都已成了普通常识。巴生港口自由贸易区闹了那么大丑闻，至今不见林良实和陈广材出来交待片言只字， 其他内阁成员都一边冷眼旁观，看翁诗杰能横行到几时。政党和商界利益输送也发挥到了极致，所以你今天高价在一个绿意盎然的地区买了房子，已经无法担保明年 那里不会万丈高楼从地起。

我不敢断言国阵最终不会落实改革。如果目前选民意向不变，民联也一再有所斩获， 为了保住政权，国阵或许会破釜沉舟。不过，纵使这家老店成功转型，人民还是必须让它倒一次，尝尝在野的滋味，也逼使它的成员年轻化。国阵不倒，国家的政治 无法得到新生，也找不回民主的活力。就算到时的民联政府不济，至少换回去的国阵政府不会是看腻了的同一批人，想偷吃还得看看人民脸色。

撒切尔夫人和科尔都已风烛残年，苏哈多也于去年作古。但主导马来西亚政治的，依然是纳吉、慕尤丁、马哈迪这些挥之不去的老世代政客，加上许子根、蔡细历和三美威鲁这些丝毫没有新思维的宫廷小丑。你能不厌烦吗？

TOMKINS: FINNISH FINALE

Paul Tomkins 20 May 2009
	For years I've been saying that Sami Hyypia will play until his late 30s, maybe even beyond. Secretly I hoped that it would be with Liverpool, but few players go beyond 35 at the very best clubs.
And those who do are almost certainly no longer regulars. So it's no surprise to see him transfer his undoubted quality to another top European league. It's fair to say that this season Sami has been fourth choice centre-back, but some fourth choice! It always amazes me in lists of the best imports to English football that the name of Sami Hyypia isn't right near the top. Indeed, some lists don't even include him. Of course, a defender is less likely to make the big headlines. But he's been a bit above the norm: a mixture of old-style British physical centre-back stature (in the mould of Ron Yeats or Larry Lloyd) with a cool, calm and collected style more in keeping with Alan Hansen. While less of a playmaker from the back than Hansen, and not a long-distance passer like Daniel Agger, Hyypia's ability on the ball marked him out as something special. Perhaps due his time in midfield in Holland, he never panicked no matter where he received the ball; one of my favourite things about his play was how he could find a pass in tight spaces, even in the opposing half. And of all the goals he's scored - and 35 is a great total for a defender who didn't also take penalties - plenty have been cool finishes placed into the corners. Lots of headers, yes, but plenty of technical finishes most centre-backs couldn't dream about, not least the one that proved the decisive goal against Juventus in the Champions League quarter-final: a sweet left-foot volley. Only a handful of imports to the British game have a right to be rated above him, based on quality and the time spent at the top of the game. It's hard to argue with the impact of Zola, Bergkamp, Henry, Cantona, Ronaldo and one or two others, while Fernando Torres has already earned his place in the pantheon, in double-quick time, but unlike Hyypia, he's not yet been around long enough to prove his longevity, which is always a factor to consider. While Liverpool have not won the league during Sami's time at Anfield, there have been numerous trophies; far more in his decade at the club than in the previous one. And Hyypia clearly played a key role in winning those trophies. While Liverpool have improved to become a much better all-round team in the last two or three years, the flurry of trophies between 2001 and 2006 owed a large debt to the defence. There was more pressure soaked up by the back four than these days, when Liverpool have much more of the ball. Winning the 2001 UEFA Cup relied on impressive rearguard actions in Rome and Barcelona, while the FA Cup final of that season saw the Reds outplayed by a rampant Arsenal; only one goal was conceded in these three games, and that tells an important story. The 2006 FA Cup success was also built on the fact that only one goal was conceded in two ties against Manchester United and Chelsea en route to the final. Of course, nothing was more impressive than the 2005 European campaign. In the Champions League that season, Sami was immense. Not just in the final, as Milan threw everything at Liverpool once the scores were back to 3-3, but in all the hard-fought knockout games. It wasn't a particularly great side, and it needed the twin peaks of Hyypia and Carragher to keep top Italian and Spanish teams at bay. Liverpool lacked the quality that the club now possesses, with the success built on tactical nous and great character. And Hyypia was faultless in both respects. Never blessed with much pace, his game was always built on intelligence, positioning, reading the play, and perfect anticipation. And he was also as brave as a lion in almost 500 games for the club. Tough as old nails, he was also fair: not one booking during 87 matches in a row from January 2000 to October 2001, which is almost unheard of for a man in his position. Throughout the 1990s I used to enjoy 'collecting' debuts: I was at Craven Cottage when Robbie Fowler made his bow, Selhurst Park when Michael Owen came off the bench to score in his first taste of senior action, and at Anfield for Steven Gerrard's inaugural appearance as a late sub against Blackburn. I was also fortunate enough to see Sami Hyypia's full debut at Sheffield Wednesday, and his home debut against Watford. The rumblings about Fowler, Owen and Gerrard had been around for a while before each broke into the first team, but Sami Hyypia was a totally unknown quantity to most Reds. Few signings have left fans as puzzled: Sami who? My first impression in those home and away debuts was of someone totally commanding, rising and heading the ball about 50 yards up the pitch. For much of the '90s, Liverpool's defending had bordered on the comical. That was wiped away almost instantly upon the arrival of Hyppia and his initial partner, Stephane Henchoz. That partnership was good, but the one between the Finn and Jamie Carragher was better still. So just where does Sami rank in the all-time greats? In this age where the word 'legend' gets horribly over-used, does he truly deserve such an accolade? For my most recent book, 'Dynasty', I asked several leading LFC writers, journalists and high-profile long-standing fans – knowledgeable and in many case old enough to have seen the great teams of the 1960s to rate every player to represent the club since the day Bill Shankly walked through the door in 1959. Based on the averages, Sami Hyypia came 10th out of all signings, and 14th when including home-grown players. As well as rating the quality of each individual, I wanted to get an idea of the value for money each player represented in terms of transfer fee. At just £2.6m in 1999 (approximately £5m in today's market), he was again ranked 10th, when taking into account fee, number of games played and also the 'quality' rating. In these terms he clearly ranks as Liverpool's best overseas player. Of course, these ratings were collected last summer. While the majority of those top 14 players have retired or left the club, Hyypia has seen out another year; what we now know to be his last. While Sami has taught us nothing new this season, and has only featured in 18 games, his continued excellence has, if anything, only added to his legend. It's been another year of near-faultless consistency, in a fairly impressive 15 league appearances, with 12 starts; enough to win a league medal, but alas, it was a case of close but no cigar. The highlight for me in his swan-song year was how he came into the side at Old Trafford at the very last minute, when his experience helped towards an amazing 4-1 victory. It's not that he's slowing down, more that at 25, both Agger and Skrtel represent the long-term future of the club. After all, they are the same age as Hyypia when he arrived. There's still little to choose between the three, but of course, Hyypia himself has admitted that he finds it physically harder to play back-to-back games. At 35, Sami is not going to get any better, but the other two are still fairly young in a position where, injuries withstanding, the late 20s and early 30s are definitely the peak years. A manager doesn't pick his team to keep players happy, but the time had come to tie Agger to a long-term deal, and the big Finn had to look elsewhere for regular football and a two-year deal. I don't think even he'd begrudge that, and passes on the baton to two top up-and-coming players, to whom his valuable experience has also been handed. Sami leaving will hopefully be the only weakening of the entire squad this summer. In footballing terms, with his appearances diminishing, the blow is not as hard as it would once have been. But in terms of his presence around the club, a massive gap will now exist. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/NG164445090520-1010.htm

GERRARD NAMED FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR

GERRARD NAMED FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR Paul Eaton 13 May 2009
	Steven Gerrard is celebrating today after being named Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association.
The Liverpool skipper beat off competition from Manchester United pair Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney to win the most prestigious individual award in English football. Having already landed the PFA Fans Player of the Year award this season, the FWA honour caps another incredible campaign for the 28-year-old midfielder, who has led by example and driven his side to within touching distance of achieving their title dreams. Whether those dreams are realised over the next week or not remains to be seen, but over the course of the past ten months Gerrard has once again cemented his standing as the finest midfielder in European football. His two goals at West Ham United on Saturday - which temporarily fired Liverpool back to the top of the league - saw him climb above Ian St John in the club's all-time scoring charts as he took his tally for the season to an impressive 23, equalling his best ever return in a red shirt. Fifteen of his goals this term have arrived in the Premier League and have included strikes in high-profile games against Manchester United and Everton, while in Europe he also rose to the occasion with five goals in the group stages - including his 100th goal for Liverpool against PSV Eindhoven - and then two more against Real Madrid in the last sixteen clash at Anfield. "We are delighted to honour Steven's contribution this season with our prestigous award," said Steve Bates, National Chairman of the Football Writers' Association. "Steven has had a fantastic season and has so often been the driving force behind Liverpool's forceful challenge for the Barclays Premier League title. "His passion and desire to send the title race into the closing days of this campaign has underpinned Liverpool's pursuit of Manchester United and he has frequently caught the eye with outstanding performances which have showcased his considerable talent. "Steven is viewed by the Football Writers who voted as the heartbeat of Liverpool's team and a player who gives everything for the cause. "He beat off a strong challenge from Old Trafford stars Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand to emerge as a clear winner and he follows a long and illustrious list of British and European footballers to win the vote of the Football Writers." Steven will be presented with his award at a gala dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on Friday May 29. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N164366090513-0701.htm

TOMKINS ENTERS THE TWILIGHT ZONE

Paul Tomkins 12 May 2009

The weirdness continues. It happened again at Upton Park: inexplicably, Liverpool once again entered the twilight zone, and the opposition disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle.

For some reason, teams in great form wilt and crumble when facing Liverpool. No matter how well they're playing in previous weeks, they roll over and give up the points. Clearly it has nothing to do with the Reds being a top side who quash the life out of a side before (or whilst) imposing their own attacking will; it's just yet another collective off-day for the team they're playing. It dates back to the Real Madrid game. Madrid were in superb form – and then Liverpool won at the Bernabeu, before thrashing them at Anfield. Suddenly the double Spanish champions were hailed as the worst Madrid side in eons, and were labelled rubbish in both games. Then came Sunderland, who in fairness were on a bit of a roll coming to Anfield. But they were seen off with little concern, as the visitors' good run came to an end. Limp Sunderland, etc... Next, Manchester United were experiencing their best run of home form for donkey's years, with 12 straight wins at Old Trafford and 11 straight league victories, yet were beaten 4-1. Funnily enough, it was they who, for no good reason, just didn't play well, in the one game where no motivation was necessary and where confidence wasn't an issue. Of course, it had nothing to do with them not being allowed to play well. Admittedly Aston Villa, still flying high in the league, were on a bit of a decline when coming to Anfield, although, naturally, they were only beaten 5-0 because of their own deficiencies. Next, Fulham were in the best form of their Premiership lives, and had just put United to the sword at Craven Cottage, but for some reason they just didn't play as well as they could when Rafa Benítez's side visited. Weird. In fairness, Chelsea were brilliant when visiting Anfield in the Champions League. They got due credit, too. It's fair to say that Liverpool didn't have a great second-half, but Andy Gray, no less, remarked that both sides had been excellent in the first half. So it's not that Liverpool were rubbish, as seems to be the case with the opposition every time the Reds get a good result. It was Guus Hiddink's brilliance, ably backed by his side. In the return, much was made of how awful Chelsea were, particularly in the first half. Liverpool did receive a little credit, but yet again, the main emphasis was on Chelsea letting themselves down rather than the Reds' attacking verve. Liverpool got some kudos for guts, but not their fair dues for quality. In the league, Arsenal had been in sensational form upon making the trip to Merseyside. But for some reason, Liverpool's sublime attacking football was given little credit following a thrilling (if galling) 4-4 draw, the least-just result of the season. Talk about floodlight robbery. It's fair to say that neither Blackburn nor Newcastle were in great shape when coming to Anfield, and but for the crossbar Liverpool could have racked up double figures in these two fixtures. Of course, as Liverpool confirmed themselves as the league's top scorers, the poor play of the opposition was the main story. (Oh, and some nonsense about semaphore.) If Sam Allardyce's sides are anything, they are dogged. Detractors find his football rudimentary, but his sides rarely crumble. Except that's what they did. Ah, because they had no fit strikers? Maybe, although Benni Mcarthy, left on the bench, is by far and away their top scorer this season. No-one asked them to play a centre-back up front, after all. It's like Rafa leaving out Jamie Carragher and playing Torres at centre-back due to an injury crisis. And then most recently, West Ham. There had been nothing but praise for Gianfranco Zola's side of late, who have a very good recent home record, beyond hard-fought 1-0 defeats to Manchester United and Chelsea. Coincidentally for Benítez and his side, once again, the opposition just didn't get into their stride. (And despite being no relation, it was weird for me watching Tomkins trying to stop Torres.) I feel compelled to point out that if certain other teams were the top league scorers, we'd never hear the last about their attacking talents. Part of me actually likes it when Liverpool go under the radar; it can be advantageous having the world against you, or ignoring your strengths. But another part of me finds the inequality irritating, and feels that credit should go only where it's due. Liverpool's only two top-class attacking players (according to sundry short-sighted pundits) have started just one-third of all 2008-09 league games in the same side, and yet the Reds have scored the most goals. And apparently Liverpool are 'cautious', with two 'holding' midfielders. Something's not right with this picture, is it? No change of formation has occurred in recent months, but as I argued earlier in the season, this is an excellent attacking side, and far from negative in its approach. If the stats didn't back me up at the time (often due to lax finishing), the figures now do. Similarly, at the time Robbie Keane was sold, I argued that it was the right decision. Plenty disagreed, but it seems to have proved the case. His place on the bench was becoming distracting (quite literally at times: the TV director for the Newcastle away game spent more time showing him than the action), and it was a chance to get in a good fee (and save on wages) in order to reinvest this summer. This was my gut instinct. When Liverpool's goals dried up later in the winter, I admit to wobbling a little. But yet again, my first instincts were right. And I also never lost sight of the fact that Keane hadn't been pulling up trees before he was sold; it's not like he'd banged in 15 or so. And he's also only scored three since returning to Spurs, and with time not on his side (he's 30 this summer), I felt it was a good time to cut the losses, for a very good player who wasn't fitting in (as happens now and again). However, my fear was less about selling Keane, and more that no replacement was sought. I never doubted the potential of David Ngog, who had been excelling at international youth level for a top nation, but feared that it would be next season before he found his feet in the fast-paced Premiership. Thankfully, despite only playing a few minutes here and there, he appeared to find that vital strength needed to survive as a striker in England almost as soon as I'd claimed this season looked too soon for him. And his record of minutes-per-goal (187) is now far better than Keane's was (at 255), and only marginally behind those of Torres (165) and Gerrard (145). In my defence, in the same blog, written at the end of January, I also touted Yossi Benayoun as someone who could do as well as Keane in the role behind the main striker; in truth, he's done even better, albeit often from a wide starting point, but with licence to roam into similar areas. So despite a little uneasiness on my part (there was of course some risk involved in selling Keane), I feel that my optimism in January was not misplaced. The goals scored recently, even in the absence of Torres and/or Gerrard, show that the ability was in the squad all along. If anything, I feel pleasantly surprised at seeing the Reds as the Premiership's top scorers, not to mention having thumped four past Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United in the main competitions. I didn't see that coming. And this all came after Keane left. Then there's Krisztian Nemeth, whose quality I've never doubted since I first saw him play for the reserves, but for whom injuries have ruined this season; he's another option that didn't pan out this spring in Keane's absence – particularly after a brief loan spell at Blackpool, designed to get him match-sharp, ended with a broken cheekbone sustained within a minute of his debut. That's just plain bad luck. But players like Ngog and Nemeth can only improve, as can Daniel Pacheco, so it's not like Liverpool are peaking this season; indeed, it's still a very young first-team squad, with an average age about to be further lowered with the exit of the evergreen Sami Hyypia (more on the great Finn next week). Otherwise I'd expect all of the main players to still be around, and benefiting from one more year spent together. Take into account the handicap of injuries to Torres, Gerrard and, when it came to winning more games at Anfield, Daniel Agger, and there's every reason to think that a fit squad next season (fingers crossed) will be significantly superior to this. And that's before any additions. Despite lower resources, Liverpool need to try and match that little extra depth that United possess; after all, that's what will see them crowned champions, if they get four points from their next three games. They've certainly not played better football than Liverpool this season (and it's been well over a decade since I've been able to say that), but eeked out the extra point here and there, often with 1-0 wins. May finale Remarkably, under Rafa Benítez, a Liverpool season has never 'finished' before May (with the narrowest of exceptions last year). I don't mean the desperate charge to finish in the Champions League positions, but genuinely contesting trophies until the final month of the campaign. May 2005 saw the Reds win the Champions League. May 2006 saw Liverpool win the FA Cup. May 2007 saw a better performance in the Champions League Final in a rematch with Milan, but a worse result (c’est la vie). And last year the Reds were still in the Champions League until just a few minutes before the start of May, when getting the game back to 3-2 at Stamford Bridge in extra-time left them one away goal from yet another final. (And to shamelessly sneak it in, technically it was May 1st in some parts of the world.) The cup success of the previous four seasons has diminished, only to be replaced with a serious title challenge: one that is still just about alive and kicking as we head towards mid-May. However, to my mind, Liverpool were always unlikely to win their first league title in almost two decades while simultaneously excelling in Europe; if the 'first' title is universally regarded as the hardest to win, additional tough games in the run-in could hinder that, even if progress is naturally sought in all competitions. With the title theirs to wrap up this week, United fans will rightly take heart if they win the league without playing their best football. It's a nice luxury. But Liverpool will have pushed them down to the wire without the manager being able to field anything like his best side for two-thirds of all league games (and that's ignoring other key absences in the 12 games that Torres and Gerrard were fit to start together). Maybe that's an even better sign. It also seems that there are some itchy feet at United, with Ronaldo and Tevez linked with exits. It would be dangerous to assume that losing top attacking talent will see them falter; when Liverpool lost Kevin Keegan and Ian Rush, the team actually improved with reinforcements. But there's always a risk of it not quite working out, or taking time to gel. By contrast, at Liverpool there seems to be a hunger to stick together and keep improving. With Arsenal at times brilliant but brittle as balsa, and ageing Chelsea on the verge of serious transition (new manager and culling of some 30-somethings seem inevitable), this could be just the start of Liverpool's quest to knock United off their perch. The race to #19 could be the big one. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/NG164357090512-1211.htm

唐南发 : 513，捂·义山

作者／唐南发专栏 May 13, 2009 11:40:56 am

【乱石崩云／唐南发专栏】电台主持人张吉安最近制作了一段三分多钟的短片，里头有一民俗表演工作者以海南话唱出去番（注）先辈对家乡的思念。片名叫《捂·义山》，背景其实是一个家庭在清明节期间拜祭于1969年5月13号吉隆坡的种族冲突中死去的亲人，地点就在双溪毛糯希望之谷麻风院附近的513受难者坟场。

捂，就是捂住你的嘴巴，不让你说话；义山，是那些去番者客死异乡后的归宿。死了，也不让你说话，显然没有比《捂．义山》更不人道的行为。

今天是1969年那场悲剧的40周年纪念。尽管为数不明的无辜人士失去了生命，整个事件的来龙去脉至今依然笼罩在谜思、恐惧和误解当中。

如学者法立诺所 指出，当时发生的族群冲突其实不过局限于首都部分地区，而回教党领袖最引以为荣的是当吉隆坡的巫统高层忙着利用该事件捞取政治资本之时，吉兰丹的局势却是 和平的。回教党籍的州务大臣阿斯里哈芝慕达还特别指示所有马来人村长协助和保护非马来人州民，并表示“我不希望在吉兰丹看到流血事件” （ ‘Saya tidak mahu ada pertumpahan darah di Kelantan ini.’）。

其实，我个人完全无须老远跑到吉兰丹去重新经历多元族群的和谐。当年，我的外公外婆在马六甲州内一个叫做Kampung Bukit Senggeh的马来人甘榜内经营着村内唯一的咖啡店。纵使首都发生了种族暴乱，甘榜内的居民依然无所避忌地光顾这家小咖啡店。对我的外公外婆而言，他们依旧的笑容和友善比当时政府任何的口头保证都要踏实。

原本一个受地域局限的“513事件”，在执政者顽固地加以操弄以延续政权之后，从此变得具有全国性义涵。40年了，关于当时马来人与非马来人之间杀戮的实际情形依然很模糊，而民众也不断被警告不要公开谈论此事以免破坏族群和谐。手上握有权力的人，就这样地成功让人民自我审查，让族群之间存着猜忌，成为我们整体身份认同上一个永远的伤痕。

要让过去伤痕愈合

我同意马来西亚应该走出过往的黑暗以达到真正的和平，前提是我们必须能够让过去的伤痕得到愈合。我不认为今天大部分马来西亚人所经历着的喜乐与友爱全都是虚假或表面的，但这并不意味着我们无须探索真相以营造更实质的族群谅解。

此刻的马来西亚的确是处在一个十字路口，而国阵和民联都根据各自的愿景勾画了国家的未来。然而，只要朝野双方的政治人物不肯正视历史，无论是“全民的马来西亚”抑或“新政治”都无法让我们脆弱的民主体制能够茁壮成长。

就 此而言，国阵更加责无旁贷，因为任何探索513真相的行动必然要触碰到巫统最高领导层当时所扮演的关键角色。当首都的华人在街上游行高喊“马来人滚回甘 榜”的时候，教唆马来人青年报复的不就是巫统党籍的雪兰莪州务大臣哈伦依德里斯吗？当然，当时在野党究竟在整个悲剧中起了什么样的政治影响，也必须得到探 讨，毕竟历史真相往往都不是黑白对立的。

面 对过去需要勇气，因为那可能导致伤痛的记忆再度复活，甚至引发恐惧和仇恨。513是一个充斥了族群特征和符号的事件，也因此让探索真相的努力显得困难；例 如有资料显示当时的皇家马来人军团成员曾开枪对付游行的华人，并造成人命伤亡，要深入追究必定会使马来人和非马来人之间产生一定程度的反感。

正因为如此，有人坚持让一切成为过去；统治精英更因为不必负上任何责任而松了口气，但却便宜了那些参与策划或尝试隐瞒真相的人，数十年来不曾接受任何检验。

探索是为了原谅

然而，只要我们一天不去面对那段过去，就无法取得深入的族群谅解。执政党团掌握了资讯和话语权，更乐此不疲地引用513恐吓民众。我们究竟还要允许他们嚣张到何时？

探索513，不是为了报复，而是为了原谅。即使我 今天遇见了一个曾经对民众开枪的皇家马来军团成员，我必须准备原谅他当初违反人权的行为.，毕竟他不过是在执行上级的命令而已。换言之，他也是这场悲剧中 千千万万的受害人之一，我们应该做的是看到他背后那个权力无限的国家所犯下的恶行。与此同时，我也必须谴责当时非马来人的种族性言论，并谦卑地寻求宽恕。 唯有愿意承认彼此的短视和自私，我们才能开始梦想一个共同的救赎。

物 质的赔偿也不应该是族群谅解最主要的内容。诚如南非的杜杜大主教所言，金钱无法赔偿一个在残酷中失去孩子的母亲的伤痛，而国家最应该做的，是“承认你的痛 苦，并给予你把故事说出来的权利，为的是原谅肇事者”。如果只有物质的补偿却继续捂住你的嘴巴，就完全失去了族群谅解的意义，无法达致正义转型，而我们的 社会只会变得更加健忘和功利。

不 同的族群必定会有不同的历史诠释，而且通常是彼此矛盾的，但我们应该承认这些相悖的历史真相都是我们集体社会记忆的一部分。通过分享彼此的痛苦经历并加以 原谅，我们或许能够找到一个中和点，也不再为过去所囚禁。真相往往让人感到不舒服，但真相也同时具有超强的释放能力，让我们自由。所以，追寻513真相的 终极目标是为了族群和谐与国家的正义转型，不是为了报复，以牙还牙。唯有这样，我们才能严正地告诉政治人物：不要再操弄历史的伤口来达到政治目的。

（注：海南岛文昌人素称下南洋谋生为“去番”，并有民谚曰：“送郎送到码头分，郎你去番侬心闷。眼汁滴到土落窟，日头看路夜看船。”）

http://merdekareview.com/news/n/9618.html

歐陽文風‧法律面前，人人平等？

2009-05-12 19:57

平等可得人心，亦可得人才。

一個不平等的政府，遲早倒台，人才不走才怪。許多歐美國家之所以國漸富強，才俊聞風而至，在於其平等的國策。

法律面前，人人平等，英美最近有兩個特出例子。

先談英國。

英國首相布朗最近被揭發在任財政部長時，一筆150鎊的開支報銷了兩次。150鎊大概是800令吉，英國人連800令吉都看不開，英國首相承認疏忽，乖乖退還。

還有，英女王雖然說高高在上，但捲入醜聞，媒體照報。事緣英女王其中一匹障礙賽賽馬被發現曾注 射禁藥，女王的練馬師因此被英國賽馬管理局控告。練馬師亨德森不只是女王的練馬師，還是女王老友，但其管理下的馬兒出了問題，人家一樣告他，除了下月出席 紀律聆訊，一年內不得參與賽馬活動，管你和女王有甚麼關係！

再說美國。

谷歌（google）家喻戶曉，其CEO曾大力支持奧巴馬競選總統，去年11月曾放棄與雅虎建立搜索廣告夥伴關係，因為司法部認為這會造成壟斷，影響市場的競爭，因此表示準備在法庭上反對該計劃。谷歌自知理虧，主動放棄該計劃。

最近谷歌與美國作家協會和美國出版商協會達成協議，準備建立一個大規模的網上資料圖書館，此事 馬上再度引起司法部高度關注。蓋有關協議允許谷歌得到所有版權所有者不明的作品版權，因為司法部的反壟斷部門認為這會促成壟斷現象，對自由市場不利。美國 反壟斷研究所所長柏特弗爾強調“奧巴馬不會給谷歌甚麼好處，因為政府不應被任何人收買”。

法律面前，人人平等。

先進國之所以先進，你以為沒有理由？落後國之所以落後，你以為偶然？

在落後國家或半落後國家，不要說800令吉，連上百萬的錢都可以花得莫名其妙，沒人追究，追究了可以扮白癡扮蠢才，甚麼都說“不知道”，結果沒人退還無須負責。和高官有關係，一家大小游迪斯尼樂園，濫用津貼亂報銷！至於調查首相？開玩笑！連女王也不給面子？嫌命長？

在這一類國度，拍馬屁之風強盛，因為和高官權貴關係好，別人會給你“面子”，做錯事可以不必負 責，搞好關係，一切好辦。這種國度，民智未開，理性思維發育不全，結果雙重標準是他們的標準。如果你無權無勢做錯事，可以請一堆律師告你，管你是初犯。神 台上的英雄做錯事，馬上有人說這是老人癡呆症，管你是十幾二十年的慣犯，馬上掩立刻蓋，總之他沒錯，千錯萬錯都是他的“病”錯。

你真的相信平等？再想清楚一點！不要只怪政府罵國陣，如果你都不相信平等，你希望別人平等待你？

星洲日報／言路‧作者：歐陽文風‧自由撰稿人‧2009.05.12

鄭丁賢‧搬家遊戲

009-05-13 19:26

霹靂州局勢，已經到了令人啼笑皆非的地步。

有沒有人可以解答，誰才是真正的州務大臣？

贊比里嗎？

根據高等法庭的判決，他已經不是合法的州務大臣；之前他受委州務大臣，不符合憲法規定。

我重申，這是高庭的判決，不是個人的意見。

那麼，尼查是大臣嗎？

上訴庭批准暫緩執行高庭的裁決，讓他無法執行州務大臣的職務，也沒有實質的大臣地位。

這是一個前所未有的怪現象。

法律上不是州務大臣，贊比里可以進入大臣辦公室，掌控行政資源，領導州政府。

法律上的州務大臣，尼查要進入州政府大廈卻不得其門而入，好比是被流放人士。

在這期間，進進出出的搬家遊戲，就足夠忙壞眾人。

3個月前的大風吹，州政府大廈和州務大臣官邸已經清空一次。幾天前風又吹起，再來一次搬家遊戲。

先是贊比里清空辦公室，騰出空位子給尼查。然而，那張皮質辦公椅還沒坐熱，尼查又得走了，換回贊比里坐上去。

要是尼查成功撤銷暫緩的裁決，又可以再來一次大風吹；他日贊比里上訴成功，又可以再搬回去。

這可能會創下首長更換頻密度的世界紀錄。

或許，有人會說，這只是短期間的安排，一旦上訴庭作出裁決，就可以確定誰是州務大臣。

但是，有經驗的法律界人士說，要完成整個法律程序，是一年半載的事。

於是乎，這一年半載之內，霹靂州沒有一個實質有效的“真正”州務大臣，連帶的，也沒有一個合理合法的州政府。

如此，豈非是無政府狀態？

即使有一個臨時看管的州務大臣和州政府，也無法得到多數人認同，可以確定，它也將是跛腳鴨，難以運作，難有公信。

這幾天，共同的聲音逐漸出現。東姑拉沙里認為應該解散州議會，重新選舉，還政予民；人權委員會也是同樣的看法。

連國陣成員黨的民政黨，也有幾位領袖公開呼吁舉行州選，甚至建議把州政權交還給民聯。

這種聲音，將會成為主流，到時，就看國陣高層如何回應了。

星洲日報／馬荷加尼‧作者：鄭丁賢‧2009.05.13

挑战纳吉的极限

作者／唐南发专栏 May 06, 2009 11:45:09 am

【乱石崩云／唐南发专栏】由于背负着出任国防部长时候连串军购弊案的包袱，加上挥之不去的蒙古女子炸尸案阴影和霹雳州政变后的手尾，首相纳吉被迫化被动为主动，在最短的时间内营造舆论以转移民间和在野党的焦点。上台短短一个月，他即以迅雷不及掩耳的手法作出了几项看似“新政”的宣布。

回顾起五年前，阿都拉巴达威出任首相头几个月最引人津津乐道的是“与我共事，非为我谋事”（work with me, not for me）那句话，然后是一些如今早已沦为笑谈的口号。与之相比，纳吉果然显得有效率，难怪《星洲日报》的林明华先生感到“惊艳”。

毋须赘言，这些举动乃实际政治考量的产物。开放次服务领域可让私人界和非马来人社群兴奋一阵；改教的内阁决议则可在安抚非回教徒社群的同时，也测试民联三党的反应，以期在民主行动党和回教党之间制造矛盾。

把 纳吉锁定为重点攻击的对象，在一些人看来虽然不智，却是必要之举。由于种种迹象显示他无法从这些事件中全身而退，纳吉最怕的就是舆论不断围绕着那一堆剪不 断，理还乱的旧帐。故此，大肆整顿巫统旗下的言论喉舌，主动拉拢中文报章，为的就是要在最短的时间内转移民众的视线。如果另类媒体、在野党及其他关心国家 前途的人只因纳吉一些讨好的动作而全然不提其过往所作所为，则正中其下怀矣。

所谓“新政”并不新

纳 吉的所谓“新政”，其实并不新鲜。开放服务业，不过惠及私人界而已，且执行过程会否遭遇官僚体系和巫统内部强烈反弹仍然是个未知数。经济以外，马来西亚依 然是个遭族群、宗教、文化和教育议题割裂的社会。对此，新首相究竟有何全盘计划让国家重返正轨？譬如，他是否愿意为了后代子孙的福祉，正式宣布马来人主权 已然成为过去，让国家的族群关系在一个健康的基础上重新开始？

再说，国人普遍上有个谜思，以为经济开放，社会就平等了。看回1980年代末，马哈迪政府当时引进外资的作法确实创造了马来西亚成立以来不曾经历过的繁荣，却从未对症下药处理族群内部和彼此间的贫富悬殊问题，也为往后十几年族群关系濒临破裂埋下了伏笔。

正如Vidhu Verma在《马来西亚：国家与公民社会转型中》一书中所言，马哈迪在经济上的开放主要目的在于打造朋党企业阶层以带动国家发展，却无意确立政府和企业问责制度，甚至还钳制司法独立，把监督降到最低程度。

马 哈迪随之出台的所谓《2020宏愿》和《马来西亚国族》（Bangsa Malaysia），也不过是为了美化和包装巫统的意识形态论述，并非建构于民主，人权和多元文化的普世价值之上。这个‘宏愿’的幻像之所以能够维系好几 年，关键原因在于高速发展的经济让民众“感觉良好”而愿意给予全力支持。

然 这一切“宏愿”毕竟缺乏深度和厚度。1997年的经济风暴之后，巫统的种族主义回魂，马哈迪的极权本质也表露无遗。人民在一阵持久的亢奋之后跌入谷底，几 乎粉身碎骨，心有余悸。纳吉所提出的种种措施和所谓的“全民的马来西亚”，马哈迪全都做过了。糟糕的是，纳吉的动作不但输在内容含糊，连气势都远远不及其 伯乐当年，更无法让人看到他有心改革权力机关，完善监督体制。

继续施压才能看穿噱头

我 决非“妖魔化”纳吉；若要民众轻易看穿这一切噱头，就必须继续施压，往上试探其“新政”极限：一个包袱千斤的首相，在所谓“改革”的路上能走多远？任何彻 底的改革，最终必然要碰到当权者的利益：戈尔巴乔夫赔上了整个苏联，台湾的国民党和平移交政权，就连韩国前总统金泳三在任内也必须目睹儿子因为贪污而琅铛 入狱。只要还有一丝包庇逃避的心态，吾人评论之时可以审慎，但切忌过于宽容以致流于吹捧，显得“越来越国阵”，例如刚过去的世界新闻自由日，中文报章连一篇相关的社论都没有。莫非有人被摸头之后，兴奋得连糖果都忘了要？

纵 使纳吉真的终结《新经济政策》，对他个人而言或许是最“终极伟大”的行动，于民间不过是整个改革进程的起步而已。首相可来可去，却未必留下一个可以让国家 和社稷安和乐利的制度。人死留名，盖棺论定后才来讴哥赞美并不太迟，何必急于涂脂抹粉？民间，媒体和在野党刻下要促成的，是涵盖更多更广领域的改革议程， 其中必须包含警队，司法，官僚等体系改革，落实平权和文化多元主义，倡导言论和思想自由。

纳吉就任以来，花最多心思在整合媒体，营造对本身有利的舆论，远远多于提出其他国家机关改革的议程。一旦出现不利的情况，譬如我的朋友黄进发等人发起的穿黑衣运动，向霹雳州的伪政权呛声，政府终究要诉诸打压以达到寒蝉效应，从而露出了狐狸尾巴。

职是之故，积极挑战首相的极限，刻不容缓。毕竟废除《新经济政策》，不会折损太多纳吉的个人利益；但他若要认真提出其他领域的改革，则非准备赔上自己的政途不可。

http://merdekareview.com/news/n/9538.html

TOMKINS: TORRES HAS IMPROVED

Paul Tomkins 29 April 2009
	Recently I've noted the importance of goals by Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun; observing that, this season, both had only struck goals that affected games, rather than grabbing consolation or luxury strikes.
It led me to examine this phenomenon further, and analyse the importance of goals scored by the whole squad. “A goal is a goal”, some might say. But the value of each varies radically, depending on the stage of the game or the quality of the opposition. We often rank goals by their beauty, but rarely by their importance. No-one can deny the aesthetics of Fernando Torres' opener against Blackburn: a sublime turn and volley out of nothing. Genius. But what made it more special was the context: it helped win a must-win game. It kept Liverpool in a title race. It was beauty with meaning and substance. It was Carla Bruni rather than Paris Hilton. To me, if you win 3-2, the first and second goals are as important as the winner. But if you win 5-2, the fourth goal is marginally less important (although it provides a valuable cushion), and the fifth has slightly less importance still, as it effectively kills the game, but you may have been able to hold out for the win without it. However, a sixth, seventh or eighth goal would be pretty meaningless if it's a knockout cup competition, and only really relative to goal difference in the league. The same applies to consolation goals in league games already lost. (And while goal difference can be important, it's once in a blue moon that it makes a major impact on league standings; until Howard Webb's intervention at Old Trafford, it looked like this could have been one such year, at which point every goal Liverpool scored would have seen its meaning magnified tenfold). It's important to point out that even a so-called luxury goal can have consequences that reach beyond the result; for instance, it's highly unlikely that Andrea Dossena scores the 4th goal at Old Trafford so effortlessly had he not smashed in what was, in terms of Liverpool beating Real Madrid, an ‘unnecessary' goal a few days earlier. And then there's the psychological fillip of beating Madrid by four goals, not three; that extra boost it gives can actually be quite significant. So Dossena's goals in both games not only provided a gloss, they also added to the belief of the entire team. With this in mind, I want to make it clear that I don't wish to demean any goal; as the cliché goes, in many ways they all count equal, whether scored in the first minute or last, or via a backheel or a backside. However, there's no escaping the fact that some are crucial, while others ice the cake or provide only consolation. So for the book I'm currently working on, as part of a detailed look into how the Reds have improved to the point of making an impressive title challenge, I decided to go through and rank each of the goals over the past two seasons on a descending scale, working only with Premiership and Champions League games (with domestic cups being more about squad players these days, and not the main priority of any major club). I have tried to judge the importance of goals in two different ways, awarding a sliding scale of points, out of 5, for each category. First, there is the impact the goal has on a result, from 5 points for being vital, down to 1 point for a mere Goal Difference or Consolation goal. Then there is the quality of opposition, with 5 points for a goal against Top Four and big European sides (plus Everton, on account of the derby bite, particularly now that they are a good side again), and less points for goals against weaker teams. These ratings are somewhat subjective, although they are based on the league position of opposing teams, and the relevance to the overall result in terms of importance, both of which are hard to argue with from a factual point of view. Now, as ever when I devise stats, they are not designed to be 100% scientific or totally conclusive. It is merely a tool – a form of quantifying and qualifying contributions – to enable me to see who pops up with vital goals in big games, and who, though he may score a good amount of goals, gets lots at the end of handsome thrashings or against substandard teams. There's obviously not room here to disclose the full findings, which will be laid out in full in ‘Red Race'. And, of course, this season isn't complete yet, so it's an ongoing calculation. Caveats aside, the results are still very interesting. The first thing that strikes me on the data so far is that Fernando Torres has actually improved this season. Radically. Despite playing numerous games handicapped by a lack of match fitness, with at least five/six matches coming whilst returning from significant injuries, his goals have actually influenced games more than last season, when the overall goal tally was far higher, but the average value less. His 13 league goals have almost all been vital (an average of 4.8 out of a possible 5), whereas last year his 24 included a few more goals that did not influence the result, just glossed the scoreline (thus a lower average of 4.3, which is still impressive). And the value of his Champions League goals also went up this season, even though the quantity was again lower, again due to missing lots of games though injury. More tellingly, there has been a massive increase in the quality of league opposition scored against, with an average rising from 2.9 last season (with 3 being the figure of a middling Premiership team and 2 relegation fodder), to a whopping 4.1 so far this season, with 4 being a team in the Uefa Cup spots and 5 being a team in the top four. In other words, the majority of his league goals last season were against mid-table or poor opposition (such as Derby, Middlesbrough and West Ham), whereas this season they've mostly been against the top four sides and Everton. When combining both the importance of the goals and the quality of the opposition, Torres' figures this season are almost perfect. If 5 is scoring only vital goals against the best opposition, and 1 is luxury goals against poor sides, then you can see for yourself what 4.7 means. So not only has his strike rate remained very impressive, his goals are a big reason why Liverpool have gone up a level this season. It's just a shame he wasn't able to play more games, particularly in a lot of the 0-0 draws. As mentioned earlier, it was the goals of Benayoun and Kuyt that got me thinking about the subject in the first place. Both of these players have had their critics in the past two seasons, although hopefully everyone will now appreciate the quality that they bring. Their form deserves credit, and as with most players, neither's game is purely about goalscoring, as they continue to contribute in key ways. What's interesting is that last season, each of Benayoun's four league goals was absolutely vital, while Kuyt's three were equally important. Of course, the latter had a disappointing league campaign in front of goal, but at least those three counted for something, not least in winning at Goodison Park. For the Dutchman, it was the Champions League where he did his best work last time around, whereas this time he's into double figures for the Premiership, a great achievement for a non-penalty taking (this season at least) wide man. This season, out of the players who have scored five league goals or more, that pair lead the way, just edging ahead of Torres, with their average of 5. Benayoun's six have all been 100% vital, and only Kuyt's 10th league goal of the season, last weekend at Hull, was anything less than critical; and even that was of great value in easing the nerves, at 3-1. Liverpool may have seen out the game at 2-1, which is why I'd rate it as 4/5 in terms of importance; not 100% vital, but a telling contribution all the same. (For the record, I've counted Kuyt's goal at Spurs as vital, even though Liverpool lost; ultimately it was a very important goal at the time that it was scored, and that's a key distinction. All goals that put the team into the lead or draw the side level are rated as essential, in spite of the final result.) However, neither Kuyt nor Benayoun have come close to Torres for the quality of league opposition scored against, with Gerrard 2nd in that particular table (again including only those who've scored five or more). Of course, Gerrard is famous for his vital goals. It's hard to think of a player who has popped up with more crucial strikes over the years; even Ian Rush struggles to match the drama of Gerrard's goals. Having said that, the captain's 13 league goals this season have included quite a few relatively meaningless strikes, when games were already well won. Percentage-wise, he's actually well down the list. Despite a lower average, he has still struck a lot of important goals in that total of 21, not least the opening-day winner against Middlesbrough. In the Champions League, it's a different story, with Gerrard scoring seven goals, all of which were highly relevant, and six of which were vital. And overall, for his all-round performances, Gerrard has been the country's player of the year; he is a player who creates countless openings in every game. When adding together the contributions this year and last, in terms of goal relevance and opposition scored against, Premiership and Champions League, to form one single all-inclusive singing-and-dancing average mark out of 5, two players lead the way. I've already spoken at length about Torres' contibution, but level with him, on an average of 4.25 out of 5, is Dirk Kuyt, whose 24 goals in that period (roughly half of Torres' total) have been of real significance. In the big games, against the big teams, or simply in the big moments of other matches, he has delivered the goods. But the most illuminating evidence, for me, remains the improvement of Fernando Torres. Rather than suffer Second Season Syndrome, as some suggested when the injury curse took away some of that sharpness, he's delivered much, much more in terms of the value of his goals, and the quality of opposition he has put to the sword. And that makes it even clearer how well Liverpool have done in the face of his prolonged absences this season – and how we have a valid ‘if only...' shout when it comes to all those games he's missed. Last season, Chelsea (twice), Arsenal and Inter Milan were victims of his goals, but only one of those goals, against Chelsea, came in the Premiership. This time, Chelsea (three times), Arsenal (twice), Manchester United and Real Madrid have suffered, despite having missed entire league games against each, and limped off in Madrid. In just three league games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, he has scored five goals. He also doubled his tally against Everton from one last year to two this time. All we can do now is hope that this improvement is carried into next season, and that he has an injury-free campaign. Or, should we really dare to dream, that he can still influence this year's title race, should United drop enough points.