The so-called "Arab Spring" began on 17 December 2010, the day after the self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, and led to the ousting of longtime president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. It eventually led to a thorough democratization of the country and to free and democratic elections. They saw the victory of a coalition of the Islamist Ennahda Movement with the centre-left Congress for the Republic and the left-leaning Ettakatol as junior partners. The cause behind all this was poverty and high unemployment. Then today, 14 September 2016, demonstrations break out in Tunisia, two days after another person self-emolated himself and once again over economic hardship, high unemployment and allegation of government corruption. So apart from having a democratically elected corrupt government, what did Arab Spring 1.0 achieve, which has instead led to Arab Spring 2.0? PressTV article follows below. CHARLES F MOREIRA PressTV-People protest economic woes in Tunisia
Hundreds of people in northwestern Tunisia have staged a protest rally against the deterioration of living standards, widespread poverty, and growing unemployment. Angry demonstrators set ablaze tires and set up blockades in the roads leading to the town of Fernana, in Jendouba Province, on Tuesday, two days after a young man self-immolated in protest at unemployment in the town. The protesters also threatened to close the water plant in the region — which supplies the capital, Tunis, and a number of other provinces with drinking water — if their demands are not met. They also called for launching a thorough investigation into the young man’s tragic death on Sunday as well as the widespread corruption in state-run institutions and the grinding poverty in the country, particularly in the southern and western regions. Jendouba, like the other western and southern provinces of Tunisia, suffers from a massive rate of almost 30 percent unemployment. 
Tunisians are seen setting tires on fire during a protest against economic problems, near the town of Fernana, Tunisia, September 13, 2016. Tunisia’s new prime minister, Youssef Chahed, and his fresh cabinet members of the unity government are highly expected to deal with these social demands, but the outlines he has drawn for the next year do not seem quite enough to the desperate people in the poor provinces. “Our situation in 2017, if we don’t change anything in our behavior, it will be so much harder…, we will be forced to adopt a policy of austerity. What does this mean? It means that the state would be forced to cut spending on health, healthcare, it would be forced to fire thousands of public sector employees and forced to raise the taxes,” he had said on August 27. Chahed, however, promised that fighting corruption and terrorism would be given priority under his administration. Tunisia registered an unemployment rate of 15.3 percent at the end of 2015 compared to 12 percent in 2010, with university graduates accounting for one third of those without jobs in the country. Tunisian people rose against the country’s long-time dictator, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, in 2011, ousting him in the first of a series of revolutions that hit Arab dictatorships in the Middle East and North Africa. While the country slipped into chaos in the wake of the revolution, it gradually regained average stability and is hailed as the most successful nation in the establishment of democracy among the Arab countries that witnessed uprisings. Most of the other dictatorships either remained chaotic or saw ruling regimes brutally suppressing the revolutions. http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/09/14/484624/Tunisia-Fernana-protest-unemployment-Chahed
Last Saturday I was chatting with a fellow Alumni member about Malaysian politics and he said that whilst he does not support Prime Minister Najib or the ruling Barisan Nasional (National front) coalition, he however feels the opposition politicians are politically immature, go shooting themselves in the foot and he has lost respect for them. Well that's how I feel about them too and judging from the Free Malaysia Today article which follows below, it makes me wonder what these opposition politicians have learned by their setback in the Sarawak State Elections, but instead they go on chanting the same old mantra of "1MDB, 1MDB, 1MDM, 1MDB, 1MDB, ....." at a poorly attended roadshow in Sabak Bernam in the north west of Selangor state. Didn't Einstein say that doing the same think over and over again which achieves the same result (i.e. failure) is insanity? Well, unable to think outside of the box, these opposition politicians go on doing the same thing over and over again with diminishing results. Moreover, this Free Malaysia Today article highlights what I have been saying all along, the people in rural and semi-rural areas are more interested in matters of immediate concern to their livelihood and wellbeing but opposition politicians repeatedly bring up issues which are hot with their more affluent urban constituents and coffee shop politicians who have all the time in the world to idly while away the hours unproductively discussing politics and talking about solving the country's problems, then go home to sleep and, go to work the next day and the process repeats ad-infinitum. I heard through the grapevine that a member of parliament believes that the next general election will likely be held in early 2017 (possible March), about a year earlier than it must. Well it will be interesting to see how much the repetition of these these mantras "1MDB, RM2.6 billion, Altantuya, Scorpene submarine and so forth" will help the opposition gain more seats or will they suffer a setback as in Sarawak. It's pretty obvious that increasingly more ordinary Malaysians are getting tired of all this mantra. A clear indication is the low attendance of at most 2,000 at the #TangkapMO1 (Arrest Malaysian Official No. 1) in the centre of Kuala Lumpur last Saturday, when 5,000 were expected to turn up. Then this road show stop in Sabak Bernam where only 500 people turned up,some just out of curiosity or just because it was a something happening in town. I've got better things to do with my life than get all excited over this mantra, unless and only unless the investigators in Singapore, Switzerland or the United States explicitly accuse Malaysia Prime Minister Najib by name of any criminal wrongdoing and lay charges against him. Otherwise, it's all just endless, time wasting speculation and endless idle chatter between armchair politicians in coffee shops, pubs, bars, behind computer keyboards, on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and so forth, however much these chattering classes may huff and puff, hoping to blow Najib away. Without further ado, the Free Malaysia Today article follows below. CHARLES F. MOREIRA It's the same old song at anti-1MDB ceramah
Nawar Firdaws Lukewarm start in Sabak Bernam to PKR-Muhyiddin road show, as those who came wish the Opposition would start speaking more about how they can help improve the people's lives and welfare. SABAK BERNAM: A nationwide roadshow about 1MDB or ‘1Malaysia Dalam Bahaya’ (1Malaysia In Danger) got off to a lukewarm start with a ceramah attended by about 500 instead of the thousands expected. With many notable figures including parliamentary opposition leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali, and former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin billed as speakers, initial assumption was that it would be a massive affair attended by thousands. In reality less than 500 people turned up, barely filling even a third of the mini stadium. The roadshow is aimed at people in rural and semi-urban areas, to inform them about the scandals surrounding government investment arm 1Malaysia Development Berhad and how that would affect the daily lives of ordinary Malaysians. However, those who came to listen appeared less than enthusiastic. FMT spoke to many of those present, who said they failed to see how 1MDB had anything to do with them. This was perhaps why most chose to spend their Friday night on other activities rather than listen to speeches about a matter “they don’t even understand.” “I just came to see Muhyiddin. It’s not often that people like me get to see him,” said 31-year-old Nur Asyikin Abdul Rashid. “But honestly, I don’t really understand this whole 1MDB issue. Besides, didn’t the RM2.6 billion which they said were taken from 1MDB actually come from the Saudi government?” Another ceramah-goer, Muhammad Asdi, 44, said he was only at the event because it was near his house. “I wish the opposition would start speaking more about how they can help improve our lives and welfare. But they are always repeating the same thing. “It’s always about 1MDB or Anwar Ibrahim. Don’t get me wrong, I believe Anwar is a victim of dirty politics, but they’re so consumed on avenging him that our needs are no longer a priority.” (Former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is serving a five-year jail sentence on a sodomy charge.) Yesterday being the 18th anniversary of Anwar’s sacking as deputy premier in 1998, the three main speakers made it a point to remind the public of the injustice inflicted upon him. A big part of their speeches also centered on the need for unity among opposition members in order to oust Najib Razak and his Barisan Nasional government, whom they accused of being corrupt. However the same issues they raised were much the same as those raised over the past year. The people of Sabak Bernam also appeared to be as unimpressed as voters in Sarawak in May, when opposition candidates suffered losses to the Barisan Nasional. “Why don’t they talk about other issues? Like how they plan to help the youth get jobs, or how to increase our income in line with the current cost of living,” said Jamaluddin Abdul Hamid, 52. “To me and my family, that is more important than the issue of corruption which has been the practice since (former premier) Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s time.” “The Opposition in Penang, and even Azmin have been accused of corruption and abuse of power as well.” The next stops on the roadshow are: Malacca (Sept 25), Sabah (Sept 30), Pahang (Oct 2) and Perak (Oct 15). http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/09/03/its-the-same-old-song-at-anti-1mdb-ceramah/
