JUST READ!

MAMPU endorse Google Translate?

2012-02-10T18:29:00.005+08:00

My text messages to a Mindef senior official today got a shocker kind of reply.

"Bro, not Mindef mistake (for the 'bahasa rojak' on the ministry's official website). People, including the media and blogs attack and blame us for the error.

"It was MAMPU. The people at MAMPU are the ones who endorsed Google Translate. However, when stupid errors on the website are discovered, they quickly rectified it and cancelled such a decision."

MAMPU? I don't believe it! I thought MAMPU (Malaysian Administrative, Modernisation and Management Planning Unit) is so particular and sharp when it comes to quality. Who are the people responsible for the endorsement?

If we could afford to purchase defense equipment worth billions of ringgit, why not engage a small group of professional translator for the job. And why not we utilise the Government's Translation Department?

MALU lah!

The translations ranged from the painful sounding 'Clothes that poke eye' to the more serious safety connotation of the 'Malaysian Government take drastic measures to increase the level of any national security threat'.

Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi admitted that his ministry had utilised the free Google online translator. He subsequently ordered the site to be removed temporarily.

Well. Its easy for anybody to blame Google but doesn't anyone at the Ministry and MAMPU realises how important good translation is for the ministry and the government? I am not blaming Zahid but his officials should monitor the translated version of the website.

Are we familiar with movie/film subtitle? Those in charge of it seldom watch the movie but work on the subtitle based on its audio. That is why we can still read 'Api! Api!' for 'Fire! Fire!' in a combat film!

Balancing blogs and mainstream media...

2012-02-10T01:27:00.003+08:00

"Readers must not believe that everything is gospel truth in the blogs. It may make an interesting reading on some sensational stories that you find in the social sphere but let us not allow our emotions cloud our judgement... To separate truth from spins and half truths, Malaysians should read, decipher and analyse from every source - from the print media to radio, television, and bloggers - to make an educated and informed conclusion." - MCA President Chua Soi Lek.

I must agree with him. Some blogs are deceiving, some produce half truth stories and many become popular for the lies and slanders.

However, some are really good and quality news material. Whether its politics, economy, sosial, world affairs, sports and others, some blogs provide a better insight on certain issues. The writers, normally journalists and professionals like lawyers, doctors and politicians, do not simply sell their soul to the devil over what they write.

But blogging is not journalism although some of the postings are being subscribed by the mainstream media, especially newspapers. I have noticed some good blog postings gained front-page headlines for its precision.

Blogs are personal domain. The owners are free to pen their thoughts and perception as to how and when they wish. And they are the ones responsible for what they write. If it contains elements of defamation and lies, the subject of the posting can sue them for libel. As to date, no laws protect such bloggers.

Just like newspapers, blogs too have niche readership. Those who are fond of sociopolitical issue will read sociopolitical blogs. Those who look for leisure will go for leisure blogs and for those who like reading 'colorful and abusive' blogs, there are many around. And certainly the ones with vulgarity, slanderous and immodest words will gain popularity fast. The hits are theirs.

Yes, some blogs are very invigorating in the sense that readers would make full assessment of the facts and figures. Readers can learn from it; even the mainstream media sometimes fail to reach out to special issues and hence have to depend on blogs feed.

The only thing that separates blogs and the print and electronic media is timing. While blogs provide readers with the latest information at high speed, television and radio will only carry it during news airtime and special segments. Worse is newspapers - it appears the next day or many hours later when people are already talking about it.

And what Chua said is true. Readers must be able to distinguish the truth and 'news sense' by not only referring to blogs. They must also turn to newspapers and the electronic media as this will avoid them from making their own judgement over specific issues.

So, there must be some collaborations between selective bloggers and the mainstream media to enable both sides gain benefit from the 'open news dissemination'. I wonder what has the Press Council set up last year involving the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry, the Home Ministry and representative of the media - formulated thus far!

In some countries like the US, South Korea, Japan and even Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and South Africa, the government pools senior journalists and selected bloggers into a special task force to help the Cabinet in news monitoring and info gathering.

As blogs get more readers' attention, there is a potential for both sides - blog writers and mainstream media - to work together in many aspects of news 'reporting'. And I personally don't think most reporters attached with the leading newspapers today can produce good 'scoops' as some bloggers do...

'Turkish Delights' for Malaysia Spring...

2012-02-08T14:17:00.004+08:00

Arab Spring - the label created by Recep Tayyib Erdogan, and 'Malaysia Spring' by Anwar Ibrahim.

The Turkish Prime Minister, among US strongest allies in the Mediterranean (apart from Israel) and the only Muslim leader who openly supported Nato's massacre on the Libyans, is now in a cahoot with Washington, Britain, France and others to run down Syria.

When the US and Britain launched a military attack on Iraq in 2003 and Afghanistan a year later, Erdogan gave permissions to US aircraft to utilise two air base in Turkey to facilitate the 'war against terrorism'. Erdogan shares the pride in seeing more than 2 million innocent Iraqis and Afghans died.

In his own country, Erdogan faces amounting pressure from his opponents. His 'gripping democracy', the one subscribed by Anwar, is taking its toll on his politics. Some of Turkish opposition leaders are put behind bars.

Across Turkey, thousands of people had died in bomb attacks on government's places of interest. While I was in Istanbul in 2007, seven people were killed in a bomb blast about one kilometer from the Conrad Hotel I was staying, in Besiktas district. Erdogan blamed it on the opposition.

So, is Anwar emulating Erdogan or the Turkish opposition?

Emulating Erdogan will mean that Anwar too is an American stooge, and indirectly agrees to Israel atrocity on the Palestinians. The Turkish PM is known for his chummy approach when it comes to gaining attention and political support from US and the West.

There is no absolute freedom in Turkey. Talk to the opposition and you will get a true picture of Erdogan's democracy. While the pro-govt newspapers and other media thrive, the opposition's media operators are only bound to discreet circulations.

I think Anwar is confused between choosing Erdogan or the Turkish opposition. Erdogan has to be close to Anwar for the latter's intimate relations with the US. His statement about 'supporting all efforts to safeguard the security of Israel' - as published by the Wall Street Journal recently - is also in parallel with Erdogan's 'free the Arabs' campaign.

Erdogan is much a happy man. With the presence of US and Nato forces in Turkey, he feels safe and politically-secured. He was among the first Muslim leaders who condenmed the late Muammar Gaddafi - murdered by Nato - as a dictator without realising that he himself is worse than a 'Hitler of the modern days'.

The Arab Spring is a plan to allow the US, Western Europe and Israel to dictate the Arabs. As the world's largest source of 'black gold' or petroleum, Erdogan hopes his role in adding support to Washington's economic imperialism would augur well for his politics.

Iraq, now declared cleared of any weapons of mass destruction (WMD) - which was used by the US to attack the country and hanged Saddam Hussein and other leaders - has seen bitter rivalry with Turkey for so many decades over the autonomy of the Kurdish. And now, without Saddam and the new pro-US puppet regime in Baghdad, Erdogan can sigh in relief that a few Turkish oil companies are gaining entry to his neighbor.

Erdogan and Anwar share a distinctive similarity - both are good liars.

While Erdogan lies to the Arab world that his country will stand firm in liberating the Palestinians, Anwar too lies about the truth why he was sacked by Dr Mahathir. His claims to Turkish Today's Zaman that he was sent to jail for criticising his boss then, was a mere lie. I don't think Erdogan and most of the Turks buy that story.

And for Anwar to subscribe to Erdogan's Arab Spring is his Malaysia Spring quest is nothing but a political propaganda. Unless if he approves the mass murder and insurgency that took place in Libya, Oman, Syria, Algeria and a few Arab nations since two years ago!

If such an insurgency movement is what Anwar prefers, he is a the most dangerous man to Malaysia and its citizens. But I think Anwar and his supporters like it. They already set a precedent on January 9 when a few home made bombs were detonated outside the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Was that the beginning of the opposition's uprising?

I think so. As Anwar is so fond of the 'Turkish Delights', he has forgotten his political roots and the 'Asian renaissance' he once propagated when he was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

Erdogan? I don't think he will last long. He shook hands with Ahmadenijad of Iran and Assad of Syria but these are the two countries he wants to see the US & Allies 'neutralise' - just like Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Libya and Palestine!

Dont be 'busy body'

2012-02-07T17:46:00.003+08:00

To Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan and other BN components, better stop being a 'busy body' to Pakatan Rakyat. We must, from now on, concentrate on efforts to woo voters for the next general election.

No need to play supporting actors to DAP, PAS and PKR. We should know by now that whatever differences that occur between them are just part of their mind game and drama to gain publicity and sympathy from Malaysians.

So, its best attending to our domestic problems first rather than meddling with theirs. BN leaders must stay focus in steering their respective parties to stay clear of post-1998 national poll disaster. Stop making too many statements on Hassan Ali, Anwar, Hadi, Guan Eng and others.

Don't you know that they simply dramatised their 'bad relations on hudud' to give the implication that there is a big split in the Opposition? Can we buy that?

Don't walk straight into their political trap. I remember posting about 'Just Ignore Anwar' when Sodomy II erupted two years ago. However, its an Umno 'tradition' that when the Prime Minister speaks or comments, the rest - ministers, deputy ministers, MPs and even Umno branch heads will also join him, feeling awkward if they fail to verbally bash up Anwar.

And then, came various and 'stupid' statements from some of them. Some statements even mocked Anwar as being the 'dumbest' person on earth. Are we underestimating him after what PR had achieved in PRU12?

Consider this. If Anwar is such a bloody fool, no ulama, Islamic scholars and professionals would join him. But the fact that he gains support from many foreign leaders and organisation, including scholars of al-Azhar University, makes him somebody 'special'. Think about it!

Latest, Hadi Awang's decision not to contest or to take up only one of his two seats in the next national poll.

We could have left the issue to PAS and PKR. No point throwing a challenge to DAP to leave Pakatan Rakyat or severe its ties with PAS, or vice versa. They know each others very well enough to disregard their inter-relations.

They are never at odds over hudud. DAP will not be bothered to understand hudud. Their top priority is to see PR takes over Putrajaya. Differences can be settled after that.

Don't tell me Anwar, Kit Siang, Karpal, Nik Aziz, Hadi, Mat Sabu and others are still strangers to us, for us to ignore their cunning act?

So, its proper for only a few top BN leaders to comment. Others should keep their mouth shut. But even so, I've heard top leaders making 'uncalled' statements about the Opposition, especially in Hassan Ali case.

I believe its time to leave the guns and ammo to the BN's 'unit media baru'. Some of them are much better with the kill.

The bloggers and the new media are your frontliners now. The leaders - as our commanders - should strategise plans to keep the fort intact!

Thaipusam & 'Nambikei'

2012-02-06T15:59:00.003+08:00

As a child many years ago, I used to join the Thaipusam procession in my kampung. I was not alone as many other Malays, young and old, walked the ceremony with our Hindu friends. And we remained Muslims.

The Hindu chief priest at the Kuala Sungai Baru Estate never failed to invite the kampung folks - Malays and Chinese - to join the glorious event. We participated as friends. In our kampung, we were one in many other celebrations - Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali and even 'kenduri kahwin'.

So intact were we that parents treated each others' kids like theirs - with every rights to tell and advise you when you were in the wrong.

The kampung folks always met at the Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Tamil football field for a free 'wayang treat' from Jabatan Penerangan or sponsors like 'Minyak Chap Kapak' and 'Minyak Angin Chap Dua Singa'. That's how we came to know about MGR, Nagesh, P Ramlee, Tompel, Rajesh Khana, Lata Mageskar, Nora Miao and others.

I believe Malaysians in the era of 60s, 70s and early 80s were very much 1Malaysia. We mingled very well, lived a happy and harmonious life... and without prejudice. I wish of having a time-machine which can bring me back to that era - with Rama, Pankej, Suresh, Loga and others.

Its already 2012! As we celebrate Thaipusam together, please be reminded that there is no religion, race and color in friendship. Had we tagged ourselves along the line, there wouldn't have been incidents like attacking mosques, churches, kuils and tokongs.

In his Thaipusam message, Prime Minister Najib Razak has called on Malaysian Hindus to continue to place their "nambikei" in the government.

With this trust, he said, the government would be able to effectively engage with and help the community overcome challenges and achieve personal visions for a better life.

"We remain committed to fulfilling all our promises to the community and we'll do what's needed to help people achieve their dreams," he said in his message in conjunction with the Thaipusam festival posted on his blogsite www.1malaysia.com.my.

A-aaahhhh... Looks like we will need more of such calls in the coming years...

SELAMAT HARI THAIPUSAM

Maulidur Rasul

2012-02-05T00:53:00.002+08:00

Sabda Rasulullah SAW, mafhumnya:

"Sesiapa yang bersalawat sekali ke atasku, nescaya Allah akan bersalawat 10 kali ke atasnya..."

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT MAULIDUR RASUL

The police and a school boy...

2012-02-03T20:39:00.005+08:00

I did not go to KL Police HQ (IPK KL) this morning to act as a 'lawyer' for a 16-year old schoolboy accused of raping a girl of his age last year. The officer in charge of the case told the boy's mom that the case is postponed to 'sometimes in March'.

Without a man in the house, the duo are trapped in a dilemma over the case. People around them are not even helping. The headmaster and other teachers too are not offering any words of comfort to them.

I don't care if the boy is guilty or not but until full investigation is conducted and a verdict is reached, he remains innocent. Furthermore, there was already signs for the case to be settled outside the court.

What flabbergasted me is the manner the case runs.

A few months ago, the father of the victim (from Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras) lodged a police report at Kepong Police Station over her daughter's remark that the accused (from Cheras Baru) raped her.

A week later, a few officers from IPK KL went to pick up the boy from his classroom when an examination was in progress.

Hey! I am not against the police. I am always in support of the police when others badmouth the whole organisation for corruption, bias, racist, etc. In fact, I've never written anything adverse about the police force.

However, a big force such PDRM is not free from some misconduct and wrongdoing committed by some of its personnel. And who says the MACC is free of corruption.

The issue I'm putting to question now is the 'mishandling' of the boy's case. As one of the persons involved in preparing the 'Laporan Suruhanjaya Diraja Mengenai Penambaikan Perkhidmatan Polis' in 2004, among key elements mentioned in the report was 'penggunaan budibicara dalam menangani kes juvana' (applying good jurisdiction on juvenile case).

But there was no good jurisdiction when the police took away the boy from his classroom before his own teachers and colleagues. It was embarassing. If the boy is produced in court, there will be no point to put him on trial behind close door as too many people already know who the accused is.

And what if he is acquitted?

You may call this a remote case. But still, the officers who 'snatched' him from school should bear in mind the legal repercussion the might face if the boy's mom knows her right to sue the Force for all the embarrassment caused.

Why didn't they wait for him to go home first and pick him up from there instead of arresting him at home?

He was even intimidated to confess of rape or they 'will put him in a dark room and bashed up', according to him and his mom. What's all this? Is it necessary to scare him to death for a crime he could not have commit?

I hope this posting serves as a friendly advise from someone who always appreciate the job of PDRM. The police is one of the most important force to our security. However, in carrying out our duty, we must not act overboard.

Umno members get dirty again

2012-02-02T01:55:00.002+08:00

In Kota Bharu, people talk about who should represent Umno/BN as its candidate in the next general election.

In my own division Masjid Tanah, members are already forming their teams - one which supports the reigning division head (Abu Seman), another for his deputy Kapt Karim and the others for 'none of the above'.

In Kluang the other day, there were words that Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein will face a new challenge from few of his comrades in the constituency, apart from Pakatan Rakyat's strong candidate.

I am not concern over who are the Opposition candidates to take on Umno/BN nominees in PRU13 but the unpleasant atmosphere in Umno in preparing for the national poll, triggers an alarm.

There is no stopping to this factionalism each time when chosing the right candidate matters most. Some drip extra sweat by meeting the chief minister and mentri besar to accept their proposed man for the 'wakil rakyat' job.

And that is not enough.

Some factions are already submitting suitable names should Ali Rustam (Melaka), Ghani Osman (Johor), Mohd Said (Trengganu) and others are defeated or 'shifted' to the Federal after the general election.

This is actually the time we can observe for ourselves how 'filthy' politics of the Malays are. They couldn't care less if their action causes split to the division as long as their nominee makes it for the poll.

Forget about the pledge to support the elected division or branch heads as it does not count anymore. What's most important is to ensure their future 'will be well taken of' if their candidate is endorsed and wins.

I find all this sickening! I shouldn't write more...

Sama-sama faham la!

"Gay tourism - we must learn from Israel"

2012-02-01T20:31:00.005+08:00

A simple note from a gay leader:

"Well, everybody knows I am a gay. So what? There are millions of us around the world. The US, UK, France, Israel almost every country in Europe, Latin America and Africa allow same sex marriage.

"But I am unique. I am married to a woman, and that makes me so special. I have kids and massive political support unlike you orthodox and conservative Malaysians who only enjoy man-to-woman sex.

"Oppss... Israel. Do you know why I support the Jewish state? Maybe you people are blind, so let me tell you this. Despite its confrontation with the Palestine, Israel receives more tourists than Malaysia and any other countries. Tourism is economy, and economy means revenue for the country.

"Tel Aviv is internationally-recognised as a center for gay tourism, far ahead of Amsterdam, Brussels, Stockholm and any other western cities. Tel Aviv is now an oasis for gay tourism in the Middle East, contributing to its purse and wealth.

"At the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial (in Jerusalem), gays also listen to speeches and talks about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals.

"Tel Aviv is a city in which everyone can be proud of who they are. As the number of gays worldwide increases, we must accept the fact that they are also part of the community. And that is part of the reasons why I supported liberalisation of the laws that ban us.

"What do you Malaysians have in KL and other cities and towns? You expect tourism to contribute to our revenue but you forgot one thing - that gays rule.

"We should have more clubs and pubs for gays. Like Tel Aviv, there are more bars than synagogues, God is a DJ and everyone's body is a temple. So, vote for me. I will turnaround the country's economy in just one day. Israel has shown us the way..."

When Israel choses US President...

2012-02-01T01:34:00.003+08:00

A-aahhh!!!!

All this while the Israelis got the say in deciding who should be the US President. No wonder their bond is unbreakable!

How is that foreign politicians endorse a US president? Well, if the foreign politicians happen to be Israeli, it apparently isn't a problem.

I could go on and on, but I have just one question. Am I now allowed to say that Israel controls America? Because if the Obama campaign can produce this masterpiece of propaganda with one clear audience in mind, I and every other anti-zionist should be free to state the obvious.

Zionists and their money control the world political process. There I said it. The end.

But then, there is already signs that one or two Malaysian politicians are waiting for the honor as well... to join Israel in making such decisions!

Rocky vs NSTP4: An apology long overdue...

2012-01-31T11:06:00.003+08:00

Sincere or not, Rocky's (Ahirudin Attan) apology to four former NSTP bosses over allegations carried on his blog about five years ago, suffice. It puts an end to a libel suit 'among friends'. Just like politicians who go after each others' butt, Rocky vs 4 should have been settled outside the court.

But Kalimullah Hassan, Syed Faisal Albar, Hishamuddin Aun and Brendan Pereira chose to be in the limelight by suing Rocky for 'defamation and malicious falsehood'.

Had a simple apology was all needed, Rocky could have offered it over a cup of coffee or a bottle of wine five years ago.

His apology was read out today in chambers at the KL High Court today in front of Datuk Asmabi Mohamad.

“The Defendant recognises, acknowledges and empathises with the considerable distress, embarrassment, and inconvenience caused to the Plaintiffs resulting from the publications of the statements as pleaded in the statement of claim and he is present in Court today to express his sincere and utmost regret... to withdraw all allegations and imputations which are complained of in the statement of claim and to apologise for the same,” read Rocky’s statement of apology.

He also agreed not to publish any similar allegations concerning the plaintiffs on his blog or any other website online in the future.

Under the terms of agreement, he will also publish a statement of apology on his weblog.

There was no order as to costs and damages.

My verdict: Rocky-4, NSTP4-0.

When it comes to money, LGE is not transparent

2012-01-30T17:18:00.003+08:00

This letter from a 'George Khoo' to FMT two days ago draws my attention. Just read...

"There has been a lot of hot air over the so-called declaration of assests by the DAP state government in Penang. Many people have come out to praise DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is the Penang chief minister, for being transparent and accountable. Is he?

"First of all, why didn’t Lim and his exco members reveal their monthly income? Take Lim’s case, for example. I think he may be taking home more than a RM100,000 each month.

"He gets allowances as MP for Bagan, state assemblyman for Air Putih, big fat pay as chief minister, and his wife Betty also gets an allowance as state assembly person for Malacca.

"On top of that, which are all tax-free, Lim gets free housing, transport allowance, car and driver, and also big fat allowances as board member of various state corporations such as Penang Development Corporation, InvestPenang, etc.

"Similarly, other DAP leaders like Teresa Kok gets allowance as MP, state assembly person, and big fat pay as senior executive councillor, plus also big fat allowance as board member of various state corporations and government-linked companies. She also get free housing, transport allowance, car and driver.

"These DAP leaders often accused the Barisan Nasional of being corrupt. They are no better, being so greedy. I’m sure Lim’s children are receiving big fat ang pows from those who want favours from him. Is he prepared to declare all the ang pows he and his children receive, and from whom?

"Lim and his DAP are always criticising Prime Minister Najib’s wife Rosmah for showing off as First Lady Of Malaysia (FLOM). Lim’s wife is no better, being labelled FLOP (First Lady Of Penang).

"It seems she is increasingly becoming more visible and vocal in Penang, and demanding to be invited as guest-of-honour at almost all high society functions in Penang. Tongues are waging about FLOP, who will cause her husband to be ousted in Penang..."

My immediate comment is... WOW!

Another lie!

2012-01-29T00:58:00.003+08:00

Malaysians!

Read Anwar's interview with WSJ properly, every line and every single word he said. No where in the story did he speak of the 'two state solution', a reference to Israel and Palestine.

He even said what he told WSJ journalist is in line with Malaysia's and UN policy with regards to recognising the state of Israel and Palestine.

He lied again. This is NOT in the WSJ story. Now that he is under attacks, he is changing his stand.

He claimed on Saturday, "I stressed that the needs and rights of the Palestinian people must be guarded and that includes the right to their country and not to be victimised. I also stated that if this is met then Israel's rights should be respected".

“I stressed that the needs and rights of the Palestinian people must be guarded and that includes the right to their own country and to not be victimised. I also stated that if this is met then Israel’s rights should also be respected,” he said in a statement after some parties lambasted him.

Earlier Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin demanded Anwar clarify his words as reported in the WSJ, saying the latter’s remarks ignored the plight of the Palestinians.

"Is this the stand of the the opposition Pakatan coalition, when the government does not even have diplomatic relations with Israel," he said, adding that Barisan Nasional regrets what Anwar had said.

The Malaysian government, he said, was also very disappointed that the peace talks between Israel and Palestine had yet to bear fruit although they had been going on for a long time.

Before that, Umno Youth accused Anwar of defending 'Israel’s Zionist regime' over his reported comments, saying it was Palestinians who needed protection, defending and humanitarian aid after being oppressed by Israel.

Umno Youth’s international bureau chief Ahmad Zaki Zahid said the PKR de facto leader’s comments reflected 'his efforts to support certain friends who stand firmly behind the Zionist regime'.

I have read the WSJ story, not once but a few times but found nothing about the 'two state solution'.

Let's hear more from him...

Embassy of Israel in Malaysia...

2012-01-27T19:05:00.004+08:00

Under 'Prime Minister' Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia is expected to open up its embassy in Tel Aviv, and of course the Israel administration will reciprocate happily.

After Singapore, Kuala Lumpur will play host to the Jews diplomatic mission. Oppss... not Jews, we don't hate the Jews but the atrocity of their government on the Palestinians.

We used to criticise Singapore for its diplomatic relation with Israel. Anwar, as our Deputy Prime Minister then, had also lambasted the Republic for going against Asean's ZOPFAN (Zone of Peace, Peace and Neutral).

When I joined him on his Manila trip in 1997 (for his Jose Rizal award), that was part of his gist of talks - that no country should recognise the state of Israel until Tel Aviv reciprocates in recognising a free Palestine.

He was another Rizal then, avowing support for the cause of Palestine and the freedom of its people to decide on their own future.

The majestic Manila Hotel where we (journalists and his entourage) stayed was specially booked for Anwar and us. Yes, the Filipinos do look up at him, then and now. Former President Estrada too is supporting him. What a good and loyal friend he is.

This 'Rizal' used to chide at Singapore for becoming 'a friend' of Tel Aviv. In fact, when Singapore engage Israeli advisers and trainers for its armed forces, he was quick to use his 'renaissance slogan' on the Republic, how Lee Kuan Yew was not sensitive over Asean standpoint and the Palestinians.

Malaysia has always refrained from having any ties with Israel. As long as the Israel-Palestine dispute is not amicably settled, there is no haggling about it.

But Anwar's relation with Singapore has taken a positive turn ever since he was expelled from Umno and sent to jail in about 13 years ago. His adverse perception about the Republic was fast diminishing. And today, he is a 'buddy' for Singapore.

I am not sure why he (and some of his friends in Pakatan Rakyat) love going to the Republic of late but there is already a sign that Singapore too wanted to see 'changes' in Putrajaya. That change is in Anwar.

Now, Anwar is willing to change his stand about Israel. When he told WSJ that he supports all effort to protect the security of Israel, I guess he sounds more like an American rather than a Malay or a Malaysian.

I personally believe Israel has every rights to safeguard its security but whenever it is achieved on the destruction of others - just like how the Americans destroyed Iraq for its bluff and anti-terrorism campaign - then it is not fair.

How does Anwar define 'security' in the Israel-Palestine context?

I am not surprise that Malaysians, especially the Muslims' sensitivity about Israel will not be taken into account if he gets to Putrajaya. As he is already linked with some Jews organisations worldwide, an Embassy of Israel will be well in place in KL. The location could be the land behind the US Embassy... by chasing out the Libyans!

Aborigines... Malaysia and Australia

2012-01-27T09:00:00.007+08:00

I had supper with a few Orang Asli friends last night, the same day our friends Down Under celebrated Australia Day.

Sulaiman (Sumai before he embraced Islam in 1984), 47, is a math teacher. I met him when visiting Bukit Lanjan in 1983.

"Our government is best when it comes to treating and reaching out for the Orang Asli. Over the decades, their life have changed dramatically. Even the Penans in deeper Sarawak have tasted the fruits of our development program.

"However, many still prefer to live their traditional way. They don't have to leave the jungle; the government brings schools, water, electricity and other thing to the jungle instead. We can't find this in other countries, particularly Australia," Sulaiman said.

A-ahhh... what a soothing statement. But that's fact!

Let's take a look at what happened at Australia Day yesterday.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott fled a restaurant in Canberra after the place was besieged by protesters. The two had been presenting the National Emergency Medals at the Lobby Restaurant on King George Terrace, near the Aboriginal tent embassy.

Reports say one woman ran into the restaurant and threw white flowers at the Prime Minister.

About 200 protesters followed, banging on the three glass sides of The Lobby restaurant chanting 'shame'’ and 'racist', referring to the ill-treatment given to the aborigines and the 'anti-colored' sentiment by some lawmakers last year.

The prime minister played down the incident, in which she stumbled while being dragged by security. "I am made of pretty tough stuff and the police did a great job," she said.

She refused to comment on whether Abbott should apologise for offending Aboriginal activists who were at the nearby Canberra tent embassy, celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The protesters blamed their actions on Abbott's comments earlier on Thursday that it was time to 'move on' from the tent embassy.

I think the Aussies should learn from us...

'PwC'gate to audit 'Cow'gate?

2012-01-26T11:47:00.005+08:00

The latest news is, PriceWaterhouseCoopers will be appointed the auditing firm for National Feedlot Corporation. Its already a market talk, and DPM Muhyiddin Yassin is said to have given it a go.

Why PwC, a firm plagued with 'scandals' and misconstruing its professional ethic? Ask why Maxis boss Ananda Krishnan is mad about it!

Don't we have other credible auditing firm for the job? Being a big name and a foreign-based company does not always guarantee satisfactory result, isn't it?

Apart from scandalising the court (there is an ongoing case against the firm at the Kuala Lumpur High Court) with fabricated evidence and documents, PwC is also believed to tamper with auditing reports for Felda listing.

Read this article here. It posed a question to Muhyiddin: "Tan Sri, can you imagine Chin Kwai Fatt (pic), the MD of PwC Malaysia, and master of document fabrication, auditing Cowgate?"

It says, Chin Kwai Fatt is now trapped by the fact that one of the documents he has fabricated in an ongoing Kuala Lumpur High Court case not only contradicts his own witness statement, but also the amended defense of all the defendants.

And I agree to this - Why is the Auditor General's report not enough for the truth about the NFC to be made public?

A-ahhh... looks like things start to brew again...

SRJK (C) is not for Chinese only!

2012-01-25T12:11:00.002+08:00

"I wanted to enroll my 7-year old daughter at a Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) in Ampang. I went to see the headmaster but upon seeing that my daughter wore a 'tudung', he asked me to send her to a Sekolah Kebangsaan.

"He said there is no place for a Malay student in a Chinese school, especially those with 'tudung'," he said, anguish and frustrated.

"He also said that Chinese schools are supposed to be for Chinese only."

I am checking on the allegation.

However, the public general perception has always been stereotype - that whenever a non-Chinese pupil enrolls at any SRJK(C), his or her intention is to take up Mandarin and acquire Chinese knowledge.

This is actually wrong, totally not right. All Sekolah Kebangsaan, SRJK (Cina) and SRJK (Tamil) are government-aided schools. It belongs to the government, right?

So, while all Sekolah Kebangsaan accepts non-Malay students, the Malays too deserve all rights to enroll at any SRJK(C) and SRJK(T), am I'm not right? These are all government schools.

But why must there still be abrasive remarks about the system? I don't want to call the headmaster 'a racist' for his attitude but it reflects more on the government's hands-on policy on non-Sekolah Kebangsaan matters.

The Education Ministry, I believe, only ensures that the schools are under good management and with ample facilities but it fails to monitor the type of teachers being deployed. Whether its a Sekolah Kebangsaan, SRJK(C) or SRJK(T), the teachers, especially headmasters must be tuned to the fact that they are on the government's payroll.

Most important is, the schools are open to all Malaysians, not for a single race.

And I am also of the opinion that the 'Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua' will be most practical to address such a situation.

Neutralising the DAP: A Malay political strategy

2012-01-24T19:44:00.006+08:00

Just got back from a CNY open house in Kota Kemuning. The host is a good friend of mine since college, Lau, now a successful dentist. His wife is an accountant with a GLC.

What enchanted me is his father, Lau Sr. At 77 and a former DAP member (he left the party when Lee Lam Thye resigned in the early 1990s), he was sharp and seemed to know everything about the Opposition party.

"Why not let more Malays join the party? Sooner or later, there will be more Malays in DAP than the Chinese and Indians. When they form the majority, they will hold the key positions.

"Karpal, Chen (Man Hin), Kit Siang and others cannot deliver what they promised. They will have to vacate their respective seats when the time comes.

"Part of the reasons why Lee Lam Thye left the party was when his suggestion for DAP to open its door to more Malays was rejected by the top leadership. They (the leaders) were afraid should more Malays walk in, they will soon become the majority race in the Chinese-dominated party," Lau Sr said.

I was startled. I remember talking to Lee some times ago but he refused to reveal anything about his reasons for quitting.

"Simple, my friend. If the Malays dominate DAP, the power will be in their hands. They might also consider the party's role in domestic politics. As PAS is already a strong Malay opposition party at the Parliament, they might opt to join Barisan Nasional.

"And such an idea frightens people like Chen, Kit Siang and Karpal. Forget about the Indian members. They are always sidelined, right from the very beginning," he added.

It makes sense. But what if the Malay-dominated DAP is rejected by the non-Malays, especially the Chinese?

"Of course the Chinese in DAP will not like it. Once they lose grip on the party key positions, they will think more than twice as whether to stay or opt out, say... forming another party or join the MCA or Gerakan.

"Should the Malay-dominated DAP decides to join hands with PAS, PKR and other opposition parties, the Chinese will lose faith in DAP and this will prompt them to find other avenues. And MCA, being a largest Chinese party in Malaysia, is a good option.

"You should also bear in mind that while the Malays, irrespective of their political parties, are talking about Malay unity, the Chinese too... this has come to their mind... will have to reconsider their position, a united Malaysian Chinese."

Well, nothing's wrong with that, I admit.

So, is it wise for more Malays to join DAP?

"Why not? This is a political strategy. The Malays outside Umno, PAS and PKR should consider this. The Malay-dominated DAP can choose to stay as an Opposition or join BN. It takes time, maybe 10 or 20 years from now. It can be attained.

"Once the Malays are in control, they can 'neutralise' the party... and there goes the government's strongest Opposition!"

Only a 30-minutes chat but it was very arousing. I am not sure how many of us share such an idea...

I remember reading Laure Paquette's 'Political Strategy and Tactics' some years ago. Will it work for Malaysia?

Sharing the CNY

2012-01-22T22:24:00.004+08:00

Its Chinese New Year again.

I really miss CNY during my childhood days. Our Chinese friends in the kampung would go around, inviting us - the Malays, Indians and others - to their open house. The best part for kids was getting the 'ang-pow' while the elderly were overjoyed with a gift of 'kuih bakul'.

I wonder where my 'darling' Yau Lin Na and buddies like Mok Kiang Tong, Goh Kun Teik, Alan, Ah Kow The Robber, Ah Keng and the rest are.

We were very much a 1Malaysia society back then...

To Malaysians, especially the Chinese, HAPPY NEW YEAR. Hope that one day, Malaysians will not be identified by their races but by their nationality...

(Thank you to Quah, Siew, Tan Tauke, Vincent, Danny and others for the invitation. I will try to make it).

Abbott's stupid joke

2012-01-20T21:45:00.004+08:00

An alleged gaffe from Australian Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott:

He is under fire after joking about the cruise liner disaster in which at least 11 people died off the Italian coast.

During an interview on Triple M radio in Adelaide earlier today, Abbott made light of the situation.

"This is a bit from left field mate, the captain of the Costa Concordia wants to know if you need any help with your boat policy?" the Triple M announcer said.

"Well, that was one boat that did get stopped, wasn't it," Abbott replied, to laughter. So it was a line in 'response' to the Triple M guy’s jokey question.

Cue the outrage:

Federal Labor MP Rob Mitchell was quick to pounce on the remarks in Twitter.
Can't believe Abbott made his childish boat jokes about the Costa Concordia disaster when people died & are still missing," he tweeted.

"He must come out and apologise."

Abbott, who is in South Australia to take part in a charity bike ride on the sidelines of the Tour Down Under, says Labor has over-reacted to his comments. But he concedes the comments were inappropriate.

"On reflection, it's probably something that should not have been the subject of light-hearted banter on morning radio," he said.

"It was. It probably shouldn't have been, but I think the Labor Party should stop over-reacting and should appreciate just the kind of way that morning radio works.

"I was asked a light-hearted question, I gave a light-hearted response..."

Hmmm.... have your heard of similar 'stupid jokes' from our own politicians?

Let's sue each other...

2012-01-20T03:20:00.005+08:00

Fulamak!

While Anwar Ibrahim is suing Utusan Malaysia for RM50 million, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has filed a RM100 million suit for defamation against Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) strategy director Mohd Rafizi Ramli.

Her lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah filed the suit at the High Court Registry on Jalan Duta yesterday.

The Wanita Umno chief said in her statement of claim that the Agriculture Ministry had in 2006, invited tenders from various companies to act as developer and integrator of a feedlot project (National Feedlot Project).

The ministry and an appointed selection committee for high impact projects had after evaluating the proposals, awarded the tender to Agro Science Industry Sdn Bhd and another company.

She said the committee had been specifically established by the government to assess high impact projects.

Shahrizat, who has taken a three weeks leave from her official duty as a minister, appeared confident in her 'war'.

A few days ago, the appellate court in Putrajaya affirmed a ruling, ordering a blogger to pay RM300,000 in damages to Information Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim for defaming the minister in a blog article.

Justice Datuk Jefrey Tan Kok Wha, heading a three-member panel in the Court of Appeal, unanimously dismissed blogger Amizudin Ahmat's appeal over the High Court's ruling.

Tan, who heard the appeal with justices Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali and Datuk Alizatul Khair Osman Khairuddin, also upheld the High Court ruling that the blogger was liable for defamation over the article against Rais.

Reading the broad reasons, Tan said the court was in total agreement with the High Court ruling on the amount of damages amounting to RM300,000, awarded to the minister.

He said it might appear that the amount was high and that was the court's first impression.

In January last year, Rais, 69, sued Amizudin, 42, who is also Parti Keadilan Rakyat Youth committee member, for defamation over an article posted in the latter's blog, sharpshooterblogger.blogspot.com, on or about Dec 28, 2010.

In his suit, the minister said the entire words in the Malay language article were malicious and defamatory of him, and the words in the article meant and/or were understood to mean that he was guilty of a serious offence of having raped and capable of murdering his Indonesian maid.

A woman who worked as a maid for him for eight years was later reported by an Indonesian news portal as denying that she had ever been mistreated or raped by her employer.

Interesting, isn't it? Our courts will from now on have to attend to more libel suits. While I am contemplating on similar action to be taken by the US Government against my posting on former envoy John Malott a last week, I also realise libel suit is becoming a hit nowadays...

Hang Tuah: What a shame for Melaka!

2012-01-19T15:26:00.003+08:00

So, the legendary Hang Tuah is just a myth. The whole history book about him, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir, Hang Kasturi and Hang Lekiu was just a fiction, and hence should be burnt to ashes!

Its a shame, especially to Melaka. After all the effort undertaken by the state government to woo tourists to 'Perigi Hang Li Po' and 'Makam Hang Tuah', the upshot to it is nothing but a historic disgrace.

It also means that there were no personalities like Tun Teja, Hang Li Po, Kitol and Puteri Gunung Ledang as depicted in many history books. I learnt about it since my primary school, proud that my state was very historical.

So, if the mausoleum in Tanjong Keling is not that of Hang Tuah, who could it belong to? Hang Bodoh?

Prof Khoo Kay Kim could be right and wrong. Nobody could come forward with any tangible evidence that Hang Tuah & Gang and Hang Li Po really had existed. It was narrated from a generation to the next generation by people whom we call 'believers'. But are we blaming them should the facts are just mere fabrications?

And what about Kublai Khan and Genghiz Khan of whom we also learnt in school? Their existence was not verbatim as of today where camera and video are the legitimate tools of proof. Is it okay to say that I only recognise Zaman Khan because I used to shake hands with him?

What about the history of Hong Kong and Kowloon which was named after 'kau-lung' or the nine dragons? Is it a myth too as no dragon has yet to be traced in that territory? Or is it true that Neil Armstrong step foot on the moon hoisting the US flag since many parties were already questioning the logic, while some said it was photoed in a studio.

Are Marco Polo and Alexander The Great really had existed? Is Loch Ness Monster a true story or a myth?

I don't have any answer for all this but historians are people who should take care of the fact and figure. There shouldn't be any exaggeration to what has taken place.

However, it is usual for history data to be manipulated and twisted in favor of the story-teller or those in power. The Americans never recognise the fact that it was the black people who built the White House, and not them!

Another question is, did Mahsuri really exist?

As a 'orang Melaka', I feel embarrassed and cheated with Khoo's remarks but he has every rights to his own viewpoint. The only thing is the unbearable humiliation Ali Rustam has to face over the issue. The people of Melaka too will be frustrated.

So, what is true about Melaka history when there were no Hang Tuah, Hang Li Po, Laksamana Tun Perak, Datuk Bentara, Sultan Muzaffar Shah, Dang Anum and others? Was Parameswara really the man from Palembang who founded Melaka? Any proof of his existence?

What is true is only the Portuguese attacks on the kingdom in 1511, right? But still, why must they come up with such a story?

What's next?

PwC taints Felda's listing

2012-01-18T00:21:00.004+08:00

I have been following this 'corporate' blog over a year now. Its interesting in the sense that it carries allegations that nobody - including the Securities Commission boss Zarinah Anwar - had made no attempt to deny it.

Its attacks on auditing firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) also contain proofs and strong arguments.

In its latest series of 'corporate allegations', Zarinahtakesapaycut claims that the listing of Felda Global Ventures Holding is being manipulated by PwC boss Johan Raslan & Gang.

The listing, it says should rightfully be an event that will bring great joy to the Felda settlers "but could there be a fly in the ointment that we are missing, that can turn what should be tears of joy into genuine tears of sorrow and grief....?

"The numbers are now being crunched by PwC Malaysia, in preparation for the listing of FGVH, and therein lies the problem.

"Will institutional investors trust an audit done by PwC Malaysia? Will any investor worth his salt trust an audit done by an audit firm like PwC Malaysia that fabricates documents and submits them in a bundle to a Court of Law?

"Is it worth risking the future of thousands of settlers and their families, when the proof of fabrication comes out in open court, and the forgers are found to be the very same chaps running the audit firm behind the Felda listing?"

According to the blogger, a PwC insider told them there was evident of fabrication of documents by the auditing firm for the listing, and that evidence is going to come out in open court in February.

To add insult to injury, 'a little bird says that Chin Kwai Fatt (Johan's partner in PwC) himself will be shown as having fabricated one of the documents during the trial...'

And I like this:

"PM Najib, we, the group of six behind this blog, are fully behind you, but we must ask you this painful question. Can you risk having the misdeeds of PwC Malaysia and Johan Raslan costing you crucial votes in GE 13?

"Can we risk having the Felda settlers angry with the outcome of the listing simply because investors everywhere start hearing caveat emptor whenever someone whispers PwC Malaysia into their ears?"

Myanmar: The world owes it to Razali Ismail... not Obama!

2012-01-16T01:02:00.003+08:00

The US administration was fast to attribute Obama's foreign policy to the changes taking place in Myanmar. As normalisation of US-Myanmar relation looks imminent, American diplomats were already jumping around, claiming it was their effort which led to a new Myanmar (or Burma).

What a load of craps!

The US, Myanmar, Asean and in fact the international community owe it to our former senior diplomat Tan Sri Razali Ismail (pic).

It was his continuous effort as the United Nations' special envoy to Myanmar in 2000-2005 that paved the way to a democratic Myanmar. He was the one responsible in securing the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in May 2002.

However, his impartiality as a UN Special Envoy was questioned by American officials in an embassy cable that was released via Wikileaks, alleging his business ties with the Burmese military regime.

Later however, Myanmar military junta repeatedly denied him entry to Myanmar, contributing to his decision to quit the special envoy status in December 2005. It was only recently that the junta realised its accusation against him was unfounded.

Across the United States and elsewhere - including in Kuala Lumpur - US diplomats were quick to claim credit for their 'endless' effort in bringing about changes in the Asean country.

As preparations were made to send a senior ambassador to Yangoon, some White House officials said it was Obama's policy of engagement which managed to bring one of the 'world's pariah states out from the cold.

Typical American diplomats. It was the same 'engagement policy' that allowed former President George Bush to launch military attacks on innocent Iraqis and Afghans. It was that particular policy which permitted the murder of Saddam Hussein and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

And Myanmar could be next if it fails to comply with their diplomatic pre-requisites!

Pro-Umno but anti-MCA

2012-01-15T00:39:00.004+08:00

I remember sending text messages to a minister, his secretary-general and director-general over the need to pool editors of pro-Umno mainstream media and bloggers into a forum, specifically to discuss 'pro-Umno' and 'pro-Barisan Nasional'.

That was about two months ago. Only the sec-gen replied, seconding my proposal and promised to bring it up at a meeting with his boss. Then, everything went silent.

I know its not 'advisable' to blog about it as it should be confined to top level discussion. But even our Prime Minister and his Cabinet members are not doing anything about it. I guess that explains why those in charge of the government's propaganda machinery are sleeping on their job. Or, they are not aware of the danger awaiting BN in the next general election.

Yes, I am worried.

Why? While some mainstream media and bloggers are pro-Umno, they are not BN-friendly. I thought when we are pro-Umno, it goes without saying that we should also be pro-BN.

But the situation is otherwise. In showing undivided support for Umno, some pro-Umno media and bloggers are battering MCA, Gerakan, MIC and other BN component parties. It gives the impression that MCA, for instance, belongs to the Opposition.

It also implies that Umno can form the government without MCA, Gerakan and MIC. Reading some editorials and blogs that condemned MCA sent shivers down my spine. What is MCA to Umno? A rival?

What is the point attacking Chua Soi Lek, Koh Tsu Koon and G Palanivel when the parties they lead are part of BN? Can Umno form the next government without having to bank on their contribution?

I am not sure if Najib is aware of such a 'ring worm' shrouding the media and blogosphere but it does not augur well in bringing Malaysians - especially BN members - together under the 1Malaysia slogan.

We need MCA. They have their own domestic problems but Umno too is facing similar setbacks. But blaming each other for some minor issues will cost BN dearly in the next national poll. Distrust among each other will be very, very disastrous to BN.

Please bear in mind that there is no more 'comfort zone' for BN in the 13th general election. The Pakatan Rakyat's onslaught gets stiffer by the day and we cannot forget the simple fact that Umno cannot form the government all alone.

So, badmouthing MCA by pro-Umno media and bloggers should be put to a stop. I am not the right person to discuss the issue here but since such a proposal fell on deaf ears, its my duty to ring the alarm.

To my pro-Umno fellow bloggers and media, do accept my apology. But please consider this - do we have to be anti-BN and anti-MCA for wearing the pro-Umno tag?

Mallot The Macaw

2012-01-14T09:21:00.005+08:00

The diplomatic macaw is at it again. When Anwar Ibrahim said Pakatan Rakyat will make it through in the next 'just and clean' general election, former US envoy and political drop out John Mallot added to such a malodorous remark that the coming poll will be the most 'dirtiest' ever.

No surprise. This diplomat who spent most of his time at the dining table and brothels when he was US ambassador to Malaysia (1995-1998) and now joins Barack Obama in a fascist America, is nothing but a dissolute manipulator.

His latest jottings in the Wall Street Journal on January 12 proves how a marmot and laggard he is.

When he accused the 'Malaysian's corrupt' are expected to exhaust all avenues to cling on to power, he was actually trying to get the Americans into believing that what being practiced in the US is far off better than that in Malaysia.

Anwar's acquittal, which he deemed as a proof of innocent, reflected how shallow his small brain is in law.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court did not acquit Anwar of his innocence but freed him on the grounds that the prosecutor failed to produce enough and tangible evidence to convict him. Being freed does not tantamount to not guilty, and Mallot's pig brain is beginning to cheat him as a septuagenarian.

Pointing out to the National Feedlot Center (NFC) cattle issue and numerous 'scandals' in PM Najib Razak's government, Mallot in a way was trying to help cover Anwar's circumlocution in defending the corrupt government of Selangor, Penang and Kedah.

This American sycophant is unwittingly forgetting the fact that his President is losing more political grips than his predecessors due to domestic problems which saw the US economy on a slalom while the blacks continued to be oppressed.

Mallot is not a successul diplomat. Neither was he outstanding. I met him on several occasions, in meetings and social functions. He talked too much of America and openly belittled the Islamic world and Africa by calling them 'stagnant mind'.

His successor Lynn Pascoe - now UN deputy sec-gen for politics - was among the best US diplomats I've ever met, and we are still good friends.

Mallot 'The Parrot' once chided the Malaysian media as being to obsessed with 'those who lied' and was too fond of 'carrying sensational news' like rapes and racial issues. The non-Malays, he said will forever remain as a '2nd class citizens' in Malaysia.

Now, let me remind Mallot about the US media and who are the second-class citizens in America.

The US media, known for its 'self-proclaim' as being the best in the world, is actually runned by a group of anti-Islam and anti-East tycoons. The editorials about Islam and the East are always churlish.

As an example, the US media recently played up stories about women and girls being raped in Somalia. Rapes, to them is common in that Muslim nation and this has strained Washington-Mogadishu relations.

The New York Times carried a big story about rape in war torn Somalia. It is difficult to critique this sort of journalism without seeming to be blasé about sexual assault. I am not at all uncaring about rape survivors here or abroad, but I am very wary of the media showing interest in women of color only when they are rape victims and the circumstances permit wholesale finger pointing at all black people.

The Times has never given its readers a true history of the Somalia conflict, which is a direct result of American intervention.

The comments from Times readers were true to form, calling Somali men animals, blaming Islam, and of course advocating for more US terror under the guise of humanitarian intervention.

Mallot should tell New York Times that if their reporters want to write about sexual assault, they don’t have to go all the way to Somalia. They might talk to police in any American jurisdiction or go to one of the 70 prisons located in the state of New York and talk to victims of rapes carried out by other prisoners or prison personnel.

Of course, writing about rape in America’s prisons would open a can of worms which most people would rather not see. It is far easier to point the finger at a faraway land populated by black people.

And now, racism. What does Mallot know about the blacks in the US and Obama's failure to fulfill his presidential campaign promises that the blacks would get better standings under his administration?

If Mallot is not aware of this, let me - a Malaysian - tell him that black people are at the bottom of the heap. The median income of Americans is only $50,000 per year but a mere $32,000 for African Americans.

The wealth gap is even worse. White median net worth is $113,000 but it is only $6,325 for latinos and $5,677 for blacks.

Compared that with Malaysians, let Mallot answer me question - which race in Malaysia is the richest? Is it the Malays?

It is not coincidental that the dismal economic prospects for black people has occured at the same moment that black politics limp along on life support. Black politics traditionally affirmed a right, indeed an obligation, to speak directly to the needs and aspirations of the masses of people. It has been substituted with feelings of vicarious joy when a black person reaches a high office.

Enter Obama, the beneficiary of both black loyalty and a system which he assessed astutely as being ready for the right man to come along. He fills the duel roles perfectly, giving good feelings about his presence in the White House but this presence is a result of promising to do nothing that the one per cent would find inconvenient.

No matter who the pot and kettle is but for Mallot to sink into such a perception about Malaysia, is totally a bad notion from someone used to be an ambassador here. And it does not matter at all if he supports Anwar but he should well look back at how the American system speaks for itself.

And to Mallot, you should become an adviser to Anwar's spring government...

Shahrizat takes leave as minister

2012-01-12T18:54:00.003+08:00

Shahrizat Jalil will be on leave for three weeks from tomorrow as Women, Family and Community Development Minister.

She has put in the leave application to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"I hope the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will be able to undertake the investigation to determine whether I was associated with or not in any of the decisions made by the Government on the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) in which my husband, Datuk Seri Dr Mohammad Salleh Ismail, is the executive chairman," she said in a statement.

The NFC issue cropped up after the 2010 Auditor-General's Report issued last October said the corporation's cattle-breeding project in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, to boost production and reduce import of beef had failed to meet its target.

The issue heated up following allegations by the opposition political parties of irregularities in the government allocation of RM250 million to NFC.

Speculations are rife that Shahrizat will not be chosen as a BN candidate in the next general election. Her Senate seat also will not be extended.

I don't want to speculate and contemplate. Its the prerogative rights of Najib as Umno president and Barisan Nasional chairman.

Until investigations are concluded, better not write any further...

Don't offer Hasan Umno membership!

2012-01-11T00:20:00.003+08:00

Why are we talking about Hasan Ali now? He is not a celebrity. Neither is he a BN politician.

Talks that Umno might offer him something (a position?) should be put to a full stop. Why must Umno assign or hire him? He was never a member right from the very beginning. He was with PAS, the opposition.

So, when DPM and Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin said that Umno has yet to make any offer to Hasan, I take it that the possibility cannot be discounted. Is Umno serious about it? Are we dead serious?

I hope it won't happen. But the publicity given to him by pro-government media and blogs are pointing to an inept narration - that he will be an asset to Umno and Barisan Nasional.

Just because he was sacked by PAS and asked to resign as the Selangor State Exco does not make him a star. For all his Anwar bashing and anti-Anwar sentiment that led to him gaining 'support' from some Umno people, I think that also does not make him a anti-Opposition champion.

He is an ordinary guy, just like the rest of Umno members. For him to become an Umno member, he must apply within. No need for any Umno leaders to offer him. Any offer is tantamount to recognising how valuable and important he is to the party.

And once we offer him, we cannot just make him an ordinary member. After all, he has avowed not to join any political party (for the time being). He was testing the water. Any party that sees him as an asset will eventually has to make him 'somebody'.

If Umno wants to offer him a member status, may as well we launch a campaign to recruit more Malays and Bumiputras to join it. Hasan can make his entry through that door.

Nope! I hold nothing against him but I don't see recruiting and offering political 'dropouts' as a wise move. Umno must hold on to its dignity. What we need to do is to open up our door to all but its not necessary to make any offer.

Understand?

Trusting the lies...

2012-01-09T20:09:00.005+08:00

Its really beyond comprehension. Anwar fabricated a lot of lies and twisted so many truths. When he was supposed to be the mentor in the Opposition pact, he misled them into believing every single word he utters and move he makes.

Unexpectedly, the rest in the Pakatan Rakyat - especially PAS and DAP leaders - treats him like a saint, that he never sinned!

I am okay with the fact that he got acquitted by Kuala Lumpur High Court earlier today. It shows how independent our judiciary is. It also proved wrong all Opposition critics that the Court was in the hands of the government.

On the eve of the verdict, Anwar wangled a drama - that one of Wan Azizah's bodyguard became a victim of 'poisonous jab'. Worst still, he alleged that those who did it were actually planning to kill his wife.

And today, the tests conducted by the Chemistry Department on Fayyadh Afiq Albakry Jaafar's blood and urine samples found them to be free of drug and poison. Its confirmed by Penang Police Chief Ayub Yaakob. The 26-year old was admitted to the Seberang Jaya Hospital after his hand was injured when pierced with a sharp object at a political talk in Cheruk Tok Kun here last Saturday.

Who on earth would plan to kill Azizah, a victim of 'Anwar's fiddlestick politics'? Its totally absurd!

During Bersih 2.0 rally last year, Anwar also lied being hit by a teargas canister at the KL Sentral. Investigation revealed he actually tripped when trying to leave the crowd in an abrupt manner.

Such lies started after he failed in his Sept 16, 2008 bid to takeover Putrajaya. That's when he began to accuse PM Najib, wife Rosmah and the Cabinet of launching a conspiracy to uproot him from politics. Just because Saiful went to see Najib, he took it for granted that the PM planted his former aide to nail him.

Then came the judiciary; that he would never get a fair trial for the sodomy case. But it was proven today that the judiciary belongs to nobody, and his acquittal was merely based on loose-and-weak prosecution. Also bear in mind that the court did not say 'he was not guilty'.

As how Stopthelies puts it:

"If we were to believe the Pakatan Rakyat propaganda, Anwar Ibrahim would be rotting in jail and Wan Azizah’s bodyguard dying from a lethal injection but all these did not happened.

"But Anwar Ibrahim has been freed by the very court system which they claimed is tainted, ruined, corrupt and controlled by BN. If that’s the case, they shouldn’t be accepting the decision of this purported kangaroo court.

"This is classic PR. When a court favors them, it is a good decision but when it is against them, they run down the verdicts."

True.

And I am equally puzzled with the solid support given by PAS and DAP to his circumlocution. So, Pakatan Rakyat is led by a pact of liars!

When will they ever stop? After getting Putrajaya? I doubt it. Why? They are actually enjoying their lies!

The judiciary wins

2012-01-09T10:08:00.006+08:00

Rais Yatim says: "It proves the government does not hold sway over judges' decision"

Anwar is acquitted.

However, if we are to pick a winner, its not Anwar or Saiful. Its the judiciary. For all the accusation that our judiciary is bias and inclines more towards the government, the system stood for itself.

And for all the melodrama and allegations that the government was behind the conspiracy to 'kill' Anwar politically, its proven that it has nothing to do with it.

Picture by KL BOYZ

What else?

Anwar's supporters - after the High Court passed its verdict this morning - were not only jubilant but were mocking Najib and his Cabinet for being a bunch of coward and scared to send back Anwar to jail.

"Najib penakut! Dia yang suruh mahkamah bebaskan Anwar!" is among what chanted outside the court after the judgement.

Now what? Had the court finds Anwar guilty, they will still hang on to their 'conspiracy' theory. But as Anwar walks a free man, they became more obsessed to badmouth the government.

Its the day of Malaysian judiciary, not Anwar's!

Anyway, tahniah to Anwar...

The Guitar Man

2012-01-09T00:22:00.004+08:00

The right song for someone who will face the music...

From The Bread album, 'The Guitar Man'. I like the last para. Here's the lyric:

Who draws the crowd and plays so loud
Baby it's the guitar man
Who's gonna steal the show
You know, baby, it's the guitar man

He can make you love
He can make you cry
He will bring you down
Then he'll get you high
Somethin' keeps him goin'
Miles and miles a day
To find another place to play

Night after night who treats you right
Baby, it's the guitar man
Who's on the radio
You go listen to the guitar man

Then he comes to town
And you see his face
And you think you might
Like to take his place
Somethin' keeps him driftin'
Miles and miles away
Searchin' for the songs to play

Then you listen to the music
And you sing along
You want to get the meaning
Out of each and every song
Then you find yourself a message
And some words to call your own
And take them home

He can make you love
He can get you high
He will bring you down
Then he'll make you cry
Somethin' keeps him movin'
But no one seems to know
What it is that makes him go

Then the lights begin to flicker
And the sound is getting dim
The voice begins to falter
And the crowds are getting thin
But he never seems to notice
He's just got to find
Another place to play

But I hope he is ok...

'Khazanah cannot save Proton'

2012-01-07T18:39:00.005+08:00

Khazanah is too busy with other investments. Its boss Azman Mokhtar also has to focus on other GLCs and as such, he looks a bit handicapped to attend to Proton's woes.

This is what the founder of Proton Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad meant when he put Khazanah to task - that Azman and Team will not be able to save Proton and put the company back to the level it once reigned.

The former premier appeared to back a management buyout of Proton Holdings, saying the national car maker needs proper attention and 'somebody more focused' to help it recapture its share of the domestic passenger vehicle market.

He pointed out that at present, national investment arm Khazanah Nasional, which owns 42.7 per cent of Proton, could not afford to focus fully on turning around Proton's flagging finances.

“Khazanah has a lot of other investments... it cannot give focus to Proton. I think we need somebody to be focussed on Proton. Proton needs proper attention and also, Proton needs money.

“If you want to do anything in this industry, it is not about RM1,000 or RM2,000... It is RM100 million, RM200 million... it is a very expensive business and whomever comes in should have the capacity to support it financially,” Dr M, who is also Proton adviser, said.

Khazanah is said to have put its entire 42.7 per cent stake in the national carmaker up for grabs, and confirmed it has received several proposals of interest. As at today, three firms have indicated an interest.

Proton chairman Nadzmi Mohd Salleh has also openly indicated his interest in purchasing Khazanah’s controlling stake in the national car maker, suggesting during a recent interview that Proton needs to sell part of its stake in Lotus, slash costs and increase exports to recoup some of its losses in the industry.

He is believed to be up against business tycoon Syed Mokhtar Albukhary for the bid.

Dr Mahathir also said the on-going discussion between Proton Holdings Bhd and US based-General Motors Corp (GM) on the former's Tanjung Malim manufacturing facility plant is expected to resolve in a 'win-win' situation, hence brings about some benefits to Proton.

Media reports said Proton is in talks to sell up to 50 per cent of its stake in its Tanjung Malim plant to GM for between RM700 million and RM800 million.

"I have not heard of any party taking over the plant, but about using the power plant, yes. What they want is to do part of their production in Malaysia," he told reporters after a gathering between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Selangor industrialists in Shah Alam today, hosted by Proton.

"We are sending our people to discuss with them next week and with a firm commitment from both sides, we will see it from there," Dr Mahathir said.

GM, a global automotive company develops, produces and markets cars, trucks and parts worldwide. It also provides automotive financing services.

GM is the home of Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. If GM kicks off its production in Proton's Tanjung Malim plant, the move would support the global company to reduce their cost as well as benefit Proton, particularly in full utilisation of the plant and technology transfer.

Let rakyat be the judges

2012-01-07T14:27:00.004+08:00

Totally agree with Hisham, our Home Minister.

"Let the rakyat be the judges... we have learn from Bersih 2.0..."

When the authority gave them permission to stage a 'peaceful' rally, they must keep up to the promises. Peaceful means no untoward incident, no clash with the police and most of all, no kids among them.

But such promises are meant to be broken. While the government recognises their (the Opposition) rights to organise such rallies and demonstrations, the latter takes it for granted that such permitting means they can go overboard.

Tian Chua made a silly statement yesterday that Pakatan Rakyat will not stop the children from joining the 901 rally on Monday, and neither can they advice parents not to bring on their kids to the venue, the Jalan Duta High Court.

Yes, we recognise their rights but do they recognise the rights of the masses for a peaceful and uninterrupted daily life? Its their rights to fight for the cause of Anwar Ibrahim but if kids are included and should the protest turns ugly, what rights is deem to be righteous?

The city folks are already contemplating. If Anwar is guilty, trouble is imminent. When Bersih 2.0 took to the streets, business was closed and it costs a few million ringgit in losses.

And is the High Court safe enough from possible ransack?

901: Children as 'human shield'

2012-01-06T16:36:00.006+08:00

A-aahh!!! Another dirty trick by Anwar's supporters again. That's why I mentioned much earlier not to underestimate them. They will do anything for this 'lord' of theirs.

Bukit Aman has just given them a 'GO' to their planned 'peaceful rally' at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on January 9. The permitted venue is the car park area which is located just a few meters from the Court's doorstep.

Remember Bersih 2.0 demo last year? They said children were not allowed but we could spot some of them among the adults. And this time around, PKR vice-president Tian Chua said Pakatan Rakyat cannot tell the children to stay away from the rally or advice parents not to bring their kids to the venue.

So, what's the whole idea?

By logic, if PR pools about 100,000 supporters on that day, trouble cannot be discounted. When they promised a peaceful demo for Bersih 2.0, their supporters went out of control. Police orders were defied.

What is the assurance this time that they wont create any chaos? I bet it will be more rowdy than before. And with children joining them, there is a possibility they will be used as 'a shield' to confront the police.

Its easy to read between the lines, isn't it? If Anwar is found not guilty, its ok (I suppose). However, if the High Court finds the PR leader guilty (I hope he is not), do you think the 100,000 supporters will remain quiet?

I believe the police is ready for this but I better think of the worst first. If the court's decision is not in Anwar's favor, please watch his supporters very closely.

Will they remain calm and stand up to police order? I don't think so. They will make noise, thumping the feet, mocking the police and the court... and worst still, throng the court! They will go on rampage if the verdict reads Anwar as guilty as charged!

And the children are there, remember?

That's what Tian Chua meant when he said 'we can't stop the children from coming...'

Student revolt: Taking cue from Anwar 1974

2012-01-05T18:28:00.005+08:00

On December 3, 1974, Anwar Ibrahim led student protests against what he claimed as 'rural poverty and hunger'. His ticket for such massive demonstrations was a fabricated news that a family in Baling, Kedah died of hunger.

He was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and sent to Kamunting for 20 months. After joining Umno in 1982, he became the only politician who braced no real test to his elevation - from Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth to becoming the second man to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1993.

But he never parted with students' movement. His aura in student politics remains strong, to the present time as undergraduates still see him as a stately leader, amid his lies for organising the demonstrations in 1974.

Our students nowadays are easily led. They are most gullible. As student movements worldwide have only proven to be disastrous and against many laws, they still chose to jump into the bandwagon, with no solid reason or any tangible motive.

They are happy to join any demonstration and create their own. To them, this is a hallmark to their era as undergraduates - to gain the role as a protagonist in students' movement, or students' liberty.

And to strengthen their cause, they created bonds with similar movements abroad. The Indonesian student movement, known as among the most notorious in the region, is already making its impact on our students. There are already news portals, websites and blogs being co-organised by Malaysian and Indonesian student leaders. The Higher Education Ministry, Home Ministry and Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture must check this out.

Anwar continues to become the mentor of undergraduates. Education and scroll aside, they got so tempted with aggressive politics. While their demonstration is an incommode to public order, they use their position in campus to audaciously attack the government. Taking to the streets is becoming a common norm of democracy, as being shown by the Opposition.

And so, they became the Trojan horse of the Opposition.

During the Bersih 2.0 street demos, about 2,000 undergraduates took part, according to official records. They were paid between RM50 and RM100 by the organiser or those who supported the organiser. In some cases, students from as far as Kelantan, Sabah, Sarawak, Penang and Johore were provided with accommodation about one week before the rally.

So cheap is their dignity to be bought by the Opposition. But their leaders are the proud ones, having managed to pool suport - not for the demonstration - but for them.

So, who got the credit when about 70 students launched a rampage at UPSI last week? Of course, their leaders. Although the turnout was small, they were proud enough to have caused alarm to the police, the other students and in getting headlines in the newspapers and television.

And they lied too, just like Anwar Ibrahim. They accused the police of bashing them up, as Anwar did when he tripped at KL Sentral during Bersih 2.0. Anwar, on the other hand, is a smart politician. He is very tactical. However, the students are just a bunch of copycats. When people took to the street, they just joined in. When the Opposition antagonised the government, they quickly turned into a group of meek.

But we cannot undermine them from now on. Student movements in Malaysia are getting more support from the Opposition and from foreign organisations. If we fail to curtail them, their street demos would turn into an 'uprising' and a 'revolt'.

This is the 'renaissance' Anwar once propagated, and the upsurge of student movements is part of it. Student leaders are labelled as rogues in many countries, including Indonesia, South Korea, Japan and Europe. In the United States, students uprising usually met with stiff counter mechanism of the authority.

And come January 9 - the day when Kuala Lumpur High Court decides on Anwar's fate - we can expect more undergraduates to storm the Court and join the Oppposition for 901 rally to 'free Anwar'.

So, how are we going to deal with the students? Catch them and call up their parents?

The Malays of DAP

2012-01-04T00:33:00.004+08:00

So, the Malays who are frustrated with Umno and feel neglected by the party leadership, accusing Barisan Nasional of favoritism and nepotism; and losing all privileges they once enjoyed, may join DAP from now on.

As general election closes in, they will also get the chance to stand as DAP candidates. And of course, they will clash with BN nominees in the Malay majority constituencies.

Nice, isn't it? Having more Malays in DAP will relive the moment when Ahmad Nor was one of the party commandants, the only Malay who looked at DAP as a true demoractic party.

Me? I like the idea of more Malays joining DAP. Who knows, one day DAP will be dominated by the Malays, hence more Malays will be appointed to the top brass of the so-called Democratic Action Party of Malaysia.

But can they realise that? DAP is so demoractic that it failed to hold party elections for a long, long time. Nobody dared to contest the top positions as they are too obsessed (or scared) of Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Lim Guan Eng and others. Even the central committee members are those endorsed by the top leadership.

So democratic are they that nobody within the party should criticise the leaders or face the 'loudest'music. Opposition within the party will be deemed as 'traitor'. Remember what prompted Lee Lam Thye to quit the party two decades ago?

And what endured some people to leave the party they once rode on and joined another? The had their glorious time with Umno and MCA but decided to join DAP and PKR after losing the position the their respective parties. Some of them were just 'wakil rakyat' for a term but managed to join the millionaires club.

One simple question from a layman - if you are a good 'wakil rakyat', why only for one term?

And just because you got booted at the previous general election (for not being a good peoples' representative), you feel dejected and humiliated. So, the only way for you to vent your anger and frustration is to join the Opposition.

Its an individual's rights to join whatever party he wishes but the choronolgy itself spells doubt and stigma. Since you failed to reach the hallmark of politics, you start blaming your own party and those who once voted you in.

Such people claim of having the prowess to bring about changes to the nation. That is commendable. Personally, I would like to see it happens. But the record speaks for itself. For all the accusation that there are so many flaws in the government (no government is perfect), the party they chose to hop is even worse.

Take a look at the Pakatan States. Except for Penang (Guan Eng is just continuing the BN policy), the rest are not making progress, socially and economically. Kedah, for instance, is dropping far behind Selangor and Penang in terms of GDP growth while employment rate is incorrigible.

But still, why must we blame Umno for our incompetency? A level-headed politician will think many times before quitting on the party that once flushed him with power and wealth. A wise member should reconsider his decision to leave the party that used to provide him with so many assistance, including monetary.

However, the still left the party. Why? Because they already lost their footing in the party and their demands were not longer fulfilled. They have forgotten the fact that Umno does not belong to one or two persons. The party needs to help others too. But these people take it differently - that Umno must listen to their unreasonable plights!

Why did Tengku Razaleigh leave Umno and formed Semangat 46? Why did Chua Jui Meng join PKR? Because they failed to get what they wanted. Overwhelmed by frustration, they turned their back on their own party.

I don't blame those who quit on Umno and join other parties. But I regret that those who did are the ones who used to hold important position in the BN government and still enjoy pension and other perks.

In fact, there are already news that a few more friends in Umno will be joining DAP pretty soon. I wish them all the best but majority of the Malays will remain united in Umno and under Barisan Nasional. Its a usual thing to have protagonists and antagonists here and there but the bottom line is, we should avoid being superficial.

It will be a faux pas to wake up the next morning and realise what we did yesterday was entirely wrong!

So, what kind of Malays go to DAP?

Checking my mobile phone, I still keep few text messages from three former Umno members who sought the party's help over something...

Students uprising must be contained!

2012-01-02T19:30:00.003+08:00

I have seen students' 'uprising' in Warsaw, Osaka, Seoul, Pusan, Jakarta, Dhaka and Teheran. They took to the streets on a peaceful tag but it often end up in chaos. The demonstrations turned ugly and in some cases, it claimed many life.

Democracy and freedom are usually their two favorite labels to avow their dissatisfaction towards the government's policy. And it is normal for the Opposition to back them by providing whatever affordable support, including financial.

Jakarta, in 1999, students demo turned disaster when it claimed not only the life of demonstrators but also the police and passers by. University students are of the perception that they are the future leaders of a country. However, their action usually does not reflect that. Their leaders are more like a bunch of subversive agents.

Education aside, they always think of 'changing' the government. Scroll as secondary, they ride on opposition sentiments to wage wars against their own country, forgetting the fact that they study on government education loans, scholarships and at government universities and colleges.

Pusan (South Korea) in 1996, the police had to resort to harder measures when the students began to burn vehicles, shop houses and looting which led to 2 policemen being killed and dozens injured. When tear gas and rubber bullets failed to halt them, the police were left to no choice but tu 'run them down'.

It was a street war when the authority were forced to baton them. Thousands were arrested in that incident that led to about 20 people - on both sides - lost their life and scores injured.

The students - whether in Malaysia or elsewhere - are of the opinion that the authority will not use harsh measure in order to gag their demo. They take it for granted that the police is fully authorised to take pre-emptive measures to safeguard public interest and safety.

The incident at UPSI, which took the cue from Bersih 2.0 rally - could have easily led to a disaster had not for the police interference. Do remember that the demo was not entirely supported by majority of the students as it was held to show support for one leader - just like Pakatan Rakyat fighting for Anwar Ibrahim.

The non-participating students were intimidated to join the rally or face the 'consequences'. And they had to oblige.

I believe the government will see the upsurge of students demo in the near future. If we fail to monitor them, Malaysia will become another Indonesia, South Korea or Poland. In fact, there are already people using the Facebook and blogs to incite anti-government sentiments among the students.

There are also news portals specially designed on a Malaysia-Indonesia students cooperation to spearhead a la Jakarta uprising in Malaysia. Should this happens, the country can expect an earlier doomsday.

2+0+1+2 = 5 political challenges for Najib

2012-01-01T08:39:00.008+08:00

Happy New Year, and come what may, we should be well prepared to brace for the worst of politics. I would sum up 2011 as the year of 'political maverick' while 2012 will see the government of Datuk Seri Najib being confronted with the biggest challenge ever.

Anwar Ibrahim's case, general election, racial and religious sentiments, the upsurge of students' political movement and finding medicament for some scabs in Umno are among the major headache the BN's chairman has to bear.

We can expect trouble on January 9 when the Kuala Lumpur High Court passes the verdict on Anwar's sodomy case. If he walks a free man, there would be less noise on the streets. The Opposition will claim victory and this will add weigh to their claims that the case was politically orchestrated.

Anwar's acquittal will take them on a higher political platform. It will be a boast and boost. They will boast his innocence and boost their moral prior to general election. With support from various international organisations and NGOs, Barisan Nasional will find the goings tough enough.

And whether the judiciary will be lauded as being fair and impartial, does not surface. What matters most is it will add strength to their abrasive allegation that Najib and Rosmah were behind the conspiracy to uproot Anwar's politics.

However, if the Court finds him guilty and sends him back behind bars, we can expect things to turn more ugly. The Opposition and its supporters have vowed to make Anwar a prime minister even it takes them to break the prison wall.

While the Opposition Leader starts his nationwide 'innocence road tour' this week, anti-government groups have planned a large scale of street demonstration to refute any guilty verdict on him. If this happens, the impact will be disastrous both to the economy and home affairs management.

Of course the government is or has prepared a security plan to counter such a protest. If it turns ugly, the security forces will have to come down hard on them and if the government resorts to minimal action, the rakyat will accuse them of being too soft and accommodating.

The natural death of a taxi driver during Bersih 2.0 rally last year was exploited by the Opposition and foreign media as the police brutal act. At the same time, the government's failure to ensure that the rally did not take to the street was also seen as a fiasco by many, including pro-government supporters.

And if Anwar goes to jail, they are expected to be more notorious and this will leave the authority to no choice but to come down hard on them. With the upsurge of students' politics of detest late last year, we can expect for the worst!

So, when will general election be?

Of course its not wise for Najib to call it early or before mid year, based on Anwar's verdict. If Anwar is acquitted, the Opposition's will ride a victory parade and the voters will provide him with more sympathy votes this time around.

Similarly, if he is found guilty, Najib still cannot call for an early election as the allegation of political conspiracy will fit well on his palms. The Opposition will see an early general election after Anwar's guilty verdict as Najib's plan to wrest back power in the Opposition-led States, namely Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan.

Given such options, Najib should call for the general election later this year. Even former premier Tun Dr Mahathir suggested that Najib completes the Parliament term first before calling for the national poll. But any too late an election will also be deemed as a 'cowardly decision'.

The year 2012 will also see some student leaders on the 'political rampage'. There have been news that they were teaming up with radical student groups in Indonesia to wage a war against the government. My call to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, be careful and tactful in dealing with this. We have to keep our eyes and ears open for such intimidation.

Indonesia is known for its students' reprisal. Any government's decision that they rejected will lead to street demonstrations. I remember Jakarta and a few Indonesian cities in 1999 when the peaceful march they organised turned ugly and took many lives.

We don't subscribe to such an act. If our students defy and deny the duty to complete their studies, may we well we put a stop to such an aggression. We do not need such an insolent young generation.

I bet some factions will go on dancing to racial and religious issues this year as a political platform. The NGOs and other organisations will continue making demands for a free society, freedom of speech and same sex marriage.

And of course, Najib too - in preparing for the 13th general election - will have to clean up Umno from those who became a burden and liability to the party - whether he likes it or not. He must!

If Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan and other component parties want Barisan Nasional to continue dominating the government and stay relevant, some corrections need to be carried out. They too have to listen to the masses and stop tailoring to elements of personal interest and greed.

Najib will have to go through all this, and the people around him must be able to provide the assistance. Malaysian must be administered as a resilient, progressive and peaceful nation if we still want to realise our dream of becoming a fully-developed nation by the year 2020. Its only eight years away...

Selamat Tahun Baru, semoga Tuhan memberkati segala usaha kita.

Of Anwar's road tour and January 9...

2011-12-30T08:36:00.005+08:00

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim will go on a 'road tour' to every part of the country next week to claim his innocence, and come January 9, 2012, the Kuala Lumpur High Court will pass a verdict that will either see him go back to jail or getting acquitted of sodomy.

I am going to write about his fate but if its fated that he goes behind bars for the second time, he and his followers must recognise the fact that our judiciary system is not bias as alleged by the Opposition, their NGOs and foreign advocates.

Unfortunately, they will only trust the judiciary if Anwar gets his acquittal (I hope he is innocent) but otherwise, the government and the courts will be deemed as a rotten system that form a cahoot to politically murder him.

They will accuse the judiciary of corruption and that those appointed are just a bunch of 'yes man' to Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Barisan Nasional government.

They will also forget the fact that Khir Toyo, who was found guilty of graft last week is also an Umno leader, and so are other pro-BN VIPs penalised by the court for their crimes. And at this moment, two Datuks are being reprimanded for their alleged corruption case - one for the NFL and the other for IRDA.

Worse still, Anwar's supporters have vowed to stage street demonstrations nationwide should the court finds him guilty.

Maybe they have forgotten the fact that the proceedings or decision of any case relating to the laws of the country cannot be amended or denied by demonstrations.

Minister of Information, Communications and Culture Dr Rais Yatim said yesterday apart from considering their responsibility to the community, those who wished to demonstrate should be aware that their action would not influence or strike fear on the judiciary in making its decision.

"Demonstrations cannot change the flow or channels of the legal process of the country and if that is what they demand, it would destroy our nationhood," he said.

Rais is right. What the Opposition planned is really beyond comprehension. Will street demo and road tour justify Anwar's innocence? And what is the guarantee that they will introduce a 'better judiciary' should they are able to take over Putrajaya after the next general election?

If our judiciary is being mocked as providing shelters to government's wrongdoers and find fault in the Opposition - as a bad political strategy to hinder their advance - then what is the assurance that they will not be accused of practicing the same mode of legal system once they are in power?

They are the ones who said 'Khir deserves' the one year jail sentence. Some of the Opposition leaders also lauded the judiciary as being fair in passing the verdict. But why must the subscribe to double standard when it concerns Anwar?

No court will pass put judgement without tangible evidence, witnesses' account and other supporting documents. It is actually not an easy task for any judge to send the accused to jail. It all depends on the strength of prosecution and defense tools. There had been cases where murderers, drug dealers, rapists and others were acquitted because of loosed prosecuting presentation but the cases were then reopened.

However, if the judiciary is deemed as being bias, many 'real cases' involving government legislators and senior officers could have been covered. But they were found guilty.

If Anwar is not a politician, had Teoh Beng Hock was just an ordinary layman and not connected to the Opposition leader and Khir is a nobody, will the public care enough? Should the court sends someone to jail for the crime he never commit, will they fight for him? I don't think so.

This is all about politics, about the Opposition and about their pride to the eyes of international freedom propagators. And the planned street demonstration will not only undermine the judiciary but to throw the whole country into chaos.

What is the gain when we take to the street to avow out distrust toward the judiciary? And where is the just in our action if (God knows) all evidence and witnesses are pointing to Anwar's guilt?

Welcome to DAP and PAS circus!

2011-12-29T00:50:00.003+08:00

Told you already! It was a cheap theater by PAS and DAP. And now, even their members are confused between the truth and lies; and between the fool and wise.

While PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz stood by his statement that Hasan Ali was in Kota Bharu to apologise to the party, the latter on the other hand refuted the claim.

The former Selangor PAS commissioner denied a HarakahDaily report that he went to Kota Baru solely to meet PAS top leaders and to apologise for his remarks against the party.

Hasan pointed out that he had already retracted his comments regarding the welfare state issue during a press conference at his residence on Dec 24 and had apologised to the party leaders at the same time.

In a statement Wednesday night, he said he was disappointed in Harakah which had been reminded many times not to twist facts which could raise confusion and disunity.

He clarified that he had been invited attend a gathering involving former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa along with PAS deputy spiritual leader Dr Haron Din at Nik Aziz's home at JKR 10 Kota Bharu.

Now, who spoke the truth here? Its unbecoming of Nik Aziz to lie if he did. And who are confused? Of course PAS members... and the media!

Also in Pakatan Rakyat, DAP members are still uncertain of who are the fools and wise, between Karpal Singh and P Ramasamy.

The party's chairman said he has left it to the party's disciplinary committee to take action in the recent war of words between him and Penang Deputy Chief Minister, and that he would abide by the gag order imposed by the three-man panel formed to resolve the issue.

However, the Bukit Gelugor MP let it slip that complaints had been lodged with the disciplinary committee, implying that many of them were against Ramasamy.

And it was just a few days ago when Karpal told Ramasamy to quit as Penang deputy CM, accusing him not fit for the position.

As for Ramasamy himself, he is trapped in his own words. After blaming Tamil Osai newspaper for inciting the row between him and Karpal, he went on by accusing of The Star for manipulating the interview with him, when the English daily keeps it verbatim.

So, what's next?

Pakatan leader Anwar Ibrahim has been on a silence mode, not making any statements about the crisis. However, it is well understood that he was more interested in the court's decision!

Aahh... what about our Lotus?

2011-12-28T08:20:00.004+08:00

Speculation that Lotus Group International is for sale is revving up again.

Proton bought control of Lotus in 1996 but has yet to make a profit from the Norfolk-based British sports car subsidiary, a situation likely to continue to at least 2014.

Now that Proton itself could be divested by its state-run parent, LGI is said to be on the grid for an early sale in 2012.

Lotus has struggled to compete against Germany’s Porsche and Italy’s Ferrari in Europe, and has kept its top reputation in the automotive industry partly because of its long expertise in designing lightweight frames.

Its Lotus Elise model (picture), weighing 2,010lbs, is one of the lightest performance cars on the market. Lotus’s DNA shows few similarities with that of its Malaysian owner and for that reason alone analysts feel Proton should unload it.

Lotus makes sports cars which sell for as much as $163,000 in Malaysia, while Proton sells cheap hatchbacks at $15,000.

Now, what about Proton? The news that a local tycoon is already winning the bid for a major stake in the company, is already leading to serious contemplation and speculation.

Some say if the majority stakeholder is someone of 'never in the car business', the future of Proton looks uncertain...

Sour grapes bloggers!

2011-12-27T17:14:00.003+08:00

Some dogs bite the hands that feed them. It's normal. But we don't call such a human a dog. We call them sour grapes, the ungrateful or backstabber. In Bahasa Malaysia, there is a perfect proverb for them: 'ibarat kacang lupakan kulit'.

I just want to zoom in to one 'special group' of people - bloggers. Yes, there are pro-government and pro-Opposition bloggers but at the same time, there are also 'on the fence', 'non-align' and 'anomalous' bloggers.

My subject is the anomalous ones.

I know a few of them whom a few years ago did support Umno and Barisan Nasional. To my knowledge, they are Umno members but I don't know what is their status now.

They were among a group of media members and bloggers who went all out to ensure BN, especially Umno during the 2008 general election campaigns. In fact, they were with Umno in the previous national polls, providing undivided support for the party.

It was during this particular eras (under Tun Dr Mahathir and Tun Abdullah) that this group got 'rewarded' - some quite handsomely - by the party and the government. Quite a number became millionaires or live a comfortable life, at least.

I know at least six of such bloggers who were awarded with government contracts (and Umno jobs) for their contribution. I believe Umno recognised their big role then. Some asked for projects, some were offered while the rest just took some 'tokens' away.

To me, it's normal. After all, there is nothing 'free' these days!

However, since Datuk Seri Najib took over, some of this Umno and BN bloggers started to turn their back on the government. They began to despise their own party for not being able to give them what they asked.

They became sour grapes.

I don't want to name them but readers and most bloggers do notice the change of 'aptitude' in them, and I guess the party leadership also realised this.

They have and still attack Umno and the government, criticising the party in a piffle way, belittling all government's policies to the extent that nothing is right about it anymore. Just like some ex-BN leaders who have crossover to Pakatan Rakyat and still enjoy the government's pension, their do not only batter the government but also launch an onslaught on their own race and country.

Their standpoint changes overnight just because the government turned down their request for something. Their footing got loosened when a favor was turned down by the party of the government officials.

They posted overbearing stories about the leaders and Umno, stabbing them from every corner, and referred to the Opposition leaders as the ones who will safeguard their interest should PR wins the next general election.

To me, they are the heinous lots! As some of them are still Umno members, I think it's wise that they leave the party and join the Opposition. They consider themselves of having the prowess to influence voters in the next national poll, hence will be able to help PR through.

I don't want to write more as I believe they are matured enough to weigh their position...

Just a melodrama!

2011-12-26T01:06:00.003+08:00

Whether it's Karpal against Ramasamy or Hasan Ali vs Mustafa Ali, to me all this is getting too melodramatic. They get so much attention for nothing.

I don't know why the Press and blogs gave them too much space. You think they simply want to put their respective parties -DAP and PAS - at rickety and let others, especially those in Barisan Nasional to gain some advantages?

These people are mature politicians, matured enough to weigh the adverse impact of their action on their party. Why must their strip naked and let others bugger them?

After all, general election is just around the corner. While PM Najib is waiting for some 'signs' as to when is the right time to dissolve the Parliament, there is no logic for the Opposition to open up their party to the onslaught of others.

If there is a real rift among them, the Opposition is only courting trouble as any unresolved internal issue will be very costly for their dream of wresting Putrajaya from Barisan Nasional. While the party members are hoping for the best in the next outing, they can't afford to take such internal crisis to their campaign.

So, it is a melodrama by the Opposition, and some BN leaders are already buying the tickets to watch it. They are already making so many statements and comments about the 'bickering' among the Opposition leaders. To be precise, they are falling into this simple political trap.

Those at rift are political hooligans. They want cheap publicity for their political platform. As their popularity goes down among their own supporters, they need a vehicle to recharge.

And the best choice is to moot an idea among themselves, write the script, direct it and tailor themselves to what was planned. Not so difficult as they are already good natural actors. All they needed was just a perfect rehearsal.

Now, when the drama gets popular, it leaves BN politicians and analysts to no choice but to watch and pass remarks about it, just like many who spoke about anti-Namewee but also went to the cinema to watch his 'Nasi Lemak 2.0'.

That is how some BN politicans, inlcuding ministers made stupid gain by coming out with various comments about the crisis in DAP and PAS. However, instead of getting lauded for inviting Rama and Hasan Ali to join Umno should they choose to leave their respective parties, they are getting chided and criticised.

All this leads to a common public perception - that BN is so hard up to have this few people from the Opposition to join them, forgetting the fact that more BN senior politicians had left the ruling party to join Pakatan Rakyat or going against the BN.

Please leave Karpal, Ramasamy, Hasan and Mustafa alone. Let them batter each other because it has nothing to do with BN, especially Umno. We would be happy if they finally shake hands and reconcile. If this happens, who will 'malu'?

There is no need for us to invite them into Barisan Nasional. The ruling party is well-recognised and needs no ads and marketing. We should stay focus and attend to our own problems before we can build confidence for the next national poll.

Do not be sucked into the Opposition's affairs. Let them be. If the crisis is for real, BN will indirectly gain some boost out of it. However, when we start to 'interfere' in their internal-but-publicised affairs, we already turned ourselves as political cheapskates.

Merry X'mas

2011-12-25T00:21:00.004+08:00

The best Christmas I've ever 'celebrated' was in 1985, in Baghdad. For a Muslim-dominated country, Iraq (at that time) was an open society, much liberal that some of Asian and European nations.

Held at the Babylon Hotel, the guests of honor were deputy premier Ezzat Ibrahim and Saddam Hussein's right hand man Tareq Aziz, a Catholic. It was grand. Whether they are Muslims, Christians or others, they were joined in one harmonic party.

To Malaysians, Christmas is our festival too. We are most fortunate to have so many festivals - for all religions. Be proud of it.

To my Christian friends - home and abroad - I sincerely wish you Merry X'mas and a Happy New Year.

However, my deepest sympathy goes to the family of Uncle Peter, 81, who passed away on the eve of Christmas. They live just two doors from my house. It must be a 'no Christmas' for them. May God have mercy on him and bless his soul...

Khir Toyo deserves it... but NOT Anwar!

2011-12-23T22:55:00.002+08:00

I bet the Opposition, especially those in Selangor are 'celebrating' the verdict on former MB Khir Toyo who was slapped with a year jail term for graft earlier today. I believe they are laughing at him and at Barisan Nasional.

Of course, the pro-Pakatan Rakyat newspapers, most of the Chinese media and bloggers are already publishing their news and editorials about him.

However, they would not say anything about the just in our judiciary and the impartiality of the MACC in dealing with the case. What they would write and say is to condemn Khir, Umno and Barisan Nasional. Also, the possibility that they will link it with Najib's 'corrupt government'.

No way will they attribute the verdict to the judiciary, that it is a system to be trusted and reckoned with. And there is also no reason for them to credit the MACC officials for expediting their duty without favor.

I have read some headlines such as 'Padan muka Khir!' (Khir deserves it!) and 'Umno leader guilty of graft' in the Opposition blogs and news portal. I have no complaint against that. It's their rights.

However, let us wait for another two more weeks. Come January 9, 2012, Anwar Ibrahim's case will hear the sentence. If he is not guilty, it's fine.

But what if the Opposition Leader is found guilty? And what kind of 'reprisals' can we expect from the Opposition, their media and bloggers?

Surely, they will blame the judiciary by accusing it of bias and unjust. Najib's government will once again come under their attacks. Like it or not, there would be riots in the country to protest the guilty verdict on Anwar.

And that's what the Opposition is all about - that they are everything right. While failing to recognise the justice in Khir's case, they will not take it if Anwar goes back to jail for the second time.

Just like accusing the Election Commission (EC) of being pro-government, they also failed to notice how the EC 'unjust practice' had given Pakatan the five States in the last general election. Until they fill up all the portfolio in the Federal Cabinet, they will go on making such claims!

That's how their brain works!

PAS' pressure is DAP's pleasure!

2011-12-22T19:32:00.004+08:00

Who says Umno is using PAS' leaders and exploiting the rift in the Pakatan Rakyat's component? What is the basis to accuse Umno of taking advantage of the fragile condition at PAS' top brass now?

I wonder whether those who hurled such allegations are aware of the present situation in the Opposition. With Anwar facing the possibility of going back behind bars for the second time and some DAP leaders are still at loggerheads over the latest incident in Penang and Perak, PAS is actually dangling on a very thin line.

And if there is a party to take advantage on such a condition, will be DAP itself. Umno will never meddle with problems plaguing the Opposition, let alone being associated with any of PAS', PKR or DAP leaders in their own tug-of-war game.

Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Thursday it was not appropriate for PAS to accuse Umno of making use of two of its leaders, following their open criticisms of the PAS leadership.

He said Umno had never interfered in the internal business of PAS and this was proven when PAS ex-deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa himself said several quarters in the party were overreacting to his statement prior to this.

"Other than Nasharuddin's statement, the criticism of Selangor State Executive Councillor for Islamic Affairs, Datuk Dr Hasan Ali that PAS should return to its original struggle based on Islamic principles, showed the weakness of the party," he said.

Zahid was commenting on Nasharuddin and Hasan's latest statements when met by reporters after attending the Royal Military College's annual parade and prize Presentation Ceremony in Sungai Besi.

The fact that the duo have been throwing their sticks at PAS leadership did not only signify the party's internal problem but also reflects how DAP - against the 'hudud' all this while - has managed to play a tactical politic to weaken the Islamic party, hoping to supersede it as an option for the Malays in the next general election.

But PAS is too blind to realise such an antagonism from DAP. Seeing how inept 'hudud' is for the next 'PR-led' government (should they win the general poll), DAP seized the opportunity by battering PAS from behind.

If you attend some of DAP 'ceramah' nationwide, opposition towards 'hudud' is always among their topic.

So, who actually trapped Nasharuddin, Hassan and others in PAS. As far as 'hudud' is concerned, Umno has never come up with invidious statements about it, except that the party (Umno) has been very successful in developing and nurturing a fundamental Islamic society in the country.

And suggestions that Nasha and Hassan should join Umno were not made by Umno leaders but by others. Umno subscribes to an open door policy - if someone wishes to join it as a member, all he needs to do is fill up the form and submit it.

By the way, someone in DAP also accused Umno of 'buying' the duo.

This is absolutely rubbish! If Umno really wants to apply such a tactic, it will cost the party millions of ringgit. But it has never done so, unlike other parties who make this and that offers!

When SC means SCandals!

2011-12-22T01:39:00.003+08:00

I think it's high time that the government, especially PM and Finance Minister himself looks into series of complaints made against the Securities Commission (SC), about how scandalous it has been and the games being played by some of its senior personnel and clients.

I am not sure what is the level of immunity 'accorded' to Zarinah Anwar and team. Also, one of SC largest clients PriceWaterhoouseCoopers (PWC) which is said to be undermining the Malaysian law and toying around with the High Court.

I have written about it a few times in the past, taking cues from this almost-unknown blog. I hope more people will read it not because it is (I personally believe) written by people from the inside but for tangible proofs given to support the claims.

It's also not linked to the Opposition as what written is based purely on what is taking place in the SC itself.

Among its latest postings, the blog questions the irregularities pertaining to a decision by the SC's Audit Oversight Board (AOB) members - appointed on April 1st 2101 - to register PwC and one Cho Choo Meng of the same firm under the AOB on the sama date. This, according to the blog, is against Section 31s (1) SC.

Seven members of the board are Nik Mohd Hasyudeen Yusoff, Executive Chairman of the Audit Oversight Board, who prior to joining the AOB was also vice-president of the Asean Federation of Accountants and member of CPA Australia’s Public Practice Advisory Committee, former president of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) and had served on the Malaysian Accounting Standards Board.

Others are Datuk Ali Abdul Kadir, Chairman of the Financial Reporting Foundation; Dato' Azmi Ariffin, Chief Executive Officer of the Companies Commission Malaysia; Goh Ching Yin, Executive Director of the Securities Commission Malaysia; Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia; Cheong Kee Fong, Advocate and Solicitor of Cheong Kee Fong & Co; and Chok Kwee Bee, Managing Director of Teak Capital Sdn Bhd.

"Who signed the Letter of Registration for the firm of PwC and Mr Cho Choo Meng on the 1st of April? Was it the newly appointed board members... or was it Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar, Chairman of the SC,... or Manohar Benjamin Johnson, Director of the AOB?

"Who received the fees necessary for the registration of PwC and Mr Cho Choo Meng... and how did this staff member receive the monies on the 1st of April when the legislation to collect the fees was not in place until much later on the 15th of April 2010?"

It also questions the mechanism used to receive and process such applications when the SC chairman herself only signed the amendment on the 8th of April, and the 2nd Minister of Finance on the 13th of April 2010.

"I put it to you that there is no noble lie in this case, that there are questions you must answer as guardians of corporate governance in this country, that you must feel in you the same distaste for abuse of power and conflict of interest, that you will do what is right, that you will be true to your calling as one of the guardians for the institutions of this great country," it says.

continue reading...

'Tanjung Keling' and 'Cina Buta'

2011-12-19T01:03:00.003+08:00

Now they are at it again. After a few months of 'lull', MIC and Perkasa are throwing punches at each other all over again. The issue is still Interlok.

I am not a realist but when history is concerned, I hate those who changed and refused to recognise it. Just like the white Americans who erased the fact that it was the blacks who actually built and established the White House.

Of course history brings out the dead from their graves. History can be inspiring, some of it makes us elated. But most history displays sad episodes of our ancestors, those who fought for Independence, World War II and sacrificed all they had for us to live in a better condition today. History also provides us with guides and clues as how we can improve human relations and build a nation.

But why do we need to change history when 10 was 10 and black was black back then? Yes, our government is doing its best to safeguard the interest of all, including the minorities but still, why must we change history if it means to please everybody? Why can't we leave it as it is?

Can we change history facts by saying it was the Japanese who actually invented the atomic bomb for the Americans to use it against them or make the world believe that it was Magellan who discovered Malay Peninsular? Maybe in our effort to please our neighbors, it's wise to change the fact that it was Malaysia who started attacking Indonesia during the Confrontation.

Why must we keep on bashing up each other over history matters?

And is there a need to bring up the matter 54 years after we gained Independence? Don't we have any better things to do rather than inciting anger and multi-racial hatred?

In the first place, who gave the names such as Tanjung Keling and Masjid Kapitan Keling? Who added 'Cina buta' to the Malay proverbs? Why wasn't there any opposition at that time. Why only now, more than 100 years after such names are already established and gazetted?

I think if we want to please everybody, we should also include Samy Vellu to the list of Independence fighters along with Tunku Abdul Rahman, or Lim Kit Siang as the co-founder of Majlis Amanah Rakyat so that every data in our history points to 1Malaysia!

So, is there a need to bicker over this petty issue? Unless you want our presence and future generation to live under a thicker prejudice, then you can go on playing up with such a political game.

Ohh... do you know that the late film star-cum-chief minister of Tamil Nadu, MG Ramachandran or MGR was the founder of MIC and the Muslim convert Cat Steven initiated Perkasa!

Still in doubt?

2011-12-17T01:32:00.007+08:00

The Opposition, NGOs and those disgruntled parties who have been accusing the Election Commission of practicing bias and dirty tactics to ensure BN wins a general election, should from now on stop acting like a bunch of crass.

They should instead be grateful to the government for allowing the setting up of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on election reform which is placed under an equal number of members from both the government and the Opposition.

The PSC has taken into account views from various parties, including Suaram, Suhakam and the NGOs in order to justify it's report to the Parliament and make fresh proposal as to how a national poll should be best conducted.

And yesterday, the EC has called on political parties to assist in scrutinising the electoral roll to clear doubts on the voters' list for the coming 13th general election.

EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said it was regrettable that certain groups, especially the opposition parties, have often alleged that the electoral roll contains phantom voters.

"Allegations linking the electoral roll with phantom voters are stale issues, as we have taken many measures to ensure the electoral roll is clean," he told Bernama, adding that the Opposition, who frequently raise the issue of phantom voters, should come out with proof and not make wild allegations.

"Who are the phantom voters? Why not expose them, as EC would like to catch them and bring them to court as well," he said.

He said the issue of phantom voters should not have arisen, as contesting parties have representatives at each polling station and 'this clearly shows our election system implemented is fair and clean'.

"Do not drag the EC into politics, as we are not related to anyone. In fact, EC work towards providing the cleanest possible data, including withdrawing from the electoral roll the names of those who have passed away," he said.

So, people like Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, former Bar Council boss Ambiga and other Opposition leaders who all this while condemn the EC, should have faith in the system. Unless if they can produce evidence of such wrongdoings, they should come forward and not simply make wild accusation.

Lim Guan Eng said recently that the result of any general election is often decided by the 'phantom voters', an allegation which he himself failed to uphold.

The general logic remains - if the EC is mode incline towards the government, Pakatan Rakyat would not have won 5 (minus 1) states in the 2008 general election.

And if you don't have faith in our election system, I guess it will be much better for Najib not to call for a general election at all...

Kit Siang should apologise... not Najib

2011-12-16T08:12:00.004+08:00

Absurd! Lim Kit Siang asked PM Najib to make a public apology for letting 'his Umno' newspaper Utusan Malaysia slandered his son Guan Eng. He was so proud that his Penang CM son won the court case against Utusan as if it was the mother of all cases!

It's really beyond comprehension. The call for such an apology reflects LKS cheap politics. Perhaps he has forgotten something more significant when it comes to public apology.

Lim Kit Siang himself should come up with the apology instead. He should apologise to Najib for slandering and badmouthing him and Rosmah Mansor, linking them with the murder case of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Lim Kit Siang and DAP must apologise to Malaysians for inciting the bloody May 13 riots in 1969, thus inking a black episode to the Malaysian peaceful history.

Lim Kit Siang should apologise to Malaysians for Pakatan Rakyat's support in Bersih 2.0 which adversely affected the inflow of foreign direct capital (FDI) to the country, interrupting traffic and sent shivers among the traders in KL.

Lim Kit Siang must apologise to Malaysians and the government for waging a 'war' against the country and its people by strewing the seeds of racial hatred, and blaming it on the governments of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein, Tun Mahathir, Tun Abdullah and now Datuk Seri Najib for neglecting the non-Malays.

Lim Kit Siang should apologise to the Malays in Penang for his son's fiasco which led to the Malays, Chinese and Indians who are not DAP supporters being ticked off from the list of government assistance.

Lim Kit Siang must apologise to the Malay Rulers for supporting the plan by his friends in Pakatan Rakyat to strip the Raja-Raja Melayu of their status.

Lim Kit Siang must also apologise to the Malay Rulers for using the King to interfere in Bersih 2.0 rally.

Lim Kit Siang should apologise to Malaysians for letti ng Pakatan Rakyat launched an agenda to turn the country into a Republic, slandering the police force, change the national flag and for collaborating with foreign agents.

Lim Kit Siang should make a public apology for letting Pakatan Rakyat strewed fibs worldwide with the intention to mangle the economy and spark unrest, hence would allow foreign intervention into the country.

What else if we want to talk about apologies?

Oh yes... Lim Kit Siang should also apologise to Anwar Ibrahim and Nik Aziz for all the scorns and tatters he once made before they hug each other in Pakatan Rakyat.

The 'toosai' newspaper!

2011-12-15T12:32:00.004+08:00

Tamil-language newspaper Makkal Oosai came to DAP rescue. For a publication that sways to where the wind blows, the newspaper has chosen to reject the truth and supports the Opposition instead.

It's latest bid to end Karpal Singh-P Ramasamy 'godfather-warlord' squabble produced result when the DAP today declared an end to the crisis, without punishing either party. It stemmed from Makkal Oosai's apology for what was termed as 'inaccurately reporting a statement that sparked the row'.

In a press release this morning signed by the three-member committee formed to resolve the row, the party said both parties have now decided to move past the controversy to concentrate on preparations for the coming election. The committee comprises of DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, life adviser Dr Chen Man Hin and secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

The committee was formed on Tuesday by the party’s top leadership to look into the ongoing squabble between Karpal, the DAP’s national chairman, and Ramasamy, who is Penang deputy chief minister.

But the panel pointed out that yesterday, Makkal Oosai chief editor M. Rajan had issued a correction on the paper’s November 28 report, admitting its mistake that the statement on the DAP’s candidates for the coming polls 'had not come from Ramasamy'.

However, Rajan failed to clarify whose statement was it instead. And as usual, the paper paid tribute to both men’s leadership qualities.

According to an excerpt of the apology, the paper had said both Karpal and Ramasamy are important leaders, with the former having contributed many sacrifices in his career and the latter having created history to be the first member of the Indian community to hold the post of deputy chief minister.

Well, it's not about how the paper helped solve the rift between Karpal and Ramasamy. It's all about it's editorial policy, which changes by day. When it looks like the editorial supports the government, it will change the very next day.

No professionalism at all!

Lim Boo Chang quits PKR

2011-12-14T20:09:00.003+08:00

As expected, Bukit Gelugor PKR division chief Lim Boo Chang (a good friend of mine) finally calls it quits. He left Anwar Ibrahim and others, leaving PKR with no legitimate leaders in the State, especially after Zahrain did the same last year.

The Datuk Keramat former assemblyman announced today he was resigning from all posts in the PKR and return to Gerakan, where he once served for 15 years, from 1984 to 1999.

Lim said he was attracted by PKR's reform agenda but after three years in the party, he had lost confidence in it as it failed to fulfill its promises. That's exactly what Zahrain said on the day he left PKR.

"Conflicts among members continue to take place in the party. Thus, with a heavy heart, I am resigning from all party posts," he told reporters in Georgetown. He also quits as Penang municipal councillor, a post to which he was appointed by PKR.

He said he was resigning as councillor as the municipal council had no more autonomy, with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng intervening in its many decision.

"The council had never experienced such intervention before, and this by a CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) government," he said.

In his resignation letter, he cited the Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre (sPICE) mega project as a clear abuse of power by the Pakatan Rakyat state administration helmed by the Chief Minister.

Lim was among the two councillors to openly object the project when debating the council Budget 2012 in October.

Lim was a former national Gerakan Youth chief and vice-president in the 1990s. However, he quit the party shortly after the 1999 polls when he successfully defended the Datuk Keramat state seat in Penang.

About three weeks after his resignation, the two-term assemblyman joined MCA where he stayed for eight years before joining PKR in June 2008.

Well Lim, let's get back to where you belonged...

What an ungrateful DAP child!

2011-12-12T20:06:00.003+08:00

What a shame?

While she has been busy telling the people of PR's 'negara kebajikan' or welfare state concept, hitting hard at Barisan Nasional for this and that, she is actually worse than any other civilised and well-educated persons.

Blogger Stopthelies stripped her naked today with a posting that may not only make Serdang DAP Member of Parliament Teo Nie Ching (pic) look like a ungrateful child but will peel the skin off the Opposition party.

Not only her but the whole party failed to help Teo's mother who suffers from a heart problem.

"The Chinese media has reported this issue widely but you can be sure that the pro-opposition Malaysiakini will black this out because they do not want you to read about it.

"... Teo Nie Ching has found herself in a spot because her mom, who had a heart problem, sought the help of the Negri Sembilan MCA chief Datuk Dr Yeow Chai Thiam.

"It is strange that a DAP MP cannot even resolve the problem of her mother and she is supposed to be an elected representative.

"The Negri MCA went out of their way to help her mom but this selfish DAP politician did not even have the decency to thank Dr Yeow," according to the blog.

I can't find the right word to describe such a child and her negligence towards he mom.

I think if Pakatan Rakyat wins the next general election, their 'negara kebajikan' will see more people like this being groom-up.

That's DAP!

Thank you, Your Majesty

2011-12-12T09:25:00.004+08:00

Our 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah will return to Terengganu this afternoon after completing his term.

Just before noon, His Majesty, accompanied by various groups, including a Cabinet Minister and a senior civil service officer, will board a special aircraft flying his entourage and Tuanku Nur Zahirah to Kuala Terengganu.

And tomorrow, the Sultan of Kedah, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah will fly out of Alor Setar in a special aircraft to KLIA to be sworn in as the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the new Istana Negara in Jalan Duta.

This will be the second time that Tuanku Abdul Halim will ascend the throne as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the first time as the fifth Yang di-Pertuan Agong between Sept 21, 1970 and Sept 20, 1975.

(Read an interesting article by Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, Perpetuity of the Institution of National Sovereignty on the constitutional monarch).

Tuanku Mizan has recorded a string of sterling achievements during his tenure as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

He was the first Muslim head of state to step foot on Antarctica last month after His Majesty made a five-day working visit to the research station at Scott Base located in the southernmost continent on Nov 20 to 24.

The visit was held in conjunction with Malaysia's accession to the Antarctic Treaty, 1959 on Oct 31 this year, which among others, enables Malaysian scientists to be directly engaged in all research undertaken on the continent.

Malaysia's assent to the Antarctic Treaty also made it the first Southeast Asian country and first Islamic nation to accede to the treaty.

Tuanku Mizan who was among the youngest Malay rulers to ascend the throne as the Sultan of Terengganu, aged 36, in 1988, was the second youngest Yang di-Pertuan Agong after Tuanku Syed Putra Syed Hassan Jamalullail when he was chosen as the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Dec 13, 2006 at age 44.

read more...

To His Majesty, thank you for being with us...

DAP losing Indian support and votes

2011-12-11T20:52:00.003+08:00

DAP national chairman Karpal Singh, while calling Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy a 'warlord', also urged the latter to make a public apology for labeling him 'a godfather' or he is subjected to actions by the disciplinary committee.

In the latest spate of domestic bickering in the DAP, Karpal told the party's annual convention in Penang that the party could not afford to have a 'mafia', a reference to the label 'godfather' Ramasamy gave him earlier.

"Who built the DAP? The veteran leaders had built the party and no one should forget the sacrifices of these leaders. The present leaders would not be what they are now without the sacrifice made by the veterans," he said, turning the convention as a platform to criticise Ramasamy.

"Godfather portrays the image of a mafia group, while the DAP has never tolerated the mafia," he said, adding that Ramasamy joined the party to 'do things his own way'.

"Nobody can become warlords in the DAP, including Ramasamy by trying to nominate his election candidates," he said.

After that heated session, Ramsamy told reporters that he was prepared to leave the party for good if it comes to that as the allegations against him were baseless and a conspiracy to tarnish his reputation. "I can go back to my hometown Sitiawan," he said.

The crisis in DAP gains quick response from some bloggers.

Stopthelies says Lim Guan Eng, who now spots a new hairdo took Ramasamy along, according to news reports.

"He should have taken Tony Pua, the pseudo economic and defence expert. He should be visiting LIMA so he can get his facts correct.

"Back to Penang. Temperature is still soaring with Karpal’s faction headed by two Penang assemblymen RSN Rayner and A.Tanasekharan demanding Ramasamy’s head. They want him to apologise and the war has extended with Ramasamy’s aide,M.Satee tweeting away against the two."

Blogger Tun Faisal says Ramasamy was battered for being 'an Indian' in DAP, and this shows how racist the party is.

"Hari ini kita dibuktikan betapa DAP adalah sebuah parti yang rasis dan double standard ,P Ramasamy akan dihadapkan ke jawatankuasa displin dan akan dihukum ini berbeza apabila Lim Guan Eng, Ng Wei Aik, Jeff Ooi, Nga Khor Meng, Ronnie Liew, Tony Pua dan hampir kesemua evengelis Kristian di dalam DAP terlepas daripada tindakan dan diberi layanan istimewa..."

I guess the internal problem will not end just there. If Rama leaves the party or being subjected to the disciplinary committee, his supporters within the Indian community will also leave as Rama is portrayed as a champion for the Indians.

In the last general election, almost 35 per cent votes for DAP came from the Indians, and should Ramasamy leaves the party, the Opposition will be adversely affected in the next national poll, which is expected to be early next year.

However, this 'warlord', 'godfather' and 'mafia' things are getting so common nowadays, especially among the Pakatan Rakyat pact. The only issue is to identify and then deny it.

Christmas shopping, again?

2011-12-11T11:56:00.001+08:00

In his book 'A Doctor in the House', former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad wrote about 'Christmas Shopping' - a habit to finish unspent budget unnecessarily.

Some ministries and agencies will have to find ways to finish the allocation for that fiscal year or having the new budget for the next financial year deducted. Having failed to spend also brings the impression of incompetency.

"In the past, unspent budget allocations for the various Ministries and Departments would be used up at the end of every year for what was called 'Christmas shopping". They were determined to use up all the funds allocated to them for the year; how else might they ask for increased funding, or to resist cuts, for the next year?

"Public servants try not to return funds because doing so implies that they are inefficient or too generously funded in the first place, so they will do just anything to show that all their allocations have been spent.

"Often, it was said, they bought useless things, inappropriate equipment of gadgets that quickly became obsolete after hardly any use...", according to TDM, who 'put a stop' to such a bad habit after taking office in 1981.

However, I just wonder if such a practice is still on subscribe.

After some trips throughout the country over the past two months, I noted some agencies were busy sending their personnel to various meetings and 'courses'. And the venues chosen are normally 'far from home' and at posh hotels and resorts.

Few senior officials at different agencies also told me that their bosses have issued order to buy things that are irrelevant with their scope of work.

I am of the opinion that the Auditor General office should be more efficient in its job. Auditing should start sometimes in October every year and not January. When Ishak Tadin was auditor general, the reports came as early as April and not by year-end as in practice today.

Yes, no government is perfect but we should be able to control such an expenditure. No point of telling the public that an agency bought a RM1.70/kg sugar at RM170/kg when it was done 15 months ago.

Christmas is around the corner and New Year 2012 is just about 20 days away. General election will be held possibly early next year and all this will scrutinized by the voters.

Shahrizat must go, says Dr M

2011-12-10T01:53:00.003+08:00

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday called for Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to quit politics following the controversy over the RM250 million National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project awarded to the her family.

The former prime minister, who is still highly influential in Umno, told a press conference Friday that the Wanita Umno chief should leave before being “chased out” by her party.

“If we feel it is necessary to quit for the sake of party, we quit. When I wanted to quit, I didn’t ask anyone. I hope others do the same. Don’t wait for people to chase you off.

“Yes, ukur baju di badan sendiri (measure yourself up),” he said when asked if the senator should resign.

The former Lembah Pantai MP had gained the support of both the Youth and her Wanita wings of Umno last week after denying any wrongdoing in the controversy over the national cattle-farming project.

Looks like there is no 'cooling down' over the issue. If Dr M himself has spoken up, I believe a few others will follow suit. However, let us listen to Shahrizat...

... more stories here and here...

Another rebuttal?

2011-12-09T00:52:00.004+08:00

Latest: AirAsia Bhd and Bumi Armada Bhd will replace Gamuda Bhd and MISC Bhd in the 30-stock FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI with effect from Dec 19.

FTSE Group (FTSE) and Bursa Malaysia Bhd said the changes following the semi-annual review of the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Index Series on Thursday.

Earlier post:

So, which is which now?

The Star and Bernama earlier reports said Tony Fernandes did hint about leaving AirAsia although no time line is set.

And just a few minutes ago, The Star produced yet another TF's denial and rebuttal - that he did not say anything about quitting as the head of the budget airline.

He tweeted on Thursday evening on the micro-blogging site to dismiss an earlier news report that he was going soon.

“All I said is next 10 years we must prepare for new leadership and my time is coming up soon. First a CEO for Malaysia and I focus on group functions as group CEO. Good leadership is to prepare for succession. Not going anytime soon though.”

Bernama had earlier reported that Fernandes hinted that he might leave soon at the airline's 10th anniversary celebrations.

The report also quoted him as saying that he has yet to identify his successor but hinted that it would be an internal change.

Confusion all over! Hope TF will come out with a 'real' statement this time around, not like when he denied making any statement about asking for a bigger KLIA2 the other day.

Unless, he intends to become a politician!

500 lashes?!

2011-12-08T12:13:00.004+08:00

I guess this is exactly how Mansor Almaribe's butt will look like after being lashed 10 times. However, the Australian was sentenced to 500 lashes and a year in a Saudi Arabian jail after being convicted of blasphemy during the just concluded hajj season.

I believe his whole butt flesh will be 'minced' just after 50 strokes and his bones will be exposed after 200. Another 300 lashes? It's as good as condemning him to death!

The 45-year-old man was detained in the holy city of Medina last month while making the Muslim pilgrimage of hajj. Family members told Australian media that Saudi officials accused him of insulting the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, a violation of Saudi Arabia's strict blasphemy laws.

In Malaysia, 'blasphemy' is becoming so common. Insulting the King and the Malay Rulers, and making racist remarks are part of the 'freedom of speech' and 'human rights' labels some quarters sought.

And how many lashes should we give to such people, especially those who insulted the King and in invoking racism and religious sentiment? 5? 10? 250? It's not easy to regulate such a law, isnt't it? And I believe many people will oppose to it.

For Mansor Almaribe, there will be no reason for him to live if he won't be able to sit down for the rest of his life for losing his butt. Better if we shoot him in the head!

Oohhh.... By the way, do you still remember this local case?

Oooppsss.... no further comment...

Working a truce...

2011-12-07T13:05:00.004+08:00

Aaahhh!!! Finally the tussle between AirAsia and MAHB will be put behind. For the sake of the business and in the spirit of 1Malaysia (I was told someone from the PM office called both sides yesterday), they are willing to 'give and take'.

To start with, AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes has invited MAHB's Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad to AirAsia's 10th anniversary celebration tomorrow, which I personally believe will also be attended by Datuk Seri Najib, Azman Mokhtar (the man in the net?) and major players of the aviation industry.

Good one. After all the bickering and tug-of-war games, its time for both parties to sit down and settle the dispute. A business truce should augur well in seeing the budget airline and the only airport manager/builder brush aside any unwanted elements that may cause hiccup to their business.

Tony spoke to The Star two hours after the AirAsia press conference where 10 of its executives demanded for a service level agreement (SLA) from MAHB before the carrier moved to KLIA2 in April 2013. And later on, MAHB issued a statement to challenge the press conference.

“We wish to continue working closely with all our partners to address any issues that may arise and will do so through a proper working forum as we believe this is the best and most objective way to do so.

"MAHB believes that any disagreements in public are neither good for the image nor in the best interest of the country,'' Tony said.

Ironically, when the AirAsia press conference was going on, Fernandes tweeted to say that one of the letters posted on MAHB website was fake, but quickly changed it to say that what he meant was the argument was 'fake'', not the letter.

I hope Bashir will reciprocate positively. I will also attend AirAsia's anniversary tomorrow, hoping to see no punches thrown at anybody...

Rebuttal and denial

2011-12-06T12:51:00.005+08:00

Latest: Local low-cost carrier AirAsia today claimed that it is the victim in the ongoing tiff with Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) over the construction of the new KLIA2 low-cost air terminal.

“We are the victims here... we are at the mercy of MAHB, which is the only party building airports here,” said the carrier’s commercial director Jasmine Lee.

Some people are very downright with their statements; some are not. While we can understand why businesses apply a blanket on certain aspects of the operation, we still find it difficult to digest especially when it involves a government-linked entity. Let alone a pro-govt tycoon.

After all the publicity about MAS and AirAsia, with Tony Fernandes lambasting MAHB for 'giving his air carrier unreasonable problems', here come the most intriguing part - rebuttal and denial.

I think it has been more than a months since reports quoted him as saying that AisAsia wanted a bigger KLIA2.

In a Bernama report today, the low-cost carrier refuted claims by the airport operator that AirAsia was the main reason for the cost of the new low-cost terminal, or KLIA2, to increase substantially. (Also read Rocky's Bru).

The statement, issued yesterday also said it did not ask for a bigger KLIA2. But why did the company take 'plenty of time' to come up with this rebuttal?

The budget carrier also provided copies of two official letters sent by AirAsia to MAHB and vice versa to prove that it should not be blamed for the price tag of KLIA2 to almost double.

AirAsia, MAHB's biggest customer, said its chairman, Datuk Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar, had in a letter on November 2009 to MAHB managing director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid, cautioned that the location of KLIA2 at KLIA West was not suitable and would cause construction costs to soar.

"The site will definitely be more expensive than the planned budget of RM2 billion," AirAsia said, adding it had also estimated for MAHB that the construction cost will increase to RM3.6-RM3.9 billion.

In a separate letter dated Aug 9 this year, Bashir had written to AirAsia X chairman, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, claiming that the proposed KLIA2 would be sufficient to handle 30 million passengers per annum.

"This figure has never been officially changed by AirAsia or MAHB since Aug 9, 2011," AirAsia said, in refuting claims made by MAHB in an article entitled "Why KLIA2 has to be bigger" posted on its website.

Looks like the issue is taking a turn for the worse. So, which is which now? I believe the govt needs to step in to quell it (is Azman Moktar around?)

However, let's listen to what Tony has to say in a press conference at the AirAsia HQ in Sepang today.

'Yau peng chai!"

2011-12-06T03:07:00.003+08:00

Had not for the Malays (PAS members) who attended his ceramah, Nga Kor Ming would have used his mother tongue to depict Zambry as the 'black metallic'.

However, he has apologised to the Perak Mentri Besar. Even that, he said the Press and bloggers have taken out his speech out of context, and that it has been politicised for the next general election.

Now that the whole world has watched and listened to what he exactly said, perhaps an apology is not enough.

He also called Zambry 'haram jadah' (read Stopthelies). In general context, it means 'bastard' or 'child who is born out of wedlock (anak haram). And had not for his supporters from PAS and PKR, he would have called Zambry a 'yau peng chai'!

He has yet to apologise. Will he or will he not?

I have heard and seen verbal war between BN and the Opposition MPs during the 1980s. 'Haram jadah' was used in the Dewan Rakyat and Speaker Zahir Ismail had to apply the power vested in him to put things under control. Those involved then retracted their words and apologised to the floor.

It happened during the era of 'hardcore' MPs like Hu Sepang, Shahidan Kassim, Tamrin Ghafar, Bujang Ulis, Osman Abdul, Chen Man Hin and others. Some senior MPs today were also part of that circus.

However, it gets more rampant these days and people like Nga is not only getting labeled as racist but is becoming a liability to this own party, the DAP. I wonder if the party's disciplinary committee will take action against him.

Karpal Singh has rapped Nga for that but other leaders in DAP remained silent. However, I don't think any action will be taken against him. They need people like Nga as a political stabilizer!

And who is the DAP leader who calls Malaysian Indians stupid?

But one thing for sure, people like Nga sure has a bad breath!

Obama's peace plan

2011-12-05T12:24:00.004+08:00

"I'm done with Libya. Next is Syria. Then Iran and Yemen. Of course I will help Britain to keep Falklands. And there are also calls from the people of Pakistan... and also Malaysia!"

Umno or Um-no-more!

2011-12-04T01:21:00.007+08:00

Pemuda Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said the party has and is doing everything possible for the Malays and the country but it is up to the voters to decide on the outcome of the next general election.

(History: when Hang Tuah threw his Taming Sari into the Duyong River about 5 centuries ago, he said: "Untung sabut timbul; untung batu tenggelam.")

Umno will still have strong support from its members, no doubt about it. Being 'a comfortable party to be with', most Malays will not be in vertigo to place their bet, neither will they become irresolute toward Barisan Nasional.

The Umno general assembly concluded yesterday with a bang - president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said it has met all the objectives set before it convened. All delegates were invigorated by every single speech delivered, although some were circumlocutions. Allusions were applied when it come to battering the Opposition, and as usual the floor jumped in excitement.

But from the eyes of an Umno layman, people like me, the GA is a routine. All political parties worldwide have their own general assembly. In late 1983, I attended the Baath Party congress at the el-Rashid Hotel, Baghdad. Saddam Hussein chaired it. In 1996, I was at the Khartoum Assembly Hall when President Omar el-Bashir opened it.

Knowing what kind of a person Saddam is, speakers who took to the floor did not laud or compliment him too much. They did not even lash out at the Opposition but centered their discussion and deliberation on how to improve the party's image in the eyes of the Iraqis. And so were the Sudanese delegates.

Sudanese ulama Hassan al-Turabi whom I met during a trip to Madani (I stayed at his house for a week... invited to Sudan as a member of an international watchdog agency to observe the first free presidential election in the country) used to tell me:

"We elected the leaders. As leaders, they need no eulogy because they should know their responsibility. The people who made them leaders deserve it more, especially when they made the right choice."

But we are not Iraq or Sudan. They don't have the Chinese or Indians like us although they have dozens of political parties. In Malaysia, Umno must not only becomes a 'darling' to the eyes of the Malays but also to the Chinese, Indians, Sikhs and others.

I found it sickening when 6 delegates whom I had tea with at a coffee house yesterday, said Umno will remain the pillar of BN even if the MCA, Gerakan or MIC fail to win enough seats in the next general election. I don't know what math or theory that support such a divination. Deep inside, I said there goes the spirit of Perikatan!

At few by-elections where Umno contested, there were words and finger-pointing that MCA didn't do much to help the campaigns. In fact, it came from a few members of the Umno Supreme Council who came down at a time when MCA party workers and leaders were meeting with the Chinese voters. As usual, members who happen to be around them will collaborate that notion!

Umno should sit down more often with MCA, MIC, Gerakan and other BN components, not only at the leaders level but at the grass root. Denying each other's importance and contribution will only lead to Umno and MCA becoming another 'Malay' and 'Chinese' party - in other words, let MCA do all the jobs to win the Chinese while Umno for the Malays.

Najib's winding-up speech was among the best I've listened to - simple yet stimulating. The delegates were very receptive to calls to work harder and stay united in preparing for the next national poll, and that division heads should not have the impression that his deputy was trying to topple him.

But what about the ordinary members? Are we really listening to them? Are we actually paying attention to their complaints about the incompetency of a division's leadership, corruption, factionalism and so on? Are we dead sure that the candidates we chose to become their Members of Parliament or State Assemblymen are the ones they prefer and support?

If politics is all about qualification and scrolls, a political party should well become an organisation that employs them. A doctor, lawyer or engineer cannot make a good politician or become a 'wakil rakyat' if he gets no grass root support. Similarly, a 'parachute' candidate will only undermine the voters of that constituency. As the saying goes, 'kecil jangan disangka anak, besar jangan disangka bapak!'

Nevertheless, the general assembly was indeed another wake up call to the Malays and Malaysians as a whole. Umno must be steered to stay relevant in bringing Malaysians together under BN administration.

However, how many wake up calls must we make until the Malays in Umno can really open up their mind about the significant of other BN component parties to their political survival? How many times more that they need to wake up every morning without askance and prejudice toward the non-Malays or non-Bumiputeras?

There were still delegates who made incongruous and cynical speech at the general assembly about the Chinese. It's time to stop all that. And it's time for Umno to win the heart of the Chinese while MCA wins more Malay support. I am not saying we should make do without the 'social contract' but the future of the Malays lies more in their own hands now.

And please note that the more we hit out at the Opposition, the more seats they grabbed, Sarawak state election being a good example.

We should stay more focused at the most-bottom level, the grass root members. They are the ones who will decide and chart the future of the country. Whether they are Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazan or others, Umno should be much more closer to them than to the elected leaders.

I beg to differ from other pro-BN and pro-Umno bloggers who lauded and gave full marks to everything that took place at the Umno GA. I am worried if we make incorrigible mistakes. Some Umno leaders and members will not support my jottings and view, and I am not sure whether or not I got the message across.

But I am glad to have written it here. At least I can tell my 4-year old daughter, Sofea (picture) who sings 'Lagu Umno' aloud almost every day and is able to distinguish Najib, Dr Mahathir, Muhyiddin, Hisham, Shahrizat, Mukhriz, KJ and others on TV - the reason for not taking her to the PWTC during Umno GA (I broke my promise to her, and she cried each time I left home for the venue) was to avoid her getting tired!

Don't turn Malaysia into another Libya!

2011-12-03T01:06:00.005+08:00

Just in case you haven't been following the horror the West brought upon Libya, here is a photo which is worth one thousand words. These people were all killed by the National Transitional Council forces, you know, the good people the US and many governments supported.

Imagine our country being taken over by a new regime we are not familiar with. At least, we have been comfortable with Barisan Nasional. Tell me, who are inviting foreign intervention into our system?

I remember the late Gaddafi's famous quote:

“We fear that Obama will feel that, because he is black with an inferiority complex, this will make him behave worse than the whites. This will be a tragedy. We tell him to be proud of himself as a black and feel that all Africa is behind him.”

Moammar Gaddafi said these words in 2008. I don’t know if they were translated from the Arabic or if he said it in English, which was not his first language.

In any case, Gaddafi had no reason that Obama would quite literally be the death of him, but his words were prescient. Africa is at Obama’s mercy, whether it is because of an inferiority complex isn’t clear. I don’t know that Obama is all that complicated. He is just ambitious and does what the system requires of him.

My Umno... Pt 3 (last)

2011-12-02T03:05:00.017+08:00

After covering and attending to Umno events (including general assemblies) for almost 30 years - reaching the party from its very top leadership to the most 'down-to-earth' members throughout the country - I found out that there is nothing wrong with the party. But there is something not right about the leadership and the lost link between its office bearers and the grass root.

I am grateful to the inventors of technology. IT provides a superb highway to get our message across. As to whether the message is well received and perceived by those at the top, does not matter as I believe some of them will read it. As former PM Tun Dr Mahathir said, blogs and the new media are the best resort for anyone to say something about anything, including what one feels about his party and the government.

Journalists who are Umno members didn't get much chance to speak at any general assembly. Only a handful of them hold party position at branch of division levels. As pro-Umno and pro-BN journalists, they rather stay focus on their job, which is supporting the legitimate government. The only occasion a journo was allowed to speak at the general assembly was Ahmad A Talib from the NSTP Group about 12 years ago (did he recite a poem?). That was during Tun Dr Mahathir's era.

Most journalists who are close with Umno and BN leadership are the pool of people who knows a lot of things, some of which are considered private and confidential. They will write some and keep some to themselves. In order to protect the party's interest, most of the secrets became the 'untold stories'. Only when they retire or when the politicians are no longer hold any position in the government or Umno, some parts of it would leak.

Even that, I've seldom heard prime ministers or any Cabinet members - in any intro to their speeches - said something like ".... Tan Sri-Tan Sri, Dato'-Dato'... and members of the Press..." whereas it is a common practice in many countries. In fact, most foreign dignitaries who came to Malaysia often acknowledged them by saying, "... and the distinguished members of the media/Press...".

And frankly, such a phrase does not come easy from Umno leaders. It's their duty to report. However, it would be soothing to hear it once in a while.

Actually, journalists do not need such an eulogy. But about 4 million members of the party who have been loyal through all the spics and specks of Umno, deserve just the right appreciation and recognition. It's not a reward in cash and kind that they ask. It will be just suffice if the leadership listen to their woes and resolve it.

Over the years, those who delivered speeches at the general assemblies are a group of sycophants who would try their very best to become the best speaker in narrating eulogies for the president, deputy president and the party top leadership. They will spend almost half of their speeches attributing to how good, charismatic and efficient the leaders are, and as such we must continue giving them our undivided support. Very invigorating!

Umno is a big house. While the leaders enjoy the privileges of sitting on the couch, watching TV and sipping at their coffee while deliberating strategies, those who mix them coffee and frying 'pisang goreng' should be appreciated as well. We must always keep our kitchen spick and span. Only then can we have a wonderful home.

It is very unfortunate that millions of Umno members are not able to attend any general assembly. Those who made it are usually fully-sponsored by division heads or others. The rich will come and stay a week in hotels or rented places around KL. And there are also members who had never been to Kuala Lumpur.

I remember during one of our Merdeka Day celebrations in the 1990s, Umno brought about 30 party veterans to KL, putting them up at a 4-star hotel. Aged between 70 and 85, none of them ever had the opportunity to visit the capital city. It was easy to locate which rooms they were in - slippers, shoes and sandals outside the doors!

And I was there, very much moved with what I saw and heard. A few members of the media just couldn't hold back their tears in disbelief that the unsung heroes did not manage to taste a tiny slice of the fruits of Independence and development. I believe some of them are gone now, leaving their personal and discreet legacy behind, unknown to us - the Malaysians!

Of course we must support our leaders. However, we must also know how to appreciate the support and those who give us the support. The Malays are known for being courteous and loyal to their leaders. They have faith in good leadership. And they are very tolerance too to the extent that a good leader deserves something (or should be rewarded with) for their retirement.

That is why we wouldn't mind the ministers, deputy ministers or other 'good and performing' leaders got something in return for their excellent service so that they enjoy a good life once they retire. The Malays too wouldn't mind having a plate of rice with salted fish as long as the good leaders enjoy chicken kurma and beef curry. This is examples how extreme the Malays could be in upholding a good leadership.

As time passes by, rhetoric of the general assembly gets thicker as if it has become an inveterate among speakers. The Opposition will normally become a good topic to blast, and sometimes the element of Malay-chauvinism cannot be avoided. And again, I saw and heard yesterday how a delegate from Kelantan, Alwi Che Mat aroused the floor by avowing, "Orang Cina hendak jambatan emas, kita beri tapi orang Cina hendak darah, tak bolehlah!"

After 64 years Umno was founded and 54 years of Independence, the Malays backwardness has nothing more to do with the Chinese, Indians or others. While the Umno-led government keeps on formulating new approach to uplift the well being of Malays and Bumiputeras, it is the Malays who should emulate the Chinese in building up their business empires and wealth.

But the Malays are also known for their orthodox manner in doing business and moving their politics. Back-stabbing, bad disposition, factionalism, unwilling to compete, irresolute, willy-nilly attitude and dawdling with opportunity, are among their habitual norms that hinder and slow down their pace.

Not without saying, greedy. Since opportunity is made abundant under the NEP - which saw them being prioritized for government contracts - many Malay entrepreneurs got into competition among each other. And when Tun Dr Mahathir introduced privatization and Malaysia Incorporated, more of these new and upcoming businessmen did not fail to opportune from it, thus creating a group of millionaires.

However, our hope of seeing them help and inculcate others to become millionaires just like them, went ashtray. Had each and every one of the 10 Malay millionaires helped turn another 10 Malay entrepreneurs into millionaires, I think we would have about 20 Malay billionaires and at least 10,000 millionaires today!

But they were overcame by greed. In addition, politics began to play its lead in securing more contracts. While existing businessmen got richer, the up and coming ones didn't have much chance to get nearer to the gold mine.

And this was when Umno grass root members started to perceive the party as belonged to the 'rich and famous', especially when those with the cash and deemed close to the Malay millionaires, were made division heads and to other posts. Soon, the showcase and competition for luxury took shape when this grass root leaders built new houses (or villas), drove the Benz, BMW and other expensive makes, to the astonishment of us, the poor ordinary members.

Just take a look at them during each Umno general assembly and any by-election. During the Merlimau state seat by-election early this year, you could easily spot two 'Hummers' at the BN Command Center beside the new mosque. Mercedez Benz, BMW, Volvo, Lexus, Estima and Alphard are all around. Even a Porsche is so common nowadays!

So, what does the party general assembly means to us, the grass root members? Almost nothing, except for the calls to strengthen the party, stand united behind the leaders and continue voting for BN in the next general election. While most of the members get old in providing undivided support to the leaders and the party they adore and love, upholding the Malay supremacy in politics and keeping up with 'ketuanan Melayu', this getting-old and hard-working members can only watch and listen to glamorous stories of how their young leaders got rich and richer.

Umno is a perfect party for the Malays but the leadership must revise its approach in dealing with the grass root members. Is there any tangible explanation to their assumption and perception that those who go all out to grab any party portfolios are actually going after the money and luxury in-store for them, and not really after the responsibility? It's difficult because the facts stand very loud and clear.

The grass root members do not need a luxury car or a new better house. They want to feel being close to the top leaders. As such, they need their respective division or branch heads to channel their woes to the top leaders. They want to be heard. Solving their problems is not everything about keeping close rapport with them. What's most important is the ears lent.

However, most division heads are of the general opinion that they should become Members of Parliament while a branch chief must be made to stand in the general election for the State seat. If his deputy or secretary is chosen as an election candidate, the whole party organisation in that division can be expected to be in a woe betide situation. Factionalism will be imminent, and so is internal bickering.

When things like this happen, nobody would listen to the members or transmit their message to the State Umno chief, namely the Mentri Besar or Chief Minister. There were also cases where the State Umno Liaison chief was fed only with 'good news' from all divisions because any problem is deemed as pointing to the division head's weakness.

Another issue that the top leadership never took any notice is the existent of 'mini empires' at some Umno divisions. We lambast the Opposition for practicing such politics but we turn out to be the kettle who calls the pot black. If I am the division head, my wife will be the Wanita head, my son will lead the Pemuda wing while my daughter leads the Puteri. Such a mini political empire makes Umno grass root members so blase.

In this globalisation era, almost everything is not a secret anymore. Information can be obtained and retrieved at a touch of a button. As the country moves forward, the society's demand gets more sophisticated.

However, Umno still needs that good human touch to stay relevant. While we are so proud of being praised by the world for our achievement, and in drowning ourselves in words of compliments about Umno and Barisan Nasional, how actually do we fare in the eyes of our ordinary members?

Just as the many trophies we won at various international competition for innovation, design and researches, how many of such findings were put to good use, meaning in helping our people improve their life? And how many road show have we organised to explain how the ETP and other transformation plans can benefit them? What is the significant of Iskandar Malaysia, NCER and ECER to the Malays when the bulk of business and business lots are affordable only to the non-Malays and foreigners? How and who should do all the explanation?

I will still vote for the ruling party in the next general election but I am not sure about others. The 12th general election was quite a disaster for Umno and BN. The top leadership may take my three postings lightly but petty matters have tendency to 'snowball' into a delicate issue.

I have written what I feel, what the grass root members feel about Umno. Criticism does not mean any ill feeling towards the leadership. If we are not open to criticism, good idea and positive thinking, even God will not help us.

Whatever it is, I am glad that my 4-year old daughter can sing 'Lagu Umno' well enough. When I took her on vice-president Hishammuddin's visit to Besut division a few months ago, she became a centre of attraction for singing it aloud.

Please remember - the road to ruin is always kept under good repairs!

SELAMAT BERSIDANG

My Umno... part 2

2011-11-30T21:27:00.006+08:00

Like any other members, I love Umno. No doubt about it. Even without the exposure given since I was 5, I would opt for Umno for its mediocrity in attending to our multiracial society. Yes, there were major crisis hitting the party but it took just a while for partisans to reconcile and go back to square one.

I was offered a position in the Youth wing for Masjid Tanah division in 1987, thanks to a close aide of Rahim Tambychik. However, I declined for two simple reasons. First, I was residing in Kuala Lumpur and only went back once or twice a month; and secondly, I didn't have the money to move my politics. So, it was better to help the party from the sideline.

I am of the opinion that a candidate for any divisional position must me chosen among those who resides, works and moves actively within his division. He has to be popular among the constituents for his personal character - a heart winner, humble and easy to access. He has to be a person who has the will to listen and find outlets to domestic problems, someone whom the grass root members can trust and confide.

At that time, few journalists made it successful in politics. My seniors, Ruhanie Ahmad or Ron and Ashaari Ibrahim were among them. Some also tried but faltered.

It is not practical having someone who works in KL or Penang to become our branch and division head, unless the members agree to it. In most cases, grass root members would not allow such a practice, especially when the office bearer is someone they don't know and not familiar with.

During the 2007 party election, I was an observer to votings at my branch. A prominent Datuk who resides and works in KL was booted in his first attempt to lead the branch although he was born and brought up in our kampung. However, he got a job in KL and seldom make it 'home' after that. My kampung buddies finally chose a primary school teacher for the post.

Since Dr Mahathir became prime minister in 1981, Umno 'regulated' another provision - that those who want to contest any party positions must be qualified professionals, i.e doctor, lawyer, engineer, accountant, etc. It didn't matter if they are close or not to their constituents and it was not important if the members like him or not.

If the members refused to endorse him, someone from the Supreme Council or the Chief Minister's rep will come down to convince them that the State's leadership was giving them the right division leader, and as such they must support him. And when he won the State or Parliamentary seat in the general election, he 'disappeared' for good.

And so, you need some money for politics. Enough or not, any amount has to suffice. A Terengganu politician whom I helped campaign for a Supreme Council seat in the early 1990s, failed to make it because he only got RM1,200 in his pocket. How much do you expect a general assembly's delegate ask? However, he made it at the next party election.

I have seen money changing hands at the PWTC, Pan Pacific and other hotels each time Umno held its election. Former Bernama editor-in-chief Jaafar Hussein and NST reporter, the late Azran Aziz were once offered cash and a wrist watch to usher some delegates to certain hotel rooms. If not for Datuk Jef's warning that we could face the music, I would have taken that RM5,000 'upah'.

As a journalist, I was bound to travel throughout the country for various assignments. One of the usual thing I liked to do after every Umno general assembly was to take a few days leave to conduct a 'grass root survey' in some chosen areas. My common question to them is - how has the party general assembly and election affected them? We will come to this part in my final (part 3) posting on Friday.

The general assembly is when politicians become so chummy with reporters and members of the media. Umno general assembly often becomes a beano for some opportunists. Each and every Umno leader and delegate attending it will look like a grandee. Everybody wants to show off something, if not in their long and bric-a-brac' speech, at least in their attire and their cars.

When Dr Mahathir was deputy prime minister (I was already in college), I did follow my uncle to an Umno general assembly at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). He was not a delegate but as a member eager to watch the proceedings. Not many cars were parked in that area as most delegates took the public transport. Speeches were centered at efforts to uplift the Malays' standing, economically and socially. No rhetoric, no unduly sycophant speeches.

Compared to the present time, speeches are deemed not complete without rhetoric, bombastic words, hadith and a 5 to 10 minutes 'full of praise and support' for the party's top leadership, namely the president, deputy president and the three vice presidents. The delegates chosen to speak or enter a debate too will try to impress others, notably the leaders, with their well-colored-sweetened words.

After covering and attending dozens of Umno general assemblies, I can't recall anybody praising the grass root members for choosing and staying with Umno... or at least a simple attribution for their support all this while!

to be continued...

My Umno... part 1

2011-11-30T14:43:00.007+08:00

Not many people would read this posting but I believe those who do will understand what are the actual sentiments of people like me and a few million more - the grass root members of Umno - for the party we support and have faith in. It is the only Malay party I've known in 1965, two years before I enrolled as a pupil at Masjid Tanah English School (MTES).

Umno became a brand to me ever since. I shared the pride and excitement each time my mom (a branch Wanita chief) brought me to some of her meetings. I remember seeing Ghafar Baba coming to our kampung to deliver a speech and officiating the 'balai raya', and also chief minister Ghani Ali shaking hands with students (including me) when he visited our school.

Mom told a lot of things about Umno, its history and how it fought for Independence. When curfew was imposed as a result of the May 13, 1969 communal riot (I was already in Standard 3), a few cars belonged to Umno, MCA and MIC members were allowed to ferry us to and from school. And mom said the riots in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and other parts of the country were done by 'stupid and evil people'.

In fact, I still met my Chinese and Indian friends, studied together and played at day time and none of us talked about the incident. We are very much intact. Mok Kian Tong whose family supported the DAP said, 'biarlah dia orang gaduh, kita tetap kawan!' (Mok joined MCA in 1981 when I became a member of Umno).

One thing which puzzled me each time Umno wanted to choose its office bearers for a branch and division was that, almost nobody wanted to take it up. Even my mom refused to become a branch Wanita head until she was persuaded by members to take it up. When somebody nominated her, everybody raised their hands, no contest and no objection. She held the position for three terms until mid-1970s.

And so were others who were 'forced' to become Umno branch heads and committee members. At one of the meetings, (the late) Tun Ghafar said, "Takkanlah tuan-tuan nak saya pegang jawatan semua ketua cawangan dan bahagian untuk satu negeri Melaka ni! Tolonglah saya!"

Those were the days when a 'cikgu', a 'kerani' and anyone with strong grass root support got the ticket to such positions. At that time, most of the Malay doctors, lawyers, engineers and other professionals in Umno today were still studying in colleges and universities, locally and abroad.

As time flies and Umno entered a challenging era of post-1969 and with Tun Razak launching the New Economic Policy in 1971, the Malays' interest in Umno suddenly increased. When Tun Hussein became Prime Minister and Umno president, the quest for positions in Umno was overwhelmed by the fact that those who became State Assemblymen or Members of Parliament could access government's contracts.

During that particular era, Malay entrepreneurship was on the rise and Malay contractors were already given priority to government projects. This made branch and division heads more important. A lot of people would go to them, seeking political support for this and that contract. To me, it was the NEP that changed the whole scenario in Umno.

Tussles began to flare at some branch and division elections. Tug-of-war games among various factions wanting to push up their candidates, began to take up its toll when some members left the meetings and voted for the Opposition in the general elections. I know some Umno members in my kampung and in Masjid Tanah division who sent out SMS during the 2008 general elections, asking the Malays to vote for PAS or PKR. Why? Their candidate lost in Umno divisional election or he or she failed to become a Yang Berhormat.

When I became a journalist in 1981, I made it a point to 'balik kampung' at least twice a month, noting not much changes had taken place. Some of the poor folks remained poor - the Malays, Chinese and Indians. Our 'wakil rakyat' seldom paid them a visit, the JKKK committee members were difficult to talk to while the people who worked with the 'wakil rakyat' were a snobbish lot.

But there were changes. The YB brought new water irrigation project that totally dried up the whole 'sawah padi'. It failed! And of course, the narrow 'jalan tanah merah' to Solok Limau Nipis (where Rocky's Bru parents stayed) was paved with a thin layer of bitumen (I learnt in school that it was John McAdam who introduced such roads).

The balai raya Allahyarham Pak Ghafar officiated is still there, as a 'kandang kambing'.

Apart from that, nothing. I sometimes wondered what is the actual function of the JKKK (Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung) if they failed to do a simple job of identifying the poor family in their kampung, and report it to the YB for further actions. Unless the YB is not doing his or her job!

Frankly, I'm ashamed of TV3' Bersamamu program. It reflects much of JKKK, Aduns and MPs failures in attending to such a minor social problem in their respective constituency, especially where Umno has its reps. Had proper attention was given to the group, there won't be any hardcore poor in the country and TV3 will have to go to Papua New Guinea or Africa to find footage for that program.

Umno should have stopped attending to such a social issue had the party - via its 'wakil rakyat' and JKKK - addressed it 20 years ago. It's time to concentrate on our bigger agendas. After 54 years of Independence, we should be ashamed of letting some rakyat still having not enough to eat and not enough to wear before our very own eyes.

And some of our newly-elected Umno State Assemblymen and MPs are already making rounds in their constituencies - not to listen to the rakyat but to show their new cars, bodyguards and guns on the coffee shop's table!

to be continued...

Bar Council is above the law

2011-11-29T13:26:00.005+08:00

About 1,000 Bar Council members and their supporters staged a 'Walk For Freedom' at the Parliament today to protest the Peaceful Assembly Bill, wanting to jettison it. Instead, they want total freedom of speech, absolute freedom of speech and a 'free-for-all' country.

"What rubbish is this council trying to prove (by drawing an alternative Bill)? That they are better or bigger than Parliament? Bar Council should have respect for Parliament, which is the highest law-making body comprising government and opposition elected representatives!"

And again, Ambiga is on the forefront, carrying out the Opposition's plan to ransack the country's harmony and plunge it into religious and racial crisis. I think they really want that to happen, taking into consideration the kind of 'freedom' they want.

And this lady (I am not sure if Marina Mahathir was among the crowd) who likened Malaysia's situation to that of Myanmar, is actually opening up the country to foreign intervention. With just a basic knowledge that Myanmar is under the junta, she wished the superpowers or Nato will interfere in our domestic affairs.

Who knows if she has already sent out SOS to Washington or London to step a foot in Malaysian affairs. Worse still, a military intervention like what they did in Libya and Pakistan, with Syria, Yemen and Egypt on the list.

Yes, the Opposition is all out to ruin the country by inviting foreign intervention. Just read Rocky's Bru DAP seeks New Delhi's intervention about how two Opp MPs, namely M Manogaran and S Ramakrishnan tried to get the Baharatiya Janata Party to 'rule' Malaysia!

In fact, the protest was timely held on the opening day of Umno General Assembly which simply marks a cahoot between the Bar Council and the Opposition to undermine Umno and Barisan Nasional strength and capability to pass the new Act.

This shows how much the Bar Council is above any law. The Council is also turning into a political party, playing God to everybody. Sad to note how members of the Council are becoming copycats of Western culture - all about the West must be practiced here!

What will become of Malaysia - a multiracial country - should total freedom is adapted? What will happen if people of various race and religion start to abuse each other in a freely and openly manner, without any law to drag them to court should it lead to communal disaster?

Unfortunately, Ambiga, Kit Siang, Karpal, Anwar and the rest couldn't care less about the consequences. What the Bar Council does is to make Anwar the new prime minister, by hook or by crook, after the next general election. And should the fail, they are more than prepared to stage a nationwide street demonstration. That's why they are opposing the Peaceful Assembly Bill.

They have forgotten what caused May 13, 1969. Or Ambiga, in comparing Malaysia to Myanmar, was challenging the police and the military to take over the government. By doing so, of course Malaysia will become another Egypt like what Anwar said.

And of course, the Human Rights Watch is supporting them, placing Malaysia on the world map as another conservative and orthodox regime to topple.

Their 'human rights' calls for absolute freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of sex, freedom of same-sex marriage, freedom of racial hatred, etc. After all, they dont like the police. So, should anything happens, let the rakyat take the law into their own hands. Its also part of freedom.

Now, Uncle Sam must answer this

2011-11-29T03:45:00.006+08:00

Ahaaaa.... The answer to my earlier posting 'I'd have slapped him...!' received a quick and tangible answer from someone who knows what actually took place in between Tan Sri Isa Samad and this 'Uncle' Sam (picture) personal tussle.

Fellow-blogger Big Dog who has been writing about FGVH listing and spending his precious time with Isa, has got this to tell (read the red bold part, especially:

"Jai, I was there in the crowd when Tan Sri Isa Samad said this in the last of the five road show series where he, FELDA DG Dato' Dzulkifli A Wahab and FHB/FGV CEO Dato' Seri Sabri Ahmad met representatives of the FELDA settlers, on the FGVH listing.

"Background; FGVH listing is Prime Minister Dato' Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak's agenda and baby for FELDA. He announced this in his 2012 Budget Speech, 7 Oct. As part of the listing program his office wrote to FELDA for Isa to be appointed Chairman of Koperasi Permodalan FELDA on 15 August. Lembaga FELDA which met on 25 August, made a decision based on the explicit instruction.

"It means that FELDA DG Dato' Dzukilfli A Wahab needed to relieve himself from the FELDA Chairmanship immediately.

"It was an in-depth briefing and there were Q&As where Isa took all the Qs and offered answers, all the five briefings. Same roadshow, same presentation in Kuantan 26/10, K Terengganu 27/10, Melaka 29/10, Trolak 31/10 and K Pilah 12/11.

"The purpose is for the settlers to understand and buy-in the proposal that Koperasi Permodalan FELDA be used as the vehicle for the post listing ownership. Straight forward and across the board.

"Even this Shamsuddin "Pak Sam" Osman was on stage with the trio in the roadshow in Melaka on 29 Oct, for settlers in Melaka/Johor region. He said he was agreeable and fully supportive of the program.

"TV3 went on to interview Pak Sam at his home and he said the same thing; fully supportive. However, he organized separate briefings for FELDA settlers around Johor, to reject the proposal!

"The following is what Isa Samad said verbatim when asked during Q&A in Kuala Pilah on 12 November:

"Kita tengok, ada gak lepas kita terang, balik dia buat perjumpaan lak. Katalah Pak Sam, says dapat laporan (saya blum jumpa dia ni!), kita jumpa kat Melaka, terang(kan) dalam board (BOD). buat perjumpaan lagi! Masih lagi tak paham. Kalau budak budak, saya lempang aja! Ini dia dah tua, tak elok. Kita tak nak macam ini, tak elok. Dia kata, "Terpaksa buat statement kat TV". Apa macam dia cakap macam itu? Perbetulkan! Benda ni (cakap sini lain, kat kg cakap lain) tak elok. Kita dah tua tua ni. Tak usah la membohong. Itu semua tak elok. Saya tak nak Tuan Tuan macam tu, kat sini beriya iya. Balik, cerita lain. Jangan kita jadi nilai nilai munafik la, dak? Tak elok!".

"Isa was saying that this 'Flip-Flop' business and back-stabbing is no good and is damaging. Had it was youngsters, he would deal with it in the crude manner.

"I think some people are really sensationalizing this for some sinister purpose which include to derail the listing of FGVH. And top of the agenda is to discredit Isa. Why? Someone had to vacate his FELDA KPF Chairmanship, for PM's choice which is Isa.

"Read The Mole, Rocky's and my posting. On top of his Staff 3 civil servant pay, the FELDA DG also have been enjoying RM 700k p.a. extra income sitting in 34 different Kumpulan FELDA companies BOD. This is not taking into consideration other perks.

"All of these will be gone when he is no longer KPF Chairman.

"Back to the issue: Isa is right. Pak Sam was briefed about this several times, even at board level. He had all the opportunities to set things right. In all these meetings, he did not oppose.

"So how do you deal with persons like this?

"They back-stab you, for some sinister agenda. Then they sensationalize the matter, as if Isa is a really bad fellow.

"I ask you personally; wouldn't you want to slap for back-stabbing two-faced person like this, if it happened to you?"

November 29, 2011 1:30 AM

PS: Thank you, Big Dog bro

'I'd have slapped him...!'

2011-11-28T21:11:00.005+08:00

Alamak!

Last week, a man slapped an Indian minister whom he accused of being incompetent and corrupt. I posted about it and also 'Malaysianised' it under the heading 'Which Politician Would You Like to Slap Most!'

Many responded, some even named a few, both from the ruling BN and the Opposition.

Without me realising it, this slapping (in Bahasa means tempeleng, lempang, tampar... is cepuk included?) phenomena is already getting popular, at least among Felda settlers.

Felda settlers head Shamsuddin Othman has given Tan Sri Isa Samad 14 days to apologise for allegedly insulting him at a briefing in Kuala Pilah earlier this month.

Shamsuddin aka Pas Sam who heads the Settlers Negotiation Committee (JKPP), said the Felda chairman should not have called him a 'liar', 'hypocrite' and claimed “if he (Shamsuddin) were a small boy, I’d have slapped him”.

“This is the first time a Felda chairman has insulted a settlers head... I think all settlers were insulted by Tan Sri Isa’s statement,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Isa was also alleged to have said that Shamsuddin did not understand Felda Global Ventures’ planned listing despite being briefed many times. Is that the reason?

'Apo ceghito ni, waghih?'

Selamat Maal Hijrah

2011-11-27T00:21:00.004+08:00

Maal Hijrah or oftenly called Awal Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar, during which fighting is prohibited.

It's haram or forbidden for human kind to wage war against each other, killing or getting involved in any kind of confrontation.

So, it's unlawful to fight during this month.

However, I doubt it. In Malaysia, I am sorry to say that the spirit of Awal Muharram is not really observed, except for the public holiday.

Let's see who will break the 'rules'...

SELAMAT MAAL HIJRAH

May 13: It was DAP, not MCA or Umno

2011-11-26T12:14:00.003+08:00

Lim Kit Siang was speechless when Zulkifli Nordin raked the history of May 13, 1969 tragedy at the Dewan Rakyat. According to the MP, it was Kit Siang and his DAP who incited and triggered the incident, not MCA or Umno.

Read Sanggah Tok Janggut about it.

And for that reason, Zul said ISA was used to contain it. In fact, the contents of the new act to replace ISA will remain relevant in view of DAP racist politics which is turning our inter-racial relation into a time-bomb.

"Saya mahu baca semula daripada laporan MAGERAN, laporan rasmi yang dibentangkan menceritakan tentang peristiwa 13 Mei membawa kepada perisytiharan darurat tersebut adalah kerana kebebasan bersuara yang sudah di luar kawalan. Tindakan racist yang melampau dan ini antara tindakan yang didalangi oleh Yang Berhormat Ipoh Timur dan parti beliau pada masa itu.

"Saya mahu baca, biar rakyat dengar semula apa yang mereka kata pada tahun 1969 membawa kepada peristiwa 13 Mei. Slogan yang dibawa pada masa itu ialah 'Malai si'. 'Malai si' ini maknanya 'Mati Melayu'. Kemudian kita lihat dalam himpunan-himpunan dan perarakan-perarakan yang mereka buat. Ini antara kenyataan yang mereka keluar pada 11 Mei, "Apa polis boleh buat, kita raja. Buang sama polis Melayu."

The report said that among the chants shouted by those taking part are:

"Mati Melayu, sakai pergi masuk hutan."

"Melayu balik kampung, Melayu sekarang tiada kuasa. Sekarang kita Cina sudah control".

"Semua Melayu kasi habis, kasi halau semua polis."

"Apa ini Melayu, kita sudah perintah dia negeri, ini negeri bukan Melayu punya, mata-mata lancau."

"Butuh Melayu, Malai si, pergi mati Melayu."

I have not read the Mageran report but I believe Zul was aware of its content.

(Terima kasih Sanggah Tok Janggut)

Kalau cakap pun tak begapa nak lancau...

2011-11-26T00:14:00.005+08:00

Shamsul Iskandar who? I thought he is just another moron trying to make stupid statements about Umno and the Federal Constitution. Then, someone from Malacca SMSed me that this guy (also an Umno dropout from the same State) is PKR youth chief.

Frankly, I never wanted to know anything about him because he is not in the same pier as (at least) Tian Chua or Tony Phua who sometimes come up with foolish-yet-popular statements. And I've never found any other dumber than the duo until I read what Shamsul said in Johor yesterday.

Throwing a challenge for Umno to amend the Constitution in ensuring that only a Malay will become the prime minister of Malaysia, is actually not a challenge. And I personally do not think any Umno leaders will heed the call, which can be deemed as 'the most foolish statement of the year' since it came from 'the most stupid Malay' on earth.

This guy is nothing actually. He is so naive about politics of the Malays, especially Umno. What he does is attract attention by saying something which he himself is not certain of.

However, since he tries to become popular, I believe he needs to be reminded that the challenge he made was actually a political trap that would undermine the whole PKR (and Pakatan Rakyat) to the eyes of Malaysians. And he himself is digging his own grave!

There is not provision in the Constitution which states that only a Malay can become a prime minister. Umno would never make any alteration to it. The reason being, the founding fathers of Malaysia (and long before Independence) had realised that the time will come for a non-Malay to hold the position.

However, as long as Umno is the domain party in Barisan Nasional, it's candidate will take up the position. This does not only applies in Malaysian politics but elsewhere around the globe - any majority party in a political pact will have that prerogative rights, unless a consensus allows otherwise.

Now. Such a statement is anomalous. I don't think PKR and PAS will agree for the Constitution to be amended. Why? They have a strong DAP presence in Pakatan Rakyat. While hudud is already leading to dissension between PAS and DAP, what makes this moron to think that DAP will agree to it?

If you are confident that PR will take over Putrajaya after the next general election, why didn't he turn such an idea as a motion to the PKR general assembly, instead of challenging Umno to do it?

Stupid moves are easy to detect. He was contemplating an internal crisis in BN should Umno takes up his challenge. He is too young to play with political sentiments and I don't see him fits well into his position. Perhaps, people like Azmin Ali should provide him with a good 'tarbiyah' on how to become a popular politician.

Let me ask him this question - will PKR make similar amendment to the Constitution?

So, please do not speak through your nose. Who told you to make such a suggestion to Umno? Anwar Ibrahim? I don't think so because he himself knows the repercussion of it. Then, who? Hang Tuah?

The challenge is already making him a stigma to the Malays. He is not that shrewd after all (as a youth chief). What a heinous! PKR will be ashame of him.

(Mengikut pelat orang Melaka pantai - Kalau cakap pun tak begapa nak lancau, elok diam aje ler! Buat malu orang Melaka je!)

DAP: A party of foul languange

2011-11-25T12:05:00.003+08:00

They were once okay. Their leaders were quite tactful with what they said and wrote. And that's how they won many supports.

But that was the 1980s and late 1990s. However, when they formed a political cahoot with PAS and Semangat 46, they lost respect among the Chinese 'hardcores'. And once again, the Pakatan Rakyat which groups DAP with PAS and PKR does not augur well for its self-reliance.

DAP is seen as following too much of PAS and PKR influence in the political pact. Once doubted as a mediocre 'democratic party' for having so many Malay members, DAP is now losing the Malay support, not because of its alignment with PAS and PKR but for the manner in which its leaders carry themselves.

They fall into PAS and PKR's 'vulgarism and foul language' political traits. Almost each and every DAP leader now subscribe to such a method. Even Nik Aziz once gained respect from among the Malays, including Umno for being a polite and vulgar-free leader.

However, the Tok Guru has lost that respect when he himself joins PKR trend of using foul language against his political enemies. I had respected him as an ulama and a pious leader although he is not with the BN pool.

And yesterday, MCA called on the new generation of DAP leaders not to turn their party into a party of foul language.

Wanita MCA secretary-general, Senator Chew Lee Giok said the earlier generations of DAP leaders, such as current DAP life advisor Dr Chen Man Hin and former secretary-general C.V. Devan Nair, had shown the virtue of rationality in the field of politics.

"But the actions of this current batch of DAP leaders who tend to utter foul words frequently, and worse, are actually proud of it, has corrupted the party's principles," she said in a statement.

DAP elections preparations publicity chief Hew Kuan Yau (pic), she said had used rude words, scolding and cursing MCA leaders, as well as their family members, while Perak assemblyman Nga Kor Ming followed suit by uttering the words, 'political prostitute' during the state legislative assembly sitting.

"Describing someone as a prostitute is very insulting indeed, and Nga Kor Ming should not have done that despite having differences of opinion with anyone," she added. Chew also challenged DAP women leaders such as Teresa Kok, Chong Eng and Teo Nie Ching to stand up and condemn the discriminating and insulting statements made by Nga against Perak state legislative assembly Deputy Speaker Datuk Hee Yit Foong on Wednesday.

But bad habit is hard to die. As far as politics are concern, DAP and its Opposition partners will go on with their abusive approach.

Which politician would you like to slap most?!

2011-11-24T23:52:00.003+08:00

If you got the opportunity to express your disappointment, anger or frustration over matters that adversely affect your life, carrier or your family, what would you do?

And if you are given the chance to vent it on someone, especially a minister or a politician (BN or PR), who would you choose?

In India, Indian agriculture minister Sharad Pawar (pic) has been slapped at a public function by a youth who claimed he was angry with corruption and price hike, local media reports.

Harvinder Singh, a transporter in his thirties, had been sentenced for assaulting former telecom minister Sukhram on Saturday, before the latest assault took place at a public auditorium on Parliament Street on Thursday.

Later, Pawar reacted to the incident calling it stupid and that he did not make much out of it, NDTV said.

"I was answering some questions by a group of journalists when I saw this man coming towards me and I thought he wanted to ask me a question. I don't know what his intention was. It is up to the police whether they want to press charges against him or not.

Prime minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee have condemned the attack on Pawar.

Reacting to the assault on Pawar, anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare asked, "...only one slap?"

I don't recall any similar incidents took place in Malaysia, except for former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who was 'attacked' by chilly powder at a Kelantan airport a few years ago.

It also reminds me of Iraqi journalist Muntazar al-Zaidi who threw shoes at George Bush during the US leader's visit to Baghdad in 2008.

Well, leaders and politicians alike should stay clear of such assaults, don't you think so? If they are nice, good and performing, they should be okay, I suppose...

No economic formulators... and no moral as well!

2011-11-24T18:14:00.004+08:00

Wikileaks exposure about the disaster awaiting Malaysia should Pakatan Rakyat wins the next general election, is perhaps the most downright made by any US diplomats. Not because the fact that they have been supporting Anwar Ibrahim all this while but for the purported 'financial aid' to the Opposition.

Now it is clear that they are also shying away from Anwar & Gang, thus providing a strong testimony that Barisan Nasional under Najib Razak is the only option for the rakyat to stay on the path of progress.

Not only that Pakatan does not have good economic formulators to manage the country, they also don't have the right moral to lead us.

US diplomatic cables to Washington DC have reported that a Pakatan Rakyat win the next general election would be a disaster to Malaysia. The US envoys in Kuala Lumpur have told their bosses that Pakatan Rakyat simply does not have economic formulators.

In short, according to Stopthelies, it means if the Pakatan Rakyat forms the next federal government, the whole nation is in for a real serious economic disaster.

This information was obtained from a leaked US Department cable by Wikileaks, which added that the lacked of economic expertise in Pakatan 'weighs on them as a coalition'. It also said that this was due to 'Pakatan’s failure to give them high wages' and that 'politics' could have driven them away.

MCA President Dr Chua Soi Lek while commenting on the report, said Pakatan’s alternative budget was hastily prepared and contained only populist promises that were unrealistic.

“Their budget is rhetoric in nature,” he said, adding that even Pakatan’s leaders had stopped talking about it. He also urged the public to reconsider their support for Pakatan, cautioning that its lack of expertise might not bode well for the nation’s future.

While acknowledging the presence of leaders with strong religious credentials in Pakatan, Chua said they were not too concerned about issues in modern economics and management.

“I understand the sentiments of some voters who are against the government, but they must ask themselves whether Pakatan is a viable alternative to BN,” he said.

Yes, they have Anwar who was Finance Minister but he himself was not trained in economic or accountancy. When Dr Mahathir made him Finance Minister, many friends went to his aid. I remember a senior journalist giving him some good economic books for his reference.

So, how to manage a progressive and dynamic economy like Malaysia when you don't have the set of economists to formulate something better than that of Barisan Nasional? The best thing for them to do is spend whatever we have to the list dime!

How much did Alstom 'suap' this 2 Malaysians?

2011-11-23T21:08:00.007+08:00

Swiss Office of the Attorney-General said Tuesday it closed a probe into Alstom SA, and ordered a unit to pay 38.5 million Swiss francs (RM133 million) for bribing government officials in Malaysia, Latvia and Tunisia.

The four-year probe centered on payments made by Alstom Network Schweiz AG to middlemen termed as 'commercial agents' by the company, in return for securing government contracts to build power stations in 15 countries since the 1990s.

Alstom was awarded a RM2.8 billion contract by Tenaga Nasional earlier this year to provide key power generation equipment to Southeast Asia’s first 1,000-megawatt (MW) supercritical coal-fired power plant Manjung, besides winning turnkey contracts in 1994 and 2000 to build four power plants including the 1,300MW Lumut and the 670MW Kuala Langat plants and deals in 2003 and 2004 to install environmental control systems for the Tanjung Bin and Jimah coal-fired power plants.

It was also appointed by Tenaga to supply two 125MW hydro power turbines, a generator and ancillaries for the 250MW Hulu Terengganu hydro power plant in 2010.

In July, a former Alcatel employee was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court with giving a RM25,000 bribe to a Telekom Malaysia (TM) officer, in a case linked to the French company’s admission last year that it had bribed government officials to win a US$85 million (RM255 million) contract.

That's how some business are done.

However, what attracts my attention is the Summary Punishment Order by the Swiss Office of Attorney-General about the case for Malaysia.

Among the contents, it mentions:

"At the end of the 1990s, the state-licensed TTPC (Teknologi Tenaga Perlis Consortium Sdn Bhd) had major contracts for the delivery and maintenance of gas turbines to award for the Perlis project in Malaysia. At the end of 1999, the then existing ABB Alstom Power (Schweiz) AG, Baden signed various consultancy agreements to this end with various offshore companies...

"... because the original consultants were individuals, the use of an established company was chosen in order to comply with internal control. However, other internal regulations (no offshore companies, no companies with accounts outside the project country, no success fees over 3% of the contract value) were disregarded; distributing payments to different offshore companies with the same financial beneficiaries knowingly exceeded the last of these provisions.

"Both Chee Liang Ti and Abdul Hamid Pawanteh were leading executives of TTPC at the time, and the latter was also a local politician in the constituent state of Perlis where the power station was to be built. It is obvious that the Alstom employees involved in this case wished to influence TTPC decision-makers with payments to award contracts to Alstom. There is also indication that an Alstom employee involved illegally and without the knowledge of Alstom personally enriched himself.

"The parties to the contractual agreement to deliver, operate and maintain gas turbines were Alstom Schweiz AG and Alstom O&M AG on one side and TTPC on the other side. TTPC consisted of the consortium members Tenaga Nasional Berhad, TNB (20%), Landmark Sdn Bhd (20%), Alpga Intercontinental Sdn Bhd (30%), Gerang Sutera Sdn Bhd (20%) and Yayasan Islam Perlis via Infostaas Eng Sdn Bhd (10%)...

"...after a deduction of a commission of about 5%, these payments were channeled through the accounts of additional offshore companies to the two executives of TTPC, Chee Liang Ti and Abdul Hamid Pawanteh, with accounts in Switzerland..."

Gulpp!!!!

... now, we also kill their orang utans!

2011-11-23T07:20:00.006+08:00

update 6.22pm - Two Indonesian plantation workers have been arrested for allegedly killing at least 20 endangered orang utans and proboscis monkeys as a means of 'pest control'. So, I was right about it. They killed their own orang utans and put the blame on Malaysians, all because they lost the football game to us. What a shame!

Gosh! I thought they have stopped but they didn't, and perhaps they will go on battering us. Their failure to grab the 'mother of all gold medals' at the Sea Games are taking its toll on our diplomatic relation.

This is one of thousands 'more-or-less' similar comments posted by Indonesians on their local media. It also appears on Tweeter.

"Those malaysian people are really something else, aren't they? First, they've successfully tried to annex Sipadan and Ligatan and then Ambalat, been claiming that reog, batik, cendol, pendet dance and rendang are their own, then they've paid hush money to the referee assistant to raise his freaking flag to indicate Ferdinand was in an offside position in the Sea Games grand finale and now they think they have to decimate orang utans as well? What next? They'll claim Koteka too?"

A Jakarta Post pic of the demo in front of our embassy in Jakarta

On the day they lost in the soccer final to Malaysia, a group protested in front of our embassy in Jakarta, accusing us of killing their orang utans.

Members of the Center for Orangutan Protection also protested in front the Presidential Palace in Jakarta demanding that the President support the legal protection of orangutans following widespread news of the torture and killing of the animal in East Kalimantan.

“Orangutans have never been given serious attention. The proof is in front of our eyes. In Kalimantan a lot of orangutans have been found tortured, injured and killed,” said Daniek Hendarto of the Center for Orangutans.

He added that on Nov.3 an adult orangutan was found battered in a farming district in East Kalimantan, belonging to a Malaysian firm.

“We suspect the orangutan was tortured and suffered from broken bones,” he said

I personally don't think Malaysians killed any of the orang utans. Yes, there are Malaysian companies doing business there but they also employ thousands of locals. They could have killed the orang utans and blamed it on a few Malaysians there.

What else should we do to repair such a damage? The Games was supposed to be free of politics but the Indonesians are venting their anger and frustration in a wrong way.

The reason is the jingoism expressed by the Indonesian government, media and even members of the public. Jingoism, in its colloquial sense, is a demonstration of excessive nationalism and patriotism.

This attitude has gripped Indonesia over the past few years, and has been displayed in various ways, including calling Malaysia 'Malingsia' (maling means thief), to the “New7Wonders” debate, where some people say they don’t care if the contest is legitimate or not, as long as Indonesia can expect good news and always win!

So, what's next?

MyVoice: My intention is clear

2011-11-22T22:45:00.004+08:00

My earlier posting MyVoice: Key bloggers on the sideline? gets quite a speedy response from the organiser. Yang Dipertua 1AGENDA Zul Azhar Cha left a reasonable comment to it. It reads:

Salam. Saya Zul Azhar Cha, Yang Di Pertua 1AGENDA. Untuk makluman semua rakan2 dan para sahabat, KMS1M adalah program NGO yg bukan diinisiatifkan oleh Kementerian. YB Dato' Mohd Sharkar dilantik Pengerusi kerana beliau adalah EXCO IT Negeri Pahang merangkap Ahli Kehormat Kelas Pertama 1AGENDA.

Program ini adalah insiatif 1AGENDA. Saya mengaku terdapat keciciran di dalam menyaraipendekkan tetamu jemputan. Kebanyakan yang dijemput (rakan2 Blogger) adalah melalui sms dan bbm.

Saya sendiri selaku Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Peserta dan Pendaftaran, terlibat secara langsung dengan kehadiran Peserta dan Tetamu.

Saya memohon maaf jika terdapat keciciran dan inisiatif Melancarkan MyVo1ce adalah untuk memastikan mesej dan networking jentera perlaksaan 'psiwar' pro BN digerakkan secepatnya.

Tidak terlintas untuk 'sideline'kan sesiapa dan mengakui ianya adalah kesilapan dan salah faham semata-mata.

1AGENDA mengiktiraf Semua rakan Penulis dan penggiat media sosial terutama rakan-rakan yang telah lama berjuang menulis untuk membantu mempertahankan dasar-dasar Kerajaan BN yang kita kasihi.

Kehadiran YB Menteri Penerangan adalah di atas jemputan kerana Program ini berkait dengan Kementerian berkaitan yang mengawalselia media sosial.

Saya akan membuat kenyataan akhbar untuk membetulkan kekeliruan ini.

Harap Maklum. Sekian dan Wassaalam.

My comment to his:

Terima kasih Sdr Zul. Saya sebenarnya menghargai dan memuji usaha pihak Sdr menganjurkannya tetapi saya masih berpendapat adalah lebih baik ia diusahakan secara bersama dengan KPKK kerana sebagai kementerian yang bertanggungjawab, ia perlu memikul fungsi utama atau 'lead role' dalam apa jua bentuk penyaluran maklumat. Saya juga sengaja 'menjentik' isu ini agar dijadikan sebagai 'wake up call' untuk semua pihak - KPKK, badan penerangan negeri, blogger dan pengamal media pro-kerajaan agar bersatu di bawah satu badan saja dan bukannya terlalu banyak badan yang mendakwa mewakili blogger tertentu. Bukankah lebih baik KPKK memikul tanggungjawab ini daripada membiarkan wujudnya pelbagai puak yang berkepentingan sendiri menjadi penyelianya? Alangkah elok jika semua badan dan kumpulan blogger ini bergerak seiring di bawah KPKK. Jika kita benar-benar berhasrat membantu BN dan Umno, maka tidak ada masalah bagi KPKK menghimpunkan penulis laman blog ini di bawah sayapnya agar memudahkan proses perbincangan diadakan sebelum strategi tertentu dikongsi untuk memperkukuhkan lagi fungsi media baru ini. Apa pun, bukan niat untuk menyinggung sesiapa. Usaha yang baik tetap dipuji, cuma ia sepatutnya boleh menjadi lebih baik lagi dengan kerjasama KPKK. Syabas kepada pihak Sdr.

PS: Thanks also to Jebat Berkokok

MyVoice: Key bloggers on the sideline?

2011-11-22T15:00:00.003+08:00

"Jai! Why weren't bloggers like Rocky's Bru, Big Dog, Outsyedthebox, A Voice and others left out when PM Najib launched MyVoice on Sunday (Nov 20)? What is Rais Yatim's ministry doing? Is he still holding grudges against Bru and others?

"Come on, man! This is about Barisan Nasional, about winning the next general election. A blogger like Bru is not a 'chekai'... everybody knows and acknowledges his role in battling the Opposition.

"If Rais doesn't want such a good support for the government, he must be out of his mind. Personal things aside, please! This is for Umno, BN and the rakyat!"

Wow! I was only able to say 'hello' when answering that call about midnight. He was angry for the way MyVoice was organised.

However, I am not in the position to answer him. Leave it to Rais or Najib or whoever is in-charge of the BN cybertroopers. I don't want to be seen as bias. My personal opinion is that, we need all the support to help Barisan Nasional through in the next national poll. Let's be professional about it.

But before others get nastier on their blogs, I think its proper for Rais himself comment on the issue... or his reps like the Sec-Gen and Ketua Pengarah Penerangan.

PM launched MyVoice during the 1Malaysia Social Media Convention held at the Putra World Trade Convention centre on Sunday.

Convention chairman Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin said the club was open to all social media practitioners who rejected false politics and supported politics based on true information and facts.

"Those who have joined MyVoice are from the grassroots to famous bloggers, who will rebut all criticisms hurled by the opposition through blogs, Facebook, Twitter and so on."

Famous bloggers? Who are they?

Thumbs up to 'detention without trial'... and TAHNIAH MALAYSIA!

2011-11-21T21:16:00.004+08:00

The score between Malaysia and Indonesia is 1-1 (as at 9.15PM). I believe my fellow-bloggers are watching the football match and of course I would like our Tigers to win.

However, let me be the first to comment on Hishammuddin's statement today - that the new Act to replace the Internal Security Act (ISA) will retain 'detention without trial'.

Good move by the Home Ministry. Indeed, such a provision has been very effective in keeping our home 'clean and tidy' from the elements of subversive, money laundering, drug trafficking and religious deviates.

And I am confident most bloggers, politicians and Malaysians are giving their thumbs up for the decision. With unforeseen domestic and outside threats that may cripple our democracy, detention without trial has been opted by many countries as a preventive measure to curb them.

Detention without trial was also being practised in some countries in the fight against terrorism, such as through the Patriot Act in the United States and Anti-Terrorism Act in the United Kingdom and Australia.

"The US, UK and Australia all champion human rights, but they realised that when dealing with militancy and terrorism, they needed to have acts of that nature.

"In fact, there are some Malaysians who are being detained by the US in Guantanamo without trial for many years now. So, please don't have double standards and we don't want hypocracy in this matter," Hisham said in Putrajaya.

So, to Hisham, just go on with it. We cannot discount on security matters, neither can we fall under pressure from any groups, including the Opposition.

This is our country, our homeland. What we do is for the benefit of the country and rakyat. Compared to the US, our set of preventive law is very 'mild and transparent'.

No need to listen to the Opposition, no need to succumb to the NGOs pressure as they have a stinky agenda if they wins the next general election. If they win, the country would be open up to any foreign onslaught as their 'free and total freedom concept' will destroy Malaysia.

There will be more foreign intervention under Pakatan Rakyat's government. Why? Their 'human rights' label will stay and our stability and harmony would go down the drain. To them, human rights is a new religion to worship, and don't be surprise if Malaysia under them signs a diplomatic treaty with Israel.

Furthermore, we need not listen to foreign pressure groups because their leaders are mainly from the US and Europe who are a bunch of coward for not trying their own governments to dismantle own set of laws.

I bet people like Kit Siang, Karpal, Anwar, Nurul, Guan Eng and perhaps Ambiga and Marina will blast the Home Ministry tomorrow but again, just ignore them because they don't know what are they fighting for!

and... TAHNIAH MALAYSIA, for defending the Sea Games soccer gold!

Karpal says YES, Guan Eng says NO!

2011-11-21T17:43:00.003+08:00

Lim Guan Eng and Khalid Ibrahim said Penang and Selangor will not dissolve its state assemblies if Prime Minister Najib Razak calls for general election before June 2012. No reason given but I guess they are not comfortable with such a timing.

They need more time for two simple reasons - to proof to the rakyat that Pakatan Rakyat is a better choice; and to consolidate the problematic political pact.

Yes, they got problems. When LGE announced his objection to 'an early general election', DAP Karpal Singh on the other hand said the national poll must he called before mid-2012 because a simultaneous Parliamentary and State elections could save the Opposition (and the government too) a lot of money.

And Tian Chua, whose many statements and allegations turned to be a pact of political lies, is a mice since last week. When the Dewan Rakyat rejected his motion to cut Najib's salary for one month, he switched to mocking the BN of covering the Fidlot 'scandal'. And again, Khairy Jamaluddin shot him down.

The 'try-to-be-smart' Tony Pua, meanwhile, keeps mum over Kedah decision to to push for hudud laws. And the whole DAP is silence over Selangor claims about the solar powered Bibles.

"This has become the classic DAP approach – see no evil, hear no evil and talk no evil. For DAP leaders who spend their entire political career drafting daily press statements to win votes instead of doing some decent work – it has been quite a radical transformation.

"Suddenly, these outspoken heroes have nothing to say. Tony Pua, the failed economist, is busy visiting 1Malaysia grocery shops to compare prices while the mullahs in PAS are swiftly implementing hudud laws in Kelantan and Kedah," according to Stopthelies.

Well, DAP has to support the hudud for the sake of keeping the coalition intact for the general election. That's why they are so numb.

And they remain tight lips about Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming who has come under heavy shelling for using a Chinese school to campaign for the general election. Parents and teachers alike are fuming mad over such a blatant and despicable act.

Even PAS, with a hobby to exploit the mosques for campaigning, seems to be approving what DAP is doing. PKR? No comment so far. So, PAS rules!

Indonesia plans another Konfrontasi...

2011-11-20T14:22:00.005+08:00

Many expressed disappointment at how the Indonesians treated our contingent to the Sea Games. There were mocked, booed and mobbed. They were only very provocative toward us, and not contingents from the rest of Asean.

Reading Wong Chun Wai's On The Beat makes us wonder why are the Indonesians' hatred towards Malaysia gets thicker and thicker. The sports meet is being turned into a diplomatic bandwagon to incite the whole country to despise Malaysians at its utmost.

"The Malaysian team has accepted the fact that the Indonesian crowd would openly show their contempt and disrespect to our national anthem by refusing to stand up when it is played. But it’s gone beyond that – whenever the Negaraku is played, the crowd would blare horns, shout and jeer.

"There have also been instances where Indonesian fans held up their middle fingers, in a symbolic “up-yours” protest, to photographers whenever Malaysians compete.

"This lack of finesse and unsporting behaviour reached an outrageous level when Malaysian newsmen were banned from covering the last day of the swimming event," Chun Wai wrote.

Yes. true indeed. They hate us so much that the effigy of Prime Minister Najib Razak was burn to symbolise their displeasure at us. Read Mazidul's Boneka Perdana Menteri Malaysia Dibakar to understand more about our neighbors' true feeling for us.

No. I do not hate the Indonesians. They are our close neighbors. However, their attitude of late reminds me of Sukarno's Konfrontasi to 'Ganyang Malaysia' after Sarawak and Sabah decided to join Malaysia.

I think most Indonesians still can't accept the fact that it was the choice of the Sarawakians and Sabahans to join the newly formed Malaysia in 1963. And they are still sore when Malaysia won Sipadan island over decades of legal battle.

Some recent developments also didnt reflect the true spirit of 'serumpun' (brotherhood) between the two countries. As Chun Wai wrote:

"Let’s not even consider the part of being the gracious host, or Asean solidarity. But forget about the much touted “bangsa serumpun” (same racial group) and the so-called commonality of a close neighbour? All of these flew out of the window at the Games."

We host about 3 million Indonesians who work in various sectors. Sometimes I overheard their 'provocative' remarks about Malaysia on the LRT, KTM Komuter and even buses. They are here to earn a living but they harbor the intention to run us down.

Come Dec 1, about 80,000 Indonesian maids will come to Malaysia since Jakarta lifted the 3-year moratorium. And how do we treat them? If the Indonesians think Malaysia is full of hooligans, may as well they don't come here. In fact, 3 million of them are already posing us with a lot of problems.

Why are they so hostile towards us? And what do they actually want from us?

To launch another Konfrontasi and make Malaysia part of their territories like what they did to Timor Timur and Irian Jaya? No wonder they don't respect our flag and national anthem! They might already have plan with their 3 million who are in Malaysia!

Sometimes it doesn't really pay being nice!

Mirzan under Indian probe; and by Pakatan too!

2011-11-19T20:07:00.004+08:00

Not knowing the head and tail, the Opposition is ready and more than happy to whack Mirzan Mahathir over an Indian court affidavit related to investigations into the Kakinada Port development in Andhra Pradesh.

The petition revealed that the project was awarded on Develop-Operate-Transfer basis and the consortium was given 18 months to build two more berths in Kakinada Port, the second largest port in Andhra Pradesh.

However, the consortium failed to fulfill its commitment and the construction work of another berth only started five years later in 2004, and due to the delay, the state exchequer was alleged to have lost about RM33mil between 1999 and 2007.

Mirzan, 51, had secured the project during the tenure of the state's former chief minister, Chandrababu Naidu.

The 2,424-paged document revealed that a Mirzan-led international shipping consortium won the deep-water seaport expansion venture in 1999.

The affidavit was filed by the late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S.Rajasekhar Reddy's (YSR) wife Y. S. Vijayalakshmi last month in the state's High Court. YSR was killed in a helicopter crash in 2009.

Based on the court documents filed, the High Court has now directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to probe all allegations against Naidu and his associates.

Naidu, president of the Telugu Desam Party, was chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 1994 to 2004. He wrested the party from his late father-in-law, N. T. Rama Rao, once an iconic Telugu film actor.

There are already some signs at the Pakatan Rakyat camp to exploit the issue, especially when their attacks on the government's Nidlot project was shot down.

I bet Lim Kit Siang, Tony Phua, Anwar Ibrahim, Tian Chua and others are preparing statements to batter not only Mirzan but Umno. Not leaving our Lim Guan Eng whose ambitious tunnel and project in Penang drew criticism from various quarters, including environmentalists.

If they read this report, the Opposition will realise that the petition was to unearth Naidu's weath, while Mirzan and friends are being petitioned to feed the authorities with more details. The project delay was not attributed to his company but the strict provisions imposed by the Naidu's government.

Naidu and other respondents are being accused of committing various offenses including those under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, FEMA, the Representation of the People Act, the AP Land Grabbing Act and the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act.

Almost all the contracts like Kakinada Sea Ports, Raintree Park at Hyderabad, GMR International Airport, Ascendas IT Park, AP Gems and Jewellery Park and Emaar township were awarded to international companies from Malaysia, Singapore or UAE during Naidu’s regime.

Although Mirzan got the contract under a lawful procedure, his company was put in a very tight situation by Naidu's senior officials, according to sources. This is among why he was petitioned to reveal everything.

Mirzan was the chairman of the International Seaports Consortium and even has a majority stake in the said company which got the Kakinada sea port contract under Public-private partnership basis.

Well, the best thing still is for Mirzan to clarify it.

Between Fidlot and Pakatan Rakyat's 'jenglots'

2011-11-19T00:48:00.004+08:00

It's now clear (at least) that there was no element of fraudulent or any sign of failure at the government's National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) as claimed by the Opposition. While IGP Ismail Omar gave his assurance that the police was still investigating the allegation, all parties were advised to stop making any speculation.

Pity Shahrizat for being the subject of political attack by the Pakatan Rakyat. Although she denied any hanky-panky in the deal, nobody seemed to believe her, including some BN backbenchers who found some 'personal advantage' in it.

Only a few stood for Shahrizat, especially Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin who said the allegations against the government and Shahrizat were 'a wild political attack' and 'weak in terms of facts'.

First, their accusation that NFC was given 5,000 acres (2,023 ha) of land in Gemas, Negri Sembilan, for free is false. NFC has never been given that much land. As an integrator of Pusat Fidlot Negara (PFN), KJ said it was offered 1,500 acres on lease by the Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI), and this was confirmed by the Menteri Besar himself.

This means the land is not just 70 per cent smaller as claimed but it is also on lease.

So, the claims that raw beef from the farm was sold to major restaurants in Singapora, namely Meatworks, Senor Santos and Brawn were also unfounded because any imports of raw beef to Singapore is impossible because the Republic prohibits the import of raw beef from Peninsular Malaysia due to fear of foot and mouth disease.

And again, the Opposition 'jenglots' who made the allegations did not do any homework to support their claim.

The NFC project also did not fail to reach its target under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), which is 60,000 cattle a year although it only started in late 2008, a two-year delay after the commencement of the 9MP.

In fact, it was stated on page 138 of the Auditor-General's 2010 Report that the target of producing 8,000 cows in 2010 was achieved.

And the government did not hide anything pertaining to the RM250 million soft loan for NFC. Actually, not all of the amount paid for NFC's usage but the Opposition made the allegation based on NFC's financial report for Dec 31, 2009 which was already outdated.

Looks like the Opposition is losing much ammo in this 'campaign against the government'. Their jenglots (or their living dead) are all over to continue belittling the government and undermining all development policies.

I think this 'jenglots' should go speak to the 'lembu' at Fidlot for the whole truth!

'Umno wants Koh Tsu Koon out!'

2011-11-17T18:06:00.003+08:00

Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon has decided not to contest in the next general election. That was his final decision and everybody must respect it. Nobody pressured him to stay out of the poll, Deputy PM Muhyiddin Yassin said.

However, Penang Chief Minister and Koh's successor Lim Guan Eng was quick to politically lucre from the decision by accusing Umno of having a major role in forcing Koh out of the picture.

What a silly and stupid idea it was!

However, LGE intention and motive is very clear. By showing sympathy for Koh, he expects the Chinese in Gerakan will rally behind DAP in the next national poll. He is also keeping his fingers crossed for Gerakan to demise and Koh and members would hop over to DAP.

“It is an orchestrated campaign to remove him and they (Barisan Nasional and Umno) have succeeded. What Umno wants Umno gets,” he told reporters in the Parliament lobby today.

Lim said Koh was forced to leave as it was obvious that the latter still had intentions to contest in the coming elections as Koh retained his other positions as a federal minister and party president.

What a crap!

Actually LGE tries to be chummy with Penangites, especially the Chinese. By accusing Umno of 'chasing out' Koh, the Malays too would be divided, just like what happened during the 2008 general election.

His sympathy for Koh did not mean anything. After taking over from Koh, he battered his predecessor by saying that it was the end for Koh and Gerakan. Maybe LGE should refresh his mind.

So, what is the sympathy for?

Dr Koh announced earlier today that he will not contest in the next general election, saying the announcement is the first step towards driving transformation and renewal in the party.

He said, however, that he will retain the posts of party president, Penang BN chairman and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, adding that he will decide whether to give up the party presidency after the next general election.

As for the ministerial post, he said the decision to retain him rested with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Rice: Can Malaysia be self-sufficient?

2011-11-17T00:47:00.010+08:00

Rice is the staple food for more than three billion people. I eat rice everyday, and so are the rest of 27 million Malaysians. I don't know how to describe a Malaysian who doesn't eat rice, if there's any (but that's his problem lar!).

We produce our own rice, mainly from our 'rice bowl' State of Kedah. There are padi fields everywhere. During my school days, I enjoyed helping my parents, my grandparents and the other relatives in the padi field - from planting to harvesting.

However, modernisation has lured the youth to the cities, leaving only the old folks to attend to the padi field. And many years later, I can only hide the frustration to see the padi fields became small jungles where monkeys and other creatures dwell. Not only in my kampung in Malacca but also in many parts of the country.

As urbanisation, market capitalism and industrialisation took away much of the padi fields, we began to import it, not in small volume but quite significant. It costs the country billion of ringgit to import rice from some countries like Thailand, Cambodia, India and others.

And as such, more padi fields are turning to jungle.

Personally, I was elated with a news from Manila yesterday that the Philippines will reach its self-sufficiency in rice production in a year or two. President Aquino was all proud in making that announcement, and so were the 94 million Filipinos.

It means the republic will be able to save about USD1.3 billion a year in rice import, and such an amount can instead be utilised for other development projects. I admire what the country is doing in order to stop its dependency on imported rice.

So, how about us? We import more and more rice. Local production is not enough to support the ever-increasing demand while the quality of local rice (admit it!) is still below satisfactory. What is lacking in us as compared to Thai or Cambodian rice? We share the same climate, similar soil and more or less the same fertilizer.

After 'Malinja' and 'Mahsuri', did we produce any other hybrid? And what happens to the research conducted by our genius, scientists and professors at UPM, USM, Mardi, Fama and the rest.

We keep on reading about their achievement of 'winning so many trophies' in innovation competition abroad - golden award in farming, technology, etc. However, we failed to apply it to our own good. Our research is only for competition.

Fifty-four years after Independence, we still cannot improve our rice production by one per cent a year. Had we started back some 20 years ago, our local production could by now exceeds 60 per cent or 70 per cent, and much money can be saved.

It was quite recently that one of our ministers announced that our rice supply is sufficient, and that the major flood in Thailand will not force up the price of the commodity. However, the FAO issued warning late last month that rice price could go up by 10 per cent to 20 per cent due to reduced in production in Thailand and other exporting countries.

The shortage pushed up benchmark rice prices to a three-year high of $650 a tonne last month, triggering fears of a spike in food inflation in Asia.

The rice market saw its last big rally during the 2007-2008 crisis, when the commodity changed hands at more than $1,000 a tonne after key producers such as India, Vietnam, China and Egypt imposed export bans while importers, particularly in the Middle East, hoarded supplies. Before the crisis, rice traded at $200-$400.

And global rice prices may move up further in the next few months as flooding in Thailand continues to affect the crop and damage existing inventories.

Importers are looking for alternative supply, but the perception gaining ground is that despite cheaper rice available from sources such as India and Pakistan, they won't be able to do without any supply from Thailand and Vietnam. The two control more than half of the rice moving in global trade, which amounts to around 32 million tons a year.

Vietnamese prices have moved up in tandem with Thailand's, hitting three-year highs with more expected. The price for a ton of Thai 5 per cent broken grade rice, currently about $600, free-on-board—up 20 per cent since the start of the second quarter—is forecast to hit $700 to $800 by the end of the year.

So, until when will Malaysia stop importing or at least reduce it's import volume?

Some people make a simple conclusion - if we don't import, some senior politicians and government servants will not make that 'extra' income... is it true? I believe there are some truths in it. How about you, readers?

Shooting down MAS and AirAsia

2011-11-15T00:10:00.005+08:00

Something is wrong somewhere. AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines issue flares again and this time the Umno MPs slammed Khazanah chief Azman Mokhtar and AirAsia's Tony Fernandes over 'a cahoot to cheat the rakyat' over the share swap deal.

Many have supported the 'merger' while not few opposed it on the ground that Airasia, being a private-owned airline, will dominate one of the government's largest GLC. If the swap deal was everything proper, there won't be any opposition.

And what matters most now is for full investigation be conducted on the deal, including the brains behind such a 'complicated and intriguing' business agreement.

The Dewan Rakyat felt the heat yesterday when Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin called on 'Amok' to be investigated by graftbusters after the state investment agency exchanged 20.5 per cent of the national carrier for a 10 per cent stake in Asia’s top-performing budget airline.

“The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must call Tan Sri Azman ... all of them ... if there is any misappropriation, stuff them into jail,” the Barisan Nasional (BN) backbenchers deputy chief told Parliament. “How can Khazanah be fooled? Azman Mokhtar, how can he be so stupid, to be ‘tuned’ by Tony Fernandes. If I was in such a position, I would resign rather than troubling others.

“Maybe they are not stupid. Maybe they get huge profits by squeezing and grabbing money from the public,” he said, referring to the AirAsia CEO’s company Tune Air which now owns a fifth of MAS.

Sri Gading MP Mohamad Aziz also accused AirAsia of 'clearly cheating the public and now trying to cheat MAS'.

“If this kind of man (Fernandes) can control us, God forgive us,” he said while debating Budget 2012.

Accusing the government of being scared with Fernandes, Bung Mokhtar said: “Whatever he wants, we give. He wants to overcharge for excess baggage and suck the blood of poor villagers. Now I hear he has a plan in the future to take over all domestic flights and MAS will only have international flights. If we give this to him, the country will be in ruins. It will be the end of the world for us,” he said.

And if the government could not provide a satisfactory answer, it meant that 'government officials colluded with AirAsia and has vested interests'.

The MAS-AirAsia swap has come under fire from both sides of the political divide as well as employees of MAS who believe the deal will affect their careers. The Finance Ministry said earlier this month the deal is being investigated by Bursa Malaysia and the Securities Commission for insider trading despite the swap being agreed on three months ago.

MAS’s poor financial performance of late had resulted in the share swap with AirAsia on August 9. This allowed Fernandes to sit on the MAS board, ostensibly to help turn the ailing airline around. However, both airlines have separate advisers.

MAS had announced in August a net loss of RM527 million for the second quarter of 2011 due to higher fuel costs despite recording a better yield and a nine per cent growth in passenger revenue from the same period last year.

This brings total losses in the first half of the year to RM769 million even as the airline said that profit outlook for the second half of the year appears bleak.

Critics have accused the budget carrier’s boss of taking advantage of the loss-making national airline to fuel his personal ambitions, the latest being the acquisition of English Premier League club, Queens Park Rangers (QPR).

The national carrier will sponsor QPR’s home jersey for the next two seasons, while AirAsia’s logo will be emblazoned on the team’s away and third kits in a 'multi-million pound' deal.

Fernandes also revealed on Monday a plan to start a new super-premium regional airline in partnership with national carrier Malaysia Airlines.

"Here is another idea that has come out of AirAsia which will create more more value, more jobs and more business. If an idea like this does materialise... it will definitely involve Malaysia Airlines," he told reporters.

Fernandes said the proposed short-haul carrier would cater largely to business travellers, among others, who need to travel across the region quickly. "For me as a traveller, time is very precious. If you can create a product where you do not need to wait one hour before you check in and fly out and Malaysia can be the home of this idea."

DAP is worse than 'that chameleon'

2011-11-14T19:22:00.004+08:00

When it comes to Anwar Ibrahim, DAP may batter him for one day before rallying behind him again the very next day. While many call Anwar a chameleon, DAP is nevertheless a six-sided dice for its contradicting stand on the Opposition Leader.

MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong today chided DAP chairman Karpal Singh's support for PKR de facto leader to be the prime minister should the Pakatan alliance take over the Federal Government after the next national poll.

"It should be remembered that when Anwar was planning for his failed Sept 16 takeover of the Federal Government in 2008, Karpal had demanded that Anwar resign as the opposition leader.

"This back-pedalling demonstrates that in order to win Federal administration, DAP will easily switch their position and go against their own principles," Wee said in a statement.

"If an Opposition stalwart like Karpal Singh who wields strong influence among his loyalists can simply change his position to back Anwar as prime minister, this clearly signals that DAP is willing to make any U-turns and go against their own principles just so to woo public support in their aim to wrestle Putrajaya," he said.

Agree. That is what DAP is all about.

Amid it's racism and admitting the lack of Malay support, DAP has made a promise to field more Malay candidates in the next general election. That is impossible. After the late Ahmad Nor, the party has no credible Malay leaders.

Meanwhile, MCA National Organising Secretary Tee Siew Kiong in a separate statement said Karpal's stand on Anwar was only made to deceive the people as their claims were never supported or approved by PAS.

...continue reading...

DAP calls Chua Soi Lek 'soh hai'...

2011-11-14T08:19:00.005+08:00

I think DAP should look back at its slogan, Save Malaysia. Like PKR to the Malays, DAP is only breaking up the community, especially the Chinese. Also, DAP should conduct a post-mortem at it's new political strategy of calling names, vulgarity and profanity words against it's opponents.

Most of those who attended a DAP ceramah by Hew Kuan Yau - political education director and organising secretary of DAPSY - on October 22 were not amused at all with his dirty approach. It was disgusting instead.

This 'education' director was fiercely attacking the PM, his wife and MCA president Chua Soi Lek.

He called Ng Yen Yen a “nightclub mummy” while loudly branded Soi Lek a “soh hai” which literally mean a “stupid cunt” in Cantonese. He went on to curse Chua and his family or in Cantonese “ham kah chan” (death befalling on the whole family).

There are enough evidence in the form of video to book this little political worm and sue his pants off, according to Stopthelies.

A police report has also been lodged by the Perak MCA Youth against Hew, who is obviously looking for such publicity and controversy.

So, this is DAP new campaign tactic. However, there was no cheer from the crowd. They were confused!

Continue reading...

Gay: Melaka, Pahang make the right move

2011-11-13T09:37:00.004+08:00

I second the notion by Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam to enact a law prohibiting and punishing gays among Muslims in the State. Similarly, Pahang State Government is also considering an equal set of syariah guidelines.

It does not matter if Ambiga, Marina and their pressure groups oppose it on 'human rights' ground but when it comes to Islamic Law and the future of our generation, there shouldn't be any compromise.

We better build more schools, mosques and churches rather than erecting too many hospitals to treat HIV and AIDS patients.

Unless Ambiga and Marina feel that same-sex marriage is allowed by religions other than Islam, they may fight for them but not for Muslims. When Islam prohibits and despises gay and lesbians, the rules must be observed, just like the 'haram' on alcohol, adultery, gambling, etc. And I personally believe no religion allows it.

Human rights should be applied only for good and healthy life. Freedom too has its limitation. If rights and freedom lead to social decay and deteriorating lifestyle, the proponents should give it a lengthy thought.

Go on, Malacca and Pahang! Set the pace before it's too late. We don't belong to the socially-corrupt and immoral Western society. We only emulate the positive values. Not everything is good about the West.

PR States impose 'high commision' on projects... contractors 'boleh mati!'

2011-11-12T13:13:00.006+08:00

Do you know why the Opposition turned down the Federal Government's proposal to revise the allowance of the Members of Parliament? Because they already got more than enough; some of them are quite rich, to say.

Do you know why some projects in the Pakatan States are either abandoned, aborted or even failed to start? Because of too many red tapes.

And do you know why so many contractors in the Pakatan-controlled States refused any project, including the major ones? Because they are made to comply to sickening terms and conditions.

Okay. All this are inter-related. Money, contracts and contractors.

We only know that the bosses of the State GLC are highly paid, much higher than what the Prime Minister and Fed Govt GLC top circle are getting, the Mentri Besar, Chief Minister and most of the Pakatan state assemblymen are believed to be enjoying some perks extra perks.

States' GLC are imposing exorbitant 'fees and commission' for any projects awarded to the contractors and consultant.

I was told, for instance, that Selangor government imposes a compulsory 'kickback' of between 25 per cent to 35 per cent on big projects. Worst still, such a percentage is charged from the value of project and not from profit before tax.

I don't think any contractor enjoys a profit margin of more than 25 per cent for projects such as road maintenance or construction. At Federal level, such projects seldom passes the 12-20 per cent profit margin.

So, if a contractor undertakes a Selangor project, his company will have to bear heavy losses after making 'settlements' with the State officials, expecially the GLCs. And who controls the state GLCs? The Mentri Besar or Chief Minister and their 'team'.

And where do this 'kickbacks' money go? Not to the state govt purse but being shared among the lawmakers. So, an increase of 10 per cent to the monthly allowance is not a big deal; chicken feed!

Some contractors are squeezed to the last penny of profit. So, they eventually stop going after State projects and turn to Federal tenders instead.

Now you know...

Tengku Fakhry sues Malay Mail for defamation

2011-11-11T20:48:00.003+08:00

Have not heard from him for quite some time. Since he and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah were stripped the 'Tengku Temenggong' and 'Darjah Kerabat' titles respectively last year, everything was quite.

However, here comes Tengku Fakhry again.

The Kelantan prince today filed a defamation suit against The Malay Mail, its journalist, editor in chief and its printer the New Straits Time Press (M) Bhd, seeking RM50 million in damages. It was filed through Messrs A.S.Dhaliwal at the Kuala Lumpur High Court registry. He was present with his lawyer Davinder Kaur Dhaliwal.

The plaintiff named Malay Mail Sdn Bhd - the owner of the Malay Mail newspaper and Malay Mail online, its chief news editor Yushaimi Maulud Yahya and reporter identified in the suit as Nurhalim Abbas (he once mentioned Datuk RockyBru should be added to the list as he was Adviser to the paper then).

In the statement of claim, Tengku Fakhry said on May 5, 2010, Malay Mail published a report, which violated his good name and reputation, and directly affected his position and career.

He said the contents of the article gave the impression that he was a person who has no principles, is untrustworthy, a person with criminal tendencies, betrayer and a person, who has no integrity.

Tengku Fakry said the portrayal damaged his dignity in all aspects of his life and caused ruin to his reputation and financial loss.

"The plantiff's title as Tengku Temenggong had been stripped off by the Pemangku Raja," the statement said.

Tengku Fakhry is a director to Syarikat Madani Millenium Auto Sdn Bhd and Vistana Autmobile Sdn Bhd. He is also executive chairman for Petraz Holdings Sdn Bhd and Liquid Gold Sdn Bhd. The prince is also involved in several charities works and is the chairman for the Kelantan Tourism Society, president for Kelantan Shooting Club and chairman for the Tengku Temenggong Kelantan Foundation.

The statement of claim said: "The plaintiff states that all the words, which were published in the article are not true and are not based on any shred of evidence. The article was simply created or was relied upon rumours which do not exist," it said. The alleged article is about an attempted murder on a Kelantan Palace guard.

Tengku Fakhry stated that he did not take immediate action as he was waiting for the decision of the Coroner's Court regarding the death of security guard Ramli Mohamed.

He said the decision of the Coroner's Court clearly shows that he was not involved in any criminal activity as alleged in the article.

The statement also said that since the publication, the plaintiff's family bond had been tense as he had been blamed by the Raja Perempuan of Kelantan for giving the Kelantan Royal Family a bad name. The relationship between the plaintiff and family back to normal only after the decision of the Coroner was given, it said adding that the plaintiff had also received many embarrassing and reviling phone calls.

Apart from RM50 million, Tengku Fakhry is seeking for the defendants to be ordered and instructed to issue and publish an apology, which is acceptable for Tengku Fakhry, in every single media, where previously the publication and defamatory words were published.

Tengku is seeking for an injunction from further publishing the said article. He is also seeking for exemplary and aggravated damages, interests, costs and any other reliefs deemed fit.

Wishing him good luck...

It's just another day...

2011-11-11T00:40:00.003+08:00

Somewhere on the globe, people are celebrating November 11, 2011 (11.11.11). In Germany, they organise a War Veteran Day. In New York, Paris, Dusseldorf, Rome and many major cities, they gather for a 'very special day' which comes once in a century.

However, it's just another day for me. Nothing extraordinary, except for its binary. It's also Friday where Muslim males must perform the Friday prayer.

If you hope for something good to happen, there is absolutely no scientific basis for this belief. There are no known logical premises for this belief. The belief that something good will happen is based solely on spiritualism, faith, and/or innate optimism. This belief is not necessarily a bad thing; we don’t know everything; the probability is not zero.

And if you think something bad will happen, you are being superstitious. Also, no scientific basis for this belief. There are no known logical premises for this belief. The belief that something bad will happen is based solely on pessimism of reality.

Well... what matters is what we do!

Thanks God that we are still here...

Gays and lesbians rule America!

2011-11-10T03:25:00.005+08:00

Gays and lesbians won 53 seats in elections across America; and in Malaysia, we might have a gay prime minister should Pakatan Rakyat wins next national poll.

The LGBT candidates in US are now mayors for Houston, Holyoke, New London and New Jersey while counting continued. In KL, the organisers of 'Seksualiti Merdeka' were already contemplating on who should take on BN candidates and win as many seats for their 'doomed society'.

The result of the US election is a monumental win for same-sex marriage advocates. It means that the marriage law in some States can't be overturned for at least the next five years. It also means more same-sex marriages would be held at chapels and churches (Christianity allows it, maybe).

And in Michigan, a pastor has become an unlikely advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights after urging his municipality to adopt laws that would protect citizens against discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Pastor Bill Freeman was pressing the city of Holland to amend anti-discrimination legislation to prevent residents from getting fired or kicked out of their homes because they are LGBT. Its all for politics.

So, that's what we want to emulate and human rights is always the perfect foundation to ride on. As how former premier Tun Dr Mahathir (Marina's father) puts it, human rights must have its limitation.

In Malaysia where Islam is the official religion and the Eastern culture is still largely observed by the most Malays, Chinese, Indians and other race, human rights sentiment gets center stage with the Opposition.

I am not sure what are the 'rights' that they want but LGBT is not welcomed. Freedom and human rights should be in parallel with the DOs and DONTs of religions and the law. In Islam, the only 'allowance' for such a person is 'a khunsa', one born with both sexes.

However, it forbids as 'haram' men who became women or women becoming men. Men and women are made for each other, for them to marry and produce 'zuriat' or descendants. And no matter how good our scientists are, they still cannot guarantee that same-sex marriage would produce one.

So, what's next for Malaysia?

Now that there are strong NGOs and human rights groups championing their cause, more and more youths will be sucked into the ditch. Although Seksualiti Merdeka 'was not meant' to encourage sex freedom or free sex, what actually are gays and lesbians?

I am not being pious. I am not one. But we should only emulate positive values from the West. We are free to copy anything that could improve our life and develop the people. Definitely, not LGBT. Actually it is not the society which discriminate them but they are the ones who feel mistreated.

By the way, the Seksualiti Merdeka does provide the Opposition with extra political mileage. It's leader Anwar who is waiting for his sodomy case to be wrapped up, is already 'winning'. And who knows, they will soon fight for the 'rights' of sodomy?!

I don't care about Ambiga (what is her religion, anyway?) but Marina is a Muslim. And to those who support gays and lesbians and sodomy, read what happened to Nabi Lut AS people about 1,400 years ago.

The Qur’an tells how Lut warned his people and what they said in reply;

The people of Lut rejected the messengers. Behold, their brother Lut said to them: “Will ye not fear (Allah)? I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust. So fear Allah and obey me. No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the lord of the Worlds. Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males, And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!”
They said: “If thou desist not, O Lut! thou wilt assuredly be cast out!”
He said: “I do detest your doings.” (Surah ash-Shuara: 160-168)

Human Rights Watch sends Najib a letter, supports Seksualiti Merdeka

2011-11-09T10:24:00.005+08:00

The Human Rights Watch group has sent a letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, urging Malaysia to rescind the ban on Seksualiti Merdeka.

Read...

November 8, 2011

Y.A.B. Dato’ Sri Hj. Mohd. Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building
Federal Government Administrative Centre
62502 Putrajaya, Malaysia

Via facsimile: +60 3 8888 3444

Re: Banning of Seksualiti Merdeka Festival

Dear Prime Minister Najib,

Human Rights Watch writes to express our serious concerns about the Malaysian government’s abrupt banning of the fourth annual Seksualiti Merdeka festival, which was scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur from November 9-13, 2011. The banning of this festival violates basic rights to freedom of association and expression guaranteed by international human rights law and the Malaysian constitution. Statements by police authorities, backed by senior government officials such as the minister of home affairs, further reveal disturbing, discriminatory, and homophobic attitudes by the authorities. We urge you to immediately and unconditionally reverse the banning of the festival and publicly pledge your government to ensure all Malaysians equal protection of the law against any discrimination.

We note that Seksualiti Merdeka has held its annual festival since 2008 without incident or interference from government authorities. The organizers of the festival have consistently reiterated that this year’s event follows the model of previous years, being composed solely of a series of forums, talks, workshops, book launches, stage performances, and an art exhibition focusing on “the human rights of people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.”

On November 3, Sungai Besi township police announced a ban on the festival on the grounds that it constitutes a “threat to public order” under section 298A of the Penal Code. Yet no evidence whatsoever was presented to justify this decision, which relies on a vague and overbroad legal provision to seek to justify discrimination apparently on the basis of sexual orientation.

These actions contradict your own proclaimed vision for Malaysia. You stated in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald on October 27 that Malaysia is a “progressive, liberal nation” and “a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society that has a long and proud history of social harmony and welcoming outsiders.” Yet your government’s actions against Seksualiti Merdeka treat members of Malaysia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community as outsiders without the same rights as other Malaysians.

The government’s double standard against Seksualiti Merdeka is evident in the police’s response to demonstrations by anti-LGBT organizations. The police arbitrarily applied the Police Act (article 27 A(1)(c)) to break up a peaceful event by Seksualiti Merdeka supporters on the evening of November 3 at the Annexe Gallery, and ban the festival events. Yet when the organization Perkasa publicly demonstrated on November 4 at the National Mosque and issued veiled calls for violence against the LGBT community – Perkasa Youth chief Irwan Fahmi Ideris reportedly vowed to stop gay and lesbian culture to “the last drop of blood” – the Malaysian police force did nothing. Such actions raise concerns that the government will not act to protect the LGBT community should their safety be at risk.

Seksualiti Merdeka organizers say that they have been subjected to a renewed barrage of harassment and threats of violence by persons using mobile phones/SMS and social media since the police announced the ban. We urge you to order the police to fully investigate these threats and prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law. Similarly, the government should respond to any incitement to violence or to hostility amounting to criminal harassment or intimidation against the LGBT community with prompt investigations and robust prosecutions.

Discrimination against Malaysia’s LGBT community is encouraged by Malaysia’s criminal law which has been used to prosecute sexual acts between consenting adults. The government refuses to consider repeal of article 377B of the penal code, which criminalizes consensual “carnal intercourse against the order of nature,” or to replace article 377C on non-consensual sexual acts with a modern, gender-neutral law on rape.

In June 2011 the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted a resolution on Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (introduced by South Africa, and regretfully opposed by Malaysia) that expressed “grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.” This resolution builds on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirming that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in that Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. The HRC resolution also is in line with General Assembly resolution 60/251, which states that the Human Rights Council shall be responsible for promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any kind and in fair and equal manner.

The banning of the Seksualiti Merdeka festival is a flagrant example of the kind of discrimination that the Human Rights Council is determined to end. It raises serious questions about the commitments Malaysia made in seeking re-election to the Council and the government’s pledges to “uphold the highest standards” of human rights and to “fully cooperate” with the council. Should the ban on Seksualiti Merdeka not be reversed, the matter can be expected to be taken up by countries at the Human Rights Council in the future.

Finally, the Malaysian government should ensure the safety of human rights defenders such as former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan, who has faced severe verbal attacks since it was revealed that she was scheduled to preside over the opening session of Seksualiti Merdeka. Perkasa and other groups have labeled Ambiga as an “antichrist,” impugned her patriotism, called for her Malaysian citizenship to be stripped, and demanded she be detained in preventive detention under the Internal Security Act.

By its banning of Seksualiti Merdeka, the government has seriously harmed Malaysia’s claims to being a country that celebrates unity in diversity. You can reverse that blatant act of discrimination by immediately ending the ban, and by investigating and prosecuting threats against the LGBT community. And by acting promptly to abolish the country’s discriminatory laws, genuine progress can be made in promoting a Malaysia that respects the rights of all Malaysians.

We look forward to learning what steps you have taken to address these concerns.

Sincerely yours,

Phil Robertson Deputy Director, Asia Division
Graeme Reid Director, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program

Cc: Y.A.B. Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin Bin Mohd. Yassin, Deputy Prime Minister
Y.B. Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Bin Tun Hussein, Minister of Home Affairs
Y.B. Senator Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development

Having faith in Tenaga Nasional Berhad

2011-11-08T12:08:00.003+08:00

While pessimism grows over Tenaga Nasional Berhad's cashflow being affected by the shortage of gas for its power-generation operation, the government-owned utility conglomerate is still strongly-manageable amid reports that it runs on daily losses.

In it's latest report today, Moody's Investors Service has maintained its Baa1 rating with a stable outlook for TNB, as the shortage in gas -- the key component for its generation of electricity -- continues.

Moody’s said since 2Q11, Tenaga had been burning oil and distillates, which cost about five times more than gas, to replace the gas shortfall and generate its required level of electricity.

The rating agency was maintaining its current rating and outlook because it expects timely intervention by the Malaysian government, the largest shareholder of both Tenaga and its gas supplier, Petroliam Nasional Bhd.

"So far, Tenaga has absorbed the additional burden within its rating's financial parameters, which still have some headroom, but a prolonged imbalance in Malaysia's power sector and a lack of supportive measures from the government to relieve the burden could weigh on these metrics, and put pressure on the rating," it said.

In addition to continued governmental support, Moody's rating and stable outlook for Tenaga assume that (1) the gas shortage will diminish over the near term as new sources of supply become available; (2) the government will decide on an appropriate cost-sharing mechanism over the next 6-8 months to compensate Tenaga for its added costs; and (3) the negative impact on Tenaga's financial profile of having to use more-expensive oil and distillates will be temporary.

The utility giant's earnings have been severely impacted by the shortage of gas supply.

It has so far reported two consecutive quarterly losses. TNB has said that the losses stemmed from the need to replace the shortfall in the supply of gas to it, by utilising more oil and distillates which are five times more expensive than gas and this has resulted in TNB incurring an additional RM2.1bil to replace the shortfall in gas in the last financial year ended Aug 31 (FY11).

In FY11, TNB's net profit plunged to RM499.5mil from RM3.2bil in FY10. Revenue for the year was higher at RM32.2bil versus RM30.3mil.

However, such a business predicament will not likely force the utility giant to hike up its electricity tariff as mentioned in Anwar Ibrahim's blog.

TNB is also hoping to get some compensation on additional fuel bill that amounted to RM2.1 billion in FY11 that it had to incur because of a shortfall in gas supplied by Petronas.

The company indicated it expects to receive an average natural gas allocation of 1,100-1,150 million metric British thermal units (mmbtu) a day in FY12 compared with 950 mmbtu a day during the second half of FY11.

A regasification terminal in Malacca is expected to be ready by July next year, and this will help Petronas meet its commitment to supply 1,350 mmbtu a day of gas to the power sector in 2012.