Malaysian First, Malaysian Last

Hello Ibrahim Ali. Now this is the proper way to do it.

2012-02-01T13:33:00.003+08:00

While the Malay right wing group Perkasa has fallen into controversy for distributing ‘white ang pow’ in their open house programme, Islamic party PAS has won cheers among Facebook users for respecting Chinese culture during Chinese New Year celebrations.

A few photos of the opposition party’s Chinese New Year programmes have gone viral in Facebook, especially a photo which depicts a grassroots leader from Mersing, Johor, giving an ang pow to a pork seller.

Other photos which have gone viral include Selangor PAS exco member Iskandar Abdul Samad giving out ang pow in front of a pork stall and a “green lion” performance in an open house function held by Perlis PAS.

(Green is the symbolic colour for PAS.)

The Facebook users were comparing PAS with Perkasa, praising the opposition party for its open-mindedness and understanding of Chinese culture.

“This is a scene which MCA will not want to see, its Islamic state claims will be useless,” said Denise Yee on Facebook.

“Mersing PAS division chief (Rosalan Mamat) and Cempaka state assemblyperson (Iskandar Abdul Samad) is greeting happy Chinese New Year to a pork seller and distributing Chinese mandarin, they didn’t distribute ‘white ang pow’ to Chinese community,” he added.

No problem for Chinese to eat pork

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Rosalan Mamat seemed surprised to know that his photo was circulating on the internet, and he thanked the Facebook users for their praises.

The 51-year-old businessman said the photo was taken when he and other Pakatan leaders were distributing ang pow, Chinese mandarin and Chinese New Year cards to the public at the Mersing market on Jan 21, two days before Chinese New Year.

When asked why he didn’t evade the pork seller who is deemed not “halal” by certain Muslims, Roslan explained that this is because Islam never forbids non-Muslims from taking pork.

“There is no problem for Chinese to eat pork, only Muslims cannot eat pork. We must respect Chinese culture and this is their right.

“Only Umno and MCA people will twist the facts, claiming that when PAS grabs power, they will not allow Chinese to eat pork,” said Roslan.

He added that this was the first time for the Pakatan divisions to hold such programmes together. However, PAS leaders have been visiting and greeting the Chinese community during the last couple of Chinese New Year celebrations.

Green lion dance at state headquaters
Meanwhile, Perlis PAS chief Hashim Jasin said its was not the first time that the party had invited a ‘green lion’ to perform at their function.

He revealed that PAS had in fact featured lion dance performances at some of the party’s dinner functions in Arau and Sanglang in the last two or three years.

He, however, said that this was the first time (Jan 29) the party and its supporters held the Chinese New Year open house event and invited a ‘green lion’ to perform at the state headquarters.

It is understood that the ‘green lion’ was invited from a sports club in Kedah.

Asked why they wanted a lion dance performance, Hashim explained that they were following Kelantan PAS government’s footsteps, which always held multi-cultural performances.

“Not only Chinese, the Malays also like lion dance performances. It is very attractive,” he added.

Asked if the performances were held to gain the support of the Chinese community, he admitted that the people would be able to see how PAS interacts with different religions and races, contrary to the claims made by Umno that PAS will “chop Chinese hands and legs” when they grabbed power.

[Source: Mkini]

Lest we forget. Remember Perak!

2012-02-01T11:09:00.003+08:00

There has been widespread rumours that Parliament will be dissolved anytime in February with Feb 6 being bandied about as one of the likely dates to pave the way for polling on March 11 (there seems to be a general consensus on this March date for the polls from various sources). This goes to explain the heightened political activity in Perak from late last year till the present.

The recent big activity in Perak is, of course, the National Chinese New Year Open House celebration hosted by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in Sitiawan on Jan 28. It is just too much of a coincidence that Perak is hosting this big event. Something is on the boil and yes, many are already saying that the continuous presence of Barisan Nasional bigwigs in Perak is an indicator that polls will be held very soon.

In the meantime, Perakians will be “celebrating” two dramatic anniversaries in February:

Feb 5 – the third anniversary of the fall of the Pakatan Rakyat state government; and

Feb 9 – the second anniversary of Umno’s Zambry Abdul Kadir being declared as the menteri besar by the Federal Court who upheld the Court of Appeal’s decision via a 5-0 verdict in favour of the Umno man.

A quick recap on how the Perak power-grab came about. Just before the Chinese Lunar New Year of 2009 (Year of the Ox) at around the third week of January, Umno’s state assemblyman for Bota, Nasarudin Hashim, jumped over to PKR and this triggered off a string of defections and dramatic events that would be instrumental in the downfall of Perak.

The main event was the disappearance of three Pakatan lawmakers who suddenly became incommunicado with their party leaders only to appear several days later at a press conference together with the then deputy prime minister Najib Tun Razak to declare that they were BN-friendly.

The names of the “Terrible Three” are Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (state assemblyman of Behrang, ex-PKR); Kapt (B) Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (state assemblyman of Changkat Jering, ex-PKR); and Hee Yit Foong (state assemblyman of Jelapang, ex-DAP).

This dastardly deed by Najib just before assuming the prime ministership on April 3, 2009, gives a clear indication of the sort of leader that he is – someone diabolical who has no scruples and is willing to achieve his goals by hook or by crook, with the latter being the usual means employed.

Sadly too, Malaysians have no say on the choice of prime minister as the post is handed over from one Umno president to the next Umno president. The solution then would be to boot out Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) entirely by voting them out in the coming 13th general election.

As the polls are to be called very soon, BN leaders have stepped up their campaign in Perak. Long lines of the RM500 cash aid recipients are shown in the mainstream papers and banners have been put up by BN in the rural areas and small towns in Perak to tell all and sundry that the cash aid comes from the BN political coalition. The BN federal government is thus deceiving the rakyat as this cash aid is from the taxpayers’ money.

‘Homestay projects’

Besides the cash aid, Umno members are having “homestay” projects in 135 villages in Larut, Parit Buntar, Bagan Serai, Bukit Gantang, Taiping, Padang Rengas (parliamentary seat of Nazri Aziz), Beruas and Lumut wherein Umno members will stay with the village folk to show their so-called care and concern for the rakyat and, at the same time, bad-mouth the opposition while singing praises of Umno.

This project is carried out in areas that Umno thinks are not to easy to win over. The parliamentary seats of Parit Buntar, Bukit Gantang, Taiping and Beruas belonging to Pakatan are very “black areas”, according to Umno.

Going by the results of the previous general election, there are 16 state seats in Perak which can swing either way due to small winning margins of less than 1,000 votes. Here are the results from the previous polls in March 2008:

1. Selama – BN won by a margin of 355 votes.

2. Kubu Gajah – BN won by a margin of 66 votes.

3. Kuala Kurau – PKR won by a margin of 467 votes.

4. Alor Pongsu – BN won by a margin of 95 votes.

5. Selinsing – PAS won by a margin of 547 votes.

6. Kuala Sapetang – PKR won by a margin of 564 votes.

7. Trong – BN won by a margin of 916 votes.

8. Kamunting – BN won by margin of 555 votes.

9. Pokok Assam – DAP won by a margin of 865 votes.

10. Lubok Merbau – PAS won by a margin of 72 votes.

11. Manjoi – BN won by margin of 348 votes.

12. Kepayang – DAP won by a margin of 490 votes.

13. Manong – BN won by a margin of 749 votes.

14. Pengkalan Baharu – BN won by margin of 14 votes.

15. Sungai Rapat – BN won by a margin of 636 votes.

16. Teja – PKR won by a margin of 175 votes.

Besides the above swing seats, there has been a shifting of voting streams (polling centres) done by the Election Commission and an increase in the names of at least 40,000 dubious voters and postal voters. Below is a sample:

1. Kamunting – an increase of 1,102 voters.

2. Temenggor – an increase 690 voters.

3. Pengkalan Hulu – an increase of 506 voters.

4. Chenderiang – an increase of 255 voters (the sole MCA seat belonging to Dr Mah Hang Soon).

5. Sungai Rapat – an increase of 248 voters.

6. Pangkor – an increase of 5,669 postal voters (Zambry’s seat).

The increased political activity in Perak had started last year. Activities included Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s visit to the state to distribute a large allocation of funds to religious schools and MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s forays into Perak rural villages to drum into the rural Chinese that hudud law is a certainty if Pakatan wins control of the federal government.

Power tussle in Perak Umno

Even in Perak Umno itself it is a hotbed of political activity. There are three camps in Umno tussling for power: Zambry’s camp; Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah’s camp; and

Sungai Rapat state assemblyperson Hamidah Osman’s camp.

Ahmad Husni is Najib’s man while Zambry is still known as the Court MB trying to get into Najib’s good books.

The blogger who made an accusation against Nga Kor Ming (DAP’s Taiping MP) pertaining to a tailoring contract even went to see Zambry first before making the accusation.

This is called “The Saiful Tactic” (as Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan went to see the prime minister for a scholarship before accusing Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy).

Zambry also lacks leadership qualities due to his flip-flopping. He has made a statement that only winnable candidates are to be fielded in the coming polls and those who lost in the previous general election will be dropped only to backtrack later by saying that recycled candidates will be fielded.

There is much goings-on in the Umno camps as each one is fighting for power for himself.

In the meantime, to woo over the Malay voters, Umno leaders are still using the same old line of “(Former Pakatan MB) Nizar (Jamaluddin) derhaka” and “Nizar is DAP’s puppet”. Whether this will work or not is still left to be seen.

At the end of the day, the Perak power-grab executed by BN via undemocratic, unprincipled and unethical means is clearly illegal but as usual this is Malaysia Boleh and anything goes.

Before Malaysia really becomes the world’s laughing stock, it is up to all Malaysians and not just Perakians to boot out BN so that Perak and Malaysia can shine again in the world’s political stage. Already there is talk on the ground that dubious voters and phantom voters can win the day for BN.

Therefore, the rallying cry for Pakatan should be “Remember Perak”, similar to the American battlecry for courage “Remember the Alamo”.

[Source: FMT]

A quote from Tan Sri Datuk Robert Phang

2012-02-01T06:04:00.001+08:00

Let us remind ourselves that Teoh Beng Hock died over allegations of a mere RM 2,400-00. Ahmad Sarbaini died because of similar minor allegations which until today have just gone silent. Yet, when the riches of the powerful are involved, the MACC either drag its feet or behave like eunuchs emasculated of all their powers. I ask the MACC – why the discrimination?

[Tan Sri Datuk Robert Phang is a prominent citizen, an ex-member of the MACC advisory panel.]

What!!!! Even golf memberships are priced according to race??

2012-01-31T08:58:00.002+08:00

A photograph of a membership price list for one of the country’s most prestigious golf clubs that apparently charged by race triggered an outcry on Facebook, with many condemning the different rates for the different races.

This comes after a race controversy erupted over the ownership of bread companies Gardenia and Massimo, reflecting the dire state of affairs in Malaysia where race remains a smouldering issue that permeates many facets of life.

A picture purportedly of Subang National Golf Club (Kelab Golf Negara Subang — KGNS) membership prices surfaced on Facebook yesterday, showing rates of RM35,000-RM65,000 for Malays, RM45,000-RM80,000 for Chinese, RM60,000-RM80,000 for Indians and RM40,000-RM50,000 for “Others”.

Reactions to the photo, which was posted on Facebook community page “Malaysia”, ranged from disgust to defensive.

“Apa nie??? Racist nye! (What is this? How racist!),” said Wan Hairina Ayin.

“In Singapore, I am a Malaysian. In US, I am a Malaysian. In Australia, I am in Malaysian. But in Malaysia, I am belong to the group OTHERS...” said one Frisca Freddy.

“Malaysia and Spore is the only country that allow companies to advertise ....preferably chinese, or malay or indian...so am not surprised of this la...,” said Julian Maria Intachat.

Some respondents, who appeared possibly to be foreigners, chose to respond with humour.

“So many forms in Malaysia ask ‘Race?’ I simply write ‘human’ no one has ever questioned this” said Chris Frankland.

When contacted, KGNS president Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas said the notice in the picture was put out by a finance company and had nothing to do with the club.

He said that while KGNS had long practised racial quotas to ensure a good mix of races in its membership, it had never mandated the prices at which memberships could be sold.

Megat Najmuddin said that due to the race quotas, a member can only sell his or her membership to a person of the same race but at any price they wished and the rates in the notice could be reflective of supply and demand among the different racial groups.

He stressed however that the prices that appeared in the notice were just “indicative” and that the club’s philosophy of imposing race quotas was a noble one and not sinister.

“We are the most multi-racial club in Malaysia,” he told The Malaysian Insider. “If you go to other clubs you see it dominated by one race or the other.”

Megat Najmuddin, who also sits on the Umno disciplinary committee, said it was sad that in Malaysia it was getting rare to find the different races mixing together.

“In KGNS, you have all the races mixing together,” he said.

Megat Najmuddin said KGNS is ‘the most multi-racial club in Malaysia.’

The KGNS president said there have been no cases of members being unable to find a buyer for membership from his or her own race.

“This race quota policy has been a cornerstone of the club and no member has ever asked for it to be removed,” he said.

KGNS, the only club in Malaysia incorporated by an Act of Parliament, limits Malays to 45 per cent of its membership, Chinese to 35 per cent and Indians and others to 20 per cent.

When contacted, “Zainah”, one of the names listed on the notice, immediately started denying having anything to do with the notice.

Calls to the rest of the numbers listed on the notice were not picked up or returned.

Megat Najmuddin said he did not know the finance company behind the notice but criticised the photo as “mischievous” for making it look like it was the club that had issued it.

Race often remains a source of tension when it comes to official matters, although Malaysians of various ethnicities get along well in their daily interactions with much visible racial harmony.

Thanks to affirmative action policies, Malays and other Bumiputeras are given privileges such as easier access to government contracts, funding, licences, scholarships, educational institutions and housing in an effort to narrow economic disparities between the racial groups.

Proponents of this approach, such as former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, maintain that without such aggressive affirmative action the country would descend into chaos.

Critics of the country’s race-based policies however say that it has been hijacked and abused by an elite minority and was also damaging the country’s competitiveness, with most recently University of Malaya Vice-Chancellor Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon being quoted in the Malay Mail as saying that race quotas should end for the sake of education standards.

The Najib administration has apparently begun to address some of the weakness in the race-based approach, admitting that some of the past practices were too “blunt” to be effective.

The prime minister also introduced his hallmark 1 Malaysia campaign to unite the country although many maintain that the country is united by default and political parties are the source of problems.

“The more valid question is what happened to 1 Malaysia. Looks like 4 Malaysia to me,” said Chong Kok Shyong in response to the photo which was also posted on the Facebook page “1,000,000 Chinese dont want MCA to represent the Chinese”.

[Source: The MI]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wonder why they have to price the fees for the Indians so high. Common sense will tell you that this will certainly deter the Indians from joining the Club, or is there something sinister at work. The Club management must have an allergy for Indians. Oh, I forgot. This Club has something to do with UMNO, read Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas.

Monday Humour

2012-01-30T08:46:00.000+08:00

THE MAGIC ELEVATOR

A fifteen year old Amish boy and his father were in a mall. They were
amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny,
silver walls that could move apart and then slide back together again.

The boy asked, 'What is this Father?'
The father (never having seen an elevator) responded, 'Son, I have
never seen anything like this in my life, I don't know what it is.'

While the boy and his father were watching with amazement, a fat old
lady in a wheel chair moved up to the moving walls and pressed a
button. The walls opened, and the lady rolled between them into a
small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched the
small numbers above the walls light up sequentially.

They continued to watch until it reached the last number . . . and
then the numbers began to light in the reverse order.

Finally the walls opened up again and a gorgeous 24-year-old blond stepped out.

The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said quietly to his son.....

'Go get your Mother!'
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW THE THE BRAZIL FEMALE FANS REACT WHEN THEIR NATIONAL TEAM SCORE A GOAL?

"Come on, come on ..... " [The fans watching in high anticipation]

GOAL!

.... and off with the T-shirts

Let's samba!

Can any of you help me please to find the location of this coffee shop where ever it is???

----------------------------------------------------------

Drunk Driver True story from Australia
Drunk Driving....THIS is absolutely brilliant! Only an Aussie could pull this one off!

A true story from Mount Isa in Queensland ..

Recently a routine Police patrol car parked outside a local neighbourhood pub late in the evening. The officer noticed a man (Luke Sandery) leaving the bar so intoxicated that he could barely walk.

The man stumbled around the car park for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing. After what seemed an eternity and trying his keys on five vehicles. The man managed to find his car, which he fell into. He was there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off (it was a fine dry night). Then flicked the indicators on, then off, tooted the horn and then switched on the lights.

He moved the vehicle forward a few metres, reversed a little and then remained stationary for a few more minutes as some more vehicles left. At last he pulled out of the car park and started to drive slowly down the road. The Police officer, having patiently waited all this time, now started up the patrol car, put on the flashing lights, promptly pulled the man over and carried out a random breathalyser test.

To his amazement the breathalyser indicated no evidence of the man's intoxication.

The Police officer said "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the Police station - this breathalyser equipment must be broken."

"I doubt it," said the man, "tonight I'm the designated decoy"..

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANSWERS FROM A STUDENT WHO OBTAINED 0% FOR HIS MARKS

--- On

Q1. In which battle did Napoleon die? > >> > * his last battle

Q2. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?> >> > * at the

bottom of the page

Q3. River Ravi flows in which state?> >> > * liquid

Q4. What is the main reason for divorce?> >> > * marriage

Q5. What is the main reason for failure?> >> > * exams

Q6. What can you never eat for breakfast?> >> > * Lunch & dinner

Q7. What looks like half an apple?> >> > * The other half

Q8. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?>

>> > * it will simply become wet

Q9. How can a man go eight days without sleeping??> >> > * No problem,

he sleeps at night.

Q10. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?> >> > * You will

never find an elephant that has only one hand

Q11. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four

apples and three oranges in other hand, what

would you have?> >> > * Very large hands

Q12. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would

it> > take four men to build it?> >> > * No time at all, the wall is

already built.

Q13. How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking

it?> >> > * Concrete floors are very hard to crack.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a test to determine if you are an alcoholic.....

If you saw the bar sign, you are definitely an alcoholic.

Something of interest for die-hard vinyl record collectors, like me

2012-01-29T19:11:00.004+08:00

NEW YORK, January 28, 2012 (AFP) - In today's brave new world of MP3 players, compact discs are dying, cassettes are Stone Age, and old-fashioned vinyl records... they're back!

It might seem that nothing short of a wind-up gramophone could be more out of place today than the nostalgia-laden, crackly-sounding 33 and 45 RPM disc.

Yet in his Brooklyn, New York, factory, 40-year-old Thomas Bernich churns them out by the tens of thousands, feeding a vinyl revival that has record decks -- and cash tills -- spinning.

"It's my baby," Bernich said in his spartan office at Brooklynphono. "It's growing."

The small plant in a blue collar neighborhood hums with the sound of machines and spaghetti-like rows of pipes delivering ground-up vinyl to presses where the material reemerges as shiny albums etched with near-invisible, music-filled spirals.

Bernich started on a shoestring 10 years ago. Now he has four full-time employees and two part-time, manufacturing a quarter of a million discs a year, with plans to double capacity.

In an age of near-instant music downloads and entire libraries stored in gizmos the size of a cigarette lighter, the arcane process of making records defies convention.

But the market is vibrant.

Alan Bayer, who runs the online record store vinylrevinyl.com, said records refuse to go the way of the crumbling cassette tape or passe CD.

"The only music stores that have managed to stay in business in my area are ones that devote an important percentage of their stores to vinyl records," he said in an email from California.

Purists swear that music sounds better from records than from compressed digital files. Collectors love the hunt for rare, scratch-free recordings, not to mention the art-filled sleeves.

Young DJs, or turntablists, turn their parents' fusty old technology into the hippest of night-club tools, while bands looking to make a name for themselves commission records so that they can stand out in the sea of YouTube videos and downloads.

-- Labels take them seriously --

"We give the band a record, they make 300 records, then drive around the country for the summer playing and the records all get sold out of the back of the van," Bernich said. Other than helping to create a fan base, fresh bands with a shiny record often find the labels "take them very seriously."

Scott Neuman, president of ForeverVinyl.com, an appraisal service and dealer, said sales of newly minted records were for the first time overtaking those of pre-existing records.

Meanwhile, the pre-owned market, he said, "is being flooded" by people emptying out their basements in search of a quick buck.

Retailers will pay about 25 cents for a single, ordinary record or sleeve, then resell for between $1-$5, he said. But more sought-after editions quickly go for $100 or far more.

Neuman said he'd got $10,000 for a rare sleeve to the Rolling Stones' album "Street Fighting Man". The cover, depicting a policeman beating a man, had been withdrawn soon after release because of complaints. Although thousands were made, only a handful survive.

"You have people who mine for gold and if they get an ounce of gold after digging in dirt for days and days they're happy," he said. "It's like that."

Vinyl fans say there's also something in the physical attractiveness of the record and the ritual of using turntables that the MP3, like the CD, cannot match.

"It's personal. You get to spend more time with the music," said Jeff Ogiba, who opened Black Gold, a Brooklyn records store and coffee shop, 18 months ago.

"The last decade and a half has been an information age, so there are a lot of things that are intangible. People want to go out and have physically tangible things because now you press a button and a package comes to your door," Ogiba said.

Bernich says making records is not all fun. "It's very over-worked and underpaid," he said.

And he likens the manufacturing process, dependent on variables such as air temperature and inconsistent chemical components in the vinyl, to "a moving target, a shot in the dark".

But there is magic, too.

At Brooklynphono all of last year's production was made from recycled records -- mountains of Neil Young discs and their ilk pulled from musty old cupboards and shelves, then smashed, melted, and reborn as the very latest releases.

When there are sound quality problems, Bernich will exchange the great, heaving machines of his shop floor for a microscope through which he can examine the music-filled grooves for flaws.

A lifelong mechanic with the heart of an artist, Bernich says record-making makes his world go round.

"I'm in a passionate state of mind," he said.

Our Sunday Girl - Marie

2012-01-29T03:08:00.002+08:00

MARIE [The Bachelors]

THE DAY I MET MARIE [Cliff Richard]

Previous features :

Deborah
Susan

It's that time of the year again

2012-01-28T11:35:00.000+08:00

Today sees many of the Chinese owned coffee shops re-opened for business after a five-day hiatus to celebrate the year of the Water Dragon.

My wife and I decided to go to our usual coffee shop in our taman to have our breakfast. Besides my usual hot Chinese tea, I decided to order a bowl of mee soup.

What irked me was when the food was delivered onto my table, I was told to pay RM4.50 for the fare. I asked the girl what happened to the usual RM4.00 price. Her reply was, hawkers like them normally increase their prices after Chinese new year and it can range from 0.30 sen to 0.50 sen. Begrudgingly I paid for my food but what upset me even further was the amount of mee in the bowl was reduced and so were the ingredients like chicken shreds, vegetables, etc. Hey, what gives?!? I do not mind paying that 0.50 sen extra had the quantity and quality remain the same, at least. But to reduce the elements with a price increase, this is definitely going a bit too far even for the festive season.

Now, I am not trying to act like a Scrooge, but we as consumers are definitely not getting what we are paying for, and something has to be done about this.

In a matter of consumer protest, I have decided to boycott this stall and patronise others that provide better offerings.

How about you?

Ah Jib Gor vs Ah Wah Gor, on Facebook, that is

2012-01-26T14:05:00.004+08:00

[Picture from Malaysiakini]

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and arch-rival opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim are taking their battle to for the center-ground of Malaysian politics in an unexpected direction: the Chinese-language pages of Facebook.

Mr. Najib launched the first salvo last week, his team putting up a Chinese-language page where he is called “Ah Jib Gor,” or “Brother Najib,” which had 18,700 “likes” by Wednesday.

Mr. Anwar’s team retaliated quickly, putting up their own Chinese-language Facebook page under the name of “Brother Anwar,” or “Ah Wah Gor.” So far, he is in the lead, at least among Malaysians who can be bothered logging on, attracting 38,137 “likes.”

Mr. Anwar’s tally also appears to be benefiting from a fake version of Mr. Najib’s Mandarin page which might be siphoning votes away the premier’s official profile, though it is unclear who is behind the spoof page.

Both Messrs. Najib and Anwar are campaigning to win over Malaysia’s ethnic-Chinese voters, who could help determine the outcome of the next national elections. The vote is likely to be among the most fiercely contested in the country’s history and could come any time between now and 2013. Mr. Najib is wooing voters by pledging more reforms to roll-back the affirmative-action policies that for decades have afforded a competitive advantage to the country’s majority ethnic-Malay community in a bid to help them catch up with Malaysia’s Chinese, who make up a quarter of the population.

Many Malaysian Chinese, though, along with some of the country’s ethnic-Indian population, view Mr. Anwar’s opposition alliance as a better bet for bringing change and expanding the country’s economy, making the community a key battleground in the election fight.

Mr. Najib already is an avid Internet user, employing both Facebook and especially Twitter to connect with potential voters. His aides say switching to Mandarin is a natural extension of that. In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Najib described how he had to move with the times, even if some of his more conservative advisers look askance at his willingness to go online. Last week he celebrated getting his 400,000th follower on Twitter by—what else—tweeting about it.

Political analysts expect Mr. Anwar, also a compulsive tweeter, to ramp up his campaign, too, after the Kuala Lumpur’s High Court on Jan. 9 acquitted him of charges that he had broken Malaysia’s strict sodomy laws – a charge which Mr. Anwar says was politically motivated.

Mr. Najib denies having anything to do with Mr. Anwar’s sodomy case. State prosecutors appealed the verdict late last week.

In the Facebook face-off, though, Mr. Anwar could well retain the upper hand. His key political partner is the predominantly ethnic-Chinese based Democratic Action Party.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

Latest tally on Facebook as at 2.10 pm, January 26 2012:

Ah Wah Gor : 39,048 likes
Ah Jib Gor : 19,071 likes

All these happened on the first day of Chinese New Year.

2012-01-25T09:04:00.004+08:00

First, you have these people from BN in Penang who proclaimed that Najib represents moderation.

Then, you have that tainted MCA president, Chua Soi Lek, pleading to the Chinese community not to experiment with the Opposition, but to give them another chance to govern for they, and only they, have the proven record to show.

Just when you think you are about to buy into all that crap, out popped PERKASA with its anti-Christian bashing again, this time by none other than it's Secretary-General, Syed Hassan Syed Ali, leading the charge. Read article here.

But the incident that really got everybody incensed was the unruly disruption of the ABU-HINDRAF ceramah held last Saturday at the Kampung Jalan Kebun Community Hall
in Shah Alam/Klang by a group of UMNO supporters. They went so far to even threaten the crowd with iron rods and drove their motor bikes into the meeting hall. One rally participant has been hospitalised as a result of head injuries.

So, what kind of message is the BN or UMNO sending out to the people, anyway, and mind you, except for the ABU-HINDRAF ceramah, all the above-mentioned events took place on the first day of Chinese New Year.

GERAKAN might as well save its money on the TV ads as I find it incomprehensible that after all this time, they still cannot see that UMNO is taking them for a ride with their two-faced approach. One, to appear a moderate and the other, to appear as racist. You don't need a rocket scientist to figure out the game UMNO is playing and to think we have a PhD leading the party.

Would anyone of us still want to vote for UMNO or the BN when they continue to propagate violence and hate? The answer is pretty obvious.

Enter The (Year Of The) Dragon

2012-01-23T06:06:00.000+08:00

Our Sunday Girl - SUSAN

2012-01-22T05:56:00.000+08:00

Previous feature:
Deborah

A message from Haris Ibrahim to Najib

2012-01-21T14:51:00.001+08:00

I am.

It’s rumoured that you will move the Agong to dissolve parliament on 17th February and that the Election Commission, acting upon your instructions, will fix 11th March as polling day.

Yes?

You want to take the nation to its 13th GE without giving us the full electoral reforms we demanded on 9th July, last year?

Yes?

I’ll see you on the streets.

And God will be with the righteous.

More Malays joining the DAP. Does this sounds like the death knell for racial politics?

2012-01-21T14:16:00.000+08:00

In 2009, The Star did an online survey on the public’s opinion regarding race-based political party in Malaysia. Respondents to the online opinion poll have voted overwhelmingly for the abolition of race-based political parties. Some 90 percent of about 500 respondents believe that eradicating of racial politics would result in greater social harmony and understanding among the various communities. An amazing result considering the ruling government of this country is Barisan Nasional (BN) which three biggest component parties (Umno, MCA and MIC) are race-based organizations.

Aspen Alias, Mohd Hata Wahari and Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz.The idea of race-based political parties has been accepted since the formation of Malaysia back in 1963. That is until when BN received a rude awakening in 2008 when the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat took control of four states which is Selangor, Perak, Kedah and Penang. The outcome of the last election which saw BN lose its traditional two-thirds majority shows that the people have spoken against politics and survey by MCA-owned The Star has reinforced this paradigm shift.

So the big question is, are race-based political parties like Umno, MCA and MIC still relevant? The result of the 2009 online survey proved otherwise. So what is BN doing about it? So far, nothing! What are the Opposition political parties doing about it? A lot!

Of late, long-time Umno rival DAP has been extremely aggressive recruiting members from other races especially Malays into their party. In January this year two Umno veterans joined DAP, citing widespread corruption as the key reason for leaving the ruling party. The two are former Pulau Manis assemblyman Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz and Aspan Alias, a Negri Sembilan Umno veteran. Both are prominent political bloggers who have been critical about their former party.

This is interesting as Umno has repeatedly accused Pakatan, especially DAP, of being anti-Malay. At its recent general assembly, several delegates and leaders including Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (right) accused the opposition as being anti-Malay, anti-Islam, agents of Christianization and disrespectful to Malay rulers.

Somehow, with the two Umno veterans joining DAP, it has proven otherwise. Yesterday itself another prominent figure Mohd Hata Wahari (left) joined the Chinese-majority DAP. Hata is a former president of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and former editorial staff of Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia. Hata’s move to join become a DAP member would likely be seen as a slap in the face for the Utusan Malaysia and Umno.

In a press conference, Hata said that he wants to attract the Malays to support DAP. He then stated that he is not sure whether his inclusion into the DAP will prove significant for the party, however, he will use the experience he gained during his tenure in the Umno-owned newspaper to help his party in its cause.

The reason for DAP to go all out in its mission to recruit Malay members may be highly political. Some even claimed that they're eyeing a DAP Mentri Besar for Selangor and probably a future Prime Minister. This would not be a problem to us as long as the party’s leaders are able to prove that race-based political party is a thing of the past. However, the ruling political party needs to realize this paradigm shift and do something about it. This is a bit tricky since to move with the time and trends, for a start, the three major BN parties will need to change their names. If we look around the world today it is quite rare to find such situation in which a political party only consists of one particular race. What more in a country like Malaysia which propagates unity through a national initiative called 1Malaysia.

Hata has joined the DAP!

2012-01-19T15:19:00.001+08:00

Hata (second from right) with DAP leaders Lim (second from left), Tony Pua (far left) and Zairil Khir Johari after announcing his membership into the party at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on January 19, 2012.

Hata Wahari, who was sacked last year from Utusan Malaysiafor criticising the Umno-owned daily, today announced his entry into the DAP as a party member.

The senior journalist, who was also formerly the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) president, said he had chosen to join the DAP as he felt it was the most criticised party among its partners in Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

“DAP, I feel, is targetted the most. DAP finds it the hardest to explain to the people that all the slander and allegations aired in the mainstream media are untrue.

“I feel DAP needs to be defended,” he told a joint press conference here chaired by secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

Hata, who quit his NUJ post last May, worked for Utusan Malaysia from 1995 until he was sacked on April 21 for criticising the Malay daily’s editorial direction.

When asked if the DAP would appoint Hata to any post within the party, Lim said the formerUtusan Malaysia journalist had not set any pre-conditions before joining the party.

“Like what Hata has said, he joined DAP due to his principles and no other reason. I feel he did this with an open heart so let us celebrate his membership. On other matters, we will announce later,” he said.

Hata told reporters later that he had weighed his options carefully before deciding to join the DAP and stressed that his only wish was to continue his struggle for freedom of information and the media.

“I needed to use DAP as my platform,” he explained, saying that it was harder to push for press freedom through non-governmental organisations.

He said he had not conveyed any wish to hold a post in the DAP or to contest in the coming polls.

But, said Hata, he had informed the party’s leadership that his hope was to help the party woo the Malay community, particularly in the Umno fortress of Johor, which is also his home state.

“I am bringing back membership forms to my family members as well,” he said, adding that at least 15 members of his family have agreed to become DAP members.

The 43-year-old journalist said the DAP was often demonised in the Malay mainstream media, causing a misconception among the community that the party was a Chinese chauvinist party.

“This is not true and I want to inform the community of this,” he said.

The Kluang-born Hata currently still holds the post of treasurer in the NUJ. He is a Bachelor of Communications graduate from Institut Teknologi Mara and currently writes for Harian Malaysia, an online Malay-language newspaper.

OMG, how this girl sucks up to UMNO

2012-01-18T09:05:00.001+08:00

Although the videos have been removed by the party that first uploaded it, they have nonetheless gone viral. Ceylyn Tay, a Gerakan councillor, went on a tirade against Pakatan Rakyat, which among others argued that the birth of coalition had led to more racialism resulting in an undesirable "two-party system". As such, Malaysia should not have a two-party system.

The gist of her speech is as follows:

1. The Chinese community cannot expect equal treatment because they are a minority.
2. Accused the DAP of pitting the Chinese against one another using the strategy of urging voters to punish Umno by voting out MCA and Gerakan.
3. That Malaysia should not have a two-party system because the country did not possess a homogenous society, unlike the United States or United Kingdom.

Despite her actions, she was not even apologetic about the remarks made. How sad.

On the other hand, this girl is either naive or she is just sucking up to UMNO in order to be nominated as a candidate in the coming GE.

1. The Chinese do not expect equal treatment. The Chinese, however, do expect fair treatment as after all, aren't we too the taxpayers in this country?
2. DAP do not need to pit the Chinese against one another. In fact, MCA and Gerakan are already doing a good job pitting against one another without the involvement of DAP. If MCA and Gerakan wish to earn the respect of the Chinese, stop being a 'running dog' of UMNO. Be like Lim Guan Eng. He is his own man administering a state into prosperity.
3. The US and UK are homogenous societies? This really takes the cake, and I have no wish to dignify that statement with a response.

Gerakan have better gag her up before she does more damage to the party and the coalition. Anyway, probably this is her swan song before the GE.

Assets declaration by Penang Exco

2012-01-18T06:14:00.002+08:00

Penang Exco declares assets

Now let's see those BN fellows do the same including those BN friendly frogs. Well, if they are honest enough, it will probably end up in a thick booklet but if they are not, maybe half an A4 paper. Someone once asked Mahathir why he didn't take action on his corrupt ministers. He wittily replied that if he did, he would not have a cabinet left.

10,000 people were there to hear them speak

2012-01-17T20:37:00.001+08:00

The third national Pakatan Rakyat convention ended on a high note on the January 14 night as an estimated 10,000 people flooded Stadium Sultan Halim, Alor Setar last night for an evening rally.

Cars were lined up on the road shoulders on the way to the stadium until as far as 2km away, but this did not deter Pakatan supporters from treating themselves to this rare ensemble of star-studded speakers in Kedah.

The highlight of the event was the fiery 40-minute speech that went on way past midnight from opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, recently victorious in the Sodomy II trial.

Anwar began his speech by explaining his absence after he was acquitted, stating that he had committed to speaking engagements in India and Turkey.

Many of his supporters in the northern states had expected him to return to his birthplace of Cherok Tok Kun after the High Court had acquitted him on charges of sodomising his former aide.

Anwar: Leave my family alone

Uncharacteristically, Anwar appealed for his enemies to stop taunting him and his family over the trial, stressing that “enough is enough”, reiterating that he was willing to forgive them.

"Their revenge and hatred have not subsided. I am the one who has been jailed, stripped naked, beaten, persecuted and left without pension. But I am not angry, they are.

"They have done everything to me; kicked me around and stripped me naked, but I am willing to forgive them," he said.

"Leave us alone and please move forward," he stormed, showing signs that he may not tolerate the attacks much longer.

Earlier, PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat surprised journalists and observers with his energy and zest during his speech.

Nik Aziz, 81, was looking tired earlier throughout the afternoon convention.

Turning away from politics, Nik Aziz spoke on the need for better understanding among Malaysia’s different ethnic groups and for them to emulate the Kelantan experience.

"The Chinese (in Kelantan) have even donated to the mosques. When they get any financial aid from the government, they give some of the money away for our (Islamic) cause," said Nik Aziz, who is Kelantan Menteri Besar.

'Resolve Hudud law issue'

Prior to Nik Aziz's speech, the crowd paid rapt attention to DAP chairperson Karpal Singh as he related his experience as the lead defence counsel during the Sodomy II trial.

Karpal (right) noted the possibility of attorney-general appealing against the acquittal, but stressed that he and his legal team were ready.

As expected, Karpal briefly spoke on DAP’s objection to PAS’ hudud law ambitions without eliciting a negative response from the mostly Malay-Muslim audience.

“This is still an issue among us. We must talk and try to work it out,” he said, stressing that Pakatan must iron out such kinks before the 13th general election.

The stadium rally last night was a massive show of support for Kedah Pakatan, that has been relatively out of the media spotlight compared to Selangor, Perak and Penang.

But more importantly, Pakatan is attempting to show that it is indeed a united front with viable alternative policies in its bid for Putrajaya.

[Source: Mkini]

Pakatan Rakyat's Jingka Deal

2012-01-17T11:05:00.003+08:00

The Jingkat Deal launched on January 14 2012 during Pakatan Rakyat's National Convention in Alor Setar briefly outlines an alternative policy in four areas of governance, including measures to strengthen civil service, revamping Felda, introduction of anti-monopoly policies and a commitment to the spirit of federalism to improve state-federal relationship.

To strengthen civil service, PR promised a review of the controversial Public Service New Remuneration Scheme (SBPA), under which a small group of 40 civil servants would get salary increments of between RM35,000 and RM60,000 in addition to other allowances, while the rest would only see salary hikes of between RM80 to RM200.
The Deal also includes a promise to revise previous agreements and concessions, which entails the enactment of a Public Contracts Act that could allow revision of any lopsided agreements involving public interests, including energy concessions.
The coalition pledges to pay royalties to states on their natural resources, and empower state governments in deciding matters such as public transportation.
The coalition also promised to uphold the 18- and 20-point agreements with Sarawak and Sabah respective, where terms for their incorporation into the Malaysian federation are spelt out.
On Felda, PR promises to halt the much-debated listing of Felda Global Ventures Holding on Bursa Malaysia, citing that the act would render settlers the losers. The coalition also promised to dismantle Felda Plantations to provide 830,000 acres of land, and introduce comfortable housing scheme to second and third generation Felda settlers. To further secure settlers’ confidence, the PR vows not to shortchange settlers in the distribution of profit for their palm oil - an issue which saw Felda being dragged to court by hundreds of settlers recently.

MeatWorks restaurant in Singapore

2012-01-16T10:33:00.000+08:00

MeatWorks at ION Orchard Singapore on the 4th Level, is the Restaurant of Lembu - Condo Minister Shahrizat and family,serving Beef from infamous Malaysian National Feedlot farm.

The Restaurant occupies 5000 sq ft of space, by far the biggest on that level. One can choose to be inside or outside in the podium, centre-stage or what ever you call it, where all and sundry can ogle at you when you eat. The whole set- up, meaning the decor is designed by ONG&ONG, no less ! Anyway it's OUR money, why not ?!!

The Menu boasts of beef from 300 day old grass-fed cow @ SGD80 for 250gm, 200 day old corn- fed @ SGD 50 for 220gm. NO, I did not eat there, heaven forbid! Just curious and being "kay poh." Though it is lunch time, it is empty, compared to its neighbours Taste Dynasty and Taste Paradise etc. Interestingly, MeatWorks seats 234, rather telling eh?! No? When they go under, trust the Chinaman to remove 1 seat. Anyway, why such a big outlet in a shopping Mall? Who wants to throw a banquet there for goodness sake!! Can they really fill up all those tables at one sitting? Ada otak ka? My relatives and friends in Singapore and those in Malaysia and overseas,when you are in ION ORCHARD just go and see, how our hard earned money is being squandered by the BN. Soft loan and bailout, what's new? Are they really so untouchable? Who gave them the power? Just think about it. That's all for now.

Monday Humour

2012-01-16T04:35:00.001+08:00

MEN DO REMEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

A woman awakes during the night to find that her husband was not in
their bed. She puts on her dressing gown and goes downstairs to look
for him..

She finds him sitting at the kitchen table with a hot cup of coffee in
front of him. He appears to be in deep thought, just staring at the
wall.

She watches as he wipes a tear from his eye and takes a sip of his
coffee.

'What's the matter, dear?' she whispers as she steps into the room,
'Why are you down here at this time of night?
'The husband looks up from his coffee,
'I am just remembering when we first met 20 years ago and started
dating. You were only 16. Do you remember back then?' he says solemnly.
The wife is touched to tears thinking that her husband is so caring, so
sensitive.

'Yes, I do' she replies.

The husband pauses. The words were not coming easily..

'Do you remember when your father caught us in the back seat of my car?'
'Yes, I remember!' said the wife, lowering herself into a chair beside
him.

The husband continues. 'Do you remember when he shoved the shotgun in my
face and said, 'Either you marry my daughter, or I will send you to jail
for 20 years?'

'I remember that too' she replies softly.

He wipes another tear from his cheek and says...

'I would have been released today. '
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lie Clock

A man died and went to heaven. As he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him.

He asked, "What are all those clocks?"

St. Peter answered, "Those are Lie-Clocks. Everyone on Earth has a Lie-Clock. Every time you lie the hands on your clock will move."

"Oh," said the man, "whose clock is that?"

"That's Mother Teresa's. The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie."

"Incredible," said the man. "And whose clock is that one?" St. Peter responded, "That's Abraham Lincoln's clock.

The hands have moved twice, telling us that Abe told only two lies in his entire life.."

"Where's Julia Gillard's clock?" asked the man.

" Julia's clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a ceiling fan."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Romanian arrives in London as a new immigrant to the United Kingdom .
He stops the first person he sees walking down the street and says, "Thank you
Mr. Englishman for letting me come into this country, giving me housing, Income Support, free medical care, and a free education!"
The passerby says, "You are mistaken, I am Egyptian."
The man goes on and encounters another passerby. "Thank you for having such
a beautiful country here in England ."
The person says, "I not English , I am Pakistani."
The new arrival walks farther, and the next person he sees he stops,
shakes his hand, and says,
"Thank you for wonderful country England !"
That person puts up his hand and says,
"I am from Afghanistan .
I am not British."
He finally sees a nice lady and asks,
"Are you an Englishwoman?"
She says, "No, I am from Africa ."
Puzzled, he asks her,
"Where are all the English?"
The African lady checks her watch and says,
"Probably at work."

Certainly one of the most touching CNY ads I have seen so far

2012-01-15T07:53:00.003+08:00

Barely 48 hours after being uploaded, a video in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year festival - with a Kelantan touch - is making waves on the internet.

The heart-warming video produced by RealArt, tells the story of a nasi lauk (a popular Kelantan dish) seller Kak Ton, whose son, Mat had died of cancer.

Suffice it to say that Mat had left a touching note, lest we spoil it for you.

The video was earlier shared on the Facebook pages of Harakahdaily and PAS Murshidul Am Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Nik Mat, and attracted more than 3,000 'like' clicks.

“This is certainly the best video I have ever seen. Why can’t our television channel produce something like that?” writes one.

“(This one) beats all Petronas festive advertisements,” said another, referring to the company's penchant for long festival TV ads.

“This is the 1Malaysia we are looking for,” says one.

Despite receiving 99 percent approvals from viewers, there are also some who feel it was unrealistic.

One viewer describs the video as a wake-up call.

“I'm going to teach my friends and family that right way, respect each other every religion and every race. A negative thought does not bring u anywhere but a positive ones will. If you think this is an imaginary video then for you it will always, always be only an imaginary video.

"To change the world, in this case Malaysia, we need to think positively, that's the first giant step.”

[Source: Harakahdaily]

Our Sunday Girl - Deborah [The Crickets]

2012-01-15T04:34:00.001+08:00

Starting this Sunday, and every Sunday, I shall be introducing songs that bear the names of girls who made the hits in yesteryears. If your name is featured, then the day certainly belongs to you.

The first girl to be featured is "Deborah" by The Crickets. Yes, they were the guys who backed Buddy Holly in the late 50s until his untimely death in 1959 at the age of 22, in a plane crash.

Please have a show of hand if you agree with Hishamuddin's statement

2012-01-14T15:25:00.003+08:00

Came across this BERNAMA report with the heading that read:

PUBLIC SATISFACTION WITH POLICE AT RECORD HIGH, SAYS HISHAMUDDIN
The public satisfaction in dealing with police stations has increased to 70.5%, far outstripping the Key Performance Indicators' (KPI) target at 60%.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the outcome was based on a study conducted by TNS International, a custom market research company, on community satisfaction on police duties last year.
He attributed the success to relentless police efforts in introducing various approaches, including creating a customer service ratings and triage rooms in dealing with specific cases.
"The study clearly shows that the public have acknowledged that the police have implemented the tasks entrusted to them and they are confident of the police services," he said in a statement.
Hishammuddin said the public perception of the police as a whole had improved but efforts needed to be focused on creating a more secure environment.
As the TNS International's findings last year showed that 52.9% of respondents had expressed worries that they could become crime victims, he said efforts needed to be intensified to enhance a sense of security among the public.
He said the achievements were presented at the first meeting of the National Key Result Areas (NKRA) Delivery Task Force on crime this year, which was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Friday.
He said two initiatives would be implemented in this year's NKRA, namely deploying more policemen on the streets to reduce street crimes and stepping up community policing by involving more people in crime prevention activities.
"The overall crime rate last year dropped by 11.1% or 19,629 cases from 2010, exceeding the goal set at 10%," he said, adding that street crimes decreased to 39.7%, nearly reaching the target of 40%.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If what he says is true that the drop in crime rate is attributed to the police diligence, well, I guess it's time we do away with our G & G services which is costing the residents a "bomb" How about it, Hisham?

If you are 60 and above, a must read

2012-01-14T14:42:00.000+08:00

Life can begin at 60, it is all in your hands!
Many people feel unhappy, health-wise and security-wise, after 60 years of age, owing to the diminishing importance given to them and their opinions.
But, it need not be so, if only we understand the basic principles of life and follow them scrupulously.
Here are ten mantras to age gracefully and make life after retirement pleasant.
  1. Never say I am aged' : There are three ages, chronological, biological, and psychological. The first is calculated based on our date of birth;
the second is determined by the health conditions; the third is how old we feel we are. While we don't have control over the first, we can take care of our
health with good diet, exercise and a cheerful attitude. A positive attitude and optimistic thinking can reverse the third age.
  2. Health is wealth: If you really love your kith and kin, taking care of your health should be your priority. Thus, you will not be a burden to them.
Have an annual health check-up and take the prescribed medicines regularly. Do take health insurance coverage.
  3. Money is important: Money is essential for meeting the basic necessities of life, keeping good health and earning family respect and security.
Don't spend beyond your means even for your children. You have lived for them all through and it is time you enjoyed a harmonious life with your spouse.
If your children are grateful and they take care of you, you are blessed. But, never take it for granted.

4. Relaxation and recreation: The most relaxing and recreating forces are a healthy religious attitude, good sleep, music and laughter.
Have faith in God, learn to sleep well, love good music and see the funny side of life.
  5. Time is precious: It is almost like holding a horses' reins. When they are in your hands, you can control them. Imagine that every day you are born again.
Yesterday is a cancelled cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is ready cash - use it profitably. Live this moment; live it fully, now, in the present time.
  6. Change is the only permanent thing: We should accept change - it is inevitable. The only way to make sense out of change is to join in the dance.
Change has brought about many pleasant things. We should be happy that our children are blessed.
  7. Enlightened selfishness: All of us are basically selfish. Whatever we do, we expect something in return.
We should definitely be grateful to those who stood by us. But, our focus should be on the internal satisfaction and the happiness we derive by doing good for others,
without expecting anything in return. Perform a random act of kindness daily. 8. Forget and forgive: Don't be bothered too much about others' mistakes. We are not spiritual enough to show our other cheek when we are slapped in one.
But for the sake of our own health and happiness, let us forgive and forget them. Otherwise, we will be only increasing our blood pressure.

9. Everything has a purpose: Take life as it comes. Accept yourself as you are and also accept others for what they are. Everybody is unique and is right in his own way.
  10. Overcome the fear of death: We all know that one day we have to leave this world. Still we are afraid of death. We think that our spouse and children will be unable to withstand our loss. But the truth is no one is going to die for you; they may be depressed for some time. Time heals everything and they will go on.

Chinese New Year "Ang Pow" to Jalan Sultan landowners

2012-01-13T13:28:00.001+08:00

The Land and Mines Department has issued an ultimatum to Jalan Sultan landowners - reach an agreement with MRT Corp by Jan 30 or lose your land.

This was revealed by the chairperson of the Committee for the Preservation of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan, Yong Yew Wei yesterday.

Speaking at an urgent briefing with the affected landowners last night, Yong said the letter, dated Jan 4, was sent to his office "only yesterday".

In the letter, the Federal Land and Mines Department director-general (DG) Azemi Kasim warned that the department can invoke the 1960 Land Acquisition Act to acquire land along Jalan Sultan for the MRT project.

"If the 'mutual agreement' is not signed by Jan 30, the department will proceed with the process of land acquisition," the letter reads.

This, Yong (right) said, is a "Chinese New Year gift" for the Jalan Sultan landowners.

"How many days left before the deadline? Chinese New Year is coming soon, and the landowners will have a sleepless Chinese New Year," he lamented.

He has also learnt that the Klang Bus Station, located at Jalan Sultan, will also be demolished during the festive period.

"This is the best time to demolish it - when the people are leaving town."

Raise black protest flags

However, he urged the landowners not to give up and continue to fight even if it needs to be taken to court.

Yong said he will be writing a reply to the Land Department to explain three issues.

One of which is to ask the department to clear the air over the contradictory statement of MRT Corp earlier, which said that the land at Jalan Sultan will not be acquired.

The briefing was attended by about 50 affected landowners, included those from Jalan Sultan, Jalan Bukit Bintang, TTDI and Gombak.

A representative from Kampung Bandar Dalam in Gombak proposed that all Kuala Lumpur citizens hoist black flags on Federal Territory Day on Feb 1 as a sign of protest against the MRT project.

The suggestion drew a big round of applause from the floor.

"Let us raise black flags in the whole of KL. We can write some protest wordings on the flag - in all languages," said Ishak Surin, who is also the PAS commissioner for the Batu division.

Commenting on this, Yong later told reporters that it was a good idea and the KL citizens should also wear black shirts and shoes on that symbolic day to mark their anger.

He reiterated that the committee is not opposing development or the MRT project, but wish to have another alternative route, which runs underneath Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Jalan Pudu.

He said the alternative route will avoid any demolition of historical and cultural buildings.

Jalan Sultan not for Chinese community alone

Also speaking in the same event, heritage and history researcher Teoh Chee Keong pointed out that the importance of Jalan Sultan is not for the Chinese community alone but also for the nation.

“Jalan Sultan is not only the history of Chinese community and business, but the history of Malaysia...

“I don’t agree with the authority naming the area as Chinatown. Actually there were Malay and Indian communities staying there,” Teoh said.

The committee hopes to meet with people in other affected areas like Gombak, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Petalling Jaya Seksyen 16 and Cheras next week, and form a united coalition with a stronger voice to ask the government to change the MRT route.

[Source: Mikini]

Can you honestly believe these crap?

2012-01-12T10:59:00.003+08:00

I do not buy nor read The Star, The NST, The Malay Mail, Utusan Malaysia nor the Berita Harian. The following are extracts taken from The Sun paper and you can see how righteous the BN people all turned out to be. It almost makes you want to throw up.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak

"Today's verdict shows once again that, despite what many have claimed, the Malaysian judiciary is an independent institution where neither politics nor politicians have any influence over the dispensation of justice."

Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz - Minister in the Prime Minister's Department

"Unlike them [the Opposition], we respect the decision of the judges. All this while, they have said our judiciary is not fair but now it is proven that the courts are very independent."

Dr S Subramaniam - President, MIC

"The verdict should put an end to all accusations of a manipulated judiciary."

Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah - Deputy Higher Education Minister

"I have always respected the judiciary institution so there's no question on its independence."

Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim - Information, Communications and Culture Minister

It is noted that Anwar's acquittal proved that the government did not hold sway over the judge's decision.

Chang Ko Youn - Deputy President, Gerakan

Called on Pakatan Rakyat leaders to apologise to the publice for "the wild and baseless allegations made against the judiciary and the government with regard to the trial."

Abdul Rahman Dahlan - Kota Belud MP

The decision by the judge is a vindication for the judiciary.

Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal

The verdict is a proof that the judiciary is independent and there is no interference from the authorities.

Some questions remain unanswered:

1. As this was a high profile case, why was the verdict delivered orally and not in written form? Was the judge waiting for last minute instructions from the "top"?

2. There were a number of loopholes in Saiful's statements, but the judge picked only one issue which was the least expected among those presented during the 3-year hearing.

3. The same judge once said that Saiful was a "credible" witness. You mean to say, he is now no longer credible, since the last hearing in May 2011?

Therefore, my take is that Anwar is acquitted based on the following scenario.

Whether Anwar goes to jail or acquitted, the backlash will be on UMNO, as much damage has already been done. UMNO have a choice of the lesser of two evils. If Anwar goes to jail, he will end up being a 'martyr' and this message will be driven home relentlessly by Pakatan to the rakyat which Najib can ill afford since he has to call for a general election soon. If Anwar is acquitted, there will still be problems for Najib and his coalition, but at least, he has one saving grace. To show the people that his transformation plan is working and an independent judiciary is just the beginning.

So, now the judiciary is independent. Alleluia .... but why then did these same people not protest vehemently when the opposition time and time again publicly stated that the judiciary was beholden to the Executive? Why only now when one judge started to acquit Anwar, when lo and behold, all and sundry in the BN start to heap praises on a system that has long been under their influence.

Even if the judiciary has been "turned over" into a credible institution, which I am giving it a benefit of a doubt, UMNO must remember, one swallow does not make a summer.

Now this is what I called advertising, heh heh heh

2012-01-11T20:16:00.000+08:00

Once again, Ibrahim Ali chickened out

2012-01-10T05:28:00.000+08:00

Only about 50 supporters of Saiful Bukhari Mohd Azlan - the complainant in the Sodomy II trial - gathered at the Federal Territory Mosque when the High Court delivered its verdict on de facto PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim today.

The group was led by the right-wing group Pertubuhan Permufakatan Majlis Ayahanda Malaysia (Permas) secretary-general Zulkifly Shariff.

He had earlier pledged a 5,000-strong counter rally against a pro-Anwar 901 rally at Kuala Lumpur court complex.

Malay pressure group Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali had also pledged his NGO’s presence at the rally, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Permas was supposed to lead 15 NGOs for the counter-rally, including Pertubuhan Panel Ayahanda Penasihat Insan Malaysia (Papim), Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM), and Putra Malaysia.

A scuffle occurred between the pro-Saiful and pro-Anwar groups when the former attempted to march towards the court, some 300m away, wearing yellow shirts printed with the slogan “anti free sex 901”.

They also carried banners that, which among others, read “reject Anwar”, “defend the legal system and institution”, and “a sodomite is still a sodomite”.

This drew the ire of hundreds of Anwar supporters nearby, resulting in a shouting match.

Police had previously laid down conditions for both the rallies, including a ban on banners.

A scuffle broke out when Anwar’s supporters attempted to wrestle away the banners, and several people fell to the ground in the confusion.

The melee occurred near a foodcourt, just before the High Court acquitted Anwar at 9.26am.

The Anwar supporters also shouted for their opponents to “go back”, eventually succeeding in getting the pro-Saiful group to retreat into the mosque area.

Police then moved in to shut the mosque’s gates and prevented the pro-Anwar group from shouting slogans.

[Source: Mkini]

Adam Adli [the student who brought down Najib's flag] urging the crowd on.

Justice Pao [Cheng Tian] was there.

The arrival of Karpal Singh

Auntie Ooi was there

Anwar is vindicated

2012-01-10T04:29:00.002+08:00

In a surprising twist, Anwar Ibrahim was today acquitted by the Kuala Lumpur High Court of sodomising his former 23-year-old aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

In discharging the 64-year-old PKR de facto leader, Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah cast doubt on the DNA evidence provided by the prosecution.

"After going through the evidence, I cannot be 100 percent certain that the evidence can be accepted as there could have been tampering.

"Hence, the court is reluctant to convict on such corroboration of
evidence from (Saiful) and the accused is acquitted."

On hearing the surprise verdict, the courtroom exploded in jubilation with shouts of Alhamdulillah (praise be to God) and Allahu Akbar, while those standing at the side embraced one another in joy.

About 75 people were seated in the punlic gallery, and about the same number standing.

Among those present were PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang and his son and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Others present included PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, its vice-president Mahfuz Omar , PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, national laureatte A Samad Said and Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2) president Ambiga Sreenevasan.

Anwar's wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail cried and hugged her elated husband.

A total of 27 prosecution witness and seven defence witness
testified in the trial.

In an immediate reaction, Anwar thanked his lawyers.

"I'm finally vindicated after the smearing of my character. I'm thankful to Wan Azizah and the team of lawyers led by Karpal Singh."

He also thanked the Pakatan Rakyat leaders for their support.

"We want to continue on the reform agenda, fighting corruption and (for) freedom of the press."

Sodomy complainant Saiful tweeted: "If not in this world, in the next. I accept fate, will remain calm and continue praying."

Anwar was represented by a team led by Karpal, while outgoing solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden (right) led the prosecution.

Anwar had been charged, under ection 377B of the Penal Code, with sodomising Saiful at the Desa Damansara condominium between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

What happened to truthful and credible witness?

While Justice Zabidin took one hour and 50 minutes to call for Anwar’s defence last May 16, his deliver of the verdict today took less than five minutes, with no written grounds given.

In ordering Anwar to enter his defence at the end of the prosecution's case, the judge had described Saiful as a credible and truthful witness.

Anwar had claimed then that Justice Zabidin had, in his lengthy presentation when ordering Anwar to make his defence, had pre-judged him and had gone beyond the facts as to whether there was a prima facie case.

So in the end, the evidence gained from Anwar’s hired specialist forensic pathologist Dr David Wells and DNA specialist Dr Brian McDonald (right) helped raise the doubts that threw out the case against the Pakatan leader.

During the trial, it was reported that the samples were retrieved from Saiful’s anus 56 hours after the alleged sodomy incident, with the complainant testifying he had not defecated for two days after being sodomised.

McDonald described the finding ofpristine semen samples obtained as fairly odd, despite being retrieved from Saiful's anus 56 hours after the alleged sodomy, and despite not being kept in a freezer, as admitted by the three doctors who examined Saiful.

The samples was kept by investigating officer Supt Jude Blacious Pereira, and in his testimony he told the court that he removed the samples and repackaged them.

First of its kind in legal history

Criminal law practitioner, Baljit Singh Sidhu told Malaysiakini that this is an interesting development in criminal legal jurisprudence.

“This, is by virtue of the unsworn testimony by Anwar (in his defence) enabled victory in the case. The weight attached to an unsworn testimony is minimal, compared to a sworn testimony.

“This is the first development of its kind in a case, resulting in an acquittal,” Baljit said.

Anwar in his defence on Aug 22, had testified from the dock, and he denied having sexual relations with Saiful.

The PKR de-facto leader also told the court that the case against home was a political conspiracy against him and come what may, he would not surrender to such tactics.

[Source: Mkini]

Monday Humour

2012-01-09T04:20:00.000+08:00

I was walking down the street when I was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked me for a couple of  dollars for dinner.

I took out my wallet, got out ten dollars and asked, 'If I give you this money, will you buy wine with it instead of dinner?'

'No, I had to stop drinking ! years a go', the homeless woman told me.

'Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?' I asked.

'No, I don't waste time shopping,' the homeless woman said.  'I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.'

'Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?' I asked.

'Are you NUTS!' replied the homeless woman. I haven't had my hair done in 20
years!'

'Well, I said, 'I'm not going to give you the money.. Instead, I'm going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me tonight.'

The homeless Woman was shocked. 'Won't your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting.'

I said, 'That's okay. It's important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments, and wine.'
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Original Sin

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ANSWERS FROM A STUDENT WHO OBTAINED 0% FOR HIS MARKS

Q1. In which battle did Napoleon die?

* His last battle

Q2. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?

* At the bottom of the page

Q3. River Ravi flows in which state?

 * Liquid

Q4. What is the main reason for divorce?

 * Marriage

Q5. What is the main reason for failure?

 * Exams

Q6. What can you never eat for breakfast?

 * Lunch & dinner

Q7. What looks like half an apple?

 * The other half

Q8. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?

* It will simply become wet

Q9. How can a man go eight days without sleeping??

 * No problem, he sleeps at night

Q10. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?

 * You will never find an elephant that has only one hand

Q11. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples

 and three oranges in  other hand, what would you have?

 * Very large hands

Q12. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?

* No time at all, the wall is already built.

Q13. How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?

* Concrete floors are very hard to crack.

What a relief. Hasan Ali sacked from PAS

2012-01-08T16:37:00.000+08:00

Islamic party PAS today sacked veteran leader Hasan Ali from the party with immediate effect.

Hasan, a former Selangor PAS chief, is also a senior state exco member.

The decision to sack Hasan was made at a party central leadership meeting today.

A short statement issued by party president Abdul Hadi Awang, posted in the party’s online media portal HarakahDaily, stated that the decision to sack Hasan was made after considering views from all party leaders.

“The decision was made based on Hasan’s activities which went against the party’s policies,” said Hadi.

The relationship between Hasan and the party had been at its weakest point in recent weeks following the former’s open endorsement of forging a relationship with rivals Umno.

He had also been criticial of the party of deviating from its original purpose of forming an Islamic state to promoting a welfare state.

His most recent remarks urging PAS members not to join the rally to support Anwar Ibrahim tomorrow also did not go down well within the party, and among PKR leaders.

PKR deputy president Azmin Ali had openly called for PAS to take an action againts Hasan for discouraging members from joining the rally.

Hasan had also stated that Anwar was not the right prime ministerial candidate for Pakatan, and suggested that either Hadi or PAS spiritual advisor Nik Aziz Nik Mat would be better suited.

[Source: FMT]

The wolves are out, howling in unison

2012-01-06T22:18:00.002+08:00

It is only days before January 9 2012 when the verdict on Anwar Ibrahim will be handed down by the court in relations to his Sodomy II case. Although it is a foregone conclusion that Anwar will be found guilty, the judge however had some "help" from four persons who coincidentally appeared in the various media within days of each other, making statements implying that Anwar is guilty as charged. The four persons? S Nallakaruppan, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Ummi Hafilda and Hasan Ali. I am not familiar with the law but whatever has been said and printed, but doesn't this tantamount to being sub judice? What happened to the maxim that a person is innocent until proven guilty?

S. Nallakaruppan - he referred to Anwar Ibrahim as a 'sodomite' during a recent TV3 interview.

Raja Petra Kamaruddin - His "90% sure it was Anwar on the video" and his " 'maybe' Anwar is gay" over an interview with the NST caused an uproar in the cyber community, especially those who have supported him and his family during his years of trial. This was the second time he made comments that are detrimental to the Opposition. The first was over a TV3 interview just before the Sarawak state elections last year. However, the recent interview was a direct attack on Anwar Ibrahim to the point of saying that Anwar is not fit to be the prime minister because of what he is.

Ummi Hafilda - She advised Anwar to admit his "sins" so that he could be forgiven and she would not be forced to do a tell-all on him. The tell-all will include wrong doings committed by the 'AAA' battery [as Ummi called them], Anwar, Azizah and Azmin.

Hasan Ali - this guy needs no introduction at all. He said, "I have a conscience and I will not attend. I have told my children not to attend as well.” Well, I thought people are gathering to voice their disenchantment with our judicial system and not just about Anwar alone.

Like I have said earlier. All four have 'delivered' the guilty verdict on Anwar even before the judge did. You called this justice?

Our transport system, a financial mismanagement or lacking the operational knowhow

2012-01-06T09:33:00.000+08:00

A few years ago, Mahathir commented that if the amount of money given to the bumiputras, were to be given to the Chinese, they would have turned any business venture into a success. I do not know what his motives were for saying that, just like he once said that 90% of the income tax were paid by the Chinese. Were these to spur the Malays to work harder or were they said to make the Chinese look more like some money-grabbing freaks. Now what have this got to do with our transportation system that have gone awry?

Back in the 60s and 70s, when many of the bus companies were managed by the Chinese and the Indians [mainly the Chinese], companies like Toong Foong, Len Seng and Foh Hup, to name three, were operating profitably. Taking into account that during those days, the commuters were less in numbers compared with today and furthermore, the road infrastructure, especially those used by the so-called 'stage coach'-es, were atrocious. There were pot-holes galore from KL to Singapore or to Penang, not forgetting that sometimes, there would be some sink-holes especially in the Perak area. The type of seats used were the most uncomfortable I ever come across, and many of us ended up at the end of our journey with an aching hiney. Today, the commuters have increased many folds and the roads, I mean, the highways are now so much better. It is now like a breeze travelling to either Singapore or Penang, or even to the East Coast. So what went wrong? How could these bus companies be facing loses of such magnitude? I believe it is in the way they manage the business, simply put - planning and control.

But within the Malay-sian context, there is this lacklustre attitude in managing the business knowing very well that at the end of the day, government bailouts will be inevitable.

Perhaps, you can only find the strange phenomenon, in which a businessman is not required to bear business losses while a bidder with the highest bid does not necessarily win the bid, in Malaysia.

The government recently approved a RM400 million fund to assist stage bus companies which are facing financial problems in continuing their operations. The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) is expecting 200 applications.

Why are urban bus companies closing down one after another? Would it be a bad precedent for the government to save them?

The move of saving these companies is meant to take care of the people’s interests. If the bus services are suspended, the people would have to suffer the consequences. However, since the government’s assistance is only a temporary solution, they should identify the reasons of the losses or the problem will never be completely solved.

The stage bus industry has gone through its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s and is now a sunset industry. In the 1980s, the industry was led by Chinese operators. However, urban bus companies were instructed to merge, resulting in only two out of eight bus companies left in Kuala Lumpur. Under the New Economic Policy (NEP), the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (LPKP) also required 30 per cent Bumiputera equity.

Perhaps it was profitable, government-linked companies have also joined the bus industry. The government subsidised RapidKL, operated by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (Prasarana), causing some bus companies to be unable to compete and face losses.

The plight of public transportation is derived from the absence of a good planning. Bus routes of different companies are not converged and the quality of services has not improved, resulting in the loss of passengers. Other factors include the development of national cars and inactive handling of traffic congestion problems. Instead of providing assistance to private bus operators, the government is actually competing with them. Ironically, RapidKL is also suffering huge losses.

The market space has been reduced after government-linked companies joined the bus industry. However, management has not been improved, causing difficulties to themselves, as well as to others. The plight of the bus industry is actually a microcosm of other important areas. How is the economy going to transform without removing these drawbacks?

However, many people do not learn from the decline of bus industry. Instead, they expect the government to provide indefinite subsidies. For example, some people take Proton as a national business and refuse to sell it to foreign companies. They deliberately ignore the fact that Proton needs a capable foreign partner to enhance management and technology, and walk out of the plight.

The Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) also opposed the move by Johor Corp (JCorp) and CVC Capital Partners Asia III Ltd to buy out QSR Brands Bhd and KFC Holdings (M) Bhd (KFCH) to avoid the KFCH from falling into the hands of foreigners, claiming it is a violation to the NEP.

The DPMM proposed to seek RM1 billion of funding from several Bumiputera-linked funds and companies, including Felda Holdings Bhd and Amanah Saham Mara, to buy out QSR Brands Bhd. If the takeover is successful, the Malaysian market will be further closed, affecting the confidence of foreign investors.

The entanglement of business and politics will cause more companies to withdraw from Malaysia and the country will be the one to suffer losses.

What is there to be proud of being a kampung champion waiting for the government’s aid?

OK, RPK Switches Sides But Why Is Everyone Surprised?

2012-01-04T08:52:00.000+08:00

One of the reasons why I’m looking forward to the first day of the New Year was the prospect of bombshells of news, besides the glittering and spectacular fireworks, of course. As predicted, the peaceful short demonstration by young students at UPSI ended with bloods, thanks to the kind hospitality of the professional police. The news however was dwarfed by RPK’s latest bombshells. Instantly RPK, the UK-born Selangor prince, now living in exile in Manchester, invites criticisms from his remaining loyal readers.

Previously, RPK or Raja Petra Kamaruddin, dropped a bombshell just 3-day before the important Sarawak state election, of which his granted interview to the government-controlled TV3 helped cleanse PM Najib Razak, to certain degrees, of the murder allegation of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaaribuu. This time, RPK dropped couple of bombshells when he declares “There’s Life after Anwar”, “Anwar morally unfit to become PM”, “Anwar may become irrelevant”, “Frustrated voters will back BN in polls”, not to mention he’s now suddenly 90% confident Anwar was the man in the sex video.

Generally, what RPK is telling the opposition and his readers who once worshipped him as the greatest whistleblowers to the government’s dark secrets is this – you can all go fly kites from now onwards because I’ve joined the dark (rich) side of the powerful and corrupt force. And if you think this is not for real but another round of RPK throwing tantrums with some noble hidden plot due to whatever reasons, think again because his pet project MCLM’s president and buddy, Haris Ibrahim, has just quit the movement. But why RPK switch sides?

Actually, the moment he granted his interview to TV3 months ago, knowing very well that the media was a spin master in favour of the present government, and later beat around the bush justifying his acts that TV3 played him out, was thestrongest hint that RPK had indeed sold himself out. With his latest interviews granted to yet another UMNO-controlled newspaper, it only goes to confirm (if you’re not already convince) that he has sold his soul. There’s a saying thateverybody has a price-tag so there’s no different with ordinary RPK, unless he’s not a homo-sapiens.

So, how much was RPK paid for switching side? If hard cold cash was indeed transacted, it has to be more than what Perak’s Jelapang Hee-Apa-Nama received. Of course it has to come with freedom to come back to his country and whatnot strings attached. In spite of luxury accomodation in Manchester and so-called happy Christmas vacation on a friend’s boat in Phuket, the sight of not able to come back to taste Nasi Lemak, Teh Tarik (*tongue in cheek*) and whatnot is too much to bear. He may talk big about living luxuriously abroad but the fact remains he’s extremely homesick hence he should be forgiven for his latest action.

Whether he’s fully sponsored by former premier Mahathir Mohamad or white-collar criminal Soh Chee Wen for his relatively easy escape out of Malaysia and thereafter luxury lifestyle abroad is immaterial. If one were to read his articles, his bazooka was trained primarily at former premier Abdullah Badawi and his son-in-law Khairi, and Najib Razak’s wife over the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya, of course. He seldom attack Mahathir or Muhyiddin, let alone Mahathir’s sons. That’s strange because while RPK sees it freaking wrong for Khairi to amass 13 million shares from ECM Libra for RM9.2 million, he doesn’t seems to think it was wrong for Mahathir to use Petronas money to bail out his son’s (Mirzan Mahathir) Konsortium Perkapalan to the tune of RM696 million back in 1998.

That was before the success of the opposition in the 2008 general election in denying government’s two-thirds majority. And ever since RPK sailed out of the country in a self-imposed exile, he has been extremely tame. Maybe his “deep throats” who fed him insider information are all flushed out and neutralized. Maybe after much calculation, he concluded it’s more rewarding to be with the government’s camp (despite rampant corruption). Maybe it’s time he thinks he should teach opposition de-facto leader Anwar a lesson he won’t forget. Only RPK knows what his new mission is now after being away from his own country for many moons.

Yes, RPK has an axe to grind particularly after Anwar didn’t listen to RPK’s advice as much as before. So, what better time to throw some punches than now, considering that Najib is likely to call for a snap election after Chinese New Year? After all, RPK admitted less than a month ago that Mahathir is his friend though not comrades of the same struggle; while Anwar is not his friend because the opposition leader didn’t bother to phone him while he was detained. When friendships come into equation of a struggle, it becomes personal and emotional and naturally, Anwar becomes the beast while Mahathir is the virgin-angel; nevermind that corruption, racism, nepotism, cronyism and whatnot flourished under Mahathir’s 22-year rule.

Sure, Anwar is not perfect to fill the prime minister position and could even be a gay after all (*grin*). However, as long as he doesn’t run around raping boys and cows, who cares if he become the next prime minister, not that the opposition can form the new government in the first place, judging from the opposition’s chances now. If people prefer a gay instead of a corrupt straight (UMNO) guy as their prime minister, then who is RPK to dictate otherwise? Maybe RPK was adamant that as long as the country couldn’t find Mahatma Gandhi, the present regime should be maintained. Desperate times call for desperate measures so maybe the time was correct for Mahathir to call his buddy RPK for a national service.

But to claim frustrated voters will back BN in the coming polls is an insult to the voters’ intelligence simply because they actually voted against BN for the betterment of the country and not for Anwar alone. And to proclaim that the Chinese voters don’t want Tahrir Square type of change only goes to show RPK is another flip-flop king. Maybe my old memory is failing me but didn’t he write that should bloodshed is required to change the current regime so be it? Heck, RPK may be getting old and senile but the Bersih 2.0 shows when a common cause was put on table, you will see multi-racial demonstrators.

Of course, Einstein would come back from grave eager to know RPK’s formula in determining that 90% Anwar was the person in the sex video. Funny that the once “Balls of Steel RPK” didn’t say 99.99% sure it was Anwar. It seems RPK hates Anwar so much that he believes it was perfectly alright for the corrupt UMNO to continue plundering nation’s coffer. For now, nobody can stop RPK from throwing his tantrum because he thinks he should deserve more respect (and phone calls *grin*) from Anwar (and everyone) post-2008 general election.

He claimed he doesn’t care what other people think of him. That’s not true because just like how Mahathir cares how people would perceive him to be after he dies, RPK wants to be known as one of the heroes. Surely Mahathir wants to be known and worshipped like Napoleon Bonaparte, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Deng Xiaoping or even Kim Il-sung but definitely not Saddam Hussein or Muammar Gaddafi. Hence it was all about personal grudges and freedom to come back to his own country.

And the trade-off was to crush Anwar in his capacity as the most influential political blogger in Malaysia. Actually it was a win-win trade between UMNO and RPK. UMNO can’t do anything to harm RPK further since he was under protection from the Godfather. Likewise, RPK can’t do any more damage to UMNO since he fled the country. So by becoming allies, both benefits from the new partnership. RPK will stop attacking UMNO with passport to come backwithout going behind bars plus some hard cash to go shopping at Bangsar Shopping Centre.

So why are you so surprise with RPK’s latest twist? He has his right to throw tantrum because Anwar didn’t call him while he was detained. He has his right to decide if it’s more rewarding to be with the corrupt regime or otherwise. He has his right to sulk because people treats Anwar as hero while he has to spend years in UK without Nasi Lemak, Teh Tarik, Roti Canai and whatnot (*grin*). And if the prostitute Hee-Apa-Nama was rewarded with tens of million of ringgit for jumping over, definitely RPK has the right to demand more. After all, which ordinary person can resist the temptation of money, good food and freedom?

[Source: FinanceTwitter]

A proud mother-in-law says it all

2012-01-03T11:11:00.004+08:00

Family members of Muhammad Safwan Anang, who was allegedly assaulted by the police during a scuffle at UPSI early morning on New Year's day, said they are "proud" of his "brave" actions.

His mother-in-law, Mariam Abdul Rashid (right), 50, said the students’ actions should be an example for all varsity undergraduates.

"I am proud of his bravery. I am proud to have such a daughter and such a son-in-law, and I hope more varsity students will rise to defend (their rights)," she said when met at the hospital today.

Nevertheless, she expressed “sadness” over the violence which took place that night.

“We feel quite sad with what happened, which caused injuries. We regret the actions taken on these students, who should be given space to express their views,” she said.

Her daughter Masturah Abu Bakar had married the Gerakan Menuntut Kebebasan Akademik (Bebas) chairperson about a month ago.

'Safwan will fight on'

Mariam said she was ringing in the new year at Dataran Kemerdekaan in Shah Alam when she heard what had happened.

“I got a call from my daughter and I rushed here,” she said.

She added that this incident would not diminish her son-in-law's fighting spirit.

“He will continue to rise for the cause,” she beamed.

Muhammad Safwan collapsed after sustaining injuries to his face and chest in the melee.

He was recorded convulsing on the ground with his mouth bleeding, and claimed he was assaulted by police.

Police claimed that he sustained the injuries from a fall and that there was no such scuffle at Upsi.

17 students, including Upsi student activist Adam Adli Abdul Hamid who had caught flak for loweing a flag bearing the photograph of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, was arrested in the incident.

Police had moved in on the students after they ignored their repeated calls to break up the sit in for academic freedom.

[Source: Mkini]

Haris quits MCLM over RPK'S comments

2012-01-03T05:58:00.004+08:00

Lawyer Haris Ibrahim has resigned as president of Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM).

He cited the views expressed by MCLM chairman, Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK), in a mainstream media yesterday, as his main reason.

Haris said he was compelled to do so after reading Raja Petra comment’s on MCLM’s candidacy in the coming general elections and his view on ‘people’s revolution.’

“In the circumstances, I find it impossible to continue to serve MCLM as its president.

“I have communicated my decision to RPK through email, ” he said adding that he had been aware of the interview but was not privy to its content until he read the report.

Commenting on Raja Petra’s views published by NST, Haris said he was saddened specifically by ‘two parts’ of the interview.

“The two parts (of the interview) that have led me to the decision were that “MCLM had decided it would not field any candidates for the coming general election”.

“I can confirm now that no such decision has been made. (Infact) in December, 2010, in London, RPK announced the launch of MCLM’s Barisan Rakyat independent candidate initiative.

“In July, last year, MCLM announced the deployment of our first candidate, Dr Neduchelian, in the Kapar consitutuency,” Haris said in his People’s Parliament blog today.

‘No idle threat’

He also cited another reported comment by Raja Petra which he said ‘greatly undermined’ his efforts in the ‘Anything But Umno’ (ABU) initiative.

“RPK is reported to have said that “the Egypt-style people’s revolution was not an answer for Malaysia due to the delicate racial balance. They (Chinese voters) don’t want Tahrir Square type of change”

“These comments greatly undermine efforts I am making, albeit through MLCM, in the ABU initiative.

“It also saddens me that even as initiatives like SABM (Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia) and so many others continue daily to undo the ill-effects of Umno/BN’s 40 over years of race-based, divide-and-rule, my friend should continue to see us as Malays, Chinese, Indians, dll.

“I remain committed to all efforts to see this a nation of a single people, all equal. And I am fully committed to the cause of ABU, ” he said.

Last month, MCLM announced its alignment with the many NGOs and several political parties that had given life to the ABU initiative.

Also last month MCLM and several other groups warned Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that should he call for snap elections without first carrying through the electoral reforms as demanded by Bersih 2.0, he should brace himself for street rallies that could culminate in his government being toppled.

“I wish to reiterate here that this was no idle threat, ” said Haris.

The fallout from RPK's NST interview - Matthias Chang

2012-01-03T05:44:00.000+08:00

This article will come as a shock to many just as Raja Petra’s interview with the New Sunday Times about Anwar but not for those in the political inside track. To those in charge of propaganda in UMNO, the interview in which Raja Petra let loose his pent-up anger on Anwar is a major propaganda coup that will surely turn the tide against the opposition.

There will be some within the ranks of the Opposition who will be disheartened by this open attack on Anwar by a former “loyalist” and founder of Malaysia-Today. There will be many within the ranks of Barisan Nasional who will consider this exposé as the nail in the Opposition’s coffin and contribute to the success of Barisan Nasional in the next General Election. But I beg to differ.

Here are my reasons.

When I was the political secretary to Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, I was not a member of any political party and till today, I am still not a member of any political party so as to remain an independent observer and opinion maker. I gave my views, opinions and advice just as a lawyer would to his client, honestly and without fear or favour. I would do my research and give the pros and cons and finally my conclusions and recommendations. I endeavoured to be as objective as possible. It makes no difference to me whether my views, opinions and advice were accepted or not. I gave my best efforts and would move on to the next assignment.

By adopting any other attitude in such a position would result inevitably in a subjective and bias approach to one’s assignment. This was how Vice-President Dick Cheney and his team gathered every morsel of intelligence (regardless of their cogency and veracity) to support the policy of waging war against Iraq. The intelligence collected was to serve a pre-conceived agenda.

So, we have to be very discerning about information, views and “advice” given in such POLITICAL SITUATIONS, as any misjudgment would end up in a fiasco.

Let this be a warning!

It is often quoted in political circles that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. Yes, it is true up to a point and would depend on the degree of usefulness of this particular “friend”.

In intelligence work, there is always a lingering doubt whether a “defector” is a genuine defector or a “double agent” – whether he is planting and giving enough intelligence jewels to convince the bait that he is genuine. To understand the mindset of such a person, his motive is all important. We should not be easily taken in by the information / propaganda jewels given on a silver platter. There are no free lunches. Everything has a price and consequences.

To those who take the views of Raja Petra seriously, have you asked one critical question: What caused the “fallout” between Raja Petra and Anwar? Do you really know about this “fallout”?

Why was Raja Petra not a member of Party Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)? Or was he? If he is not a member of the party, why is he trying to dictate the composition of leadership of PKR even to the extent of supporting a maverick and a political frog in the person of Zaid Ibrahim, who resigned as the Law Minister and UMNO member to vie for the leadership of PKR? What locus standi has Raja Petra to interfere in the internal affairs of PKR?

Why is he questioning the leadership of DAP and PAS in their support for Anwar? Is Raja Petra really acting in the interest of the Barisan Nasional? What is the ultimate role of the so-called “Civil Liberties Movement” (more commonly referred to as the “third force”)?

Can Raja Petra and the so-called “third force” dictate how a party (whether in the Barisan Nasional or the Pakatan Rakyat coalition) selects the candidates for an election when they are not subject to any party discipline and or adhere to the party’s policies?

Raja Petra is even willing to offer the so-called “electable candidates” of the “third force” to any party who is willing to subscribe to his agenda / policies. Therefore, what is his agenda???

So, before Barisan Nasional embraces Raja Petra and the so-called “third force” so eagerly, it should adopt a wary stance for what is on offer may well be a poison chalice! There may be more than meets the eye.

Differences in a political party are normal. It is part of the democratic process of any party and Raja Petra has always demanded such freedom within the Opposition parties. Yet, he highlights differences of minor players within the ranks of the Opposition parties and exaggerates the implications on the basis that this is the view of the voters.

What voters does Raja Petra or the “third force” represent? Who are these voters?

In 2010, Raja Petra announced that he has thirty “electable candidates” that will stand in the next General Election and will provide their names every week or so. But what happened? Other than giving two names (I stand to be corrected on this) and even if it may be more than two, he certainly did not deliver the thirty names.

Another question that needs an urgent answer – not being a PKR member, how did he end up collaborating with Zaid Ibrahim and supporting his candidacy for Deputy President against Azmin Ali? And when Zaid Ibrahim lost the battle and abandoned the party, Raja Petra went ballistics! Why? Wayang Kulit (shadow play)?

Is Raja Petra “a man who has lost the plot” or something else?

After Raja Petra’s interview with TV3, just before the Sawarak State Election, he lost all credibility in the eyes of the voters who supported the opposition. DAP did rather well notwithstanding the interview. He then gave an elaborate explanation on how he was misquoted etc. He fell for the bait of having publicity on prime time television – an ego trip, and lost big time! His followers abandoned him.

Now, he gives an interview timed just before the High Court’s judgment on Sodomy II fixed for the 9th January 2012.
Why?

So many questions, but so few answers! He claims that he wants clarity and focus on critical issues, but his actions muddy further the already polluted waters. That he needs another constituency to survive and to reap the political harvest in the next General Election from whichever political coalition willing to pay his political ransom is all too clear. So he comes bearing gifts to the Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional as a teaser and prelude to extract the ultimate political ransom.

The trillion dollar question: Why is Raja Petra bearing gifts to Barisan Nasional? But he says that he still supports the Opposition. Is he playing both sides? If he is, and gets away with it, he is indeed a political fiddler par excellence.

In my previous article, “Malaysia – 2012, National Suicide or A New Paradigm”, I had warned that the next General Election will be a “no-holds-barred” political slug fest and it will be ugly. Post-2008, no one can take for granted that the voters would be as gullible as pre-2008. On the contrary, they are more informed and discerning and can see through the fog of the political war.

In the past, such an interview by a former “loyalist” may be the ruin of a political leader, but not this time, as Raja Petra is not the first and will not be the last “loyalist” that will lambast the leader of the Opposition. Prior to Raja Petra, there was Ezam Mohd Nor, one-time “loyal supporter” of Anwar. But Anwar survived this fallout and it is Ezam who has now become irrelevant. I believe that Anwar will survive Raja Petra’s attacks and in due course, Raja Petra will also become irrelevant. Raja Petra is a desperate man and we must all be on guard against such a desperado.

That is why it is so dangerous to assume that this attack by Raja Petra will be the end of Anwar and that this will assist Barisan Nasional to triumph in the next General Election. This would be a gross miscalculation and if Barisan Nasional formulates its strategy on these lines, Prime Minister Najib will definitely be a one-term leader.
Why do I say this?

People are sick and fed-up of the Sodomy II case, not because as alleged by Raja Petra that Anwar dragged on the case, but because the majority of the people have already made up their mind that Anwar is innocent and this is a sham trial to lynch Anwar and bury him once and for all. It matters not whether you agree with this perception or conclusion. But this is the reality. If Sodomy I could not kill Anwar, how can Sodomy II and the other stupid pornographic video bury Anwar?

Anwar went to jail after Sodomy I and came out even stronger and more resilient. Even if Raja Petra says that it is Anwar in the said pornographic video, is he an expert? As far as the people are concerned, Sodomy II is another episode of gutter politics. This is the bloody reality! They are fed-up and disgusted with the way this has been used against Anwar.

I was told once by a political leader that after Sodomy I, the country will not tolerate another sodomy trial against any politician as a means to end his political career.

So, I question Raja Petra’s accusations and allegations against Anwar at this particular juncture. Who will be the ultimate beneficiary of his tirade against Anwar?

Just as Hasan Ali is toxic to PAS members and to many Chinese and Christians who are now supporting PAS and are no longer afraid of Islam, Raja Petra is equally toxic to those in PKR and DAP and those Chinese and Indians who are supporting PKR and DAP. Nothing will change their minds because they are riled by the perceived abuse of power by the leaders of Barisan Nasional and the contradictions and inconsistencies of the BN policies, the various flip-flops.

Anger has now turned into contempt. And we are talking about the conservative middle-class. This is another reality.
I am only the messenger. You may not want to agree or accept this reality. But the fact remains that many people have this mindset. Period!

I would caution the BN to be wary and not embrace Raja Petra too readily. He is toxic like the financial derivatives that almost destroyed the global financial system in the 2007 / 2008 financial tsunami!

In my view, the granting of two full-page of Raja Petra’s propaganda in the New Sunday Times and the Malay mass-media is a desperate attempt by Barisan Nasional to deflect the attention from the various scandals afflicting the BN to Anwar’s Sodomy II trial.

It will not work. In fact what Raja Petra has done in his interview will only harden the entrenched views of those who are going to vote for the Opposition and push the fence-sitters (who were hitherto guarding their wallets and feeding their stomachs) to the arms of the Opposition. There will be a thousand and one ways to use the Raja Petra issue to inflict pain on the BN and it does not require much imagination.

Do you know what decent apolitical families are saying? They have been saying and continue to say, “How can these people be so cruel to inflict so much pain on Anwar’s family?”

You may well consider this view as being superficial and subjective, but can you rid this perception from the people? Raja Petra in his personal vendetta against Anwar for whatever wrong, real or perceived, that Anwar has done to him, has revealed a side of his character that has not been revealed to his supporters all these years – vindictiveness over political differences. And this is an insecure and dangerous trait.

Raja Petra and his family have suffered tremendously for his political beliefs and views and I sympathise and admire his tenacity for enduring such hardships. But, I cannot allow personal sentiments to cloud my judgment.

Raja Petra has demanded that truth be told. I say that if truth be told, Raja Petra has lost the plot and has become a victim of his own vindictiveness. He is not a leader that can be respected or entrusted to change the country as he professes to do so.

Raja Petra may not be too happy reading this article and his band may well mount a counter-attack on me. But it matters not, for in the past, his band has maligned me with profanities instead of debating the issues raised by me in a mature way in his website. What else can they do after they have called me: “Mahathir’s barking dog”, “Mahathir’s crony”, “bastard”, “M#@*%@ F#@*%#”, “scumbag” etc.

Let’s gather our thoughts on the so-called Civil Liberties Movement (the “Third Force”) and its agenda. I have no doubt that there are many genuine people who want to better the country and have indeed made tremendous sacrifices and are willing to follow Raja Petra as the pied-piper.

But, do they know Raja Petra’s ultimate agenda?

Let me summarise for you. It is quite simple. His ambition is to hold the balance of power in Parliament in the event of a Hung Parliament and leverage to the hilt whichever political coalition that is willing to pay the political ransom demanded.
The essence of his ambition is power. Let’s not kid ourselves. Politicians do not venture into politics for altruistic ideals. They want power to fulfill their ambitions. If the country is fortunate, she may from time to time have a politician who does good for the country, but there are far and few.

Yes, I agree that Nelson Mandela is one of the few. Raja Petra does not think that Anwar, Najib, etc. belong to that category. But neither is Raja Petra!

Let us not be distracted by personalities and exaggerated egos across the political divide. We have enough of them. Let us focus on those who can unite our country and lead us to greater heights of excellence and by 2020 to be a developed nation for a start.

Najib’s ex-info chief joins DAP

2012-01-02T18:36:00.000+08:00

Former Pulau Manis Umno assemblyman Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz and Negeri Umno veteran Aspan Alias (photo) have joined DAP.

Having Ariff on board is a major coup for DAP because he was Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s information chief in his Pekan Umno division up until 2004.

“If you want to know, yes, that is what we are doing (joining DAP).

“I am impressed by DAP. They are principled, I like their professionalism.

“I was with (Lim) Guan Eng at the bloggers conference last month. There is no fancy words, they are focussed on work … always thinking unlike our Umno people,” he told FMT recently.

Ariff’s admission puts to rest weeks of wildfire speculations in pro-Umno blogs.

He is also rumoured to be contesting under the DAP banner in the next general election.

Ariff is touted to be contesting in Raub where MCA’s Ng Yen Yen is incumbent. Ng is currently the tourism minister, and a MCA vice president.

Warning to Umno’s bloggers

Gunning pro-Umno bloggers who have been maligning them both personally and professionally, an incessant Ariff (photo) said: “Why the paranoia? If we are not good, failed Adun (assemblymen), bankrupt politicians, it will be cinch for any winnable Umno candidates to beat us.

“So, it’s no cause of concern or a sleep depriver.”

“But be warned, you want to play ball, we play ball too, so stop telling lies about us and we can promise not to tell the truth about you (Umno).”

Both Ariff and Aspan are not alone. There are increasing speculations of shifts within and out of Umno.

DAP has been targeting ‘thinking’ Malays post-2008 GE to increase its support within the community.

Onboard is Transparency International Malaysia founder Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim who is now the party’s vice chairman and former Umno education minister Khir Johari’s son Zairil.

Zairil and party strategist Liew Chin Tong along with Youth chairman Anthony Loke have been tasked with wooing selected Malays.

It was reported that the party leaders have been meeting “Malay opinion-makers in small closed-door discussions dealing with issues concerning Islamic state, hudud and Bumiputera affirmative action”.

‘DAP more relevant to Malays now’

Ariff and Aspan have been the target of pro-Umno bloggers who have among others accused the duo of treason.

But according to Ariff, DAP is ‘more relevant’ to the Malays now than Umno.

“Don’t read our move as blasphemous or treasonable. I believe the DAP is more relevant and functional in achieving a more democratic and abuse-free society than Umno.

“In DAP I can speak on the plight of the displaced and disowned Malays with more energy than allowed of in Umno.

“Umno has turned its back on corruption and abuse of political office. DAP abhors these traits. To me these are are attractive propositions.

“As a Muslim, we are changing wadah not aqidah…that is what Umno fears. It fears that its monopoly over Malays is broken, ” said Ariff, who is also an FMT columnist.

Last week DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke had reportedly said that the party had approached Ariff and Aspan but ‘no decision has been made’.

[Source: FMT]

Will we see a change of government in Malaysia in the coming general election?

2012-01-01T15:19:00.005+08:00

The 12th general election in 2008 produced a devastating result for Barisan Nasional. BN received 49 per cent of popular votes in the Peninsula while the opposition gained a combined vote of 51 per cent.

Nationally, after taking into account of votes from Sabah and Sarawak, the tally was reversed with BN 51 per cent versus the opposition at 49 per cent.

In terms of seats, on 8th March 2008, BN gained 85 seats in the Peninsula while the opposition 80 seats.

The opposition managed to get only one (Bandar Kuching) of the 31 parliamentary seats in Sarawak and one (Kota Kinabalu) of 25 in Sabah. In the Peninsula, the opposition won one (Bakri) of 26 seats in Johor and two (Kuantan and Indera Mahkota) of Pahang’s 13 parliamentary seats.

The four “fixed deposit” states of BN has a total of 95 seats. A change of federal government will happen if the opposition wins a third of the parliamentary seats in the states of Sabah, Sarawak, Johore and Pahang.

Besides the economic issues such as inflation and depleting value of income, the coming 13th general election will also be based on these factors:

1. Malay votes are sensitive to issues of corruption, abuse of power and bullying tactics against political foes (think about Anwar Ibrahim, Adam Adli, etc);

2. At least two traditional vote banks of Umno — Felda and the civil service — are in jittery due to poor policy choices (listing of FGV and the new salary scheme).

3. The Indian support for BN is not as solid as it was thought. There are divides along the line of North-South (Pakatan Rakyat is not very strong in southern Peninsula), urban-estate (access to alternative information is minimal in estates), middle class-poor (the poor being more supportive of BN, for whatever reasons).

4. The Chinese support for BN has further eroded since 2008, thanks to Perkasa and Utusan.

5. In Utusan and Perkasa’s zeal to promote its exclusivist causes, a huge segment of “fixed deposits” — the Sabah and Sarawak Christian Bumiputra — are alienated.

6. Sabah Umno as possible king maker. Umno won only 79 of the 112 federal seats it contested in 2008. Of which 13 comes from Sabah and one from Labuan. Essentially, the Peninsula Umno won only 65 seats.

7. Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud as possible king maker. Allegedly Najib Razak dislikes Taib. If the Prime Minister does not do anything before the next poll, with 14 parliamentary seats which his Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) is likely to retain, Taib may hold the balance of power.

Let’s be clear at the onset that BN has all the built-in advantages as the incumbent. After all, elections in Malaysia were never conducted fairly.

Nearly everyone in BN believes that with Najib’s alphabet soup management, the ruling coalition has recovered from its misfortune in 2008. Some cite by-election victories. Others say this Prime Minister doesn’t sleep in meetings.

However, longevity at helm is a negative factor for BN. Apart from the undemocratic communist regimes like China, Vietnam and North Korea, BN (and its predecessor the Alliance) is the longest serving elected government in the world.

Perhaps it has overstayed its welcome

[Written by Liew Chin Tong, DAP International Secretary and MP for Bukit Bendera]

Happy New Year Everyone

2012-01-01T07:59:00.000+08:00