Monday, December 31, 2012
A year of infamy
Malaysians cannot look back with pride at all the disturbing events that have rocked the country in the past one year.
The curtain will soon fall on the old year but Malaysians will have nothing to shout about. The events of the past one year have been a blot on the canvas that is Malaysia, a country that is still being ruled by the same power for more than half a century. What happened in 2012 has wiped out the smile on the face of the nation. Let’s rewind the reel and replay some of the notable scenes that would forever remain etched in the memory of Malaysians.
Coming into sharp focus is the yellow tide that flowed down the streets of Kuala Lumpur only to be stopped at the gates of Freedom Square. What happened on that April day will long be remembered as a day of infamy. The Bersih 3.0 rally united thousands of fellow-minded citizens for a lofty and principled cause that won the unstinting support of all races. The government did not see that way. It crushed the mass movement and spilled blood on the streets. It rudely snuffed out the light of democracy.
Now the scene shifts to the home of the Bersih leader, S Ambiga. Condoned suspiciously by the government, a bunch of rowdies put on a disgusting show that only invited all-round condemnation. Their insolent behaviour merely mirrored the rotten conduct of the authorities. The powers-that-be thought they could manipulate public opinion against the Iron Lady but they were dead wrong. The people poured scorn on all those leaders who misused and abused power to advance their nefarious ends.
Then there is the unforgettable show of “green power”. The 300km long march from Kuantan to the heart of Kuala Lumpur city is a powerful statement of human courage in the face of overwhelming odds. The big walk started with a trickle but soon swelled to a wave as people volunteered to join in to fight for a safer Malaysia. The government, blinded by corporate greed, chose to ignore the event. Malaysians took it seriously. The march under the banner of Himpunan Hijau sent a loud message to all those out to destroy the environment: Malaysia will not be a “garbage dump” for overseas companies.
The camera moves to another setting and there standing on the stage are the cows. These cows have been “short-changed”. They are supposed to be the pride of the country, supplying enough beef to the country but only dung was heaped on the plates. The National Feedlot Corporation that manages the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) that is looking after the cows did a botched job. Now the whole country knows that the bovine business stinks to high heaven because something had gone terribly wrong.
The exposé led to the downfall of Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the “god” minister who claimed ignorance of the “cowgate” scandal. Her husband and son are running the business and yet Shahrizat told the incredulous world she did not know what they were doing although all are staying under the same roof. It is a shame that whistleblower Rafizi Ramli, for his pains, was charged with allegedly disclosing confidential information relating to the NFC debacle. But in the court of public opinion, the whole episode reeks of greed and dishonesty and those responsible for this despicable action should pay for it.
The biggest story of the day must surely be the “Deepak Jaikishan” revelations. The dirt, long kept under the carpet, is swept out and there exposed is the triangular relationship starring Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Rosmah Mansor. This sordid tale is all about statutory declarations. Deepak revealed he was the man who goaded private investigator P Balasubramaniam to retract the first statutory declaration (SD). The first SD is fatally damaging to Najib because it tied him to the murder of Altantuya.
Pouring more oil into the fire is Rosmah. Najib’s wife allegedly sought Deepak’s help to contact Balasubramaniam to get the first SD withdrawn. Balasubramaniam them came out with a second SD which repudiated the first SD. The plot grew thicker with the entrance of Najib’s brother Nazim Tun Razak and a certain Tan Sri lawyer. In this web of intrigue, Nazim allegedly got the lawyer to draw up the second SD and “forced” Balasubramaniam to sign it. The private investigator did not even get to see the contents of the second SD. The lawyer is now in hot water. All this revelation is unravelling the mystery surrounding the tragic death of Altantuya.
In the midst of this swirling tempest, Najib goes about his work with much pomp and splendour. Rosmah too keeps her haughty distance probably because she has more important business to attend to. All is peace and harmony because the mainsteam media also maintains a colossal silence. But the storm has been let loose and it is impossible for the country to carry on with its business with equanimity. The relentless howling presages more troubles ahead.
[Source: FMT]
Coming into sharp focus is the yellow tide that flowed down the streets of Kuala Lumpur only to be stopped at the gates of Freedom Square. What happened on that April day will long be remembered as a day of infamy. The Bersih 3.0 rally united thousands of fellow-minded citizens for a lofty and principled cause that won the unstinting support of all races. The government did not see that way. It crushed the mass movement and spilled blood on the streets. It rudely snuffed out the light of democracy.
Now the scene shifts to the home of the Bersih leader, S Ambiga. Condoned suspiciously by the government, a bunch of rowdies put on a disgusting show that only invited all-round condemnation. Their insolent behaviour merely mirrored the rotten conduct of the authorities. The powers-that-be thought they could manipulate public opinion against the Iron Lady but they were dead wrong. The people poured scorn on all those leaders who misused and abused power to advance their nefarious ends.
Then there is the unforgettable show of “green power”. The 300km long march from Kuantan to the heart of Kuala Lumpur city is a powerful statement of human courage in the face of overwhelming odds. The big walk started with a trickle but soon swelled to a wave as people volunteered to join in to fight for a safer Malaysia. The government, blinded by corporate greed, chose to ignore the event. Malaysians took it seriously. The march under the banner of Himpunan Hijau sent a loud message to all those out to destroy the environment: Malaysia will not be a “garbage dump” for overseas companies.
The camera moves to another setting and there standing on the stage are the cows. These cows have been “short-changed”. They are supposed to be the pride of the country, supplying enough beef to the country but only dung was heaped on the plates. The National Feedlot Corporation that manages the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) that is looking after the cows did a botched job. Now the whole country knows that the bovine business stinks to high heaven because something had gone terribly wrong.
The exposé led to the downfall of Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the “god” minister who claimed ignorance of the “cowgate” scandal. Her husband and son are running the business and yet Shahrizat told the incredulous world she did not know what they were doing although all are staying under the same roof. It is a shame that whistleblower Rafizi Ramli, for his pains, was charged with allegedly disclosing confidential information relating to the NFC debacle. But in the court of public opinion, the whole episode reeks of greed and dishonesty and those responsible for this despicable action should pay for it.
The biggest story of the day must surely be the “Deepak Jaikishan” revelations. The dirt, long kept under the carpet, is swept out and there exposed is the triangular relationship starring Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Rosmah Mansor. This sordid tale is all about statutory declarations. Deepak revealed he was the man who goaded private investigator P Balasubramaniam to retract the first statutory declaration (SD). The first SD is fatally damaging to Najib because it tied him to the murder of Altantuya.
Pouring more oil into the fire is Rosmah. Najib’s wife allegedly sought Deepak’s help to contact Balasubramaniam to get the first SD withdrawn. Balasubramaniam them came out with a second SD which repudiated the first SD. The plot grew thicker with the entrance of Najib’s brother Nazim Tun Razak and a certain Tan Sri lawyer. In this web of intrigue, Nazim allegedly got the lawyer to draw up the second SD and “forced” Balasubramaniam to sign it. The private investigator did not even get to see the contents of the second SD. The lawyer is now in hot water. All this revelation is unravelling the mystery surrounding the tragic death of Altantuya.
In the midst of this swirling tempest, Najib goes about his work with much pomp and splendour. Rosmah too keeps her haughty distance probably because she has more important business to attend to. All is peace and harmony because the mainsteam media also maintains a colossal silence. But the storm has been let loose and it is impossible for the country to carry on with its business with equanimity. The relentless howling presages more troubles ahead.
[Source: FMT]
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Ahmadinejad's Christmas Day Message
The message may be a week old but still it is good to hear from a leader of one of the world's leading Islamic countries.
Adnan, thanks for making my day
All BN candidates for the 13th general election have been found to be free of corruption and other crimes, BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said today.
He said the candidates for the 222 parliamentary and 505 state seats had undergone screening by the police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Department of Insolvency to ensure that they were "clean" and did not have any problems.
Tengku Adnan spoke to reporters after presenting school aid and People's Volunteer Corps (Rela) uniforms at a gathering of the people here where a durian feast was also held. He also said that the background of the candidates was subjected to scrutiny to ensure that they were the people's choice.
“We want the candidates to be whom the people want, not whom the party or individuals in the party want. We want candidates whom the people feel they can represent them," he said.
Asked about new faces and women candidates, Tengku Adnan said that was a confidential matter.
Recently, MACC's Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel chairman Johan Jaaffar had proposed that all political parties send their list of candidates for the 13th general election for vetting by the MACC to ensure that they were free of corruption and to avert baseless accusations against any individual or party later.
Tengku Adnan, who is the MP for Putrajaya, said he would get the assistance of the Putrajaya Corporation to provide more facilities for the comfort of the residents here.
He apologised to the residents for any shortcomings on his part and reminded them to be a model society for the country, saying that Putrajaya was a sustainable city.
- Bernama
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sikh group: Fatwa on Allah ban 'illegal and void'
The National Fatwa Council’s ban of the non-Muslims’ use of the word ‘Allah’ is unconstitutional, said the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC) representing the Sikh community.
The ban that Penang mufti Hassan Ahmad was reported repeating on Wednesday is wrong on two counts, said MGC president Jagir Singh in a statement yesterday.
Firstly, he said, a fatwa does not apply to non-Muslims, and secondly, Article 11(4) of the federal constitution does not support any such prohibition on non-Muslims.
Jagir cited the 2009 High Court decision on the Catholic publication Herald’s use of the word ‘Allah’, which deemed that laws restricting its use by non-Muslims would also be construed “unconstitutional”.
Therefore, he said, Hassan’s statement is “irreconcilable with the constitution”.
“Fatwas are advisory in nature and do not apply to non-Muslims. Moreover, any fatwa issued that contradicts the supreme law of the land (the federal constitution) would be illegal and void.”
He also argued that state legislations’ attempts to ban usage of certain words based on Article 11(4) - that prohibits the propagation of other faiths to Muslims - did not apply to non-Muslims.
“Even a first-year law student will know that Article 11(4) does not prohibit the use of such words by non-Muslims,” he said, adding that the judgement on the Herald case pressed the point home.
‘State enactments subject to constitution’
On Wednesday, Sinar Harian reported Hassan reminding Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng that, “The Penang mufti’s department has decided that words such as ‘Allah’, ‘takwa’, ‘haji’ and ‘masjid’ can only be used by Muslims.
“The rule was enforced during Pakatan Rakyat’s regime and agreed by Lim as the chief minister, in which he has been notified and regulations have been enacted,” Hassan was reported saying.
The mufti was responding to Lim’s (left) Christmas Day message that took a swipe at Prime Minister Najib Razak for the government appealing the Herald ruling and thus keeping the controversy alive.
Jagir said that while Hassan has pointed out enactments on 40 words that non-Muslims cannot use, including ‘Allah’, the non-Muslim community had not supported such enactments.
He recounted how the then Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism (the Taoists at the time were not yet members) in 1988 objected to the Perak’s ‘Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religious Bill 1988'.
The council had at the time told the state that some of the prohibited words were “pre-Islamic and have been used by non-Muslims for centuries... Muslims and Christians in 33 countries are using the same word ‘Allah’”.
The state was also informed that, “In the case of the Sikhs, most of the prohibited words (in the proposed Bill) are in use in their holy scripture and in their exegetical texts... we must in all conscience reject this Perak Bill,” said Jagir.
“The Middle East countries and our neighbour Indonesia allow for the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims,” he said, adding that the matter had only been politicised and made an issue in Malaysia since the late 1980s.
He advised Hassan to “study the constitution” and the 2009 Herald court decision.
“The mere passing of the enactments cannot override the constitution and may be unconstitutional,” he said, adding that it is the Federal Court’s duty to decide on the constitutionality of enacted laws of the states,” he said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh has risen to the defence of the party's secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's Christmas day call for Christians to be allowed to use the term 'Allah', stating that it was not intended to hurt Muslim sensitivities.
He explained that Lim's call was meant for Christians in Sabah and Sarawak where the word has been in use for generations.
It is surprising, therefore, that Penang Umno secretary Datuk Azhar Ibrahim has publicly come out with a scathing attack on the Penang chief minister that what he had said in his Christmas message should not hurt the feelings of Muslims, he said in a statement yesterday.
Karpal (right) added that in any event, the use of the word 'Allah' should not affect the sensitivities of Muslims in the country.
The word ‘Allah' appears 37 times in the Sikh bible. No objection has ever been taken by Muslims for the use of that word by Sikh when reciting their bible.
The word Allah also appears in the Bengali language. In Malaysia, the orang asli use the word and so do the Babas in Malacca, he said.
As such, Karpal said that there was no ill intention on Lim's part when making the call.
Nothing sinister should be read into what the chief minister said as he had no intention of hurting anyone's feelings.
Therefore, he added, calls for Lim to issue a public apology are not justified.
Lim (left) had in his Christmas message called on Putrajaya to allow Christians to use the term 'Allah' in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible.
DAP later clarified that the call was only for the term to be allowed for use in Sabah and Sarawak.
In response, PAS secretary general Mustafa Ali and Information Chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said that the term 'Allah' should not be used in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible as the correct translation for God should be 'Tuhan'.
PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim later said a Pakatan Rakyat meeting will be called to hammer out the issue.
[Source: Mkini]
The ban that Penang mufti Hassan Ahmad was reported repeating on Wednesday is wrong on two counts, said MGC president Jagir Singh in a statement yesterday.
Firstly, he said, a fatwa does not apply to non-Muslims, and secondly, Article 11(4) of the federal constitution does not support any such prohibition on non-Muslims.Jagir cited the 2009 High Court decision on the Catholic publication Herald’s use of the word ‘Allah’, which deemed that laws restricting its use by non-Muslims would also be construed “unconstitutional”.
Therefore, he said, Hassan’s statement is “irreconcilable with the constitution”.
“Fatwas are advisory in nature and do not apply to non-Muslims. Moreover, any fatwa issued that contradicts the supreme law of the land (the federal constitution) would be illegal and void.”
He also argued that state legislations’ attempts to ban usage of certain words based on Article 11(4) - that prohibits the propagation of other faiths to Muslims - did not apply to non-Muslims.
“Even a first-year law student will know that Article 11(4) does not prohibit the use of such words by non-Muslims,” he said, adding that the judgement on the Herald case pressed the point home.
‘State enactments subject to constitution’
On Wednesday, Sinar Harian reported Hassan reminding Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng that, “The Penang mufti’s department has decided that words such as ‘Allah’, ‘takwa’, ‘haji’ and ‘masjid’ can only be used by Muslims.
“The rule was enforced during Pakatan Rakyat’s regime and agreed by Lim as the chief minister, in which he has been notified and regulations have been enacted,” Hassan was reported saying.
The mufti was responding to Lim’s (left) Christmas Day message that took a swipe at Prime Minister Najib Razak for the government appealing the Herald ruling and thus keeping the controversy alive.Jagir said that while Hassan has pointed out enactments on 40 words that non-Muslims cannot use, including ‘Allah’, the non-Muslim community had not supported such enactments.
He recounted how the then Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism (the Taoists at the time were not yet members) in 1988 objected to the Perak’s ‘Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religious Bill 1988'.
The council had at the time told the state that some of the prohibited words were “pre-Islamic and have been used by non-Muslims for centuries... Muslims and Christians in 33 countries are using the same word ‘Allah’”.
The state was also informed that, “In the case of the Sikhs, most of the prohibited words (in the proposed Bill) are in use in their holy scripture and in their exegetical texts... we must in all conscience reject this Perak Bill,” said Jagir.“The Middle East countries and our neighbour Indonesia allow for the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims,” he said, adding that the matter had only been politicised and made an issue in Malaysia since the late 1980s.
He advised Hassan to “study the constitution” and the 2009 Herald court decision.
“The mere passing of the enactments cannot override the constitution and may be unconstitutional,” he said, adding that it is the Federal Court’s duty to decide on the constitutionality of enacted laws of the states,” he said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh has risen to the defence of the party's secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's Christmas day call for Christians to be allowed to use the term 'Allah', stating that it was not intended to hurt Muslim sensitivities.
He explained that Lim's call was meant for Christians in Sabah and Sarawak where the word has been in use for generations.
It is surprising, therefore, that Penang Umno secretary Datuk Azhar Ibrahim has publicly come out with a scathing attack on the Penang chief minister that what he had said in his Christmas message should not hurt the feelings of Muslims, he said in a statement yesterday.
Karpal (right) added that in any event, the use of the word 'Allah' should not affect the sensitivities of Muslims in the country.The word ‘Allah' appears 37 times in the Sikh bible. No objection has ever been taken by Muslims for the use of that word by Sikh when reciting their bible.
The word Allah also appears in the Bengali language. In Malaysia, the orang asli use the word and so do the Babas in Malacca, he said.
As such, Karpal said that there was no ill intention on Lim's part when making the call.
Nothing sinister should be read into what the chief minister said as he had no intention of hurting anyone's feelings.
Therefore, he added, calls for Lim to issue a public apology are not justified.
Lim (left) had in his Christmas message called on Putrajaya to allow Christians to use the term 'Allah' in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible. DAP later clarified that the call was only for the term to be allowed for use in Sabah and Sarawak.
In response, PAS secretary general Mustafa Ali and Information Chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said that the term 'Allah' should not be used in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible as the correct translation for God should be 'Tuhan'.
PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim later said a Pakatan Rakyat meeting will be called to hammer out the issue.
[Source: Mkini]
Friday, December 28, 2012
Allah, Tuhan and Negara-ku revisited
This issue was highlighted back in early 2009 when the 'Allah' issue was on the boil. Today, this issue is once again reignited. UMNO and its religious bigots have stuck to their demand that Christians should use the word 'Tuhan' instead of 'Allah'. Now look at our national anthem -
With such a thinking from UMNO, how is it possible for the Muslims now to sing the national anthem as they would then be honouring the Christian god? On the other hand, if they were so idiotic enough to change the word 'Tuhan' to 'Allah' to cater for the Muslims, then you will not be getting the non-Muslims to sing as they are prohibited from uttering the word 'Allah'. This 'Allah/Tuhan' debate does not only affect our national anthem but several state anthems as well.
Will someone please come to his senses and do the right thing.
Well, so much for 1Malaysia!
Negaraku,
Tanah tumpahnya darahku,
Rakyat hidup, bersatu dan maju,
Rahmat bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita, Selamat bertakhta!
Rahmat bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita, Selamat bertakhta!
With such a thinking from UMNO, how is it possible for the Muslims now to sing the national anthem as they would then be honouring the Christian god? On the other hand, if they were so idiotic enough to change the word 'Tuhan' to 'Allah' to cater for the Muslims, then you will not be getting the non-Muslims to sing as they are prohibited from uttering the word 'Allah'. This 'Allah/Tuhan' debate does not only affect our national anthem but several state anthems as well.
Will someone please come to his senses and do the right thing.
Well, so much for 1Malaysia!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
The Hillsborough Charity Single
This is the number one track in UK this Christmas. Watch the stars sing the official Hillsborough charity song with Kenny Dalglish [former Celtic and Liverpool], Alan Hansen [former Liverpool] and Peter Reid [manager English team] at the recording of the single, which will raise money for the families of the 96 fans that died in the 1989 disaster, The teans competing at that time was Liverpool and Nothingham Forest. All proceeds wil go to their legal fight for justice. The likes of Robbie Williams, Paul McCartney, Rebecca Ferguson, Richard Hawley and The Clash's Mick Jones are also singing on the track, which they hope will beat the X Factor to Christmas number one.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
A new figure named in scandal
Deepak Jaikishan names well connected lawyer in murder cover-upPerhaps the most crucial – and quoted – document seeking to tie Najib Tun Razak, the current prime minister of Malaysia, to a murdered Mongolian beauty named Altantuya Shaariibuu was a sworn declaration filed on July 1, 2008 by a Kuala Lumpur-based private detective named Perumal Balasubramaniam.
That document, which detailed allegations of an affair between Najib, the then-defense minister and the 28-year-old woman, lasted just three days before it was dramatically reversed. Police allegedly picked up Balasubramaniam and took him to a Kuala Lumpur police station where he was told his family was in serious danger if he didn't reverse his statement.
The private detective was then taken to a room at the Hilton Hotel in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, where accordingly, on July 4, he signed a new six-page sworn statement in which he said, among other things, that "I wish to retract the entire contents of my Statutory Declaration dated 1July 2008. I was compelled to affirm the said Statutory Declaration dated 1July 2008 under duress."
Balasubramaniam now says he didn't write that statement. He never saw it, he said, until it was presented to him in the Hilton.
Four and a half years later, the name of the person who wrote the reversal is believed to be that of Cecil Abraham (left), a senior partner with the law firm of Zul Rafique & Partners of Kuala Lumpur, one of the country's most prominent law firms and one that is a major beneficiary of government-related legal business. It is also a firm with considerable experience in defamation cases.Abraham's name surfaced last week with another explosive revelation by Kuala Lumpur-based businessman Deepak Jaikishan, who told the Parti Islam se-Malaysia party newspaper Harakah that the attorney had written the document along with his son, and that the son had brought it to Balasubramaniam and the people who were holding him at the Hilton. According to Balasubramiam's lawyer, Americk Sidhu, Deepak was present in the hotel room when his brother, Dinesh, brought the declaration for Bala to sign. Bala wasn't allowed access to his own lawyer.
Since late November, Deepak has met with a string of opposition and independent websites to give progressively more damaging details about Najib's involvement in suppressing Balasbramaniam's original declaration, bringing Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor and his brother into the matter. With naming Abraham as the man who wrote the reversal of the declaration, he now takes it further into the United Malays National Organization power structure.
Abraham is both a datuk and a tan sri, honorific titles conferred on politically or socially prominent individuals by Malaysia's sultan. As an indication of his influence, no opposition publication was willing to print his name for days, including Harakah, only referring to him in various ways as an important figure. Abraham is considered one of the quietly most politically powerful figures in the country, a friend of the top members of UMNO including Hishamuddin Hussein, the Home Affairs minister, as well as Najib. He sits on a wide range of boards and committees including one that determines which cases are refused or initiated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Committee.
If indeed Abraham did write Bala's repudiation document, the besieged private detective never saw him – or the document – until it was given to him to sign. However, the Commissioner for Oaths who visited Bala in the room in which he was being held in at the Hilton to attest that it was his signature on the document was Zainal Abidin Muryat, a commissioner of oaths from Abraham's law firm, Zul Rafique & Partners.
"Let me make it very clear that my client does not know the identity of the lawyer(s) who drafted this 2nd statutory declaration," said Americk Sidhu. "He had not instructed any lawyer to do so. This is because the contents of his first statutory declaration were true to the best of his knowledge and belief. Therefore there was never any necessity to alter the contents of his first one. However, Bala was forced to sign a second one because of a threat to the safety of his wife and children."
After Balasubramaniam fled for Chennai, reportedly accompanied by his family a promise from Nazim Razak, the prime minister's brother, of RM5 million to keep his mouth shut, he held multiple press conferences to say he had been intimidated into reversing himself, and called repeatedly for an investigation of his charges by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Abraham also sits on the Operation Review Panel of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, which had the responsibility to examine Balasubramaniam's charges. The MACC has repeatedly turned him down. An MACC spokesman denied that Abraham had any say in declining an investigation.
Particularly since Deepak Jaikishan start issuing his spectacular charges in late November, the question of Balasubramaniam's first statutory declaration has assumed increasing relevance to the case. Altantuya was murdered on Oct. 19, 2006 by two of Najib's bodyguards. One of Najib's best friends, Abdul Razak Baginda, was initially charged with the crime. He had been Altantuya's lover, but jilted her.
In his first declaration, Bala said that he had been hired to keep Altantuya away from Razak Baginda. In conversations with the former highly-placed think tank analyst, Abdul Razak Baginda as Altantuya continued to harass him, Razak Baginda told him that:
"1) He had been introduced to Aminah {eds: his nickname for Altantuya} by Najib Razak at a diamond exhibition in Singapore.
"2) Najib Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Aminah and that she was susceptible to anal intercourse.
"3) Najib Razak wanted Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Aminah as he did not want her to harass him since he was now the deputy prime minister.
"4) Najib Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had all been together at a dinner in Paris.
"5) Aminah wanted money from him as she felt she was entitled to a US$500,000 commission on a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris."
That submarine deal has since blown up into one of the longest-running scandals in recent Malaysian history, involving allegations that the French armaments giant DCN and its subsidiaries had paid €114 million in bribes that was channeled through a firm wholly owned by Razak Baginda to the United Malays National Organization with the full knowledge of then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad an French Minister Alain Juppe, and that it was facilitated by Najib Tun Razak when he was defence minister.
That case is currently under investigation in Paris by authorities on allegations the "commission" paid to Razak Baginda's company was a violation of the OECD statute on bribery, which France signed onto in 2002.
[Source : Asian Sentinel]
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday Humour
SMART ASS ANSWER #5
A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her.
Without missing a beat, she said, 'Sir, I need to see your boarding card, not your stub.'
SMART ASS ANSWER #4
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, ' Do these turkeys get any bigger?'
The stock boy replied, 'No ma'am, they're dead...'
SMART ASS ANSWER #3
The police officer got out of his car as the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window. 'I've been waiting for you all day,' the officer said.
The kid replied, Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could.'
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
SMART ASS ANSWER #2
A truck driver was driving along on the freeway and noticed a sign that read: Low Bridge Ahead. Before he knows it, the bridge is right in front of him and his truck gets wedged under it. Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, 'Got stuck, huh?'
The truck driver says, 'No, I was delivering this bridge and I ran out of gas.'
SMART ASS ANSWER OF THE YEAR 2012!
A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam. 'Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow.
I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury, illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!'
A smart-ass student in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, 'What would you say if tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?'
The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering. When silence was restored, the teacher smiled knowingly at the student, shook her head and sweetly said, 'Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand.'
A BONUS�EXTRA
A woman is standing nude looking in the bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, 'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly... I really need you to pay me a compliment.'
The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's damn near perfect'.
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Registry on the first day back at school in Birmingham .
A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her.
Without missing a beat, she said, 'Sir, I need to see your boarding card, not your stub.'
SMART ASS ANSWER #4
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, ' Do these turkeys get any bigger?'
The stock boy replied, 'No ma'am, they're dead...'
SMART ASS ANSWER #3
The police officer got out of his car as the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window. 'I've been waiting for you all day,' the officer said.
The kid replied, Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could.'
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
SMART ASS ANSWER #2
A truck driver was driving along on the freeway and noticed a sign that read: Low Bridge Ahead. Before he knows it, the bridge is right in front of him and his truck gets wedged under it. Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, 'Got stuck, huh?'
The truck driver says, 'No, I was delivering this bridge and I ran out of gas.'
SMART ASS ANSWER OF THE YEAR 2012!
A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam. 'Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow.
I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury, illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!'
A smart-ass student in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, 'What would you say if tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?'
The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering. When silence was restored, the teacher smiled knowingly at the student, shook her head and sweetly said, 'Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand.'
A BONUS�EXTRA
A woman is standing nude looking in the bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, 'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly... I really need you to pay me a compliment.'
The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's damn near perfect'.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Registry on the first day back at school in Birmingham .
The teacher began calling out the names of the pupils:-
"Mustafa Al Eih Zeri?" "Here."
"Achmed El Kabul?" "Here."
"Fatima Al Hayek? " "Here."
"Ali Abdul Olmi?" "Here."
"Mohammed Bin Kadir?" "Here."
"Ali Son al Len” - Silence in the classroom.
"Ali Son al Len" - Continued silence as everyone looked around the room.
The teacher repeated the call.
A girl stood up and said, "Sorry teacher. I think that's me. It's pronounced Alison Allen....
"Mustafa Al Eih Zeri?" "Here."
"Achmed El Kabul?" "Here."
"Fatima Al Hayek? " "Here."
"Ali Abdul Olmi?" "Here."
"Mohammed Bin Kadir?" "Here."
"Ali Son al Len” - Silence in the classroom.
"Ali Son al Len" - Continued silence as everyone looked around the room.
The teacher repeated the call.
A girl stood up and said, "Sorry teacher. I think that's me. It's pronounced Alison Allen....
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Reezal Merican and God
Even though the UMNO 66th General Assembly is over two weeks ago, I still can't help thinking about Reezal Merican's statement as seen from the picture below. All along, UMNO has been anti-Jews. So, how is it possible that they could use such a line professed by the Jews [or then known as the Israelites] four thousand years ago? Did God really handpicked UMNO to represent the Malays? Hmmmm. Now if UMNO was to be handpicked by God, then UMNO members must have lived a puritan life, one that is of high moral standards to be noticed by Him.
Let's look at the following video clip from the movie "The Ten Commandments" which starred the late Charleston Heston. This was when the moral code of God was given to mankind, a belief shared by all Muslims.
We don't need to visit all the ten commandments but just a few that UMNO has breached. If this is not sinful, I don't know what is.
1. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. How about swearing on the Quran? How about claiming that God handpicked UMNO to represent the Malays?
2. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. For the Jews, it is Saturday. For the Christians, it is Sunday. For the Muslims, it is Friday. So, why are there violent demonstrations after Friday prayers?
3. Thou shalt not kill. Remember Teoh Beng Hock, Kugan, Aminulrasyid Amzah, Altantuya and Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed, just to name a few. Why the continuous threat of May 13?
4. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Razak Baginda has confessed to having an affair with Altantuya and the prime minister was equally implicated in the case, although the latter had denied. As a result of this, it is no mere wonder that UMNO could find it acceptable of similar behaviour by a leader of one of its component parties, i.e. Chua Soi Lek, president of MCA. As they say, it runs in the family.
5. Thou shalt not steal. The rakyat's money was taken for personal gratification. The prime minister's wife collection of handbags, shoes and a diamond ring worth millions of ringgit is enough to boggle one's imagination. This is just one example. There are many more but the one that is a 'hot potato' at the moment is the land scam in Selangor by the former UMNO state government.
6. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Sodomy 1 and 2 against Anwar Ibrahim are examples of how UMNO or its cohorts would fabricate evidences to persecute the former. Utusan has even openly admitted that they were duty bound to spin their news/stories against the Opposition.
7. Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbour's. From women, land, properties, projects and money, UMNO has done it. The greed knows no bounds and all in the name of social engineering. Deepak Jaikishan's current case against Senator Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah is another good example.
Out of ten, seven sins were committed and you still think God would have handpicked UMNO for the job?
Anwar Ibrahim on Al Mayadeen TV [Beirut] November 2012
Courtesy of Al Mayadeen TV & Malaysia Chronicle
An interview with Beirut-based Al Mayadeen TV, Beirut, conducted in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on November 2012.
An interview with Beirut-based Al Mayadeen TV, Beirut, conducted in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on November 2012.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Yes, it's that time of the year again
As we move into the Advent season, I would like to start off the Christmas celebration by posting a video of Elvis Presley and Martina McBride doing a duet on the song "Blue Christmas".
What is unique about this video is that the film was shot during Elvis' Comeback Concert in 1968. At that time, Martina McBride was only 2 years old. With the aid of modern technology, it was now possible for her to sing alongside her favourite idol.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
And the noose begins to tighten a little further
Controversial businessperson Deepak Jaikishan is going to write a 26-page tell-all booklet in which he plans to link the wife of the prime minister, Rosmah Mansor, with the saga of murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.
This, he said, was his own direct response to Rosmah's planned autobiography, in which she is to include a chapter dedicated to answering allegations levelled against her.
"Datin Seri Rosmah made a very, very good decision to publish her autobiography.
"On the suggestion of a friend from the media, I decided this morning to announce that I too will be launching two books," Deepak told Malaysiakini in an interview today.
The first, to be launched next Monday, he said, would be a simple 26-page booklet.
"(The booklet will) start with the day I received the first call till today, about what has transpired, the truth, all the facts.
"I got a lot of SMSes and calls (from Rosmah). I will gather these and put them all together."
It was Rosmah, says Deepak
Rosmah, alleged Deepak, was the "female friend" who had called him up and asked for his help in the matter.
The booklet, said Deepak, would focus exclusively on how Rosmah recruited him to coerce former private investigator P Balasubramaniam to sign a second statuatory declaration (SD) refuting his earlier one linking her husband, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, with the saga surrounding the Altantuya's murder.
The carpet dealer said the book would be printed "in the thousands" and distributed to members of the public as well as be made available online.
His other book, which he said he would write himself, would be a full autobiography.
"With due respect to Datin Seri, I plan to launch it a day after her autobiography is released," Deepak added.
This, he said, was his own direct response to Rosmah's planned autobiography, in which she is to include a chapter dedicated to answering allegations levelled against her."Datin Seri Rosmah made a very, very good decision to publish her autobiography.
"On the suggestion of a friend from the media, I decided this morning to announce that I too will be launching two books," Deepak told Malaysiakini in an interview today.
The first, to be launched next Monday, he said, would be a simple 26-page booklet."(The booklet will) start with the day I received the first call till today, about what has transpired, the truth, all the facts.
"I got a lot of SMSes and calls (from Rosmah). I will gather these and put them all together."
It was Rosmah, says Deepak
Rosmah, alleged Deepak, was the "female friend" who had called him up and asked for his help in the matter.
The booklet, said Deepak, would focus exclusively on how Rosmah recruited him to coerce former private investigator P Balasubramaniam to sign a second statuatory declaration (SD) refuting his earlier one linking her husband, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, with the saga surrounding the Altantuya's murder.
The carpet dealer said the book would be printed "in the thousands" and distributed to members of the public as well as be made available online.
His other book, which he said he would write himself, would be a full autobiography.
"With due respect to Datin Seri, I plan to launch it a day after her autobiography is released," Deepak added.
[Source: Mkini]
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Our Sunday Girl - JUDY
You came down out of heaven
To make me happy dear
To smile away my sorrows
And kisses in my tears
Seems that I have loved you girl
I've never done before
But now you're in my heart, love
To stay forever more
You're my angel, Judy
You're my darling
You're the sweetest flower that heaven ever bloomed
My arms could never hold another
'Cos my love is, only for you.
[Interlude]
The nights were dark and lonely
The days were lonely too
But now there's also my love
'Cos all I see is you
You came into my heart, love
From out of venture space
The song upon your lips, dear
The smile upon your face
You're my angel, Judy
You're my darling
You're the sweetest flower that heaven ever bloomed
My arms could never hold another
'Cos my love is, only for you.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
What Md Alwi Che Ahmad said at the recent 66th UMNO General Assembly
 |
| Old pix of Md Alwi Che Ahmad taken during the 2010 UMNO General Assembly, but the quote as made at the recent 66th UMNO General Assembly |
But the fact is, the Kelantan soccer team does not belong to UMNO, it belongs to ......
PAS
 |
| The Kelantan team |
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Looks like the gravy train isn't going to stop any time sooner
PKR Investment and Trade Bureau chief Wong Chen has claimed that a family member of former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is linked to one of the companies which supplies new meters to Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB).
At a press conference at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya today, he claimed that Abdullah’s close relative was a director in a firm, which in turn had a 15 percent stake in the company which supplied the meters.
“This is a fact, we are not accusing anyone but it would be best for TNB to come forward and explain before the public links this to other matters such as cronyism,” Wong (left) said.
The names of the companies involved and the name of Abdullah's relative are withheld in this report pending their reply to Malaysiakini's request for comments.
TNB had last October suspended its meter replacement programme following complaints from consumers that they were being overcharged after the meter change.
Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui had reportedly said that the suspension will remain until guidelines for the programme are drafted and electricity tariffs would be maintained until June next year.
Consumers overcharged
Elaborating on this, Wong estimated that consumers will bear as much as RM688 million a year if the new meters calculate electricity bills at an increased rate of two percent.
He added that TNB is also expected to foot RM2 billion in cost for the new meters, estimated at RM250 each for 8.03 million consumers.
“Based on the 10-year lifespan of these meters, consumers will eventually pay a total of RM6.88 billion extra to TNB in a period of 10 years,” he added.
Also present at the press conference was PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who called on TNB to make public the details of the meter supply tender.
“This is necessary as it is of national interest and involves billions of ringgit,” he said.
The Seri Setia state assemblyperson said he has received 22 complaints from consumers who claimed that their bill had spiked by 20 to 50 percent after their meters were replaced.
He noted that TNB had claimed that the new meters were better and more accurate but in light of recent developments, TNB should investigate the matter.
[Source: Mkini]
At a press conference at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya today, he claimed that Abdullah’s close relative was a director in a firm, which in turn had a 15 percent stake in the company which supplied the meters.
“This is a fact, we are not accusing anyone but it would be best for TNB to come forward and explain before the public links this to other matters such as cronyism,” Wong (left) said.The names of the companies involved and the name of Abdullah's relative are withheld in this report pending their reply to Malaysiakini's request for comments.
TNB had last October suspended its meter replacement programme following complaints from consumers that they were being overcharged after the meter change.
Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui had reportedly said that the suspension will remain until guidelines for the programme are drafted and electricity tariffs would be maintained until June next year.
Consumers overcharged
Elaborating on this, Wong estimated that consumers will bear as much as RM688 million a year if the new meters calculate electricity bills at an increased rate of two percent.
He added that TNB is also expected to foot RM2 billion in cost for the new meters, estimated at RM250 each for 8.03 million consumers.“Based on the 10-year lifespan of these meters, consumers will eventually pay a total of RM6.88 billion extra to TNB in a period of 10 years,” he added.
Also present at the press conference was PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who called on TNB to make public the details of the meter supply tender.
“This is necessary as it is of national interest and involves billions of ringgit,” he said.
The Seri Setia state assemblyperson said he has received 22 complaints from consumers who claimed that their bill had spiked by 20 to 50 percent after their meters were replaced.
He noted that TNB had claimed that the new meters were better and more accurate but in light of recent developments, TNB should investigate the matter.
[Source: Mkini]
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Our Sunday Girl - DENISE
Oh, Denise, dooby doo
I'm in love with you
Denise, dooby doo
I'm in love with you
Denise, dooby doo
I'm in love with you
Denise, Denise
Oh, with your eyes so blue
Denise, Denise
I've got a crush on you
Denise, Denise
I'm so in love with you
Oh, when we walk
It seems like paradise
And when we talk
It always feels so nice
Denise, Denise
I'm so in love with you
Your my dream and I'm in heaven
Every time I look at you
When you smile it's like a dream
And I'm so lucky
'Cause I found a girl like you
Oh, Denise, dooby doo
I'm in love with you
Denise, dooby doo
I'm in love with you
Denise, dooby doo
I'm in love with you
Denise, Denise
Oh, won't you hold me tight
Denise, Denise
Oh, can we kiss goodnight
Denise, Denise
I'm so in love with you
Oh, Denise, dooby doo
I'm in love with you
Denise, dooby doo
I'm in love with you
Denise, dooby doo
I'm in love with you
Saturday, December 1, 2012
It is so heartwarming to see such humility in these two politicians
The veteran politician also thanks Pandikar Amin Mulia for his services rendered to the Dewan Rakyat.
PETALING JAYA: DAP chairman and veteran politician Karpal Singh today said he was deeply touched by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia’s apology to him yesterday, and reciprocated with his own apology.
“I wish to reciprocate by asking for his forgiveness for the many transgressions for which an apology is due from me to him.
“I wish Tan Sri Pandikar well and thank him on behalf of the DAP for his services rendered to the Dewan Rakyat,” Karpal said in a statement today.
Yesterday, at the end of the last parliamentary session before the 13th general election, Pandikar took the opportunity to apologise to MPs if he had hurt their feelings in the course of the parliamentary sittings since 2008.
He specifically tendered his apology to Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh for being insensitive over the veteran MP’s health conditions.
He explained that there was one time during the sitting when he had asked for all the MPs to raise their hands to make a decision on a Bill and had reprimanded Karpal for failing to do so.
He said it had slipped his mind that Karpal could not lift his hand as he was disabled following a bad car crash some years ago.
“I still feel bad about it till today. Although Karpal is not in the House today, I would like to say that I am very sorry. I did not mean to be so insensitive,” Pandikar said yesterday.
[Source: FMT]
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The hair raising truth about the MCA
And PAS' reassurance ...
In an attempt to soothe the growing discontent among non-Muslims in the state, the Kelantan government will seek to hold a discussion with non-Muslim community representatives and business operators over the controversial ruling pertaining to unisex hair salons there.
According to state Information, Science Information Development and Technology Committee chairperson Dr Mohd Fadzli Hassan, the Kelantan government is prepared to hold the discussion to come up with the best and speediest solution to the matter, reported PAS' online portal Harakahdaily, which stated that the move was based on a suggestion by the PAS’ Supporters Congress.
Fadzli stressed that Kelantan government takes into account the need to care for the rights of non-Muslims in the state and assured that the meeting would be arranged at the soonest possible time.
He was further quoted as saying that prior to this, no official objections have ever reached the state government over the ruling requiring women-run hair salons to cater only to a women clientele.
The issue first came about after it was reported that a female hairdresser at a salon in a mall was summoned by the Kota Baru Municipal Council (MPKB) for cutting a male customer's hair, as unisex service is banned in the town's hair salons.Meanwhile, according to Malay daily Utusan Malaysia, PAS Supporters Congress president Hu Pang Chaw said the state must cease enforcing rulings which affect non-Muslims in Kelantan pending further study, as this will ensure fairness to the latter’s rights.
This, Hu said, was stressed by party president Abdul Hadi Awang during the recent party muktamar, during which Abdul Hadi said the Islamic party needed the support of non-Muslims if it intended to rule.
By-laws affecting non-Muslims, such as by the MPKB, were “not in accordance with current times.
“A study is needed to seek a solution that will accord justice to all parties, let alone by-laws that had been formulated in the 1990s and which were no longer relevant,” Hu reportedly said.
Utusan also published a statement by DAP Socialist Youth chief Anthony Loke, who also urged the PAS-led state government to re-evaluate the enforcement of Islamic laws upon the non-Muslims, and said his party will be bringing the matter up in a Pakatan Rakyat meeting soon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Islamic morality by-laws implemented by the Kota Baru Municipal Council are not meant to be expanded and implemented on non-Muslims, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said today.
This is clear in the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment (II) 1993, which is not applicable to non-Muslims, Hadi said in a statement.
The party, he added, views seriously the concerns voiced by the non-Muslims.
"At the same time, Kelantan has to enforce its responsibilities after getting the mandate given by the people to ensure that the good behaviour of Muslims is safeguarded," the PAS president said."Hence, PAS believes that the purpose of this by-law is towards that objective."
Hadi, who is also Marang MP, was referring to the uproar over the action taken by the Kota Baru municipality against a hair salon this month after its
female hairdresser was seen cutting a male customer's hair.
The row led to MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok calling on the DAP to quit the Pakatan coalition as it had no strength to fend off repeated provocations and oppression from PAS that impeded the dignity of the Chinese and non-Muslim voters.
Today, the PAS organ Harakahdaily quoted Kelantan Information, Development Information, Science and Technology Committee chairperson Mohd Fadzil Hassan as saying the Kelantan government would hold a discussion on the controversial ruling with non-Muslim community representatives and business operators.
Finding a solution
Hadi said the PAS central committee, too, was willing to consider proposals made by non-Muslims to find the best way to resolve the hair salon row, based on their right to practise their religion.
"Certainly, discussions and negotiations are the best way to resolve a problem. We welcome the openness adopted by the PAS-led Kelantan government in this (to hold the discussion)," he said.
"PAS is always committed to resolving issues faced through proper discussion," Hadi added.
Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia also quoted PAS Supporters Congress president Hu Pang Chaw as saying that Kelantan should cease enforcing rulings that affect non-Muslims in the state pending further study.
This, Hu said, would ensure fairness to non-Muslims rights, which Hadi had also stressed during the party's muktamar earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Kelantan Menteri Besar and PAS spiritual adviser Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat was quoted by The Star Online as saying that it is possible to exclude non-Muslim hairstylists in Kota Baru from attending to customers of the opposite sex."It is possible because they (those who object) are non-Muslims. Islam allows them to practice their culture, for as long as it is not in violation of the (Islamic) religion.
"First and foremost... we must uphold Syariah-based laws, Insyallah (God-willing),” Nik Aziz was quoted as saying, without making an official stand on the issue.
Nik Aziz said he had brought Kelantan dewan ulama chief Mohamad Daud for a discussion with five national PAS Supporters Congress members led by adviser its, Jeff Lee Weng Chun, who met him at his JKR 10 official residence, and promised that he will bring it up at the exco meeting for a decision to be confirmed.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Najib, we are still waiting
Remember the above scene? It was UMNO's 66th anniversary celebration held at the Bukit Jalil National Sports Complex on May 11 2012. It was reported that 100,000 attended the event and my guess it was a kind of 'kiasu' gathering as well to beat BERSIH's 250,000.
Anyway, the issue here is about the calling of the 13th general election. If you follow the time meter of the video, you will notice that at :48 secs, Najib 'Gas Bag' Razak confidently told the crowd that he was so sure of winning that he felt like calling on the King to dissolve Parliament.
Er ... Najib, it is already six months todate. Why haven't you spoken to the King yet? Have you suddenly lost your confidence? The King can't be staying in the North Pole or some unreachable part of the Amazon jungle that hindered you from seeking an audience with him. So, what's up, friend?
We dare you to call for the GE NOW!!!!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Larry Hagman of 'Dallas' fame, dies
Larry Hagman, who created one of American television's most supreme villains in the conniving, amoral oilman J.R. Ewing of "Dallas," died on Friday, the Dallas Morning News reported. He was 81.
Hagman died at a Dallas hospital of complications from his battle with throat cancer, the newspaper said, quoting a statement from his family. He had suffered from liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver in the 1990s after decades of drinking.
Hagman's mother was stage and movie star Mary Martin and he became a star himself in 1965 on "I Dream of Jeannie," a popular television sitcom in which he played Major Anthony Nelson, an astronaut who discovers a beautiful genie in a bottle.
"Dallas," which made its premiere on the CBS network in 1978, made Hagman a superstar. The show quickly became one of the network's top-rated programs, built an international following and inspired a spin-off, imitators and a revival in 2012.
"Dallas" was the night-time soap-opera story of a Texas family, fabulously wealthy from oil and cattle, and its plot brimmed with back-stabbing, double-dealing, family feuds, violence, adultery and other bad behavior.
In the middle of it all stood Hagman's black-hearted J.R. Ewing - grinning wickedly in a broad cowboy hat and boots, plotting how to cheat his business competitors and cheat on his wife. He was the villain TV viewers loved to despise during the show's 356-episode run from 1978 to 1991.
"I really can't remember half of the people I've slept with, stabbed in the back or driven to suicide," Hagman said of his character in Time magazine.
In his autobiography, "Hello Darlin': Tall (and Absolutely True) Tales About My Life," Hagman wrote that J.R. originally was not to be the focus of "Dallas" but that changed when he began ad-libbing on the set to make his character more outrageous and compelling.
'WHO SHOT J.R.?'
To conclude its second season, the "Dallas" producers put together one of U.S. television's most memorable episodes in which Ewing was shot by an unseen assailant. That gave fans months to fret over whether J.R. would survive and who had pulled the trigger. In the show's opening the following season, it was revealed that J.R.'s sister-in-law, Kristin, with whom he had been having an affair, was behind the gun.
Hagman said an international publisher offered him $250,000 to reveal who had shot J.R. and he considered giving the wrong information and taking the money, but in the end, "I decided not to be so like J.R. in real life."
The popularity of "Dallas" made Hagman one of the best-paid actors in television and earned him a fortune that even a Ewing would have coveted. He lost some of it, however, in bad oil investments before turning to real estate.
"I have an apartment in New York, a ranch in Santa Fe, a castle in Ojai outside of L.A., a beach house in Malibu and thinking of buying a place in Santa Monica," Hagman said in a Chicago Tribune interview.
An updated "Dallas" series began in June 2012 on the TNT network with Hagman reprising his J.R. role with original cast members Linda Gray, who played J.R.'s long-suffering wife, Sue Ellen, and Patrick Duffy, who was his brother Bobby. The show was to focus on the sons of J.R. and Bobby.
Hagman had a wide eccentric streak. When he first met actress Lauren Bacall, he licked her arm because he had been told she did not like to be touched and he was known for leading parades on the Malibu beach and showing up at a grocery store in a gorilla suit. Above his Malibu home flew a flag with the credo "Vita Celebratio Est (Life Is a Celebration)" and he lived hard for many years.
In 1967, rock musician David Crosby turned him on to LSD, which Hagman said took away his fear of death, and Jack Nicholson introduced him to marijuana because Nicholson thought he was drinking too much.
Hagman had started drinking as a teenager and said he did not stop until the moment in 1992 when his doctor told him he had cirrhosis of the liver and could die within six months. Hagman wrote that for the past 15 years he had been drinking about four bottles of champagne a day, including while on the "Dallas" set.
LIVER TRANSPLANT
In July 1995, he was diagnosed with liver cancer, which led him to quit smoking, and a month later he underwent a liver transplant.
After giving up his vices, Hagman said he did not lose his zest for life.
"It's the same old Larry Hagman," he told a reporter. "He's just a littler sober-er."
Hagman was born on September 21, 1931, in Weatherford, Texas, and his father was a lawyer who dealt with the Texas oil barons Hagman would later come to portray. He was still a boy when his parents divorced and he went to Los Angeles with Martin, who would become a Broadway and Hollywood musical star.
Hagman eventually landed in New York to pursue acting, making his stage debut there in "The Taming of the Shrew." In New York, he married Maj Axelsson in 1954 while they were in a production of "South Pacific. The marriage produced two children, Heidi and Preston.
Hagman served in the Air Force, spending five years in Europe as the director of USO shows, and on his return to New York he took a starring role in the daytime soap "The Edge of Night." His breakthrough came in 1965 when he landed the "I Dream of Jeannie" role opposite Barbara Eden.
In his later years, Hagman became an advocate for organ transplants and an anti-smoking campaigner. He also was devoted to solar energy, telling the New York Times he had a $750,000 solar panel system at his Ojai estate, and made a commercial in which he portrayed a J.R. Ewing who had forsaken oil for solar power. He was a longtime member of the Peace and Freedom Party, a minor leftist organization in California.
Hagman told the Times that after death he wanted his remains to be "spread over a field and have marijuana and wheat planted and harvest it in a couple of years and then have a big marijuana cake, enough for 200 to 300 people. People would eat a little of Larry."
(Writing by Bill Trott in Washington; Additional reporting by Alex Dobuszinkis in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Hagman died at a Dallas hospital of complications from his battle with throat cancer, the newspaper said, quoting a statement from his family. He had suffered from liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver in the 1990s after decades of drinking.
Hagman's mother was stage and movie star Mary Martin and he became a star himself in 1965 on "I Dream of Jeannie," a popular television sitcom in which he played Major Anthony Nelson, an astronaut who discovers a beautiful genie in a bottle.
"Dallas," which made its premiere on the CBS network in 1978, made Hagman a superstar. The show quickly became one of the network's top-rated programs, built an international following and inspired a spin-off, imitators and a revival in 2012.
"Dallas" was the night-time soap-opera story of a Texas family, fabulously wealthy from oil and cattle, and its plot brimmed with back-stabbing, double-dealing, family feuds, violence, adultery and other bad behavior.
In the middle of it all stood Hagman's black-hearted J.R. Ewing - grinning wickedly in a broad cowboy hat and boots, plotting how to cheat his business competitors and cheat on his wife. He was the villain TV viewers loved to despise during the show's 356-episode run from 1978 to 1991.
"I really can't remember half of the people I've slept with, stabbed in the back or driven to suicide," Hagman said of his character in Time magazine.
In his autobiography, "Hello Darlin': Tall (and Absolutely True) Tales About My Life," Hagman wrote that J.R. originally was not to be the focus of "Dallas" but that changed when he began ad-libbing on the set to make his character more outrageous and compelling.
'WHO SHOT J.R.?'
To conclude its second season, the "Dallas" producers put together one of U.S. television's most memorable episodes in which Ewing was shot by an unseen assailant. That gave fans months to fret over whether J.R. would survive and who had pulled the trigger. In the show's opening the following season, it was revealed that J.R.'s sister-in-law, Kristin, with whom he had been having an affair, was behind the gun.
Hagman said an international publisher offered him $250,000 to reveal who had shot J.R. and he considered giving the wrong information and taking the money, but in the end, "I decided not to be so like J.R. in real life."
The popularity of "Dallas" made Hagman one of the best-paid actors in television and earned him a fortune that even a Ewing would have coveted. He lost some of it, however, in bad oil investments before turning to real estate.
"I have an apartment in New York, a ranch in Santa Fe, a castle in Ojai outside of L.A., a beach house in Malibu and thinking of buying a place in Santa Monica," Hagman said in a Chicago Tribune interview.
An updated "Dallas" series began in June 2012 on the TNT network with Hagman reprising his J.R. role with original cast members Linda Gray, who played J.R.'s long-suffering wife, Sue Ellen, and Patrick Duffy, who was his brother Bobby. The show was to focus on the sons of J.R. and Bobby.
Hagman had a wide eccentric streak. When he first met actress Lauren Bacall, he licked her arm because he had been told she did not like to be touched and he was known for leading parades on the Malibu beach and showing up at a grocery store in a gorilla suit. Above his Malibu home flew a flag with the credo "Vita Celebratio Est (Life Is a Celebration)" and he lived hard for many years.
In 1967, rock musician David Crosby turned him on to LSD, which Hagman said took away his fear of death, and Jack Nicholson introduced him to marijuana because Nicholson thought he was drinking too much.
Hagman had started drinking as a teenager and said he did not stop until the moment in 1992 when his doctor told him he had cirrhosis of the liver and could die within six months. Hagman wrote that for the past 15 years he had been drinking about four bottles of champagne a day, including while on the "Dallas" set.
LIVER TRANSPLANT
In July 1995, he was diagnosed with liver cancer, which led him to quit smoking, and a month later he underwent a liver transplant.
After giving up his vices, Hagman said he did not lose his zest for life.
"It's the same old Larry Hagman," he told a reporter. "He's just a littler sober-er."
Hagman was born on September 21, 1931, in Weatherford, Texas, and his father was a lawyer who dealt with the Texas oil barons Hagman would later come to portray. He was still a boy when his parents divorced and he went to Los Angeles with Martin, who would become a Broadway and Hollywood musical star.
Hagman eventually landed in New York to pursue acting, making his stage debut there in "The Taming of the Shrew." In New York, he married Maj Axelsson in 1954 while they were in a production of "South Pacific. The marriage produced two children, Heidi and Preston.
Hagman served in the Air Force, spending five years in Europe as the director of USO shows, and on his return to New York he took a starring role in the daytime soap "The Edge of Night." His breakthrough came in 1965 when he landed the "I Dream of Jeannie" role opposite Barbara Eden.
In his later years, Hagman became an advocate for organ transplants and an anti-smoking campaigner. He also was devoted to solar energy, telling the New York Times he had a $750,000 solar panel system at his Ojai estate, and made a commercial in which he portrayed a J.R. Ewing who had forsaken oil for solar power. He was a longtime member of the Peace and Freedom Party, a minor leftist organization in California.
Hagman told the Times that after death he wanted his remains to be "spread over a field and have marijuana and wheat planted and harvest it in a couple of years and then have a big marijuana cake, enough for 200 to 300 people. People would eat a little of Larry."
(Writing by Bill Trott in Washington; Additional reporting by Alex Dobuszinkis in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Phew! What a relief
My birthday falls on December 23 and when I read the following news report by AFP, I couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief, .... heh heh heh. The world is coming to an end? Nah, not in another 1 million years and we would have been reincarnated a few thousand times to walk on this planet earth over and over again.
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Relax doomsayers, the Maya people did not really mark their calendar for the end of the world on December 21, 2012.
As tourists book hotel rooms in Mexico's Maya Riviera and Guatemalan resorts ahead of next month's fateful date, experts are busy debunking the doomsday myth.
The apocalyptic prophecy that has inspired authors and filmmakers never appears in the tall T-shaped stone calendar that was carved by the Maya around the year 669 in southeastern Mexico.
In reality, the stone recounts the life and battles of a ruler from that era, experts say. Plus, the last date on the calendar is actually December 23, 2012, not the 21st, and it merely marks the end of a cycle.
So no need to build giant arks, because the terrible floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions depicted in the Hollywood blockbuster "2012" were not prophesied by the Mayas.
"The Mayas had a cyclical idea of time. They were not preoccupied with the end of the world," Mexican archeologist Jose Romero told AFP.
The stone, known as Monument 6, was located in El Tortuguero, an archeological site that was discovered in 1915.
Broken in six pieces, the different fragments are exhibited in US and Mexican museums, including Tabasco's Carlos Pellicer Camara Anthropology Museum and New York's Metropolitan Museum.
The first study on the stone was published by a German researcher in 1978. Since then, various archeologists have examined its significance and agree that it refers to the December 23 date.
"The last inscription refers to December 23, 2012, but the central theme of Monument 6 is not the date, it's not the prophecies or the end of the world. It's the story of (then-ruler) Bahlam Ajaw," Romero said.
The final date represents the end of a cycle in the Mayan long count calendar that began in the year 3114 before Christ. It is the completion of 13 baak t'uunes, a unit of time equivalent to 144,000 days.
"It is not the end of the Mayan long count calendar, which is endless. It's the beginning of a new cycle, that's all," said Mexican historian Erick Velasquez.
Though the Maya made prophecies, they looked at events in the near future and were related to day-to-day concerns like rain, droughts, or harvests.
The belief that the calendar foresees the end of the world comes from Judeo-Christian interpretations, the experts said.
Velasquez warned against giving too much weight to Monument 6, noting that it is just one of more than 5,000 stones from the Mayan culture that have been studied.
The Earth still has a few years left, even in eyes of the ancient Maya: Some stones refer to the year 7000.
- AFP
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Relax doomsayers, the Maya people did not really mark their calendar for the end of the world on December 21, 2012.
As tourists book hotel rooms in Mexico's Maya Riviera and Guatemalan resorts ahead of next month's fateful date, experts are busy debunking the doomsday myth.
The apocalyptic prophecy that has inspired authors and filmmakers never appears in the tall T-shaped stone calendar that was carved by the Maya around the year 669 in southeastern Mexico.
In reality, the stone recounts the life and battles of a ruler from that era, experts say. Plus, the last date on the calendar is actually December 23, 2012, not the 21st, and it merely marks the end of a cycle.
So no need to build giant arks, because the terrible floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions depicted in the Hollywood blockbuster "2012" were not prophesied by the Mayas.
"The Mayas had a cyclical idea of time. They were not preoccupied with the end of the world," Mexican archeologist Jose Romero told AFP.
The stone, known as Monument 6, was located in El Tortuguero, an archeological site that was discovered in 1915.
Broken in six pieces, the different fragments are exhibited in US and Mexican museums, including Tabasco's Carlos Pellicer Camara Anthropology Museum and New York's Metropolitan Museum.
The first study on the stone was published by a German researcher in 1978. Since then, various archeologists have examined its significance and agree that it refers to the December 23 date.
"The last inscription refers to December 23, 2012, but the central theme of Monument 6 is not the date, it's not the prophecies or the end of the world. It's the story of (then-ruler) Bahlam Ajaw," Romero said.
The final date represents the end of a cycle in the Mayan long count calendar that began in the year 3114 before Christ. It is the completion of 13 baak t'uunes, a unit of time equivalent to 144,000 days.
"It is not the end of the Mayan long count calendar, which is endless. It's the beginning of a new cycle, that's all," said Mexican historian Erick Velasquez.
Though the Maya made prophecies, they looked at events in the near future and were related to day-to-day concerns like rain, droughts, or harvests.
The belief that the calendar foresees the end of the world comes from Judeo-Christian interpretations, the experts said.
Velasquez warned against giving too much weight to Monument 6, noting that it is just one of more than 5,000 stones from the Mayan culture that have been studied.
The Earth still has a few years left, even in eyes of the ancient Maya: Some stones refer to the year 7000.
- AFP
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
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