Stupid Malaysia

Raja Petra's Moment of Need

2009-02-17T10:27:00.000-08:00

We have been sidetracked, disgusted and to a certain extent entertained by political antics on both sides of the fence. From the Perak defection, the Perak coup, nude (actually no so nude but media-has-overblown-it) scandal.

Monday, 23 Feb 2009 is when Raja Petra's fate will be sealed.
He has vouched he would rather die than languish and rot in Malaysia's infamous Kamunting Detention Center.

Have we all forgotten this man, the pioneer, trail-blazer and eloquent writer who have sparked our imagination, stoked our patriotic fervour and master of our political awakening ?

Have we all forgotten that without him, we will still be innocently robbed and raped daily by BN and cronies. Without him, the cyber-revolution of Malaysian politics would not have even existed. Our political landscape would still have been as it was for the past 50 years.

This may be his last message here

He may be very well dead by the end of March.

Blogs who owe their existence and derived inspiration from him have almost left his agenda aside. They have since spun-off their own agendas.
It is time to hunker down to show our support for the man who will lay his life down for all of us. For the country he loved so much. He opened our eyes, how much would you open your hearts, your spirit to him and his family.

Look at the smile on your children tonight when you tuck them to bed, does he not long to see the smile on his children's face every night.

He has chosen to lay down his life for us.
Whose smile will he see when he is in Kamunting ?

If you must wear a black armband, wear it for Raja Petra.
If you must blog, blog for Raja Petra.
If you must weep, weep for Raja Petra.
If you must pray, pray for Raja Petra.
If you must fight, fight for Raja Petra, and if you love this nation, love her for Raja Petra.

Sultan of Perak and the 1 BILLION question.

2009-02-12T13:39:00.000-08:00

That is the word on the street. I leave it to the reader to make his own judgement and investigation.

Original article with SJSTeam

The following comment was posted on this website by Sinnerconman. The Might Of The Pen does not operate on the basis of rumour. We leave it to the readers to decide whether this is a rumour or otherwise.

There are news in the streets that Najib offered RM500 million when he met the Sultan for the first time in the morning. There was no respond from the Sultan. During the 45 minutes audience with the Sultan, Najib spent 30 minutes upping the offer and only 15 minutes trying to justify that BN be given the mandate to rule Perak.

During the next hour Najib was discussing with the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister offered to double to Rm1 billion and when Najib met with the Sultan again the second time for 13 minutes and he left the palace with that final offer without getting any response from the Sultan.

It was only later in the afternoon that the Sultan demanded MB Nizar to leave office. This means that one billion ringgit can buy a state. Perakians are sacrificed by the so called guardian of the state without any blushes!

One billion ringgit is the cost of Perak to allow the tainted, the immoral, defected and redefected and the corrupted to be the king maker.

Knowledge of law and justice without character and integrity has no value. Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.

2 women crushed by riot police

2009-02-12T00:20:00.000-08:00

Want to see 2 defenceless women, standing up to their rights crushed by riot police brandishing machine guns.

Watch it here. This is Perak where the people have been betrayed by their monarch.

Scroll to 3:50

I say it again, Perak is a siege on Democracy

2009-02-12T00:02:00.000-08:00

The case in Perak is a siege on Democracy and Rule of Law in Malaysia.
What more with HRH Sultan Azlan Shah in the thick of it all.

For the posterity's sake, I will have to repeat what Malik Imtiaz has written so eloquently on his blog, Perak, A Constitutional Crisis

the Perak Constitution does not empower His Highness to dismiss the Mentri Besar. The manner in which the Mentri Besar is to be removed from office is as provided for under Article 16(6), through a refusal to dissolve the Assembly at the request of the Mentri Besar when the Mentri Besar has ceased to command the confidence of the majority of the Assembly.

Word on the street was that some money, and I mean some REAL money changed hands.
An amount that's even too obscene to even mention.
One day, one day this will see the light of day.

Utter disgrace, HRH Sultan Perak

2009-02-08T15:42:00.000-08:00

Enough said, on the Perak coup d'etat

I had great respect for HRH Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak.
Until now.

It's disgraceful and if someone dies in the riots, Your Highness, you've got blood on your hands.

Picture Singapore Straitstimes.

Economic rednecks in Malaysia

2008-10-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

It was a glorious fall morning for me. I completed incorporating my business and just received my Federal Employer Identification by mail.

I never left the comfort of my office as I completed incorporating my business.
I submitted the application online to the various agencies and the IRS (Internal Revenue Service)

My spouse and I both have 50% equity each in this business entity.

What could be so glorious about this situation ? Isn't it suppose to be that way ?
Isn't it up to you who you want to participate in this business. After all, it's my business, I could give 10% of it to my pet chicken if I want to.

Governments all over the world welcome business and economic growth. Governments survive on taxes and the more profits I make the more taxes I pay.

How f*cking stupid will it be if I was forced to give 30% equity of my newly formed business to my Harley Davidson trotting redneck from Texas who lives across me.
He lazes around, drinks beer daily, watches football on his large screen TV, and leaves the mowing of his lawn to his wife.

Why the F*ck do I need to essentially give people free money ?
Why ?

It's not the case in Stupid Malaysia.
Here, the Muslim Government forces you to play St. Nicholas.
Not just on the day Chirst was born, but all year round, 365 days a year and every f*cking waking hour of your day.

Excerpt of the little snippet here.
http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/13968/84/

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — The MCA has called for the abolition of the 30 per cent Bumiputera equity requirement.

“Economic policies should be further liberalised and equity restrictions which limit business development should be abolished so companies will be more competitive in this challenging economic situation,” party president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said in his opening speech at the 55th MCA General Assembly today.

“There are businesses already running but are suddenly told orally that they must have a 30 per cent Bumiputera equity and then given a year to meet this requirement. If not, their licences will not be extended. It has happened and is still happening.”

He said the policy was causing capital flight and that “the implication is when investors flee, these outlets will be empty and operators of office buildings and shopping malls are Malaysians. So there is a chain reaction.”

The outgoing MCA president said the implementation of policies was not consistent with the thinking of the Cabinet and national leaders.

“I have no problems with our leaders, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Datuk Seri Najib Razak, with their role in the Cabinet and Barisan Nasional,” he said of the BN chairman and his deputy.

“The problem is not the leadership but people on the ground.”

He cited the “prejudice and narrow-mindedness” of government officials in the handling of licences and tenders as an example.

“Before, it did not matter if a supplier was Bumi or not for projects and contracts below RM50,000

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Go figure ?
F*cking idiots.

USE THE ISA FOR PROTECTION, are we idiots ?

2008-09-14T00:28:00.000-07:00

Syed Hamid Albar must think we, Malaysians are idiots or is he really an idiot ?

Sin Chew reporter, Tan Hoon Cheng was detained under the ISA for her own safety, according to our very own official Court Jester, Syed Hamid Albar.

Malaysia is such an altrustic state that it uses a draconian law the Internal Security Act, which provides detention without trial to provide "protection" to a journalist.

As we're all in a comedic mood here, please allow me to chime in with some gems. I must admit Malaysians do have some sense of humour (gathered from various sources)

1. In an immediate response, a housewife who has been in debt with Ah Loong (Malaysia money lenders or loan sharks) has applied to the Malaysian Home Minister that she would like to be arrested as soon as possible under ISA.

2. Kevin Rudd is sending an emissary to Malaysia next week, to work with the Malaysian Police, the Malaysian Home Minister and the Malaysian Prime Minister to see how the law could be interpreted in Australia. HE will be pushing his law makers to pass a new law similar to Malaysia that will allow Australians to be detained by the police if they feel threatened by Italian mafia, Chinese gangsters, and all other undesirables.

3. In Singapore, an accountant asked the Singapore government to introduce this new law soon, so that innocent people could find protection from the undesirables.

4. In another breaking news, next to be arrested under the ISA is Miss Tan's mother who bought vegetables at the Bukit Mertajam market during the Ramadan period as the wet market was alledged to have become very slippery. She is expected to be arrested at her home after coming home from the market for her own safety under the Internal Security Act.

5. The Malaysian police's ability to nullify a threat to Miss Tan's life within 20 hours has won accolades throughout the world. FBI, CIA, Mossad and MI-6 will be sending their crack team to Malaysia for intensive field training.

Also another first in the world, an Office of the Court Jester has been officiated in Malaysia. This is the first office of it's kind, East of the Suez Canal.

Discrimination

2008-08-29T14:08:00.001-07:00

Mahathir has finally used the D word. It's Discrimination and Discrimination by any other means is injustice against the discriminated.

http://test.chedet.com/che_det/2008/08/affirmative-action.html

34. When Malay youngsters, especially boys, failed to study and qualify for university education, when they preferred to play and not study, we cannot expect the non-Malays to patiently wait and give up their opportunities until the Malays decide to become serious and study. That would not be fair.

35. That was why we introduced merit in the selection of students for the universities. Unfortunately, the implementers of Government decisions chose to interpret it differently. By requiring Bumiputeras to sit for the matriculation and the non-Bumiputeras to sit for higher school certificates, they managed to give the impression that the Bumiputeras were actually better qualified than the non-Bumiputeras. With this, the intention of the Government to make the Bumiputeras become more serious about their education failed.

36. There is a tendency among Malays to regard the discrimination in their favour as a privilege, as a recognition of their superior status. I think this is wrong. The discrimination is in order to give them a kind of headstart so that they can catch up with other races. To me, it is shameful to have to be protected because we do not have the capacity to compete. We are not Red Indians to live on reserves. We should regard it as a temporary expedient to be done away with once we have achieved the capacity to compete on our own.

37. However, we must give time for ending the NEP and it should be done in stages. I hope that the time will not be too long. In the meantime, serious efforts by the Bumiputeras must be made to avail themselves of the opportunities. If this is obviously not being done, then, as with entrance into the universities, the discrimination must end.

Internet Censorship

2008-08-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

The Fascist Political Party Barisan Nasional has instructed all Malaysian ISPs to block Malaysia-today.

Please use the following URL to get to Malaysia-Today.

http://mt.harapanmalaysia.com/2008/

Hidup Ketuanan Rakyat !

Education Hypocricy

2008-07-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

I blogged on how sick, rotten and substandard our Education System is.
My years at UPM was an utter waste of time. Yes, I have received brickbats for my opinions.

However, it is good to know of an individual who totally agrees with me.
None other than Malaysia's Education Minister.

Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammudin Tun Hussein’s son is doing 'O’ Levels and will be going off to the United Kingdom this coming September to further his studies.Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s daughter, Nooryana Najwa has been accepted into Georgetown University in Washington DC to read politics and international relations after doing her IB (International Baccalaureate).
Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s children are academically smart. However, it seems like both of them did not sit for SPM.

Before doing her IB, Nooryana had her education in Garden International School. Najib’s son, Norashman Razak had his education there too.

But Garden International School bases its curriculum on the National Curriculum of England. It teaches the English National Curriculum through Key Stages 1 to 4 and Cambridge ‘A’ Level.

Datuk Seri Najib and Datuk Seri Hishamuddin are cousins. Their Fathers were our former Education Ministers. Datuk Seri Najib’s father, Tun Abdul Razak, the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, was the Education Minister in 1955. Datuk Seri Hishamuddin’s father, Tun Hussein Onn, our third Prime Minister, was the education minister in 1969. Fast forward, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak became our Education Minister in 1995-1999.

Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein is our current Education Minister.Well, there goes the saying, ‘like father, like son’ Hishamuddin’s son and Najib’s kids did not follow the Malaysian Education System (so I doubt they sat for UPSR, PMR or SPM) though they come from an ancestry of Education Ministers. Both of their grandfathers were former education ministers, one’s father was the education minister and is now the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia while the other’s father is the current education minister.

Full Report here

Here we have a saying, you have to eat your own dog food.

I guess Malaysians get to eat the shit and scrap that our political masters throw down at them, while they and their children dine on the best that money can buy.

I guess the Pendidikan Moral, Bahasa Melayu crap they feed your children is not good enough for them.

Read more about IB
My cousin who lives in Singapore took her IB when she could not get herself into the competitive Junior Colleges in Singapore - beside she has rich parents. She has since graduated from the UK (I don't remember which university).

Idiots and Thieves

2008-07-14T22:12:00.001-07:00

I cannot help but had to share this story with my friends over lunch. My colleagues were from Singapore, India and South Korea. They of course gave a polite smile after I related this story. But frankly, it's not so funny when you are a Malaysian and definitely not so funny when these things actually happen all the way up to the highest public offices all over the country. From Director-General of the Immigration Department taking bribes over visa issuance to foreigners to Education Ministry building computer labs for our children which actually collapsed.

Full Report Here and here

A policeman has lodged a report against all his colleagues including his superiors allegedly over dissatisfaction on how the monthly bribes from those operating illegal activities was being distributed

A source said the lance corporal, in his 40s, was dissatisfied with his superiors for allegedly taking the lion’s share of the bribes while the rank and file received very little

The sergeant, in an apparent tit-for-tat, lodged another report against the lance corporal alleging that he had sold some old wooden and iron furniture from the police station to a dealer

What can I say more ? Not only a nation of thieves, but of immoral IDIOTS and MORONS.
As Raja Petra has postulated in (Good Muslim, Bad Muslim) - it's alright, as they pray 5 times a day and hence all sins are cleansed. Which really explains why the nation is in such a state of shit.

Pic source here

Nation of liars

2008-07-14T00:47:00.000-07:00

I am no Sherlock Holmes nor am I a historian.
But a few simple Google searches yield the following.

From Malaysia-today

On 5 January 1999, the Attorney-General (AG) (added by blogger - AG is Tan Sri Ghani Patail) said, “Based on the medical reports and the investigation file of the Special Investigation Team as a whole, I am satisfied that several injuries alleged by the Complainant are not true, while there are injuries on certain parts of his body proved to have been accused by police officers whilst he was in police custody.”

The AG added, “I am also of the opinion that the Royal Malaysian Police is fully responsible for the injuries to the Complainant whilst he was in the legal custody of the Police. Nevertheless, the investigations which have been carried out so far have not identified the person or persons responsible for such injuries.”

So, 5th January 1999 - AG don't know who assaulted Anwar. Fair enough.

Fast forward 2 months into March 1999From BBC, Friday, March 5, 1999 Published at 08:45 GMT

Earlier this week, Mr Rahim Noor confessed to the assault during an independent inquiry which concluded its hearings on Thursday.

So, by March 5, the world whole knows Rahim assaulted Anwar. And, not a squeak from the (Attorney General) AG at this point

But, it was reported and here also
Mahathir and his government have been desperately trying to cover-up the circumstances of the arrest ever since. Four days after Anwar's detention, Rahim falsely told the media that Anwar was "safe and sound". After Anwar's first court appearance, Mahathir dismissed questions about police brutality, saying the injuries could have been self-inflicted to gain public sympathy.

So, 4 days after he was detained, Rahim Noor beat him up and then made a public statement that Anwar Ibrahim was safe and sound.
It was a performance worthy of an Oscar, I must say.

You all better pray you are never, ever taken into police custody in Malaysia.

Where we stand and where are we headed.

2008-07-07T13:03:00.001-07:00

Notwithstanding the current political turmoil which has unearth quite a few pieces of dirty linen.
This is an excerpt on how we are perceived by a foreign fund manager.

You will have near-term recovery in the index with the election behind us," said David Riedel, president of Riedel Research Group.
Although there are attractive opportunities to invest in individual companies in Malaysia, Riedel is worried about the overall strength of the economy and the stock index.
"One of my concerns about Malaysia is where it's positioned in the global economy in the next 10 or 15 years," Riedel said. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Asian tigers, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, were high-growth economies driven by exports and that rewarded greatly equity investors.
"Now that China has established itself so firmly as the manufacturing engine for the rest of the world, I worry what some of these countries or economies are going to do to differentiate themselves," Riedel said.
Malaysia is neither the cheapest manufacturing option nor the most sophisticated, and as a result the country is in a difficult position, he said.

Read full report here

We all know where we are headed. We all know the challenges ahead.
Nobody gives a shit about Ketuanan Melayu, Ketuanan Cina, Hindraf, or whether Mahathir is right or Ian Chin is right.

The country now requires almost every possible arsenal it can muster to survive in the current economic climate and to carve a niche for itself.

We need Rule of Law, an Independent Judiciary, Incorruptible Civil Service, Clean and Efficient Government and most of all a high-valued Intelligent, Knowledge-based workforce.

Do you think your Government has really sat down and ponder about our survival as a nation ?
After all, the PM has a residence in Perth and a sailing yacht in Turkey.

Interesting statement here :

Malaysia's main exports are electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood products, rubber and palm oil.

After 20 years of Mahathir mega-projects and billions of ringgit, lofty concepts, Multimedia Supercorridor. Alas, we are still an exporter of Petroleum, LNG, Wood Products and Palm Oil.
I don't even see a word that hardly resembles anything that 20 years of Mahathir's Regime brought upon. Where is "Steel" (read Perwaja) Where is "Automobiles" (read Proton) How about "Software" (read MSC)

Same old stuff I had in my Ilmu Alam textbook from Darjah Enam.

What have we achieved ? Are we better off after 20 years of Mahathirism ? Who got rich in those 20 years ? Where are they now ? How has he benefited our generation, how else will our children suffer and pay for our follies.

IT'S ROTTEN TO THE CORE

2008-07-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

It is official, the nation is now rotten to the core.

A report has been lodged on the de-facto Opposition Leader for a sodomy charge.
Hard to believe, as he was right on the verge of exposing the Inspector-General of Police and Attorney General for fabrification of evidence.

Read here about the Fabrification of Evidence

Raja Petra made a Statutory Declaration that the DPM's wife was at the scene of the murder of the Mongolian model (Altantuya)

Then the Private Investigator for Razak Baginda was so pissed of that his statement was not taken into consideration by the prosecution team as they were wrapping up the case. He made another statement that the DPM (Najib) had met Altantuya and even had sexual intercourse with her.

An interesting excerpt

25.2 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Aminah and that she was susceptible to anal intercourse.
25.3 Datuk Seri Najib Tun 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.
25.4 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had all been together at a dinner in Paris.

What is it with Anal sex and Malaysian political conspiracy ? I wonder..
I know, "when not handled properly, you get shit all over"

IGP has announced a joint exercise effort between the Police and Military

From Malaysia-Today

Iraq is planning to sue those who have profited, bribed and from the The United Nations Oil-For-Food Programme
Malaysia was the fourth highest purchaser of oil under Phase IX of the programme (circa 2000 and above). This amounted to a figure of US$500 million or RM1.8 billion.

The report names Mastek Sdn Bhd as one of the companies that paid bribes to Iraqi officials amounting to US$10 million. The Prime Minister publicly denied any involvement in the scandal.

Mastek Sdn Bhd was at that time a dormant company which was revived by three persons, namely:

- Noor Asiah Dato' Mahmood (Abdullah Badawi's sister-in-law)
- Faek Ahmad Shareef (Noor Asiah's ex-husband)
- Jaya Sudhir (businessman)

So let's summarize
1. Badawi will need lot's of $$$ for his defence/payoff/bribe or to fend off the Iraqi lawsuit. Guess who will be paying for it when your Prime Minister get's sued ?
2. AGP and IGP will almost be trying to assassinate Anwar, as he begins to reveal details about how they fabricated evidence against him during his first sodomy charge. Guess what will the 2 of them do to get Anwar ?
3. DPM Najib Razak has now been directly implicated not once, but twice in 2 Statutory Declarations.

My 2 cents, the BN regime and cronies, must go and be flushed out. The nation absolutely needs a colon cleansing exercise, flush 'em all out and detoxify.

ISA again.

2008-06-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/25/nation/20080625185853&sec=nation

IPOH: Those responsible for spreading rumours that petrol stations in the country were going on strike would be dealt with severely, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said.

“This is an evil and treacherous act to sabotage the economy. I will find out who is behind this and I will take action against them under the Internal Security Act,” he warned after closing the Internal Security and Public Order Department Endurance Test Event here on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, petrol stations throughout Sabah and parts of Sarawak saw long queues of panicked vehicle owners after word had spread that the stations were going on strike for three days.

Police had to go around in patrol cars and advise people by using loudhailers not to resort to panic-buying as there was no truth to the rumour.

It was later learnt that petrol stations were not planning a strike but had only suspended credit cards sales.

Detention without trial for 2 years, simply for passing a message of concern ?
What constitute a RUMOUR ? What's next ?
Will the regular Mutu and Ali go to jail for telling his wife to go buy more rice as the price will soon go up.
Will Mrs. Ali go to jail for telling her sister to go buy more rice ?
Will Ah Chong to chicken rice seller go to jail for expressing his concern to his wife to stock up on rice.
Instead of putting some semblance and acknowledgement to the panic the regular rakyat is threathened with the ISA, yet again.

Singapore Medicine

2008-06-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

I took a cue from some one whom I would like to call a friend, crankshaft, she blogs on crankshafted
In her blog today, she wrote about Singapore's armament industry

My mind took off to an advert I read about SingaporeMedicine in one of the many inflight magazines I've glanced over.

Singapore has not only positioned itself as a financial capital, leading innovator in the arms industry, petroleum processing centre, biotechnological centre. It has now almost emerged as a medical hub. Providing unsurpassed medical treatment and care to well paying patients either from countries where medical treatment are prohibitive and countries in which expertise are lacking.

A quick review at the accoladates section and the patients testimonial would suffice.
Read more on www.singaporemedicine.com

I will highlight a few snippets here to highlight my point

1. Testimonial by Khalid Ibrahim of the UAE

Arriving in Singapore's Changi Airport, we were tense, worried about our daughter, but I remember being soothed by the attention I received from the medical staff waiting for us at the airport and the efficiency and harmony of our surroundings. They are ready, I thought, and a bit of the load on my shoulders left me. Our Fatma's condition was caused by a very large tumour in her chest. It was so big that it was pushing the heart to the right. Therefore, her lungs could not work as well as they should. And the cancer was growing very fast.

The doctors swung into action immediately. It was a nerve-wracking time for all of us. We held each other tightly every day. We couldn't talk because there were no words left. Each night, we would go back to the apartment near the hospital, pack what we needed and go back to the hospital. Luckily it was close by. Public transport in Singapore was so efficient that travelling anywhere at all was a breeze. Besides, being a small country, every thing was within arm's reach anyway. Furthermore, being a multi-cultural country, we found great comfort in finding mosques nearby where we could gain succour and relief through our faith. We were also greatly relieved and happy to find halal food easily and widely available owing to the large Muslim community in Singapore

===================

2. Madam Chua B T, Henry's 42-year old mother. Further tests by a specialist later diagnosed hepatoblastoma, a rare early childhood liver cancer. Henry's parents were paralysed with horror.

After 14 months in Melbourne, the doctor there suggested going to Singapore to continue Henry's treatment as it was nearer to home. They did so, but with a premonition that the end was near for their son.

In November 2004, Henry was brought to Singapore to see Associate Professor Tan Ah Moy, Head and Senior Consultant of the Children's Cancer Centre at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH). "When Henry came here, we began chemotherapy and there was a good response initially but then it recurred. We tried another form of chemo and it reduced the size of the tumour. When small enough, one of our surgeons went in to remove the remaining traces," outlines A/Prof Tan.

In April 2005, Dr Chui Chan Hon, Senior Consultant of Paediatric Surgical Oncology at KKH operated on Henry. Henry's lungs were cleared of the tumour but he underwent a few more rounds of chemotherapy to remove any possible remnants. They then returned to Kuching.

Henry was to return to Singapore again in March 2006 after several tumour spots emerged on his left lung. His liver and right lung remained clear but AFP levels had moved out of the normal range. This time, chemotherapy was no longer an option since all protocols had been tried. Besides, Henry had become chemo-resistant.

================================
3. From the day his son was born, Mr Ahmed Befal Ahmed Alshzhhi Alshehhi knew that something was not right

Recalled Mr Ahmed, "We approached as many as seven doctors, many of them foreign specialists based in Dubai. But none of them would take the responsibility to treat my son. They said he was paralysed, blind and deaf, and there was no treatment for him. I was disappointed that I couldn't find help at home." Despite the bleak prognoses for his son's condition, the businessman persevered on to find a cure for his child.

A doctor in a government hospital then suggested that he look overseas. Among the options were the US, Germany and Thailand, but the doctor highly recommended Singapore as he was confident of the standards of medical expertise there. Though Mr Ahmed knew little about Singapore, he took the advice. Through the Singapore Consulate in Dubai, he sent over photographs and notes of his son's condition, and was advised by a doctor in Singapore to fly over immediately for treatment. The doctor was Dr Vincent Yeow, Director of the Cleft and Craniofacial Centre at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).

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We could have been the Singapore of today, but on a larger and grander scale. We had the best Judiciary within the Commonwealth, we had an English-speaking and efficient Civil Service. Top medical school and university in the University of Malaya. Most of all, we had the people who clearly and dearly shared a common vision to make this country their home, their pride and joy.

Alas, this is not to be. UMNO plundered. UMNO divided the nation along racial lines. Created a nation of rent-seekers who dared not question their political masters, lest their crumbs and contracts are taken away.
The NEP, Reduced universities to mere social engineering factories. Commerce was stifled, when market competition was distorted based on quotas and easy loans to the well connected. All these under the auspices of the undebatable NEP.

Yes, we have regressed, and we have regressed tremendously.

I know some commenters on this have said non-Malays should get out while we can. Well the question is - what do you have when everyone with half a brain has left this forsaken land ? It is easy to answer or shout and scream Ketuanan when your child's life is not in the hands of a substandard doctor.

Islamic brotherhood aside, how many rich Arabs will send their sick child to Malaysia for medical treatment ? Lest they would rather have infidels treat their sick child.

Wake up to the real world.

The old man cornered

2008-06-10T18:03:00.001-07:00

To perpetuate and legitimise the occupation of Iraq, the United States government successfully brainwashed the run-of-the mill Americans. Ask a regular Joe of the streets, "Why are we fighting in Iraq ?" Most likely his answers will be :
"Freedom" or "Democracy" or "9/11"
Never mind Iraqis have nothing to do with 9/11 and Iraqis today have nothing that resembles Freedom nor Democracy. The Americans essentially have an unsanctioned military occupation force in Iraq.

What can be so bad to go to war and die for lofty ideals like "FREEDOM" or "DEMOCRACY" ?

It was so apt when I read this blog and also remembered Samuel Johnson "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" that everything rings so true with the Bush Administration and Mahathir (both are now on it's way to become useless appendage to humankind)

I quote from the blog above, which was aptly titled, Open Reply to Dr. Mahathir
-----

It is quite obvious that you have mastered the fine art of manipulation. When everything else fails, what better than to stoke racial sentiment in order to gain support. That was what you were doing in Johore Bahru recently when you quite irresponsible pointed out that the Malays are the ones who would lose out if the IDR project were to continue. You than quickly followed it up in Japan when you reminded the Malays to unite and be strong because, according to you, other races are now asking for many things and questioning Malay rights. Samuel Johnson's "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" would normally be a cliche to repeat, but in your case, I would make an exception. Just change the word "patriotism" to "racialism" and you would, hopefully, catch my drift.

-----------
Again, it was heartening that a cooler heads (cooler than mine at least) have prevailed and the sight of an elder statesman stoking emotionally charged sentiments is certainly not welcomed.

Today very interestingly, another High Court Judge - Justice Ian Chin revealed high-handed tactics by Mahathir to arm twist the Judiciary. Full transcript here from the KK Highcourt

I truly wonder how many more skeletons and ghosts are lurking in the shadows, waiting to come back to haunt the old dude. Anyhow, he did mention, he does not care how history will judge him.

What goes around comes around

2008-06-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

It was an interesting week, a spike in petrol prices has literally awoken the entire nation from it's slumber. I hope everyone will now take a long gaze at the Twin Towers, Formula 1 track, the grand Putrajaya and the Cyberjaya failure in a new context and a new light.

Did we not consider Norway's model of a Heritage Fund
Could we have anticipated or pre-empted the current situation. After all, the authorities were fully aware that our Oil reserves may not last till 2010, given the current rate of consumption.

Today the Norwegian Petroleum Trust is the world’s second largest sovereign fund, and fast expanding. It may have already exceeded half a trillion (500 billion) dollars. When the oil wells run dry, as they inevitably will, the Norwegians could still enjoy their present lifestyles as the Trust Fund’s income could cover the country’s budget till perpetuity.

It was indeed dissapointing for a senior statesman like Mahathir to succumb to racial rhetorics, at this juncture of the nation's economic and political situation.

A drowning man, will almost always bring down anyone that came near him, as he cluthces at anything to keep him afloat.
Yes, this is Malaysia, and every down and out politician will make one last dive to his personal political fountain of youth.

Malik Imtiaz made a good case here

Excerpt follows :

Though I am loath to say it, Tun Dr Mahathir has crossed the line. I recognize that he is fully entitled to act in the interests of UMNO. However his invoking of race and his equally dangerous incitement of racial fears directly threaten our existence and our future. His assertion that the Malays will suffer for the fact of non-Malays gaining political power is both unsubstantiated and dangerously misleading. No non-Malay politicians are challenging the status of the Malays. The Federal Constitution guarantees their protected status and there is a glaring absence of any discussion of an amendment to the Constitution. In the same vein, the call for a more equitable method of affirmative action can only be beneficial to the Malay community, a community that, despite the many years of the NEP and its successor policies, many of those under the stewardship of Tun Dr Mahathir himself, is still afflicted by poverty. This sad state of affairs is indisputable and has even prompted calls for reassessment by Malay opinion leaders.

Ahmad Mustafa Hassan was spot on, with his analysis of the fools that run this country. Where everthing is treated as joke.

We take the ‘UMNO’ general assembly as a case in point. Due to lack of positive brain power, the ‘kris’ was used as a symbol of manhood and courage. After this show of socalled belligerence, the stand up comic, Hishamuddin Tun Hussein Onn would then take over the proceedings of the assembly.E ach speaker would try to outdo the other in coming out with hilarious and so-called witty comments and flattering pantuns.The leadership was entertained and so were the other participants. Serious talkers would be out of place in such a gathering.

And finally, Raja Petra on Mahathir (now aptly named the "Thorn in UMNO's flesh who have removed itself by Musa Hitam)

It must unnerve Mahathir that those whom he’d defeated have all bounced back. The impeached, sacked and suspended judges of 1988, recently rehabilitated, are public heroes, he the remembered villain.

The Malay Rulers have asserted their power more strenuously than at any time since 1984, his fight with them forgotten in an Umno chorus to rally the Malays around their rulers. For Mahathir, indeed, ‘Umno is no longer respected by the Malay Rulers.’

His old Team B foes – Razaleigh and Abdullah, and Tun Musa Hitam – are respectively active politicians and an elder statesman, he a cantankerous Old Man, or, as Musa described him, a ‘thorn in Umno’s flesh’ that had voluntarily removed itself.

Sabah, whose regionalist dissent he quashed, and whose peninsula-styled Umno-dominated politics he imposed, is again restive but now holds the key to Umno’s survival in power. Even the mass media pour scorn on him, he whose words and pictures they’d slavishly used to adorn their front pages, once upon a time in Malaysia

Of corruption, our public services and what are we paying for ?

2008-06-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

On the day after the petro hike tsunami. Blogosphere is a buzz with the 0.78 sen hike on petrol prices.

In the typical learned-cum-academic fashion, Malik Imtiaz has properly summed up the conundrum that is Malaysia's

These choices are not necessarily prompted by elitism. It comes down to confidence, or the lack of it. The truth is that the public services are worryingly deficient, if not in levels of competence then in resources, to an extent that for many they are no longer a viable choice. This is especially true where children are concerned. Parents want to give their children the best, often at great personal sacrifice.

In short he is saying our public services is incompetent to an extent Malaysians have to resort to private means. Often with great economic consequences.

Failure to provide world-class education in the form of a meritocratic university entrance system and education system, means that parents literally squander large amounts of money for thier children's education overseas.

Failure of our law enforcement has resulted in most middle-class neighbourhoods hiring private security guards.

Failure of our Health care system with qualified doctors has resulted in large amounts of private funds used for private medical treatment and health care.

Failure of good governance and sound planning has resulted in faulty management of economic policies coupled with endemic corruption has resulted in funds used in non-productive efforts.
Space trips, North Pole trips, Monsoon cup, Formula 1 circuit, bank bailouts just to name a few.

Failure of our urban planning and transportation system, has resulted in our reliance in private vehicles (which are way overpriced in the first place)
Failure of social programmes means that parents must either have a maid to care for their children, depend on their aging parents or hire a maid

To paraphrase Malik Imtiaz, why are we paying taxes for ?

I remember Lee Kuan Yew who once made a statement, along the line of - Singapore owes it to her citizens to utilize the most economically and efficient means available for the benefit of her citizens.

Were we ever serious of our survivability as a nation, or were our governing masters busy lining their pockets all these while ?

It's not a difficult question.

Katak, kataks everywhere !

2008-06-03T21:23:00.001-07:00

Malaysians and Malay are truly the proverbial katak bawah tempurung. I guess it's a mark of a denial symptom and a combination of a truly secluded society running on State sanctioned television broadcast and a cartel of major political parties controlling multiple mainstream media channels (both in print and broadcast)

One commenter who goes by the name of Jamil actually "pitied" me in that with university fees as high as US60,000 per year and according to him "good luck with your savings"

I actually pity him and am ashamed of him, pity him for his ignorance. I guess the adage, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king, holds so true. In Malaysia, where idiots rule, those who can read and speak a little English is a prodigy.

Firstly, let's take the published rate for a typical private school (say the prestigious Stanford University, in Palo Alto is USD34,800)
This does not takes into account grants, endownments which are pretty substantial.
See here for aid statistics (http://www.stanford.edu/home/statistics/#financial)
and here for fees (http://www.stanford.edu/home/statistics/#expenses)

Let's take another prestigious public school, UC Berkeley - Per semester is 4,465.75 for California residents and 14,769.75 for non-residents.
Medical Program is 12,353.25 per year for residents
http://registrar.berkeley.edu/Registration/feesched.html
Again, this is the publish rate, which in most cases are much higher and does not include any financial aid and grants.

Translated to RM terms with dollar to dollar value, can you afford that kind of fees ?
MBA programme at Indiana University - $9489.00/term for Indiana residents
Another private school, Dartmouth University - $36915 per year (http://www.dartmouth.edu/apply/financialaid/)
It even comes with a disclaimer for the fees.
If you're considering Dartmouth, don't hesitate to apply because you think your family won't be able to afford the cost of a Dartmouth education. We meet 100% of each student's demonstrated need for all four years of your undergraduate career.

Approximate tuition at another public school, Purdue University - for Indiana residents is $8,060 per academic year
http://www.purdue.edu/Admissions/Undergrad/costs/estimated_expenses.shtml
And of course, one can google more examples.

Closer to home, Australia National University charges A$8499 per ETFSL for Medicine.
EFTSL is the study load, for a year, of a student undertaking a course of study on a full-time basis.

International students pay A$40800 for MBBS and that is for Graduate Entry only.
National University of Singapore , Medicine - $18,230 for Singapore Citizens

Put $5000 per year into an college investment account every year and hopefully within 18 years and with a reasonable rate of return, say 6%, the college fund could grow to close to USD100,000 (not taking into account the effects of compounding).
Can I afford to have my kids at Stanford or Purdue. You bet I can.

Question is can you have your kids at Stanford or Purdue with your savings in RM ?

Of course, Malaysians don't need Stanford, neither do they need Dartmouth, Indiana nor Purdue - their universities are the best.

Graduates from Malaysian local universities can communicate with the Chams in Kampuchea. Which I am so ashamed to say, the typical Dartmouth business major will not be able to do.

The Altered Sheep and the Mahathir Hypocricy

2008-06-02T08:08:00.001-07:00

Originally posted here by Altered Sheep
Excerpt from here

Most comments in the quoted piece clearly had the idea that the Malay cause is more superior than the other races' plight for equality. Funny thing is how Malay supremacists think their cause isn't one which will make them look like filth in the eyes of the world.

Tun DrM should be ashamed of himself for claiming that many non-Malay citizens cannot speak in Malay. My stint with with the National Service is just exactly the opposite. Though people may not have the highest proficiency in it, they do try to speak in BM, and theirs is one which is understandable. It is these kinds of statements that promote racism. Shame of yourself Tun DrM. I wonder if you've met and known better more lay persons than a commoner like myself has.

Mahathir is now out of ideas and he is turning to be a village idiot

2008-06-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

The old man has no more ideas. Like a dying fish, he is flailing and gasping and like all dying politicians in Malaysia, they have to play the race card.

Thump their Melayu chest and again paint the the non-Malays as bogeymans.
The old man has his post here.

In other countries including the much-admired democracies of the West, citizens are not linked to or classified by their countries of origin. They speak the national language habitually, go to schools where the national language is the medium of instruction and adopt the culture of the indigenous people, or at least the people who originally founded these countries (the indigenous people having been systematically wiped out).

But in Malaysia although the national language is the language of the indigenous people, many Malaysian citizens cannot speak the language, much less use it habitually in their homes and with fellow citizens. Whenever some foreigner speak Bahasa Malaysia to them, they would reply in English. Foreigners cannot understand why they seem to downgrade their national language. And yet these citizens question why there is, for practical purpose, no Bangsa Malaysia.

I will spit on the floor right now ! If I could, at the old man's face !

How dare he starts questioning after non-Malays are literally treated like shit in their homeland. The official medium of instruction for ALL public exams is in Bahasa Malaysia. We learnt the language, excel at it. What we speak at home is none of the state's business.

Let's get real.

Why does an immigrant to the USA like myself, habitually speaks English ? For that matter, I also speak Bahasa Malaysia at home. Here I am treated equally, my children has access to the best universities in the world. In due time, they can function competently in the global economy.
The price I paid when I bought my home is the same as the next white guy. I am informed of my rights under non-discrimination laws. What has Malaysia offered anything to second or third generations immigrants (the non-Muslim kind, mind you) ? What have we benefitted from learning Malay. How many libraries are there in Malaysia ? Anyhow, I do like to look on the bright side of things, at least now, I can communicate with the East Timorese and the ancient Cham Muslim of Kampuchea, after 12 years of Bahasa Malaysia instruction, for that I thank you.

WE DESERVE to loose Pulau Batu Putih

2008-05-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

We deserve to loose the forsaken granite island to Singapore.
I am not sure of the entire team, but 2 things jumped out at me

Consider this.

The following person was listed as counsel and advocates in the ICJ judgement.

Mr. Faezul Adzra Tan Sri Gani Patail, Federal Counsel, International Affairs Division, Chambers of the Attorney-General of Malaysia.

He is the son of incumbent AG, Tan Sri Gani Patail.
Graduated from UiTM only in 2005. (see post by 7 Rangers)

Unless this person is a genius, but can you imagine - a fresh graduate representing Malaysia at the ICJ. Don't we have other Federal Counsel or any other Magistrate court Judge for that matter !?
That's the problem with this damn country and the New Economic Policy-Cronyism-Nepotism-substandard-individuals-pushed-to-the-forefront

And look at the crucial 1953 letter.

I am definitely no freaking UiTM-graduated Federal Counsel or Cambridge University material, but this is hardly a letter from a sovereign state to another.
The letter was signed "I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant"

This letter hardly reflects the notion of the Sovereign State of Johore relinquishing the Island to the Colonial Secretary in Singapore. Furthermore, it does not carry the seal of the Sultan, but an administrative letter written within the same British administrative umbrella. Has anyone ever seen a diplomatic note between States signed as such ? Within the context of the time, this is nothing mere than one civil servant writing to his master.

In addition, there is another missing letter

Of course, this happens only in Bolehland, where the one who wallow in malaise will continue to run the country down the dumps

Whatever it is, I am glad Singapore won, it will be good for the region. Just like how it's good that your mother gave you a tight slap, just because she's your mother, she's smarter, she's stronger, she feeds you water and cleans your shit. Singapore would now continue to maintain safe passage for ships over the Singapore Straits and Malacca Straits and ensure free movement of trade services. If Malaysia had won, I will guarantee it will be pandemonium as half-baked UiTM graduates plot maritime routes and wrangle with their kamus dwi-bahasa while waiting for their fathers to land an UMNO contract building computer labs somewhere in Perlis.

Majulah Singapura.

Superb speech.

2008-05-22T23:52:00.000-07:00

Gobind Singh Deo, DAP, MP for Puchong

Listen to the last 30 seconds. Malaysian government has full knowledge of the murderers of Dr. Joe Fernandez, but refused to make a charge, because murderers were Muslims.

Unfortunately, speech is not in English.

Listen and see how Gobind totally exposed the thug that is the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government from Barisan Nasional.
This is the Barisan Nasional that we've voted for the past 50 years. Time we kick them out of the House for good.

TRI-OXY MORONS ?

2008-05-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

You may have known that the US-MALAYSIA FTA talks have stalled since 2006.
Trade delegations have met in KL, San Francisco and I have lost count how many times they have met.

Malaysia, the Cabinet minister himself, the national/UMNO mentality of preferential treatment; all of them have real and fundamental issues.
From Malaysiakini.

Malaysia's list of no-go areas - including environmental protection and the practice of giving Malay companies a leg-up in lucrative government contracts - have bogged down the protracted talks.

The negotiations, which began in March 2006, hit a deadlock during the seventh round held in Kuala Lumpur in January, after a year-long pause.

The United States, which is Malaysia's biggest trading partner, hopes a deal could be struck before President George W Bush leaves office this year, but Muhyiddin declined to say if a pact can be reached by then.

"The stand is very clear. While we want to see things move forward, there are issues which need to be addressed ... with regards to sovereignty, national interest, which we believe we cannot compromise," he said.

US assistant trade representative Barbara Weisel has warned that the FTA could be shelved if an agreement is not reached before the end of Bush's term in January 2009.

1. USA is Malaysia's largest trading partner
2. Increasingly competitive trade environment with the emergence of regional low cost centers China, Vietnam, India and Latin America
3. Continue to dish out lucrative affirmative action contract to majority Malays

What gives ? Are the morons blind or plain stupid

Mahathir

2008-05-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

For 22 years he was the head honcho of Malaysia's political landscape, Malaysia's roving ambassador to the world. Malaysia's boon for 2 decades was Mahathir and Malaysia's impending downfall and bane will once again be due to Mahathir.

This man took the floor and ended his speech to a quick and thunderous standing ovation at Stanford University.

This same man, also engineered the biggest financial coup in our nation's history as assets from our largest and best government machinery in the form of Lembaga Letrik Negara (LLN), Jabatan Telekom was quickly bundled and transfered into private holdings to finance his fledgling UMNO BARU in the early 90s

Malaysia's meteoric and economic miracle is due to this one brilliant man. HE held the country and ran it like with iron fist. He silenced any individual critics and dismantling pillars of democracy or any mechanism of check and balances as he lassoed the entire nation together and dragged her kicking, screaming and ultimately totally broken to where he wants the nation to be.

HE is a dictator to one and a statesman to another. Like all dictators and statesman he left a vacuum. A vacuum so large, it's void spanned, engulf and consumed the entire nation's political, social, economic fabric.

From the grandiose Putrajaya and the conceptually brilliant MSC to the Singapore Scenic Bridge and his push for industrialization in the form of the Bakun Dam and Perwaja. These will remain legacies of a man who almost thinks he is too good for an idyllic Malaysia. In his mind, Malaysia needed symbols of success and it was his duty to put these symbols in place. Democracy and check and balances were mere obstacles to his version of progress.

Like all dictators and emperors and the most beautiful of flowers, there will be bees, and they came from far and wide, placating this old man with gold, honey and promises. Thus the Malaysia Inc. was born, tacked as another one of Mahathir's braichild, albeit it was his cronies who benefitted. The entire policy was nothing more than a label for cronism and favoritism as the Government machinery takes an active hand in business and industry. Civil servants and political parties curry for favours under this system of political patronage. Questionable, corrupt, illegal and downright dirty practices were further shrouded under the implementation of the NEP. Questions and critics are merely defended by the paper-thin and undefendable NEP coupled with zealous rhethorics on religion and race. Intellectual discourse and openes was never the way the Mahathir administration operates. It was never about the rakyat, but about his cronies extending their reach and control over you, over the old man and most important of all, the feeding on the fear and insecurities of the rakyat

Empires, regimes and dynasties do not last forever simply because Emperors and Maharajahs are mortals and soon enough incompetence and greed will quickly fill, consume and further expand any void of an altruistic leader (even if there is such a thing).

This is post-Mahathir Malaysia. Our social, political and economic fabric are tearing at the seams as we grapple with our existence trying to hold on to the sarong of the man who have sheltered us from the storm. We need the check and balances of a real democratic nation, we need the mechanism of a democracy to be reinstalled and most of all we need to step out of the shadows of the old man and begin to chart our own destiny.

The old man is no more and the quicker he is out of our memories the better it will be for all of us, as we must quickly pick up the pieces, mend our fort and move on concerted and cohesive, fully accountable to one another that we are a nation of people and not a nation of rent seekers and economic parasites.

The old man must go and he must be forgotten.

A RECAP OF THE BIGGEST BULLSHIT in Malaysia

2008-05-16T22:52:00.001-07:00

This is what the bullshitter mentioned at a press conference, announcing the cancellation of the use of indelible ink on March 3 2008, 5 days before the General Election.

http://malaysiakini.com/news/79147

Abdul Rashid said the use of indelible ink would not be effective as the country's constitution allows those who refuse to have their fingernail marked with the ink to still be issued with a ballot.

He added that the use of the indelible ink could infringe the constitutional right of a voter to cast his vote, especially if the commission tries to bar someone from voting for having an ink marked in his finger.

"From a practical point of view, the issuance of a ballot paper to such a voter would render the EC's proposal meaningless and will not bring about a positive result, whilst having the potential to create misunderstanding as well as altercations and arguments at polling stations," he said.

He added that the Federal Constitution gives Malaysians the right to vote and a black mark on the fingernail should not bar people from exercising this right, he said.
Abdul Rashid said the use of indelible ink would not be effective as the country's constitution allows those who refuse to have their fingernail marked with the ink to still be issued with a ballot.

He added that the use of the indelible ink could infringe the constitutional right of a voter to cast his vote, especially if the commission tries to bar someone from voting for having an ink marked in his finger.

"From a practical point of view, the issuance of a ballot paper to such a voter would render the EC's proposal meaningless and will not bring about a positive result, whilst having the potential to create misunderstanding as well as altercations and arguments at polling stations," he said.

He added that the Federal Constitution gives Malaysians the right to vote and a black mark on the fingernail should not bar people from exercising this right, he said.

WTF ? ARE WE ALL STUPID ? OR DO YOU THINK WE'RE ASSHOLES - BENT OVER READY FOR YOU TO SCREW OVER and OVER AGAIN

It seems he has now brushed aside his entire academic reasoning of 'constitutional right of a voter' with just one freaking sentence "cabinet did not approve the use of indelible ink during the March 8 general election"
http://malaysiakini.com/news/83026

The BIGGEST LIAR in Malaysia

2008-05-16T22:12:00.001-07:00

Rashid Abdul Rahman, chairman of the Election Commision of Malaysia is the biggest liar

Not only did he not fulfill his constitutionally enshrined duties to ensure a free and fair elections. In a Malaysiakini exclusive today, he admitted that it was after all the incumbent government decision to cancel the use of indellible ink and not only did he went along with it, he agreed to be the fall guy.

Of course the rest is history and the Opposition (Pakatan Rakyat/People's Alliance) totally rousted Barisan Nasional's 50-year old grip in Malaysian politics.

Of course his pants is on fire now.

“I was told that I was to take the responsibility for agreeing to it. It's not easy being EC chairperson. I took the whole rap over the year,” Rashid told reporters after a function today.

http://malaysiakini.com/news/83026

Of course he can't take the close scrutiny and of course I don't doubt a person of his weak and manipulable stature can ever will.
As far as I am concerned, he's nothing but UMNO's lackey.

His life would have been a bed of roses if BN would have retained the 2/3 majority.
He would retire this year (after the freaking amendment to the constitution to allow this one man to serve an extra year, he was scheduled to retire this year, 2008), maybe pocketed some millions, set up a small business enterprise and continue reaping a few millions a year with tiny scrappy contracts to supply cakes, chairs and tables to UMNO's tea parties.

It is too bad that it was not meant to be, and he has now come crying out in the open that he was not the bad guy after all.

Well guess what, you had a public office and you were to serve the public.
Shame on you for serving the political masters and for that you have neglected and failed in the most important part of your job.

If you want Sedition, you should be charged with Sedition.

c) to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the administration of justice in Malaysia or in any State;

(d) to raise discontent or disaffection amongst the subjects of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or of the Ruler of any State or amongst the inhabitants of Malaysia or of any State;

Free Raja Petra now !

2008-05-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Image from http://Rockybru.blogspot.com

In Malaysia, it is now a a crime to write investigative reports.
Raja Petra Kamaruddin has been put into jail for an article he wrote "Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell"

What now ?
Do you think we are all stupid ?
Even my pet pig, as stupid and lazy as he is lazing in the mud can ask the same questions.

UMNO and their cohorts have no balls, neither have there any answer to tough questions. Like I wrote and like everything that is with UMNO's MALAYSIA - it cannot see the light of day. UMNO's only answer is to shut those who question them, in whatever means they see fit.

It is indeed a sad day in Malaysia, these injustices have gone long enough in Malaysia.
Read the poem, First they Came

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

To those in Malaysia, donate and contribute for justice.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/7080/84

Everyone should read this.

2008-04-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

Originally on Malaysiakini
http://malaysiakini.com/letters/81505

This is not an exception. I myself have seen many, many similar situations and predicament, I was personally in the same boat. My naive, innocent yet blind loyalty to the country shattered within a single hour as every single, yes, every single one of my Malay friends leave on Government scholarships.
To add to it, my late father a Civil Servant himself, still had hopes that his son will one day land some government assistance for my studies. It was not meant to be, if you were a non-Malay - it was never meant to be, no matter how good or hard you work.
The odd thing about this story is that, there are still parents, non-Malay parents who continue to instill these noble values or loyalty, love and that virtues of hard work will be rewarded to their children. Non-Malay parents should wake up from this slumber, the political reality is that - the nation itself and the very construct that this nation was based upon has no place for virtuous people. It's a nation of cohorts, rent seekers and where the corrupt feasted on the poor, a nation where UMNO will run amuck with your tax money, further dividing the nation into various races brandishing to protect your rights, when they continue to enrich themselves.

It is a sad story - but sadly it's a story that's as old as the rain forest around this part of the world and it's a story that has been repeated too many times in many a family dinner table. Read on....

I am a teacher by profession. I am teaching in a government school. Being a teacher, I am expected to inculcate moral values in my teachings. I have memorised all the sixteen values ‘Nilai-nilai Murni’ as a result of twenty-five years of teaching – values that transcend curriculum. Day in day out, all the students are exposed to all the values which are expected to cultivate good thinking and moral values among our young citizens. Examples of some of the moral values are being kind-hearted, respecting each other, fairness, honesty, and moderation.

In the recent SPM examination, many of my students did very well, some scoring straight As. We, teachers of all races, felt so very proud seeing the achievements of our students. We had ‘Hari Anugerah Cemerlang’ in my school. Parents, regardless of race or religion were there to lend support for the programme and at the same time to motivate the children. One such student is my own daughter, who scored 12 As, best student of the school. She used to wake as early as 4 o’clock in the morning to start preparing for her SPM.

When I asked her why she has to take up 12 subjects and ‘torture ‘ herself, she told me, ‘I am not a bumiputera like many of my friends.’ So the need to take up two extra subjects (not offered in her school) in order to be on par with her Malay friends.

She applied for the Progran Matrikulasi well before SPM itself. Yesterday was the day she was eagerly waiting since obtaining her SPM results because all the applicants will get their reply from the matriculation office. While I was in school, my handphone rang. It was a call from my daughter. When I answered the call she was already sobbing, and I am so silly to think that it was tears of joy.

The sobs turn to cries after she heard my voice - she was devastated, depressed and very disappointed because she failed to get entry into this government-sponsored programme. She is the eldest in my family. I have another three school going children. May be I am to be blamed because it was me who asked her to study hard, get good results because being an ordinary teacher I can not afford to send her to private colleges.

When I came back after school yesterday afternoon, again I saw tears in her eyes. She asked several questions. ‘Is it wrong to get 12 As in SPM? My Malay friends who got 2As and 3 As got to do the matriculation programme, I am denied. What’s wrong? You are also a teacher just like uncle, (my Malay college in school) his son was offered a place although he scored only 5As. Why?’ I don’t have answers.

Being a teacher (I teach History and Moral Education), I teach my students to be loyal to the country, to respect the leaders, to obey the laws of the nation, to promote goodwill and so on. I encourage them to participate in ‘Rimup’ (a race integration programme among students of various races).

I do not know what to say to my daughter. I feel guilty because what I teach in school is actually rubbish, perhaps I need to tell them the reality being a non-Malay citizen of our beloved nation. For that I need to resign. Please Mr. Prime Minister, may be you have something to tell us.

Our economic forecast

2008-04-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Depending on how you view it, GE12 would have been a euphoric experience, or a downright disaster. One thing is certain, investors and the flow of money are neither ethical nor are they unethical. It simply flows to stable markets and a growing and productive economy. Malaysia in my opinion is neither growing nor is it stable at this moment. Though we all may have done the ethical thing of denying BN 2/3 majority, thus stopping and putting the brakes on mismanagement of funds and corrupt practices of the Barisan Nasional.

The iShares MSCI Malaysia Index ETF (EWM) dropped significantly and has not recovered since.

Our so-called business 'allies' - the Gulf nations of UAE and Saudi Arabia are making beelines to Singapore and China. Does Islamic solidarity counts in the language of money ? Or does prudent financial management and a booming economy booms louder than the call of the Azan ?

Forbes published a list of the Worlds top 2000 global Companies
http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/04/02/worlds-largest-companies-biz-2000global08-cx_sd_0402global_land.html

Below is the list for Singapore

And here's the Malaysian list

Total Asset for Singapore companies on that list totalled US$426.94 Billion and Total Asset of the Malaysian companies totalled US$278.68 Billion

So the top Singaporean companies in toto are worth 2x that of the Malaysian companies.
In terms of GDP growth, Singapore's GDP (PPP) for 2007 is US$31400 as compared to Malaysia's US$12900.

Source : indexmundi.com

But before you wipe your brow, and heave a sight of relief that we're not too bad. Consider this :
From The US Energy Information Administration

Malaysia has had a good run of crude oil production since 1980, and since 2006-2007crude oil production has been declining. On the contrary, domestic consumption has increased dramatically.

Many thanks to our expansionist policies and energy intensive infrastructural economic policies. These infrastructural policies bears little long-term returns. A clear example is Proton, a car company, who's days are numbered even as the company tries to compete domestically against cheaper imports. The Sepang Formula 1 circuit, Pork Klang Free Trade Zone and Perwaja Steel to name just a few. Hence, the bulk of Malaysia's GDP or economic prosperity has thus far been generated by our crude oil exports or cheap access to crude oil.

Looking at Singapore from the same parameters paints a different picture

Crude Oil production is ZERO

Crude oil consumption is close to 900,000 barrels per day. Much higher than ours.

Singapore has been able to maintain good GDP growth within an framework of zero production with increasing domestic demand.

Malaysia on the other hand, has depended on crude oil for much of it's GDP growth, rising domestic demand have been eroding exports and it is expected that Malaysia will be a net oil importer by 2009.

Does it augurs well for this country ? Malaysia has a total landsize 474 times larger than Singapore and a net oil production country for the past 20 years, and yet the country has a GDP of 3x smaller than Singapore with a total asset of it's top companies 2x smaller than that of Singapore.

The damage of the past 30 years will be hard to undo. Until we all move in a concerted fashion rebuilding the nation brick for brick and instilling prudent spending coupled with robust economic growth - it is going to be a long road home.

The case of Menghina Raja Melayu

2008-03-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

Need I say more ?
Malaysia has its fair share of conspiracy theorist, and for a long time, I have an nagging feeling UMNO has no love lost for the Malay Rulers. They have longed for a "Malay Republic" (in the Indonesian model).

Am I right ?
I think we should stop the March of Penentang Malaysian Union for our Merdeka Parade.
After all :
1 - UMNO has no respect for the Malay Rulers any longer
2 - Malayan Union was formed in 1946, that was a full 62 years ago.
Let's say these Penentangs were 20 years old then, they would have been 80 years old this year. How many 80 year-olds were there in the Merdeka parade ?
It's a farce, a charade, to project UMNO as the protector and saviour. They are not, UMNO is a political party, they serve themselves, and they enrich themselves.

After all Terengganu is where the petro-dollars are.
Reference :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayan_Union

Impasse in Perlis and the case of menghina Raja Melayu

2008-03-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

We have an impasse for the post of Menteri Besar in Perlis

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Frontpage/20080314172222/Article/index_html

Bernama reports here

But nothing on the Perlis saga in The Star. The Star is nothing but an extension of MCA, highlighting Perak and Penang incessantly. No prize guessing who reads The Star and demographic and racial composition of Penang and Perak.

I have the letter but if Tuanku does not want to appoint me because the Ruler has confidence in other people and there are laws allowing him to do so, well, that is his prerogative and right. I have 120 days and who ever is sworn in apart from me, he can be regarded as going against the PM's order and an opposition. We will see what to do next as it is the people who has chosen the BN to lead the state, not individual.

Shahidan also said he was in the dark as to when the swearing-in ceremony would be held. He, however, said there were "dalang" (masterminds), whom he described as `munafik', who had poisoned the palace.

"Don't ever get near to these people because the Al-Mighty Allah will throw them into the hell."

So, talk about menghina Raja Melayu. Did Shahidan imply the Raja of Perlis to go to hell ?

Malay rights

2008-03-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Much has been talked and debated openly about Malay rights and the NEP.
To a certain extent we are treading on new grounds here.

Debates are healthy and in an almost newly found democracy like Malaysia (as of March 8). This change towards open debate and public clarifications is sometimes unerving to some.

I definitely prefer a healthy debate over issues coupled with opinions and feedbacks.
I certainly do not long for the old BN days where everything would have been decided for us. Shoved down our throats, just because the political parties think they know better and think they should do all the thinking for all of us, and we small-minded imbeciles have to be protected from issues of the state and decisions and policies that affect us all.

This pertinent culture and mindset that a ruling political party is all-knowing has been the cause of much mismanagement, cronyism, and breeds an environment of extreme secrecy coupled with a cloak-and-dagger-like management of the country.

How many nations has risen to be great with this pertinent mindset ?
Zimbabwe, North Korea, Cuba, Burma ?
Compare that with the US, UK, Australia, Germany, Canada, New Zealand.
Surely a no-brainer to point out the better ones and the ones where feedbacks and open discussions features in most matters of the state.

I would like to produce an excellent article written by Dr. Syed Alwi, regarding Malay Rights and Malay Responsibility

That's so old school, Lim

2008-03-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

As Nat put's it

State Exco Council
MB - PAS
DAP - 6
Keadilan - 3
PAS - 1
Senator - Keadilan - 1

I think this is fine by me.

So anyone wants to prove Keng Yaik wrong ? This is 2008, and I think he's a bit irrelevant. Just like the GOP here.

And what has Keng Yaik really contributed after 20 years in Parliament ?
Though, I agree he was one hell of a Palm Oil proponent.

Anwar Ibrahim on Riz Khan

2008-03-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

Listen to him from 7:00 onwards

I have just one word, impressive !

The Perak debacle

2008-03-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

I guess everyone should read Raja Petra's analysis.

So PAS Perak jumped the gun. The PAS central leadership bit their lips and allowed the 'transgression' to pass. PKR too, in the spirit of comradeship, decided to say nothing lest it upset the delicate partnership that was in the midst of being formed and had yet to take off.

PAS jumped the gun before the announcement by HRH Raja Nazrin. So in essence, both parties are caught off guard. Not to mention these are crucial days, everything is in a state of flux and ever-changing. So I can emphatise with the state of mind of those who's directly involved.

Has anyone of you been caught in an ever changing web, where everything you should do depends on everything else that has not happened ?

Also, reading Tony Pua's opinion, an MB holds immense power in a state, therefore, starting off on a right footing is crucial.

It should be noted that the MB holds immense power in the state and if the ground rules aren't cut properly, then we will all suffer for the next four years.

I guess we have to see how it plays out. 50 years of mental conditioning is a hard thing to break overnight.

What we had on March 8 2008 is a revolution, of sorts and with all revolution you need time to let the dust settles.
We're all human and the mind can only comprehend so much change in a day, but what is crucial here is the breakaway from racial politics, accountability and transparency in governance.

Let's Move on DAP

2008-03-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/03/12/no-dap-cec-mandate-for-pas-menteri-besar-in-perak/

The decision to appoint a PAS Assemblyman Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin as Perak Mentri Besar has caused shock and consternation to DAP leaders, members and supporters.

The DAP Central Executive Committee, at its emergency meeting in Penang on Sunday, 9th March 2008, had given approval for the formation of a Perak coalition government comprising 18 DAP Assembly members, seven PKR Assemblymen and six PAS Assemblymen.

DAP is prepared to accept DAP chairman and Assemblyman for Sitiawan Ngeh Koo Ham or PKR Behrang Assemblyman Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi as Perak Mentri Besar.

As the appointment of PAS Assemblyman for Pasir Panjang Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin as Perak Mentri Besar representing the third and smallest political party in the proposed coalition has not received the mandate of the CEC, DAP Perak Assemblymen will stay away from the swearing-in ceremony for Perak Mentri Besar scheduled tomorrow

In an earlier Press Conference, DAP Chairman of Perak Ngeh Koo Ham has mentioned that the parties will accept the decision of HRH Sultan of Perak. HRH Sultan Azlan was after all former Lord President, he's not letting his state slide down Shariahville.
So, let's move on, honour your words, retract the boycot. Mohd. Nizar Jamaludin is after a professional Engineer (Ir. preceeding his name). DAP and PRK will have the Exco Council to smoothen issues out internally.

Don't they get it ?

2008-03-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

Few days ago, MCA took out some full page advertisement, that it will continue to protect the rights of the Chinese ?
Don't they get it ?

Protect from who ? Pray tell us, protect from who ?
From UMNO ? But are you not in cohorts with UMNO ? For some reason, a scene from the Simpsons, played out in my head, where the ugly playground bully trundled along protecting kids, if only the kids hand over their lunch money.

This is another beauty from the non-evolved mind of UMNO. Numb through the years of easy money and the good life.

The new Chief Minister is motioning for a more professional administration with representative from NGOs.
He also motions for a more transparent government free from corruption and cronyism.

And what has UMNO got to say - "Make the Malays angry ?" "We will have unrest"
Unrest occurs in Somalia, Burma, Pakistan, Iraq. Where people are hungry and angry when their basic rights are denied and not respected.

To UMNO, MCA, MIC - drop the tail, start evolving and learn to walk like a bipedal humanoid. Maybe someday you will evolve to be a true human being.

A new political landscape

2008-03-10T11:30:00.001-07:00

It was indeed a refreshing waking up here in California to a new spring morning. Spring comes early in California, we reverted back to Standard Time this Saturday March 8.

In a certain way, the 12th General Election was almost a battleground on cyberspace. Never in history did bloggers (Elizabeth Wong, Malik Imtiaz, Haris Ibrahim, Ancient Mariner, Seventh Rangers, notably Jeff Ooi) and many more blogs out there that worked tirelessly exposing misdeeds of the previous regime. Special mention to Raja Petra and Steven Gan's Malaysiakini

Never before did youtube played such a crucial role during the campaign period and even the years running up to this election. We watched BN antics in Parliament, Police brutality in Rallies, felt the wave of change and emotions in the Bersih Rally.

Never before, has opposition MPs used blogs so effectively. After all, Tony Pua and Lim Kit Siang are mere mortals - just like the rest of us; electorates now has a peek into their thought processes, questions, fears and whatever challenges that are at hand.

Moving forward, it will definitely be forseeable, that blogs, netizens will be keeping the new government in check. In addition, blog feedbacks, citizen reviews may feature prominently.

Much the same way, governments won through the military force would have a strong military presence as a form of check-and-balance (Indonesia, Burma, North Korea, Fiji)

Hopefully, the shroud of secrecy that so permeates the previous administration will be quickly taken down.

In essence, this may culminate to a true form of e-government. A transparent government, a government for the people and by the people. Government can no longer ignore the 'e' factor any longer.

It is indeed a new morning in California.

Yes indeed, 50 years of muck takes time to rectify.

2008-03-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

From Elizabeth Wong

In our meeting last night, Anwar Ibrahim brought us down to earth.

First - we have to change this ‘bodek’ feudal culture of Umno. ‘Yang Berhormat’ or YB is only appropriate in the halls of the state assembly or Parliament. Do the Brits or Australians go around calling their MPs or state legislators ‘Right Honourable’ in public? Nope.

So please don’t call us YBs. It gives me a strange icky feeling if you do.

Two - any unreasonable perks will be slashed. There will not be any redecorations in our offices and we will use the vehicles bought earlier by the state government. Our salary will also be cut. We gotto cut those wasteful and unnecessary spending.

Tan Sri Khalid is gonna run this state like a corporation. We are expected to file quarterly reports like an good company. Expect some redundant committees and positions created to appease the Umno-aites to be erased. And yeah - no belly-dancing in those ‘lawatan sambil belajar’. It’s ‘belajar sambil bekerja’.

Three - we will be open to everyone in regards to suggestions and inputs. We want to be take stock of what is immediate and urgent. And please give us time. Fifty years of nonsense will take time to be rectified and corrected.

The pledge

2008-03-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

2008-03-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

From the Singapore Straits Times

Mr Abdullah spoke on Sunday as though none of this had happened, telling reporters he would go ahead and form the next government and giving no hint of his own future, which looks bleak. He has to survive his own internal party
elections later this year.

Maybe he has no comprehension what really happened.

Has he ever really understood a question ? See from 14:00 onwards.

A NEW DAWN

2008-03-08T18:48:00.000-08:00

From Malaysiakini election watch

Guan Eng to be Penang CM - 12.11pm
It is believed that DAP has named party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as the next chief minister of Penang. DAP won all 19 state seats it contested in Penang with PKR winning six and Pas two. There are 40 state seats in Penang.

Anwar ushers in ‘a new dawn for Malaysia’ - 4.08am
A triumphant PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim described the victory of the opposition parties in five states and its breach of Barisan Nasional’s two-third majority in Parliament as “a defining moment” in the history of the nation and the opening of “a new chapter.”

Tears were welling in my eyes as I read these words. The people have prevailed, we have had enough and this defining moment will hopefully usher in a new era for Malaysia.

PM: ‘We’ve lost, we’ve lost’ - 4.12am
These were the only words which Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi could muster when quizzed on the ruling coalition’s shocking defeat in five states.

Abdullah was posed with the question during a press conference at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur. He was accompanied by his wife Jeanne, deputy Najib Abdul Razak and other BN leaders.

The prime minister added that he will make a media statement after analysing the results in detail.

No, Pak Lah. You did not lose - you were slaughtered.

Complete with a non-partisan election commission, unequal and biased seat allocation, rampant fraud with postal votes. And you still lost.

You were slaughtered.

In the last general elections held in 2004, Barian won 198 or 91% of the parliamentary seats with just 64% of the votes cast. The Opposition won only 21 seats or 9.6% of the seats compared with 36% of the popular vote.

Today the Opposition won 82 seats, which is close to 37% of the seats.
I will wait for the official statistics, but it is obvious, if I could be be so bold to say that 80% of the electorates must have voted for the Opposition.

Yes, you were slaughtered.

Thank you all, Malaysia truly belongs to Malaysians.

You think Malaysia has fair elections ?

2008-03-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/3951/84/

>“We can't abolish postal votes. If we do, then not a single Cabinet member would be able to retain his or her seat,” argued Rashid during one meeting that was held to discuss how to reform Malaysia's election system.

Postal voting was introduced at the time the soldiers spent nine months on end deep in the Malaysian jungles at the height of the Communist insurgency known as The Emergency. Of course, The Emergency has since ended with the signing of the Peace Treaty between the Malaysian government and the Communist Party of Malaya. But the postal voting system remains.

The assembly was taken aback and flabbergasted that such a bold admission would come out from the mouth of the head-honcho of the Elections Commission. At least lie. At least pretend. But to tell the assembly direct to its face that postal voting is not about allowing the security forces to exercise their right to vote but about ensuring that Ministers stay in office is like telling you to your face 'fuck you'.

Is it not the job of the Elections Commission to run a free and fair election? No, said Rashid. The job of the Elections Commission is to ensure that the Malays do not lose political domination. With that second 'fuck you' to your face there was no point in continuing with the meeting. The assembly of opposition politicians just stood up and walked out of the room. It was clear that not only was the job of the Elections Commission to rig the elections and ensure that the ruling coalition stays in office, but they will do so boldly and will admit it to your face while telling you to shove off and go screw yourself.

Elections Commission is not there to ensure a free elections, it is here to protect the ruling coalition.
All the more, Barisan Nasional must be defeated.

Of Barisan Nasional, forked tongue and snakes

2008-03-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

As Raja Petra so eloquently puts it

http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/3837/84/

Anyway, PAS is contesting just 60 seats so there is no way a party that contests only 60 seats can win 150 seats. And PAS will need 150 seats to amend the Federal Constitution of Malaysia and turn Malaysia into an Islamic State and then start cutting off the hands of crooks and bank robbers. The government has said Melayu Umno bodoh. I hope, after 8 March 2008, I do not have to start saying Cina DAP bodoh. I hope that the DAP Chinese will read the statement from PAS that they are not pursuing the Islamic State agenda any longer. They can't anyway, even if they win all the 60 seats they are contesting -- and they can never win all the 60 seats to begin with.

Najib says that the Chinese should reject DAP because DAP is working with PAS and PAS supports an Islam State. Najib is therefore saying that he too does not support an Islamic State. Najib says that the Malays should reject PAS because PAS is working with DAP and DAP supports a Secular State. Najib is therefore saying that he too does not support a Secular State. To the Malays, Najib says he does not support a Secular State and, to the Chinese, he says he does not support an Islamic State. So what then does Najib support? Well, it all depends on who he talks to. If he talks to the Chinese, he will whack the Islamic State and, if he talks to the Malays, he will whack the Secular State. Najib thinks that Melayu Umno bodoh and Cina DAP bodoh as well. Yang pandai Najib seorang saja.

How long more can we stomach the forked tongue of BN.
How accountable is one, when one has a forked tongue ?

Nafikan 2/3 Majoriti Barisan Nasional

2008-02-23T23:04:00.000-08:00

I have to blog in Malay, I am still a Malaysian.

Hanya Tiga Setengah tahun, lagipun dengan dua pertiga majoriti,
Tetapi alangkah pengejutnya Pak Lah dan Khairi,
Pilihanraya Umum bulan Mac 2008, apatah lagi, tanpa Datuk Seri Anwar,
Apakah tandusnya keringat Si Luncai dan si Son-In-Law,
terpaksa dengan taktik politik murahan !

Cukuplah, Pak Lah, ini bukan zaman Lima Puluhan, rakyat jahil gilakan P. Ramlee
Kini Tahun 2008, dengan Malaysia-Today dan Malaysiakini,
Rakyat Malaysia, bukan bodoh segalanya,
Rakyat Johor meniti derita air bah
Pak Lah, di Australia rasmi kedai nasi kandar !

Cukuplah Pak Lah, Cukuplah Barisan Nasional,
Rakyat diperbodohkan, selama 50 tahun
Rakyat dipecah-belah, selama 50 tahun
UMNO dan Barisan, gelojoh ! Angkuh !
Rakyat Muflis, bodoh dan jahil
Kuncu Barisan hodoh dan bakhil

Malaysia negara tercinta
Dirogol penuh rakus Barisan Nasional
Negara ini diberkati Tuhan, dipenuhi berkat
Cukup untuk semua, rakyat yang dicinta.
Nafikan haloba Barisan Nasional !
Sipengecut, perogol, pengkhianat negara !

Just Change - WE WILL SEE THE SUN

2008-02-23T15:53:00.000-08:00

THE DAP ELECTION CAMPAIGN SONG.

JUST CHANGE.

Dear Major, I also like it.

Just Do NOT Vote Barisan Nasional.

2008-02-23T15:31:00.000-08:00

This blog is nothing in the scheme of things, merely a one-man crusade to make a difference in the only way he sees it or the only way he can. If you are reading this, if you are a Malaysian - Just DO NOT VOTE BARISAN NASIONAL.

As Raja Petra puts it eloquently here

Let me put it to you again in plain and simple English. PAS is contesting
only 60 Parliament seats. They need 150 seats to control two-thirds of
Parliament. PAS cannot implement Islamic laws even if they control two-thirds of
the seats in the State Assembly without controlling two-thirds of Parliament.
PAS is not pursuing the ISD any longer. Malaysia will remain a Secular State
unless two-thirds of Malaysians demand this country be changed into an Islamic
State through a referendum -- but then the referendum can only be called by
Barisan Nasional and never by PAS because only Barisan Naisonal controls
two-thirds of Parliament.

A vote for the Barisan Nasional, on the contrary is a vote for the Talibans.
Look at this news item again (Pro-government Islamic groups demanding stronger role for Islam ahead of polls in Malaysia) and here (PEMBELA declaration & press statement

Also read the demands of an Islamic state for Malaysia on Marina Mahathir's blog - The Taliban Demands

Assert the significant role of Islam in the state and rejects the notion of
Malaysia as a secular state.

Let's say my father hypothetically died.

2008-02-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

My dear father passed away in 1996, being a traditionalist and always an optimist through his battle with cancer, he never made a will. After his death, we underwent a fair amount of paperwork and legal wrangle to have his properties transfered to my mother. To a certain extent, we may be lucky, as being a Government pensioner, and the fact that the home was financed via a Government loan, my mother was named in most Pension documentations and also Insurance papers. So the transfer was relatively easy and maybe Government officials were sympathetic to a fellow Civil servant.

In Malaysia, we have a peculiar situation. I admit I am not a legal expert, but this is what I gather from my readings and research. If a Muslim dies without leaving a will and the next-of-kins are not Muslim. The property cannot be transfered to the next-of-kins. No matter how much paperwork nor litigation the wife and sons can bring forth. These non-Muslims are 'not in the system', almost persona-non-grata, and hence assets cannot be transfered to a non-existent individual. Assets goes/gets reverted to the Islamic authorities who will act as caretaker for the property.

Now picture this, let's say a rich person dies. Leaves no will. Islamic authorities swoop in to declare and insist that he/she was a Muslim. Buries him as a Muslim.

Dead man tell no tale, and the state has no onus to prove that conversion to Islam has occured, no paperwork need to be presented, merely to 'insist'.

What's stopping the authorities from seizing the assets and property, and in a country where public accountability is almost zero, and one merely needs to cry 'In the name of Islam' and all civil decorum and procedures are stopped dead in its tracks. What's stopping the Islamic authorities from turning this into a profitable business venture ?

Think.

Some corpse snatching incidents

2008-02-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

Originally published here.
Republished by the good Major here

I will just provide a snippet.

A week after Wong Sau Lan's interment, it was revealed by Associated Press
and AFP that another Malaysian had been buried as a Muslim, against the wishes
of relatives. 74-year old Chinese Buddhist Mr Gan Eng Gor died on January 18,
2008. His eldest son, a convert to Islam, claimed that Mr Gor had converted to
Islam in July 2007, a claim denied by the other members of his family.Mr Gor had
suffered a stroke, and had been unable to talk for two years before his death.
One of Mr Gor's eight children said: "We have been practising Buddhists all our
lives. How is it that none of us, including my mother who has been looking after
my sick father for the past two years, has no knowledge of this?"
A Syariah High Court in Negeri Sembilan state insisted that Mr Gor had converted to Islam on July 3, 2007. As the other members of the family did not attend the Islamic court, judge Mohamad Nadzri Abdul Rahman ruled in favor of the eldest son. Mr Gor was buried as a Muslim.

It seems the onus is not on the state or authorities to prove that the deceased has converted to Islam. I wonder if any documentation was produced, what are the procedures or evidence that the Syariah used to 'insist'.

Even if I changed my name today, something simple and yet not exactly a trivial exercise, I have to make declarations and publish in major newspapers and there are civil procedures to follow, to declare to the world, that I have a new name, a new identity.
Here, in Malaysia, if Islam has such an important role, one which provides state accorded benefits, does it not warrant one to declare one's conversion ? Instead, vigilante-cum-authorities merely need to 'insist' and they come in and swoop dead bodies from greiving relatives and loved ones.

Well, this is Islam in Malaysia, no rhyme nor reason is required.

Plight of Christians in Egypt.

2008-02-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon this post on the Good Major's blog - 7 Rangers
The Major actually played host to me in his camp. It is ironic, after all these years, I would have stumbled upon him again on blogosphere.

Watch it now, Christians in Egypt are reduced to nothing more than rats, living amongst Cairo's rubbish. It's a terrible, yet sad and humbling video to watch.

Continue to youtube for subsequent parts. Think again about Malaysia, look around you, ponder about whatever rights you have left. From complete strangers snatching the bodies of your loved ones, to your place of worship being demolised. Certainly you should be thankful that it's not as bad as Cairo. It's a slippery slope my friends, once the slide and erosion has begun. Before you know it, the beast and monster we have collectively allowed to breed and subconsciously nurture will be looking you in the eye, gnawing at your foot and swallowing you up alive.

Islamic Vampires on the loose in Malaysia

2008-02-09T23:41:00.001-08:00

I am not in the mood to blog, too much has been going on - reading and thinking about things, actually saps and drain me out.

Just follow the trail - screenshots available below.

I am not an expert on what is right or what is wrong, but follow the trail, read and judge for yourself. The living have no democratic right in Malaysia, the dead cannot talk, and the afterlife (if there is any) is the main concern for Muslim Malaysia.
You think God will reward body snatchers bringers of grief and sorrow with 7 virgins ? Your guess is as good as mine.

Rice monopoly

2008-01-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

Surprise, surprise, what else in Malaysia is not a monopoly ? Benefitting the politically well-connecting, under the august yet sinister and corrupt umbrella of 'social engineering', New Economic Policy.
It was in the early 80s and 90s I recall rice millers all over Malaysia was forced to sell of to BERNAS (The National Rice Company)

Today it is a corrupt organization with a monopoly to import rice.
How convenient, a corrupted organization, monopolising the staple food for 24 million man, woman and child.

As usual, kudos to Raja Petra for this excellent coverage.
Read it here.

An Glaring observation by an Expat

2008-01-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

The good and bad thing about the Internet - a free-flow of unsolicited information. This could have been either a boon or a bane, depending on how you would view it.
However, what it really means - it's now too easy to be in the spotlight. Secrets and dirty linen can no longer be kept secret. That which would have been so easily surpressed is now open to scrutiny and questions.

Here is a post in an expat. forum entitled "Glaring Observations of Malaysia"
Original post here

I produce here the post in full.

As a long-time expatriate in a private institution in your country, I happen to observe a number of uncanny ‘facts’ about this country. The people do not often address themselves as Malaysians, with most still preferring their own ethnic identification.

One group has practically full control of the civil service, education and law enforcing, leaving the others scrambling for whatever are the leftovers.

This group also continues to enjoy a good percentage of special discounts when purchasing real estates, decade after decade and this is a very unique situation.

The disparity of the number of voters in the different parliament constituencies is alarming. One has more than a 100,000 electorate while another could well be only one-fifth of that. The bottom line is that a party or coalition can still form a government with majority seats despite winning only some 40% of the popular vote.

The elites of one group already hold a large chunk of the nation's economic pie, yet the government came out with dubious figures claiming the contrary. Statistics have been badly abused and often manipulated by the powerful.

Many able-minded citizens have been moving overseas. This plays right into the hands of the government that only feels comfortable among the mediocre.

Most mega-projects have been ill-conceived let alone properly planned. The squandering of the nation’s wealth solely benefits a particular section of cronies and party faithful.

Well, this country is fast becoming one of the several failed states that were once British colonies, but are now torn apart by ethnic and religious forces. The turbulent undercurrent of discontent seems to be growing, waiting to surface one day. But by then, it would be real ugly.

Of course, this is just an observation from a single individual and does not or may not reflect the entire sentiment of the nation.
However, one may ask is his observation valid ? Think it through.

Malaysian Police arresting MP on Parliament Grounds

2008-01-21T11:10:00.000-08:00

11 December 2007, the darkest day of Malaysian Parliament.

Police arrested Mustafa Ali within Parliament compound this morning, without any court order.

The unparliamentary police action could be seen as 'invading' the Parliament and utter contempt of the sanctity of the Parliament.

Parliamentary Democracy ? Rule of Law ? Read Lim Kit Siang's blog or go to youtube.
This is an MP on Parliament grounds, not your regular on the street Joe.

A new Economic Agenda

2008-01-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

..Indeed, as of 2005, Malaysia lived down to its empty slogan of Malaysia Boleh by
setting yet another record, this time for having the worst income disparity gaps
in Southeast Asia, behind even Indonesia and Thailand, as measured by its GINI
coefficient of 0.47. According to the World Bank, individual inequality in Malaysia as
measured by the GINI coefficient is the second worst in all of the Asian countries for
which data is available. Only Papua New Guinea ranks worse.

..The ongoing quest to protect the status quo and special Bumiputera business
privileges has created an opaque environment that does not sit well with international
investors demanding transparency and efficiency. Malaysia’s tender system that
is weighed in favour of affirmative action rather than meritocracy creates a noncompetitive
environment for business, and opens the door for corruption, which has
become pervasive in all sectors of society.

Read full article here
Adobe Reader Required.

Highest proportion of Government expenditure, coupled with lowest GDP growth.
To borrow from my mathematics course..What is the corollary ?
1. Inefficient use of funds ?
2. Entrepreneurial spirit shackled ?
3. Rampant leakages (corruption) ?

Think about it.

Religious Freedom ? - Res Ipsa Loquitur II

2008-01-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

CONFISCATING OF CHRISTIAN LITERATURE

The Council of Churches strongly deplores the action of the state enforcement officials of the Publications and Al-Quran Texts Control Department under the Internal Security Ministry who recently confiscated English language Christian children's books said to contain offensive caricatures of prophets from several bookshops in three states; Johor Baru, Negeri Sembilan and Perak.

Such officials have no right and have overstepped their bounds by confiscating Christian literature.

It has been stated that illustrations of prophets depicted in the children's books are offensive to the sensitivities of Muslims.
In the first place, the Christian children's books are not meant for Muslims, so how can it be offensive to them?

Second, the illustrations contained in whatever form in such books depict biblical characters of spiritual significance for Christians.

By such an action the officials have offended the sensitivities of Christians because their publications and depictions of their biblical personalities have now become targets of unscrupulous Muslim officials bent on curtailing religious freedom in the country.

The Council of Churches strongly urges the Prime Minister and his Cabinet to take immediate action to put a stop to such actions by the said Ministry.

If such actions continue, it will undermine democracy and tarnish the good relations between the different religious communities in the country.

Immediate steps should be taken to amend administrative rules and regulations especially in the Internal Security Ministry that give a freehand to enforcement officials to act at their whim and fancies.

(signed)
Rev. Dr. Hermen Shastri,
General Secretary
Council of Churches of Malaysia

17th January 2008.
Original Post here
It is these high-handed little Napoleons again, who continuously wreck havoc in this country and minority communities are constantly kept on a vigil, looking out for any enroachment of their basic rights, time and energy are constantly wasted protecting and ensuring your rights and way of life. Nobody has time for nation-building anymore, it's all these petty crap that occupies everyone's mind. If you are a non-muslim, there is no peace of mind for you in Malaysia.

Little Napoleons again and again..

2008-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

...let us all go to the Kuala Lumpur High Court at Jalan Duta on 17th and 18th
January 2008 and take a good look at the defenders of the dignity of Islam,
those 'moral police' who arrest Malay girls and boys who work in discos and then
photograph them in the nude and then demand sex as out of court settlement

Original posting here

Some "juicy" excerpts if anyone is interested - this is the state of the nation, and we're not Kosovo nor Serbia in the midst of a civil war where sex-crazed militia roam the streets for helpless women, armed with bayonets. This is 21st century modern metropolis of Kuala Lumpur. Home of the Petronas Twin Towers, the towering bastion of modernity. Yes it is indeed unfortunate, no it's not unfortunate, it's sick and it's all in the name of religion.

According to the police report that this Muslim woman made, which is the basis
of the suit, she plus all the others were handcuffed and placed in the police
truck. After some time she needed to answer the call of nature and requested
permission to go to the toilet. However, they refused to allow her to go to the
toilet and asked her instead to just pee in the truck.

In the police station, the men were separated from the women. The women were
then taken to a secluded part of the police station and photographed. But they
were not photographed in the normal 'criminal' way with their numbers on their
chest and so on. Instead, they were told to assume sexy positions -- bend
forwards, backwards, sideways, etc. Basically, they were asked to pose in erotic
and sensuous positions for the benefit of the cameras, sort of like the
centrefold of Playboy or Penthouse, if you know what I mean

Then the women were told they could avoid getting charged by settling the case
'outside court' in exchange for sexual favours. All they had to do was drop
their panties and after a quickie they would be allowed to go home without any
further action taken against them.

and no, it's not a made-up story, as Raja Petra said, go to the High Court and see for yourself the face of the perverts.

We are not North Korea nor are we East Germany

2008-01-04T13:16:00.001-08:00

Picture from New York Times

From Rocky's Bru and here

What is a scandal ?

2008-01-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

Some say Malaysia (especially the Malaysian Chinese Association) was rocked by a "scandal"
Yes the sex scandal by the Minister of Health.

More links here
I ask all of you - how would one define a scandal worth the attention of the entire nation and the resignation of a Cabinet Minister ?

What he did in his private time, behind closed doors with another consenting adult ?
Or a 4.6 Billion white elephant project, wrought in corrupt practices, hand-outs and kickbacks ?

One more link here - from Singapore Straits Times
Both are MCA projects - who should resign ?
You tell me ? Who has betrayed your trust for public accountability ?

It's about time we think with our senses and not be sheeps - running around and herded by sheepdogs (yes, the mainstream media)

If you ask me, Malaysians deserve the government they get.

p.s. Ancient Mariner asked :

"How come no Royal Commision of Inquiry to determine authenticity of DVD ?"

Indeed, it's disgracegul, MCA should be ashame. Between Angelina Yam and all of us...

We are being screwed big time and we are not even all consenting adults either.

- from Ancient Mariner

Malaysia's flailing enterprise.

2007-12-19T14:53:00.000-08:00

In December 0f 2007, Boston Consulting Group published 2008 BCG Global 100 Challengers
Malaysia has 2 entries Petronas and MISC. As Bloomberg states "both are stateowned companies. Take them away and Malaysia - a former "Asian Tiger" - has little to show by way of genuine non-government entrepreneurship that's also competitive"

Read the full report by Bloomberg here

I point out the obvious

"History shows that while many countries have been able to make it from low
income to middle income, relatively few have carried on to high income," the
Bank's researchers said.
"A lot of complex challenges have to be met, from raising the skills and innovativeness of the labour force, to creating sophisticated financial systems, to maintaining social cohesion, to greatly reducing corruption.''
These are also the prerequisites for fostering the spirit of enterprise, without which the biggest economies of Southeast Asia may just remain stuck where they are."

Yes it is indeed complex, and quite frankly Malaysia is now a middle-class nation. Our next economic quantum leap will have to coupled with a vibrant innovative and entrepreneurial community. Which are then supported by sound governmental policies and administration and financial systems. Reducing wastage and utilising human and financial resources to it's maximum capacity.

What we see today, are not only the wanton wastage of government funds, but outright corruption and vested agendas by Cabinet Ministers to line their own pockets.

Prime example, the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) is now a gleaming 4.6 Billion white elephant (read MalaysianUnplug). It was an construction exercise merely to line the coffers of powers-to-be, notably MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association) Cabinet members.

The Malaysian Constitution was lately amended to allow one man the present Election Commision Chairman to serve an extra year all the way to 2008, so he can continue his gerrymandering of the upcoming general election.

Amending the Constitution for a single man ! Only in Malaysia - he must be the most powerful man in history. Read Parliamentary Hansard December 11, 2007 (only available in Malay)

As Malaysians, as a people, as a nation, we are accountable to one another. Yet, we are not only hoodwinked but betrayed everyday by the ruling party.

Yes, we will remain stuck in this rut for some time to come.

I lament the sorry fate that befalls LaSallian Education in Malaysia

2007-12-11T12:23:00.001-08:00

I had to write something after the outburst in Parliament regarding Mission Schools and how it was controlled by the Vatican, that children were forced to sing "church songs". The one phrase to use to this uneducated and dishohourable Member of Parliament - "slander and ungrateful sloth"

I have followed rather closely this topic, and, nostalgically I reflect over how our education system has changed, deteriorated and have been politicised. I disclose I am a La Sallian, so was my father.

The Education Ministry in Malaysia, is wholely a political machinery, stocked with administrators who derive personal gains in the large financial allocation that has always been alloted to the Ministry.

The current climate, both political and socially will not allow any resurrection of a school system even vaguely resembling the old La Sallian heritage.

In addition, much has been talked about private instituitions. In essence, if this was the stance and the motivations were noble enough, private LaSallians instituitions would have been set up a long time ago.

In addition, I would assume existing mission schools can easily be converted to private instituitions, as land and property may still have belonged to the Mission.

My opinion is that the Christian Brothers have long deserted Malaysia. The Brothers serve the community, especially the poor and unfortunate, they are selfless and dedicated educators. They do not relish being soaked in politics, administrative overheads and operating in an environment that is unappreciative and hostile.

Malaysia's economic progress and wealth could largely be attributed to the Mission schools. These Schools have produced generations of Malaysians who are proficient in English, properly gounded in academics and universal values.However, this economic progress will be the bane of the La Sallian Mission, in which an order such as the La Sallian Order does not operate too well in such a materialistic and non-appreciative society.

The final nail in the coffin has long been nailed, La Sallians will have nothing much but memories of their shared heritage. Unless we move in a concerted fashion, both financially and to garner political support for any return of the Brothers (either privately or publicly), the La Sallian mission will die a natural death.

Education by Mission schools, not even a word of thanks

2007-12-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

In 1967, the official Yearbook of the Federation of Malaysia states;
when reporting the quality of education in schools run by the Christian bodies expressed:

“..... the Mission schools, particular those under the direction of the Roman Catholic Christian Brothers and the Americam Methodist Church were chiefly responsible for the rapid advancement in English education.And by 1914, some three fourths of the boys receiving education were in those schools ..... It is a striking tribute to the selflessness of these men and women that they should have gained the ready confidence and affection of both parents and teachersdespite differences in religion and culture ......”

Available school records before world war II , in fact showed that 74% of the boys and almost all the girls were in Mission schools.

Today, we have the following statement from Parliament.

Tuan Syed Hood bin Syed Edros [Parit Sulong]: Bukan sahaja patung, tetapi Ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat pergilah, tengoklah salib Kristian diletakkan di depan-depan sekolah. Saya tidak faham Kementerian Pelajaran, adakah pegawai-pegawai tidak nampak atau memang dasar kita membenarkan perkara ini. Walau bagaimanapun, saya sebagai orang yang bertanggungjawab kepada diri saya, agama, bangsa dan tanah air ini, saya menyatakan pendirian saya bahawa patung-patung ini hendaklah dirobohkan, salib-salib ini hendaklah dimusnahkan dan pengaruhpengaruh gereja di sekolah-sekolah ini hendaklah dihentikan. Begitu juga dana yang dikumpulkan di sekolah-sekolah ini. Adakah kita mendapat laporan? Kalau boleh kementerian mendedahkan dana sekolah-sekolah ini. Saya difahamkan ada sekolah-sekolah ini juga ditaja oleh pihak-pihak gereja. Dana-dananya datang daripada gereja-gereja dan adakah pihak kementerian pantau sumber-sumbernya? Adakah audit-audit dilaksanakan?

Member of Parliament (Malay of course) has called for the removal of Christian symbols from these schools. so what of tradition, never mind even a word of thanks to these schools for producing and providing generations after generations of Malaysians with quality education and English as a first language.

Picture of St. George's from taipingtalk.com

A few words to all

2007-12-05T11:18:00.001-08:00

An old friend of mine dropped me a note this morning.
We were on the topic of the state of Malaysia and migration for the sake of our families.
An excerpt of the email.

which is what I think that your plan or the exit
> strategy is exactly what I
> should hv done years ago..... But again, there will
> always be the other side
> of the coin. the struggle of being alone in a
> foreign land and all..... Its
> something that we will have to do in the face of
> adversity of living
> abroad.......

My reply to him and to everyone who has ever thought of migrating for the sake of the children and future generations. References to names have been replaced.

It's actually not that bad overseas. What you hear are
usually emotional and clouded perspectives. There is
no adversity, none whatsoever.

The social support structure is set up well overseas
due to the fact that everyone here lives the way it
is. Extended families are a luxury, therefore people
depend on these support mechanism.

- i.e. daycare are regulated by the government with
CPR specialists, food are regulated by qualified
dietician, this is because lots of parents leave kids
with daycare.

- Schools are required to present a daily report
online on homework and teacher's comments.

- Hospitals are well equipped with natal care, post
and pre-natal. Counseling sessions and free lessons
Nurses actually called (*wife name*) daily to check on her blood
sugar level during pregnancy. They gave her a blood
sugar test kit for free, taught her how to use it.

- In California, instead of raising energy prices at
every whim and fancy, the electricity company actually
comes to your house and plant trees for FREE to
provide shade so as to reduce energy consumption.
(financial accountability and participative democracy
at work)

- In Singapore, HDB community centres have taichi
sessions for the elderly, dialysis centres, subsidised
daycare etc for kids and elderly (again, smaller
families and parents have to go to work).

Like I said, people are mentally clouded by the factor
of being alone and are overwhelmed by the this fact.
We longed for familiarity - we look for our teh tarik,
when we can either make it ourselves or go to
starbucks for a Chai Latte.

However, if you live in a social system which is
predominantly based on nuclear/small families, these
structures are provided by the very society.

Hence, to summarise, it WILL work out well for you and
(*wife name here*) should you make a move. Simply because in
Australia/UK/USA/Singapore family structures are
smaller and a participative democracy ensures that the
needs of the individual is taken into account.

Quite frankly, I realised our needs are not very
different - whatever culture or background you come
from.

If you think Malaysia gives you the trappings of a good life, think again. Good is relative and the human perception is again relative.
Fearing the unknown is natural, however do not allow unfamiliarity to cloud your decisions. Understand unfamiliarity is part of change as you move from your comfort zone to a new social framework. However, just bear in mind that you are just as human as the next Australian, Singaporean, American and quite frankly your needs and perception of happiness, social justice and fairness is usually not very far off.

More abuse of NEP and Little Napoleons at work again

2007-12-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

I cannot vouch how accurate this is, nevertheless, it does not surprise me.

Read it and imagine the arrogant and high-handed policies of Malaysian (i.e Malay) policy implementors.

Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 4:58 AM
Subject: Fwd: Fw: NEP - BN POLICY TO BUMI HOUSING DISCOUNT

I am going to relate actually what happen at a meeting Klang Valley housing developers had with Kuala Lumpur City Hall DBKL) on July 31 on the matter of Bumi reserved lots.

All the developers who attended the meeting had already complied with the condition of publishing in the major newspapers the bumiputera units for sale and in addition
we were told to book a space at a designated place for a further campaign to sell the bumi units.

The above exercise does not come cheap. Advertising space in the major papers and rental of space at a major shopping complex can cost us close to RM20,000. Can you imagine our frustration when we were told to repeat the whole exercise when we could not sell the bumi units ?

In exasperation, I told the DBKL officials that even if we were to give a 20 percent discount to the bumis, they would not buy our houses because they were located in Salak South, Sungai Besi, a middle-class enclave of the urban Chinese. Nearby there is a market selling pork and a Chinese school.

The official just said, 'You have to advertise in the papers again and do the campaign at Mid-Valley Megamall again," without any compromise.

We are a small housing developer and the total units built was 40 with the bumi allocation at 12. We had complied with all the stipulated conditions and now after more than a year of waiting, DBKL still does not want to release the bumi units to be sold to the non-bumis.

At the meeting, DBKL dropped a bombshell. If we could not sell the bumi's units, then we would now have to now pay the bumi discount quantum direct to DBKL. In our case, since we gave a 7 percent discount, the quantum for each unit was RM29,400. For the 12 unsold bumi lots, we would have to pay RM352,800 to DBKL. All the developers who attended the meeting protested vehemently at this atrocious policy and refused to pay and the meeting ended without any resolution.

We would like to ask DBKL what rationale is there to give a discount to Bumis who could afford to buy a RM420,000 house? This is clearly an abuse of the NEP. Why should developers and the other races need to bear the cost of implementing their bumiputera ownership policy. It is thoroughly unfair to expect developers to bear the cost of advertising and conducting roadshows in order that Malays buy the houses. The Bumis have millions of ringgit to pay as compensation to divorce first wives, marry 2nd wives in very grand manner.

But no money to buy houses ???

Boleh land

It is exactly these policies that drives business under in Malaysia. No value is added to the chain, instead policy makers constantly have policies that deplete the economy of any value that have been created.
Sound housing developers, profit making enterprises are forced into losses by imposing required freebies which must be dished out to Bumiputras.

It is exactly these Bumiputra policies that are driving business under and acclerating capital flight from Malaysia

Michael Backman again

2007-11-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

Michael Backman is not only an eloquent writer. His views would usually shine a light right through the thickest fog, especially on Malaysia.

Of course the truth hurts and Malaysia is not exactly utopia. Far from it.
This is his latest article, extremely very pertinent points and some very basic question raised.

Michael Backman
www.michaelbackman.com

Ethnic rivalry in Malaysia usually is portrayed as rivalry between the majority Malay population and the large Chinese minority. But sandwiched between the two are Malaysia's Indians. They make up about 2 million or 8% of the population but according to some estimates they account for around 2% of the nation's corporate wealth. This disparity is leading to rising tensions from a group that the authorities normally take for granted.

The Indian community is split into Muslims and Hindus. The Muslims, known locally as the 'Mamak', tend to blend more easily with the dominant Malays - both being Muslim means that intermarriage is not uncommon. (Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad is the product of such a union.) The Hindus on the other hand are far more marginalised. Politically weak and disorganised, they tend to be largely ignored by the government.

Original post here and here

Simply atrocious, Res ipsa loquitur

2007-11-12T23:55:00.000-08:00

Res ipsa loquitor - the thing speaks for itself. It signifies that further details are unnecessary; the proof of the case is self-evident.

Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin cannot string a sentence in proper English to save his life.

On the topic of democracy and freedom of expression, the Minister continuosly cuts and buts in on the interviewer. In no way was she allowed to string a coherent sentence.
Res ipsa loquitor - it speaks for itself, if there's no freedom of expression in Malaysia, it definitely is. Even interviews cannot be conducted in a civilised manner, the Minister lacks any substance nothing except constantly butting, shutting up the interviewer and drowning every other question in unintelligent rhetoric.

Yes, this is the Information Minister of Malaysia, and why are the opposition crying out for avenues for expression, minority voices to be heard and better democratic processes ?
res ipsa loquitor.

Bersih Rally Police Brutality

2007-11-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

The March and Rally by The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) to present a memorandum to His Majesty was a clear cut success on all grounds.

Malaysians have endured the tyranny, suppression and total disregard of their demoractic rights long enough.

On November 10, almost as a last salvo, close to 100,000 marched from City Centre to present a memorandum to HM.

Barisan Nasional and UMNO controlled media have literally stranggled to death any avenues for democratic reforms, checks and balances and or press freedom in this country.
On November 10th, my fellow brave Malaysians has decided that this is their country, and they have had enough of UMNO and their plundering cohorts.

I present to you real life accounts as Police fired tear gas on their fellow Malaysians. No unruly behaviour, violence or any semblance of a riot happened (as opposed to what the official press will want you to believe). It all began when the police fired.

Account 1

Her eyes reddened by tear gas and her clothes soaking wet from a heavy
downpour, Hamidah Ibrahim, a 23-year-old undergraduate from the northern city of
Ipoh, huddled against a shop wall in Tun Perak Road, a main thoroughfare in
Kuala Lumpur that is usually clogged with vehicles but on Saturday was crowded
with thousands of protestors. Across the street, red-helmeted officers of
Malaysia's Federal Reserve Unit fired several rounds of tear gas at the crowds
before a baton charge that sent protesters running helter-skelter. Hamidah wiped
her eyes and adjusted her tudung, the Malay headscarf that is obligatory for
Muslim women. "This is like being in hell," she says amid the thud of smoke
grenade launchers.

Account 2

There are two indisputable facts about the rally on Saturday. The first is
that all the chaos on that day was caused by the police. It was the police who
set up the road blocks disrupting the movement of traffic all over KL. It was
the police who adopted an aggressive stance towards the crowd of demonstrators.
It was the police who precipitated all the acts of violence and without any
provocation. It was the police who sprayed the extremely well-behaved crowd with
chemical laced water cannon and tear gas and it was the police who cannoned
sections of the crowd standing inside the gate of Masjid Jamek. I know because I
was standing inside the gates of the mosque and got saturated and was left
standing in a pool of foaming water.Sure, the crowd made plenty of noise and
there were many fists being shaken at the police but whenever threatened the
crowd backed off and took alternative routes to seek their destination. I
witnessed no attempt by the police to warn off the crowd using loud hailers even
though I was at the front line of the crowd.In Jalan Tuanku Rahman, it was the
police who again used tear gas and cannon and resorted to baton charges, beating
their batons on their shields to further break up an already dispersed crowd.
And it was the police who were seen to violently manhandle members of the crowd.
It was the police who closed off access to the LRT stations within the city area
thus causing disruption to many non-participating citizens

Account 3

Once we exited the station at Masjid Jamek, we were greeted by
the ever heart-warming sight of riot police. Here they call them the Federal
Reserve Unit, but they are nothing more than mercenaries in uniform. Zealots
armed with batons and gas launchers, completely apathetic to the growing crowd,
swollen by passer-bys and passionate Malaysians. The police sprayed preliminary
water-cannon fire on the crowd, which I wasn't to concerned about. It was only
upon reaching home that I found out they were contaminated with chemicals.Now
there is something of great importance that I need to stress; in no way,
absolutely none, did the demonstrators aim to incite the police. There was lots
of chanting, of slogan shouting, of crowd rallying, but there was no hatred or
contempt hurled against those in power. In short, we did not merit the treatment
we received. One may say, "But it was an illegal gathering anyway." How can the
executive issue a decree banning the people in a democracy from voicing their
opinion? We are not looking for a riot. We're not looking for impeachment. We're
not looking for a revolution. We want clean elections. After all, if the
government did its job efficiently, without corruption,racism and wanton
aggression, why would we want to vote for the opposition? The demonstration
today was truly a model demonstration. A peaceful, passionate crowd standing
defiant, in a completely passive manner. It was a moment to remember, the
solidarity on the f aces of others as we stared down the threats in the hope of
a better tomorrow. All until the police became violent.

Fellow Malaysians, firing on their countrymen. It wasn't so much as the
actual shooting which was horrendous, but seeing them take their line of sight
made my stomach turn. These uncompassionate robots, protectors of the society
shooting against the people they swear to protect. Here they are, ladies and
gentlemen, "dispersing crowds", while paedophiles run riot, pun very much
intended. When they fired, they shot directly infront of the crowd. Shaz and I
happened to be caught in between a mass of bodies and a drain barrier. Just like
some bad war movie, everything seemed to happen in slow motion, as the cannister
rolled to a stop barely 10 feet away. Time sped back to normal as the people
around me started scrambling into the nearby station. Shaz and I were stuck
outside, but fortunately, my brother was pulled in by a fairy-tale hero. "Give
Me Liberty or Give Me Death", but don't give me tear gas. The following account
is in no way dramatisation, it is, as it is. Maybe it was my severe
underestimation of the pain, both physical and psychological, that caused my
hesitation. If not for the rain, I shudder to think of the potential pain. Had I
known... Completely immobile and covering our faces with wet cloths, we were
powerless for a good 45 seconds to the gas. Initially, you feel a sting in your
nose. As the pain increases, it ignites your eyeballs into blindness. As the
pain mounts unbearable, tears streaming uncontrollably out of your eyes, the gas
enters the pores on your face, the sensation acid to the pH. As you try and
escape the gas, running literally blindly, with your skin aflame, the gas enters
your lungs, constricting respiration to almost nil. Every inhalation you take is
void of oxygen, and soon you will not be able to breathe. More than once the
thought of death surfaced in my mind, as I moved with, not fought against the
crowd to clear the area. Shazee later told me she thought she was as good as
gone as well. Tear gas brings you to the edge of death, only for you to be
resuscitated back into Hell.

Little known fact

2007-11-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

If I had any semblance of authority in the world I live in, I would nominate the following writer who goes by the name Colin Nathan an award. His letter here to Malaysikini so aptly and succinctly summarised to paint a picture of patriotic desparation. Some may brand him otherwise, but he could have written about Zimbabwe, Uganda, Indonesia or whatever basket-case of a country in this world we live in. But he chose Malaysia, the country he has called home, that his father has called home and I think a country he would like his children to inherit and to grow up in.

Read it here in it's original form
This is a small snippet from his original letter..

In 2004, global financial services firm Morgan Stanley issued a report that
estimated that over US$100 billion (RM360 billion) had been lost to Malay
patronage in the 20 years preceding 2003 (from 1984 to 2003). One economist
estimates that in the 36 years of its existence, the New Economic Policy has
been used to channel over one trillion ringgit to the Malay community through
ASN (Amanah Saham Malaysia), ASB (Amanah Saham Bumiputera) and other related
government schemes. Since 1970, the government has used the NEP to divert
education, employment and every other conceivable benefit to the Malay
Malaysians. These measures have largely been successful with all the top posts
in government-linked companies (GLCs), the government, universities,
public-listed companies and practically every single area that the government
has any control over being reserved for one race.

Asian Strategic and Leadership Institute’s estimate of 45% for bumi share of the
nation’s equity is opposed to the government's 18.9%, firstly, because the
equity value is calculated at par value. For example, if you hold 1,000 Maxis
shares of RM5 market value each, the government says that it is only worth RM250
as these shares have a par value of 25 sen each. If you owned a company with a
paid-up value of RM2 but conducted business worth millions of ringgit worth of
transactions, the government values that company at RM2.

Will this stupidity never end ?

2007-11-12T00:43:00.001-08:00

WTF

2007-11-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

You all have to see this and I say WTF ?

I am tired, it's like cleaning an overflowing toilet

2007-11-05T15:23:00.000-08:00

Trying to write and blog about Malaysia, is like trying to clean an overflowing toilet.
Where do you even start ? Before one has a chance to digest an issue, another one comes up. Every single one, stankier and a few rungs below common morality than the previous one.

Before I had a chance to digest the ramifications of the V.K. Lingam video which has rocked the Malaysian Judiaciary system up to the point, that the Malaysian BAR may now consider boycotting the Judiciary, we now have the RM 27 Million police officer.

V.K. Lingam was caught on tape, bargaining with a senior member of a Judiaciary for key appointments (this member has since been promoted to be the Chief Justice of Malaya). The Government does not call this a crisis, the Government first set up a 3-man toothless committee to determined the authenticity of the video. The first act of the committee was to call up the source of the video and for him to turn over the original footage.

Firstly, we all know, this is Malaysia and whistleblowers will be dispensed with. Secondly, the committee is bent on protecting those in public office, should it not be to protect the public from those in office ?

They have threatened to jail Anwar Ibrahim if he does not turn up his source.
If the can send a man to space for needless reasons, they can, determine the authenticity of the digital footage. That is a technological issue. But no, they must have the whistleblower's name.

More has been written on this notably on Malaysia-today, Lim Kit Siang, who am I, but a mere mortal looking pathetically at the system, I have nothing more to add.

Read : CJ say bye, bye,

Then the most interesting read is this man, Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Ramli Yusoff. HE is presently charged or to be charged to be in possession of RM 27 million in assets. He was charged by the Anti-Corruption Agency.
However, to those uninitiated, it seems this charge happened after he and his men made a move on major Malaysian underground triad/mafia bosses.

The Malaysian police is divided and played out like pawns by the underworld kingpins and by their political masters. Again, who protects the public ?

Read more here : The land of Walt Disney

In the end, it's an overflowing toilet, one piece of excrement after another trying to better itself that the previous one. We all will bear the stench.

Malaysia at crossroads

2007-10-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

Malaysia at crossroads

"I urge all of you today to be very, very worried", Malik Imtiaz.

Watch it here if you have time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9zmRMoDt58

I took a breather

2007-10-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

I took a 1-month breather from the insanity of all that is Malaysia. In fact I was back in Malaysia in September of 2007. It was slightly close to 1 week after the 50th anniversary of Merdeka (Independence)

Flags were flying everywhere, one primary school I visited had close to 50 flags planted between it's school gates and the actual entrance to the school building complex.

Everywhere I went it was flags and faces, faces, faces of Abdullah BAdawi and his cohorts.

It looked to me like I was transported to some Eastern Bloc nation or East Germany after the war. Instead of Stalin's mennacing moustache and the a tide of red flags, it's Abdullah Badawi staring down on you.

And those flags were ugly, almost choking everything insight

For a better perspective on Malaysia, read this :
http://bright-i.blogspot.com/2007/10/unbelievable-but-its-happening-in.html

Again this is Malaysia and the country runs on autopilot without any sense of decency or common sense anymore. Might as well be living in Zimbabwe.

Original pic here

Would you like RM 10 Million ?

2007-08-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

This is the same Parliamentary sitting.
Every man, woman and child and 2 additional generations of Malaysians has just sent 10 Million Ringgit each down the proverbial monsoon drain.

And the UMNO/BN Morons in Parliament are still talking about a stupid youtube video made by a lonely teenager. Wake up people

Where's the money coming from

2007-08-21T11:42:00.001-07:00

- China
- India
- Brazil
- Eastern Europe
- Developing economies within South East Asia - Vietnam, Cambodia

Malaysia - history of unaccountable and scandalous mega projects
- Politically motivated projects
- Enshrined discrimination and preferential treatment to sections of the population. Market forces and economic efficiencies are manipulated and skewed due to rampant discrimination and corruption.

Article rings true, who's stupid enough to pump in more money ?

What else is new

2007-08-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

Every 2-3 years we come full circle again

What else is new ?
http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/newsncom.php?itemid=7459

The Youtube Ministry

2007-08-12T23:59:00.001-07:00

The Malaysian Government has started policing youtube and will from now onwards will determine what any Malaysian can sing and talk about. This includes any written works of academia, digital images and digital video transmission over the Internet (aka youtube)

The Malaysian Government will also be the absolute authority in your opinion, thoughts and how you express it

Your opinion and manner of expression must be in agreement and must not differ nor deviate with the views and opinion of any UMNO politician or Cabinet Minister

The Malaysian Government and/or UMNO politician reserves the right to review and change their opinion.

Malaysian Government will continue to expand this new regulation to metacafe.

As a law abiding citizen of Malaysia. I must express my admiration to your absolute conscientious attention to namewee's video on Youtube. Out of the millions of videos, you are able to single one out. Your administration must be lauded, as you have resolved issues of poverty, corruption, economic competitiveness, healthcare and education. Inasmuch that your attention must now be focused on Youtube.

I present to you Youtube videos which you may have missed out.
- Pigs Dancing in UPM
- Adnan Yaacob Go to Hell
- Who Let the Dogs Out
- Melayu Mabuk
- Does Samy Vellu have to pay toll
- What happened to Malaysia

Your attention is greatly appreciated.

Can't see the light of Day

2007-08-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

UMNO now has a vendetta against Raja Petra Kamaruddin. He exposed extreme levels of corruption within the echelons of the Royal Malaysian Police and Government (including Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister)

Activities that can't see the light of day.

EU Trade Envoy to Malaysia was unilaterally slammed for his comments on Malaysia's discriminatory trade practices.
He was told to shut-up, all because Malaysia's discriminatory policies cannot see the light of day nor stand up to any intellectual nor academic scrutiny.

Read here and here

Rommel said it was discriminatory and amounted to protectionism. Malays form just over half of Malaysia's 26 million people, with ethnic Chinese and Indians forming sizeable minorities.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak hit back at Rommel, saying he had overstepped diplomatic boundaries.

Malaysian police and immigration helping themselves to girls sold to sex slavery in Penang, as exposed by Dateline NBC
According to Anna, some of the Malaysian police and immigration officials were clients of the clubs where she worked and helped themselves to the girls.

OF course it will be brushed off, that too cannot see the light of day.

Chinese Malaysian rapper with his own rap rendition of Negaraku on youtube
HE rapped about the trials and tribulations of being a non-Malay, non-Muslim in Malaysia. Though he has a point, he's a wanted man now by UMNO.
Yes, this amatuer rapper is insignificant and his youtube video is not even important in anyway. Yet, the UMNO mafia has too much guilty conscience to let an insignificant youtube video go unnoticed. Yes, it can't see the light of day.

Malaysia, will forever be hiding in it's own shadows. Anything and everything that runs slightly foul of the establishment's stand will not be given a stamp of approval and whistleblowers will be severly dealt with.
This is the only way, UMNO, ruling elites and cronies of the political elites will have a free reign of the country and continue to be corrupt.

PoliceWatchMalaysia.

2007-07-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

PoliceWatchMalaysia

Original post here

Racial profiling ? this is Malaysia, and it's official policy.

2007-07-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

US Navy Officer.
Desert Storm Veteran.
Fearful of his life when he was detained by Malaysian immigration in broad daylight.
Suffered Unimaginable trauma - this coming from a Veteran. (I assumed mere mortals like the rest of us, would have had a heart attack and died)

This is Malaysia, where Racial profiling is official policy.
Bumiputra's are always poor. Hence must be given free money. Free equity in companies, Free access to higher education. Guaranteed employment
Non-Bumi's are rich, hence must pay more tax, pay more for homes, and must be deprived of higher education, they don't need to be employed.

Muslims are always right, hence are allowed to raid Ms. Malaysia pageant.
Allowed to raid entertainment outlets and detain singers.
Barge into rooms of tourist, invading personal privacy, demanding marriage certificates. No need to be accountable, no need due process of the law. Muslims are right.

It's payback time when African American US Navy Officer exposes his treatment at Malaysian Immigration camps.
This is after all Malaysia, if you are not Muslim and a non-Malay you are less than human.
Picture from Malaysiakini

Want to hear his story, click here.

I told them in plain English ‘I am a US citizen, escort me to my hotel and I will proof this’. I was ignored as I walked
about 20 feet with these men.
The firm grip on my arm became firmer and at this time both men were holding each arm and when I started to resist I noticed one of the men reaching for some handcuffs on his waist. I said in a loud outburst I am an American citizen before I go anywhere I want see some identification or a badge or something to proof that I was being escorted/carried off against my will by an official of the government.
At this time, a crowd had formed around me and the men. I thought finally someone has heard my cry. My eyes were almost in tears. I asked again, ‘please let me see some identification’.

That was when I thought this was it. Death was surely at the next stop.
We were transferred to another caged truck. I still felt like this was all too strange and we were not being held by any government officials. No rights had been explained to me and at least five hours had passed.
By this time it was 1.30am. We were given sodas and bread was thrown into the cage. It was like trying to feed a freshly captured monkey expecting him to eat while passing him food through the little holes in the cage. I thought if this was a government agency and whether it was complying with
the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
Okay, after another long, cold and bumpy ride with about 25 other men, we arrived at a place that looked as if it was a third world concentration camp. We waited at the gate for about 30 minutes because it looked like no one had the key to get in, like no one knew we were coming.

Wither Copernican revolution

2007-07-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

Nicolaus Copernicus (February 19, 1473 – May 24, 1543) was an astronomer who espoused the theory that the Earth is not at the centre of the universe. He theorised that the Earth orbited around the sun and so do the other planets.

His theory was groundbreaking. Unfortunately in the middle ages, where church bishops and religious heretics were in control. His views were considered heretic and blasphemous.
The present view at that timeperiod was that the Earth is the centre of the universe and the heliocentric model was totally unacceptable to the church.
Galileo supported the heliocentric model of the universe. In 1632 he was ordered to appear before the Holy Office in Rome
I quote from Wikipedia.

Galileo is perhaps the first to clearly state that the laws of nature are mathematical, writing that "the language of God is mathematics". His mathematical analyses are a further development of a tradition employed by late scholastic natural philosophers, which Galileo learned when he studied philosophy

This is today evident in the Divine Ratio (phi)
That the language of creation, the language of God and the universe is indeed mathematics.

In 1633, Galileo was asked to recant (renounce) his ideas that, and the church upheld the views that "The proposition that the sun is in the center of the world and immovable from its place is absurd, philosophically false, and formally heretical; because it is expressly contrary to Holy Scriptures"

Galileo was imprisoned and spent the rest of his life under house arrest.
Went blind and died of natural causes on January 8, 1642.

On October 1992, Pope John Paul II expressed regret for how the Galileo affair was handled.

History has shown us time and time again, suppressed, dogmatic points of view devoid of any intellectual discourse or analysis is not the way to resolve our problems. They merely provide a stopgap measure. Deep seated issues will remain unresolved and eventually the truth will prevail.

In Malaysia, academics have to sign a legally binding agreement entitled "Akujanji" in which they have to pledge loyalty to the Government. Failing to toe the official line, Academics can be charged under a wide-range of Acts which ultimately allows for indefinite detention without trial.

Wither Academic discourse in Malaysia. How many Galileos have the executives (ruling elite and regime) thumbed down ?

Middle ages election

2007-07-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

It's bad enough Malaysia has a non-independent Election Commisions.
It's bad enough that election results are frequently tampered with.
It's bad enough that Malaysia has phantom voters all over their electoral rolls.
Babies, children and the deceased are frequently listed as eligible voters.

We had to take 2 steps back to where only the poorest, underdeveloped and war-torn nations have done - the use of indelible ink.

Now the Election Commision has to defer the decision to use indelible ink to the Islamic Fatwa Council !

Reproduce here in it's entire form from Malaysia-today

MALAYSIA'S Election Commission (EC) has referred its plan to use indelible ink for general elections to the Islamic fatwa council, citing Muslim reservations about cleanliness.

The EC wants the Muslim scholars on the council to rule on the issue of introducing the use of ink, said the commission's deputy chairman, Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.

The idea to use the ink to mark the fingers of voters is being pushed by opposition parties as a safeguard against multiple voting - a charge that often surfaces in Malaysian elections.

The EC - the government agency that organises general elections and by-elections - said last month that it was agreeable to the idea.

It said the ink could be in use by the next general election, which must be held by March 2009 but which many speculate could be held within the next six months.

Datuk Wan Ahmad said the fatwa council must first decide whether using the ink is allowed in Islam as it could affect ablutions carried out by Muslims before their daily prayers.

The ink cannot be wiped off for two to three days.

The opposition has said that the use of the ink had not posed a problem in Muslim countries such as Iraq.

The vice-president of conservative opposition party Parti Islam SeMalaysia, Datuk Husam Musa, said this month that the use of the ink has no bearing on Muslim cleanliness.

He claimed that the government was merely looking for an excuse not to implement the ink's use.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

So now, Muslims cannot be treated with Iodine, Potassium Permanganate to name a few, for wounds, because they leave a tiny stain. What next, antiseptic cream cannot be applied on open sores ?
Excuse, Stupidity or an increasingly dogmatic civil administration bound to a 14th century texts describing how life should be led Arabia.

You decide.

The State of Human rights in Malaysia

2007-07-22T01:25:00.000-07:00

Revathi a video documentary.

2007-07-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

For those who's interested
As per closing statement of the video, "the debate continues". But a family is torn apart, a mother and child are separated and a father is deprived from seeing his family for 6 months. If this is religion, then this religion has no compassion and do not subscribe to a higher power nor in my opinion is of an unearthly origin. It is nothing more than a set of man-made dogmas harped and drummed into the minds of zealots, passed down through the generations.

God in whatever name we call it is All Mighty and All Knowing, He is not an insecure brat who needs to see a poor family torn apart and a child and mother separated, just to assert himself. Sadly, in Malaysia, everyone who can spew a few words of Arabic and sport a goatie is playing God.

This is NEP, this is Malaysia

2007-07-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

Forget lofty ideals, this is what it boils down to

For every Revathi 100 more cry in silence

2007-07-17T11:19:00.001-07:00

The People's Parliament put forth his thoughts regarding Revathi elegantly in this his post here, aptly entitled "Revathi are you really free"

I share his deepfelt sympathy to Revathi and Suresh. May they find courage, compassion and strength to lead their lives as a family. As human beings. As dignified individuals without fear and intimidation.

Scroll down the page of the People's Parliament and read another reply by a "prometheus_bound".

I reproduce the reply here in full.

About a year ago, I represented a woman who had his adopted son detained by JAIS at a detention centre in Ulu Yam. My client was a Christian who converted to a Muslim. She had an adopted son, who is a Muslim. The boy lived with her and her family.

Initially my client financially contributed to the religious school, however when she found out some irregularities, she stopped funding the school.

Her problem thereafter started. The head of the religious school lodged a report to the local authorities claiming that she was trying to “convert” her adopted son to Christianity. Obviously that was a blatant lie.

The religious authority together with the police raided her house in the middle of the night, it was a party of about 20-30 people. They couldnt find a Bible, yet they insist that she was trying to convert the boy as a Christian. The boy was detained at a detention centre in Ulu Yam.

My client threatened legal action against the religious authority. A deal was brokered. The religious authority allowed me to visit the boy at the detention centre. The religious authority wanted to show that the boy wanted to stay at the detention centre voluntarily for an indefinate period of time.

It was heartbreaking. The boy was in fear. After reading Revathi’s story I remember vividly the look on the boy’s face.

The religious authorities need to be reined in.

What we have here is nothing less than legalised Mafias.
Mafias that are unaccountable for their actions. Which operates outside the boundaries of the legal framework.

What recourse does a civilised nation, or a civilised populace have against these groups. In the very first place, they operate outside the legal framework. To top it all off, they are State sanctioned. One just needs to cry Allah-u-akbar in a mob frantic frenzy and any Federal Court Judge, politician and police officer will stand back and look away. This is Malaysia

For every Revathi, 100 more Revathis cry in silence. We all pray for them, may they find courage and compassion, someday.

What a shame

2007-07-16T17:24:00.001-07:00

Shame on you ISLAMIC ZEALOTS of MALAYSIA

Original post here

"It was a prison. They placed me in a solitary confinement," Massosai Revathi, an ethnic Indian, said a day after she was freed from a state-run Islamic counselling centre. "Although I served 180 days, I still cannot convert out of Islam," said Revathi, 29. "I wasted my time"

So, to all who said it was an "administrative procedure". What do you have to say now ?

Not only was it torture, denial of human rights and now they tell her she's still a Muslim and cannot lead a life the way she wants.

SHAME ON YOU PEOPLE ! RELIGIOUS BIGOTS

Let me ask a simple question

2007-07-16T17:09:00.001-07:00

A truly unfortunate turn of events.
Massosai Revathi, a Malaysian citizen whose parents had converted to Islam but who was brought up by her Hindu grandmother and who had lived most of her life as a Hindu. Revathi is therefore one of the unfortunate cases of Malaysian citizens whose complex identity was bound to get her into trouble with the religious authorities in Malaysia, and it finally did. Following her marriage to her Hindu husband according to Hindu rites, they had a child who was also brought up a Hindu. Revathi was later called in by the religious authorities and told in no uncertain terms that she was legally a Muslim and had therefore committed a crime in the eyes of Islamic law and Muslim jurists. She was then sent to one of the country’s ‘Faith Rehabilitation Centers’ so that she could be ‘persuaded’ to return to Islam.

This is the associated press reports, her 100-day extension has been extended to another 80-days

Malaysia’s Islamic officials seize baby from mother who sought a Hindu life
The Associated Press

Published: April 6, 2007

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Islamic authorities took away the baby of a Muslim woman who is living as a Hindu in defiance of the law in the latest case of religious conflict straining ties in multiethnic Malaysia, officials said Friday.

Revathi Masoosai’s 15-month-old daughter was taken by the Islamic Religious Department in southern Malacca state on March 26 and handed to Revathi’s Muslim mother, said department enforcement officer Mohamad Imran Ahmad.

“The baby’s grandmother has custody of her for now,” Mohamad Imran told The Associated Press.

Revathi, an ethnic Indian, is being held in a rehabilitation center run by Islamic authorities for her religious transgression. The baby was with Revathi’s husband when she was seized. He has filed a police complaint, but it was not clear if he plans to take the case to court.

Meanwhile, the baby will stay with her grandmother. “When the baby’s mother is released, she can try to regain custody if she wants to,” said Mohamad Imran without elaborating.

The case, which was made public by the opposition Democratic Action Party on Thursday, highlights an increasing number of spats affecting the religious and family rights of the ethnic Indian and Chinese minorities.

Indians, who form about 8 percent of Malaysia’s 26 million people, are mostly Hindus while some are Christians, Muslims and Sikhs.

Activists say a string of recent disputes have ended in favor of Muslims — who comprise nearly 60 percent of the population — and strained ethnic relations in this multicultural nation, which has enjoyed racial peace for nearly four decades.

Revathi, 29, was born to Indian Muslim parents who gave her a Muslim name, Siti Fatimah. However, Revathi claims she was raised as a Hindu by her grandmother and changed her name in 2001, said Chong Eng, an opposition member of Parliament.

Revathi married Suresh Veerappan in 2004 according to Hindu rites. The marriage has not been legally registered because Suresh would have had to convert to Islam first.

Revathi’s official identification documents state she is Muslim because Malaysians who are born as Muslims cannot legally convert.

The Islamic Religious Department apparently learned of Revathi’s case after she gave birth. Revathi was detained in January and taken to a rehabilitation center in central Malaysia where she is expected to be held until at least mid-April to undergo religious counseling, Chong said.

“Separating mother and child … is inhuman,” Chong said in a statement.

A custody battle would be complicated because Islamic officials and Revathi’s mother would likely seek to try the case in Islamic Shariah court, which handles religious, family and personal law disputes involving Muslims.

Non-Muslims turn to civil courts to settle these issues. But the secular courts have generally avoided taking a position in such disputes between Muslims and non-Muslims, leaving it to the Shariah system, where verdicts have often favored Muslims.

- Breaking up a marriage.
- Separating a mother from her 15-month old daughter for 3 months
- Taking away a baby from her father.
All for the sake of what ?
If religion is all about coercion, wrecking marriages, separating families.
Then I make my stand here loud and clear

ISLAM, at least the Malaysian version of it is the NOT WORTH IT's DAY in HELL.

IT'S a bureaucracy run my zealots, who derive wicked fetish and satisfaction, on the suffering of others. They have no compassion, no intention to assist fellow human beings.

ISLAM in MALAYSIA and all it's proponents and administrators - if I had my way, you will be buried alive in nothing less than pig's excrement.

Taliban strikes again

2007-07-05T21:59:00.001-07:00

This country is in a state of crisis. It's tearing apart from within. A secular government and an increasingly rampant, overzealous group of Islamic enforcement officers, which to a certain thinks they are not accountable nor do they need to adhere to any rules or regulations.

To them they are answerable to their version of God's divine laws, they are despicable, disrespectful and have no sense of human dignity. They interpret laws and rules to their whim and fancy, often citing words of scripture.

This is almost Medieval Europe

I reproduce here a report from
a local newspaper.

IPOH: The Perak Religious Department (JAIP) has
ordered a singer to appear before the Syariah Court for “exposing her body”
during a performance and “encouraging immoral activities”.
However, an indignant Siti Noor Idayu Abd Moin, 22, said she was wearing a sleeveless top and long pants when JAIP officers raided an entertainment outlet in Sunway City where she was performing on Tuesday.
Our band had just finished and it was a little past midnight when they came
in and rounded up all the Muslims. “They asked to see our MyKad but
one officer refused to touch the cards, referring to them as najis (unclean),”
she said.
Siti Noor Idayu said the JAIP officers later detained seven
people, including four employees of the outlet, and brought them to the
department office.
“They put us in a tiny room and turned up the air-conditioner. I heard one officer tell the other: Bekulah dia orang (Let them freeze),” she said.
Siti Noor Idayu also said the male officers kept taking photographs of her, adding that she was made to stay overnight in that room until 10am.
She said the officer who finally came to record her statement at 8am, accused her of consuming alcohol and drugs, being involved in immoral activities, and that her MyKad was a fake.
“I took the breathalyser test twice and when the reading remained at zero, the officers looked frustrated.
“I heard one tell the other: Tapi dia tak minum lah (But she did not drink),” she said.
Siti Noor Idayu said an officer even told her that the money she earned working in the outlet was duit haram (illicit money) and that her parents, children and future generations would all be tainted for using such money.
“They finally wrote me a notice accusing me of dressing sexily and encouraging immorality just because I sang there,” she said.
The notice ordered her to appear before the Syariah Court here on Aug 6.
When contacted, JAIP director Datuk Jamry Sury said he was confident that his officers had not acted outside of their jurisdiction in issuing the notice.
“According to Islamic laws, a Muslim woman is not allowed to serve or entertain a man who is not her husband in a place where immoral activities usually take place,” he said.

I am not a lawyer, hence I will not go further, but are we a secular nation or an Islamic nation, in which Islamic law reigns supreme ?
Doesn't the Federal Constiuition has a list of areas that falls within the purview of the Syariah Court. Did it say anything about "a Muslim woman is not allowed to serve or entertain a man who is not her husband in a place where immoral activities usually take place”

Who defines what is immoral ? Which set of laws defines morality ?

Today, Muslim women in Malaysian will never represent Malaysia in any beauty pageant (e.g. Miss Universe, Miss World) - due to to infamous storming of a Miss Malaysia/World pageant a few years back.

What next, will they storm the next Asean Games rhythmic gymnastic event when a Muslim woman were to compete ? After all, she is entertaining a crowd of people, men included and they are all definitely not her husband.

Which set of laws will these Strom Troopers be governed under ?

Aren't there laws for lawful/unlawful and unruly behaviour in public places ? Who detained these Storm Troopers when they disrupted the Miss Malaysia Pageant ?

Like Shamans, Wizards and Witches of pagan tribes, these individuals wield blind, lawless authority over the people and nobody questions them. Mortals cuddle in fear as they walk pass, logic does not prevail and all decorum of a civil society are broken by these people.

Forget everything you've seen or read in the media - about Malaysia being truly Asia.
It is not and it is surely being sucked into the Middle Ages, quickly.

Why didn't Lina Joy turned to the Islamic courts ?

2007-06-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

The dust has settled, and we've heard both sides of the argument.
Most neutral yet falsely optimistic argument I've heard so far is :
"it's a mere administrative procedure, she needs to apply to the Shariah Courts"

This is why people don't go to the Shariah Courts.
From MalaysiaToday here

Please allow me to reproduce in full.

Gua Musang (Malaysia), SVM News - Malaysian Government authorities Demolished a Christian Church Building in an Orang Asli settlement in Gua Musang in Ulu Kelantan on June 4.

Just few months ago, the Orang Asli community in Kampung Jias converted into Christianity as a result of the ministries of Pastor Moses Soo. And they were in need of a church to worship. So they consulted the Village Development and Security Committee and the Department of Orang Asli Affairs to erect a church to mark their faith.

It was sanctioned and they proceeded constructing the church with the help of volunteers and certain donations.

But on April 11, the Gua Musang district land office issued a stop work order, stated that the construction was being carried out on state land without permission from the authorities.

The following day, Rev. Wong Kim Kong, the Secretary General of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship of Malaysia (NECF) sent a letter to the land office, said the land belonged to the Orang Asli villagers under Section 2 6(1) and 7(1) of the Orang Asli Act of 1954. And copied to the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and the Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail.

And construction of the church continued.

Again the Land Office issued another notice on May 24 informing the village headman Pedik Busu that the "illegal" structure would be demolished.

Despite various efforts to block the demolishment, the church was finally torn down by bulldozers on Monday, 4th of June

Pastor Moses Soo said to Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries and the SVM News Service that police tortured him several times.

Also Pastor Soo said the district land office do not have any right to reduce the church to rubble, because the land belonged to the headman of Kampung Jias but was donated to the Orang Asli community for the purpose of building the church.

After demolishing the church, a report was made on June 6 at the Gua Musang Police Station by the headman Pg. Pedik bin Busu of Kg. Jias and he was accompanied by the lawyer Mr. Lum C. S.

"We are not sure who was responsible for demolishing the Orang Asli church in Gua Musang, the Federal Islamic authorities (UMNO) or the Kelantan State religious authorities (PAS). I think Malaysiakini carried a report recently that the Kelantan govt is going to compensate them for the demolition of the church," a believer of the church said. "In Malaysia where Muslims destroy churches, temples, etc. the govt keeps quiet and pretends it does not know" he added.

So you think Lina Joy will come out alive as soon as she walks into the Shariah court office ?
Easy for one to talk about "administrative procedures". People are not stupid, though we all have our radars tuned at different frequencies. As for Lina Joy she has her radar tuned on her physical survival, and what do you do when these things are the norm in Bolehland.

Arabic script hoo hah

2007-06-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

This Post on Malaysiakini has generated some unfounded furore.

Excerpt here :

Therefore, I was very, very disappointed to see that even the national language
is not used by the Malaysian Embassy and instead that another language that I
was not taught back in school is being used. I wasn't aware that this language
superceded our national language in importance.

Of course like everything that's in Malaysia every minor chasm has been blown into the likes of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This is an equally passionate reply on Malaysiakini, from a Malay/Muslim of course

Excerpt here :

If the non-Malays could even take offence with the use of Jawi and call it
Arabic, then it is doomsday for the future of integration as it only exemplifies
the unspoken (or not, as the case may be) aversion they may have towards
anything `Malay' and `Islamic'. Jawi is part of the history of BM. After the
Romanised form was used fully post-1972, we witnessed a decline in the
understanding of BM in its original form ie. with Jawi characters. If one were
to study the language, there are a lot of BM words which could have been better
`pronounced' had the Jawi characters been used.

Please let me highlight the National Language Act 1963. (Akta Bahasa Kebangsaan)
I am pleasantly surprise the AG Chambers actually has a pdf copy of it.
http://www.agc.gov.my/agc/oth/Akta/Vol.%201/Akta%2032.pdf

Section 9 states :

Tulisan bagi bahasa kebangsaan
9. Tulisan bagi bahasa kebangsaan ialah tulisan Rumi: dengan syarat bahawa ini tidak melarang penggunaan tulisan Melayu, yang lebih dikenali dengan nama tulisan Jawi, bagi bahasa kebangsaan.

Nevertheless, please allow logic to prevail, and stop the "Islamic chest-thumping, non-Muslims bashing"

The largest Malay newspapers in circulation is Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia and both are the Rumi script.
Public Road signs are all in the Rumi script
Government Forms and every single official signage is in the Rumi script
Heck, even the AGC Chambers National Language Act 1963 publication is in the Rumi script
Parliamentary proceedings, Hansard are recorded in the Rumi script
Universities use the Rumi script for all courses

Enough said...

I admit the original writer may have been harsh in his choice of words, but Jawi is not an official script. So the question to the Malaysian embassy, why use an unofficial script ?

Lina Joy

2007-05-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

For all the wrong reasons Malaysia made the headlines again. For 10 years she fought the state and Little Napoleons to have Islam removed from her identity card. She was even baptized.

Today it was denied. Denied by the Federal Court, the highest appeals court in Malaysia.

Read the Constituition of Malaysia here

Article 8, Clause 2 states

Except as expressly authorized by this Constitution, there shall be no
discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent or
place of birth in any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of
property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession,
vocation or employment

Article 11, states :

(1) Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject
to Clause (4), to propagate it.
(4) State law and in respect of the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam

Picked up from IHT, Cathnews, Guardian

The Chief Justice of Malaya, Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim, who read out his
majority opinion in the packed but respectfully hushed courtroom, said the
government agency responsible for identity cards had acted reasonably when it
refused to change Joy's religious status.
"She cannot at her own whim simply enter or leave her religion," Ahmad said. "She must follow rules."

OK. I am definitely not a lawyer nor do I have any legal training, but does "whim" equals a free will or freedom ?

And what does "Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion" sound to you ?

To cut a long argument short, Lina Joy did not "enter" into Islam, she was forced into it by the State, at birth. She was not given a choice.

More outpourings from the diaspora

2007-05-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

molisa said,
on March 18th, 2007 at 8:20 pm

I am a female Chinese Malaysian, living in the Washington DC area in the United
States. I have read many of the letters that often talk about foreign countries
when the writers have no real knowledge of actually living in those countries.
Many draw conclusions about what those countries are like after hearing it
from someone else or by reading and hearing about them in the media or after
four years in a college town in those countries.

I finished STPM with outstanding results from the prestigious St George’s Girls School in Penang. Did I get a university place from the Malaysian government? Nothing. With near perfect scores, I had nothing, while my malay friends were getting offers to go overseas.
Even those with 2As got into university. I was so depressed. I was
my parents last hope for getting the family out of poverty and at 18, I thought
I had failed my parents. Today, I understand it was the Malaysian government
that had failed me and my family because of its discriminatory policies.
Fortunately, I did not give up and immediately did research at the Malaysian
American Commission on Education Exchange (MACEE) to find a university in the US that would accept me and provide all the finances. My family and friends thought
I was crazy, being the youngest of nine children of a very poor carpenter.
Anything that required a fee was out of our reach.
Based on merit and my extracurricular activities of community service in secondary school, I received full tuition scholarship, work study, and grants to cover the four years at a highly competitive US university.
Often, I took 21 credits each semester, 15 credits each term while working 20 hours each week and maintaining a 3.5 CGPA. A couple of semesters, I also received division scholarships and worked as a TA (teaching assistant) on top of everything else. For the work study, I worked as a custodian (yes, cleaning toilets), carpet layer, computer lab assistant, grounds keeping, librarian, painter, tour guide, etc. If you understand the US credit system, you will understand this is a heavy load.
Why did I do it?
This is because I learnt as a young child from my parents that hard work is an
opportunity, to give my best in everything, and to take pride in the work I do.
I walked away with a double major and a minor with honours but most of all a
great lesson in humility and a great respect for those who are forced to labour
in so-called ‘blue collar’ positions.
Those of you who think you know all about Australia, US, or the West, think again. Unless you have really lived in these countries, i.e. paid a mortgage, paid taxes, taken part in elections, you do not understand the level of commitment and hard work it takes to be successful in these countries, not just for immigrants but for people who have lived here for generations.
These people are where they are today because of hard work. (Of course, I am not saying everyone in the US is hardworking. There is always the lazy lot which lives off of someone else’s hard work. Fortunately, they are the minority.)
Every single person, anywhere, should have the opportunity to succeed if they want to put in the effort and be accountable for their own actions. In the end, they should be able to reap what they sow.
It is bearable that opportunities are limited depending on how well-off financially
one’s family is but when higher education opportunities are race-based, like it
is in Malaysia; it is downright cruel for those who see education as the only
way out of poverty.
If you want to say discrimination is here in the US, yes, of course it is. Can you name a country where it doesn’t happen? But let me tell you one thing - if you go looking for it, you will find it. But in Malaysia, you don’t have to go look for it because it seeks you out, slaps you in your face every which way you turn, and is sanctioned by law!
Here in the US, my children have the same opportunity to go to school and learn just like their black, white, and immigrant friends. At school, they eat the same food,
play the same games, are taught the same classes and when they are 18, they will
still have the same opportunities.
Why would I want to bring my children back to Malaysia? So they can suffer the state-sanctioned discrimination as the non-malays have for over 30 years? As for being a slave in the foreign country, I am a happy ’slave’ earning a good income as an IT project manager. I work five days a week; can talk bad about the president when I want to; argue about politics, race and religion openly; gather with more than 50 friends and family when I want (no permit needed) and I don’t worry about the police pulling me over because they say I ran the light when I didn’t. How about you………….?

Customs series Part I

2007-05-28T11:35:00.001-07:00

Emotional outpouring on the sorry state of Malaysian Customs.

Since so many of you sharing the story, I also share mine.

About 10 years ago I went to Singapore to drive back a van full load of used computer for a school. Many are 486 and the highest is Pentium (not even MX). Some printers and tables. Well, we helped cleaning the rubbish for Singaporean for free or else they have to pay someone to get rid of it! For school, it was my charity.

Ok, it was quite smooth to pass thru Singapore. The custome asked for purpose and let us pass thru.

When reaching Johor custom, those bastards were excited because, man LOTS of stuffs! I told them this is old computers, rubbish, for school and computer has no tax. But they gave me problem. They said I need to declare. OK, let's declare.

So I drove one of the bastard to the declaration office (he sat in the van to show me the way). On the way, I noticed that I already passed the cusom gate and ready to go into Johor! That bastard actually asked me if I wish to go by giving him RM50!!! Along with me is my friend, who is a teacher. He said, no, we are teacher, we don't do that thing...
OK fine... the bastard brought us to the declaration station. His superiors came out and said, "man, what a work! Any document?" Of course no. They asked us to leave the van to them and wait. We waited a straight 6 hours, from early morning 9am to 3pm!

We got back the van, nothing was removed from the van. And they charge us something like RM200. We asked why? (because we knew computers no tax) They said "cable" is not tax free.

What cable? Oh, those Printer Cable!!! We have about 20 printer cables... Then we asked, why we have to wait so long? They said, "because you make us work! we have to find something to tax you!". Bastard...

To the teacher who posted the article above, I concur, Bastards !

Blatant corruption, Malaysia-Singapore Link

2007-05-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

This was highlighted on a prominent local Malaysian blog, reproduced here in it's entire form.

Dr. Muhammad Ghazie Ismail was the former Senior Vice President of the Multimedia Development Corporation

Dear Jeff,

I think I would like to highlight an incident that made me feel ashamed to be a Malaysian about corrupt Malaysia Customs Officers at the Johore end of the Second Link to Singapore.

I came back from Singapore today for some business and, for the first time, I decided to take the AeroLine Bus Services out of One Utama to Singapore and back. I have no complaints about Aeroline and I must say that the journey was very enjoyable with very polite crew members who made our journey memorable.

I stayed in Singapore for two nights and during that time I decided to buy the Sony PSP for my son's birthday next week. Upon our return, we had to undergo the normal passport clearance from the Singapore side and the Malaysian Side.

However, since we were entering Malaysia, we had to also clear customs with our bags opened. However, I was singled out but the customs officer who wanted to know what I had bought and I told her that I bought a PSP for my son's birthday. She said that I should be brought to the Customs Head in his office, accompanied by a male customs officer to meet this person by the name of Zainal (stated on his nametag) and that I was to pay duties for the PSP.

I explained to the Customs Head that I bought the PSP from Singapore and it was meant as a birthday present for my son and he said that I need to pay duties on it amounting 30% of the purchase price. He told me that I should pay RM50 and I wanted a receipt but he then said that for a receipt to be issued I need to pay RM100 or 50% of the RM244 (30% of the purchase price). I told him to please waiver the duties as it is meant to be a present. He then asked his officer to make the decision, and he decided that the duties should be RM50 without receipt. Of course, I left in disgust.

I am appalled that these officers and Head of Customs at the entrance into Malaysia can be so blatant and this is not an isolated incident.

I was told by the Aeroline crew that this is their normal modus operandi and that innocent victims including Japanese and Indonesian visitors coming into Malaysia via the Second Line by bus have been had by these unscrupulous customs officers and I think they should be exposed as they are doing a great disservice to our Visit Malaysia 2007. It has also left me with a very bad taste in my mouth.

I hope you could print this e-mail and that such corrupt customs officers at the entrance into Malaysia should be dealth with by the higher authorities.

Best regards

Dr Ghazie Ismail

Westminster legacy ? What a shame !

2007-05-28T01:02:00.000-07:00

British Parliamentary Debate

The Malaysian Parliamentary Debate

It is unfortunate that I am bilingual, and it is unfortunate that I am disgusted with the level of intellect of my honourable elected MPs.

The Human Evolution across the Straits

2007-05-28T00:43:00.000-07:00

The Singapore Parliament.

And now I present to you the Malaysian Parliament

First World and Third World

Mr. Minister, You are of the lowest class

2007-05-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

Our honourable Minister is the lowest class of all human beings

Doesn't he look like a Neanderthal

Originally posted on Crankshafted, I reproduce it here in it's entire form

Sheena Moorthy
3400 Poly Vista,
PO.BOX#1087,
CALPOLY, Pomona,
91768, CA
U.S.A

2nd May 2007

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Prime Minister Of
Malaysia
Prime Minister Department,
Malaysia

I, Sheena Moorthy, a 3rd year Biotech Malaysian student in CALPOLY would like to submit a formal complaint against our Minister of Science & Technology, YAB Jamaluddin Narjis. I would like to bring to your attention the following incident which was totally uncalled for from the minister.

Date: 30th April 2007
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Belacan Grill Malaysian Restaurant, Redondo Beach, Ca

Minister of Science, Dato Jamaluddin Jarjis was here on an official visit. He wanted to meet some of the Malaysian students studying in California especially the ones from TPM Academy twinning programme. During the 3 ½ hour session, he passed a few racial remarks on me, being one of the two Indians present there.

Incident 1 - Each student had to briefly introduce themselves. When it came to my turn, while speaking he interrupted me and asked if I knew Samy Velu, because he knows him. I don’t see any relevance in that and he mentioned it a few times for no apparent reason.

Incident 2 – He gave a speech regarding how agriculture started in Malaysia. He mentioned how the British invested in Malaysia and made farmers work. Due to the lack of work force, “buruh India” was brought in. While mentioning this, he looked at me saying that’s how we get Indians in Malaysia.

Incident 3 – After saying he is going to get MARA to help the Bumiputra students, he looked at me and asked “How many Indians are here?, I don’t have and don’t keep track of number of Indian students here so I mentioned that “In this room, there are two (pointing to my another Malaysian Indian friend, who is fair skinned) and J.Jarjis looked at him and asked “Oh. You are an Indian”, which means you are an upper class Indian and she is the lower class one (pointing at me). He went on to say that, “Oh, I am not going to help upper class Indians, I only help to lower class ones. They are the ones that need it’. I left the room feeling very insulted.

Basically he judged me based on my skin color.

Being a Minister and respectable figure, these statements that he mentioned was unethical and biased. This happened in front of a crowd about 100 people. Being a true Malaysian at heart, and being taught not to discriminate among races especially in Malaysia, I feel humiliated as well as insulted by these racial remarks.

I demand a public apology from him because he does not have a right to judge me nor pass any remarks to me.

Also, I would greatly appreciate if you could kindly review his performance and take appropriate action to mitigate another unwanted racial remark, insults and shame to our country from this minister.

Thanking you in advance.

Sincerely,
Sheena Moorthy