This is the Video that your BN government will not want you to watch.

This is the Video that your BN government will not want you to watch.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

Raja Petra's Moment of Need

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.

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

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

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

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

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

-------
Go figure ?
F*cking idiots.

USE THE ISA FOR PROTECTION, are we idiots ?

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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).

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

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

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

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 ?

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.