The super sub

From TMI's DAP, PAS to discuss PKR’s Selangor MB proposal, says Anwar

Anwar said he would step aside as state economic adviser if Dr Wan Azizah was appointed as MB.

"I don't think I will have any role and I will not continue as economic adviser if Azizah becomes the MB‎."

What did Anwar Ibrahim mean by that?

Could it be one (or all) of the following?

• Khalid Ibrahim is lousy at the economical operations and administration of Selangor, thus an economic advisor is absolutely necessary, with Anwar Ibrahim currently monitoring and advising/guiding him?
• Dr Wan Azizah is a great economist and would be suitable for above (Anwar's advisor) job?
• Economic supervision or/and control of Selangor must remain with or within the Anwar Ibrahim's family?

We are aware that all's not well with the Pakatan state government of Selangor, more so with insidious sabotaging of the coalition's adhesiveness through religious issues, but alas, there have been more than willing captives to the baiting, with both PAS and the church sucked into it.

While BN has ownership of the majority of stupid statements, eg. Dr Wan Azizah is not a suitable candidate to be MB Selangor because of her haidz, we know too that Pakatan has been making some equally stupid statements, eg. PAS stating* women aren't suitable to be MB because they are women, a statement far far f^^king more stupid than the BN's moronic menstruation MB-debarment.

* The youth leader of a Malaysian opposition party has claimed the MH17 tragedy was God punishing Malaysia Airlines for serving alcohol on its flights and its “indecent” dress code.

Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman, the youth information chief of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), said the serving of alcohol, which is prohibited under Islam, and the dress code of Malaysia Airlines flight attendants' “cross the boundaries of Islam.”

From SMH, so congratulations to PAS for making world news.

Not that I support Dr Wan Azizah* replacing Khalid Ibrahim in this MB job, but why is Khalid Ibrahim saying Unseat me through proper process?

* only because she is an unwilling politician and I fear may be manipulated by you-know-who

Doesn't Khalid Ibrahim know that he was selected/nominated as MB Selangor by his Pakatan coalition, and that when those who had nominated him has already lost confidence in him as MB, he should have the grace, dignity and conscience to pack up his bag and leave the state's CEO's position?

Why is he being so difficult to his own Pakatan colleagues, seemingly playing the jilted bloke by his uncooperative and almost hostile un-Pakatan attitude, which may suck them into a snap state election?

Does he want a showdown by what he meant, perhaps expecting HRH to then dissolve the DUN and bring about a new election? Read TMI's Selangor risks snap polls if Khalid ousted, say lawyers.

Has he been so 'advised'?

Anyway we will see soon.

But we have to acknowledge that Dr Wan Azizah is Pakatan's super sub, the term being well-known in soccer.

It refers to (Wikipedia): "Players who are noted for scoring important goals when coming off the bench or frequently making appearances as a substitute."

Dr Wan Azizah belongs to the later group, those frequently making appearances as a substitute rather than who are noted for scoring important goals when coming off the bench.

She substituted for her husband as (his ousted UMNO) faction leader after he was jailed following conviction for sodomy; she also took his position as MP for Permatang Pauh; and now she replaces him as candidate for the recent Kajang by-election, the central figure of the so-called 'Kajang Move', ...

... and let's not deny or pretend not to know that was nothing more than a political manoeuvre to mainly satisfy PKR's internal leadership struggle. Thus she is expected to sub for Anwar as the next Selangor MB.

Admittedly, Khalid Ibrahim has by then not helped much in this respect (of Pakatan especially DAP losing confidence in him) by his 'solo' behaviour as MB, which according to Pakatan perception, has nasty whiffs of being 'maverick'. For more, read
Selangor saga shows PKR's ketuanan mentality?

Who knows, maybe he believes that he was voted directly by the people into the chair like a presidential candidate, and therefore is above and immune to the voice of his co-Pakatan ADUNs, especially the exco?

As I had previously commented on in my Khalid Ibrahim in political peril? post:

Khalid Ibrahim has discovered his personal 'enlightenment', perhaps that in the state of Selangor and under HRH's aegis, he is indispensable, irreplaceable and 'almost' presidential in stature - 'almost' because he still knows he must not be too big-headed to believe he could do without HRH's favour.

Thus, when PAS and DAP ADUNs joined PKR ADUN, to wit, PAS commissioner Dr Rani Othman, PKR chairman Mohamed Azmin Ali and DAP chairman Lau Weng San (plus party 'spiritual' wakakaka leader, Anwar Ibrahim) in criticizing him as MB for his refusal or reluctance to spend more of the state's savings on development in the state instead of just uselessly hoarding the surplus in kitty, he pompously and presidentially but pathetically responded that while he was open to criticisms from any leader, adding that it was a normal thing in the administration, he cared more about the feedback he received from the public more than from other leaders.

So, to this bloke, ADUNs are inconvenient individuals and not the people's representatives, while he 'presidentially' and directly represents all the rakyat of Selangor.

This man obviously has gotten so big-headed (but judiciously not towards HRH, wakakaka) that he believes he could ignore democracy and the parliamentary process, which has been why I describe him lamentably as being pompously presidential.

Khalid's pathetic pseudo-presidential declaration so irated DAP's Gobind Singh Deo, son of my hero Bhai Karpal, that he 'urged' (a polite euphemism for 'f**king demand', wakakaka) the Selangor MB to bloody well clarify the statement that he 'listens to criticisms from the people more than from party leaders and politicians'.

Gobind went as far as to say Khalid had made a "very serious statement, which may have serious consequences", meaning Khalid either knows f**k all about democracy (parliamentary process) or has deliberately ignored the democratic process - ya, that's why he's presidential, wakakaka!

Gobind said: "Khalid must not take things for granted. I ask him to respond and clarify matters."

The issue thus is not so much about Khalid's perceived kedukut-ness (stinginess) in managing the state funds as a MB but about his terrible failure to understand that in a democracy, the ADUNs are the ones who represent the voice of the rakyat, and not one sole person in the person of the MB, one who has preposterously claimed that he has listened more to the people than to the ADUNs, ...

... leading us to ask him 'who have been HIS people he listened more to? All the rakyat of Selangor? Or at least all those in Pakatan-held state constituency?'

It would be as if he has said he is NOT answerable to the state DUN and its ADUNs, the official, legal and democratically-elected voice of the Selangor rakyat, ...

... and that he 'listens more' to an unknown, unquantifiable 'his so-called people'.

Based on his unbelievable bodoh-sombong declaration, if we don't watch this man carefully, democracy, warts and all, will go down the Selangor drain.

But back to Dr Wan Azizah, what next for this super sub? The next PM of Malaysia? Or, like the Kajang Move, an own goal?

But wait, maybe I'm going too far ahead. Instead, let's look at her likelihood of becoming MB Selangor, a position with so many obstacles before her like male chauvinistic PAS, HRH's acceptance and approval, and of course not forgetting the Dwarf, wakakaka!

Air facts show MAS was not reckless

2 days ago one of my visitors (Anonymous) to my previous post Malaysia's Annus Horribilis posted this FAA Notam or Notice to Airmen (where airmen means pilots and/or navigators):

FDC 4/2816 (A0010/14) AIRSPACE …SPECIAL NOTICE… UKRAINE 

POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION - UKRAINE AIRSPACE, PARTICULARLY OVER CRIMEA, THE BLACK SEA, AND THE SEA OF AZOV.

DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICTING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) INSTRUCTIONS FROM UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES AND FOR THE RELATED POTENTIAL MISIDENTIFICATION OF CIVIL AIRCRAFT, UNITED STATES (U.S.) FLIGHT OPERATIONS ARE PROHIBITED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE IN THE AIRSPACE OVER CRIMEA, THE BLACK SEA, AND THE SEA OF AZOV, WITHIN THE FOLLOWING LATERAL LIMITS

The last phrase 'WITHIN THE FOLLOWING LATERAL LIMITS' was accompanied by a set of coordinates (follows), which meant that it was a specific area and not the entire Ukranian airspace (as we shall see soon in this post) - regrettably I don't have an Ukraine map to chart out these coordinates:

454500N 0345800E-460900N 0360000E-460000N 0370000E-452700N 0364100E-452242N 0364100E-451824N 0363524E-451442N 0363542E-451218N 0363200E-450418N 0363418E-445600N 0363700E-443100N 0364000E-424400N 0361600E-424700N 0340000E-424800N 0304500E-434100N 0303200E-441500N 0302400E-444600N 0300900E-455400N 0322500E-454900N 0324700E-455400N 0330600E-455600N 0332700E-455900N 0332900E-THEN ALONG THE CRIMEA BORDER TO 454500N 0345800E.

However, what is significant have been the rest of the Notam, which states (note the ones I highlight in bold red):

OPERATIONS ARE NORMAL IN ALL OTHER UKRAINE FIRS.

HOWEVER, U.S.OPERATORS AND AIRMEN FLYING INTO, OUT OF, OR WITHIN LVOV (UKLV), KYIV (UKBV), DNEPTROPETROVSK (UKDV), AND ODESSA (UKOV) FIRS, AS WELL AS AIRSPACE IN THE SIMFEROPOL (UKFV) FIR THAT IS OUTSIDE THE LATERAL LIMITS OF THE AIRSPACE OVER CRIMEA, THE BLACK SEA, AND THE SEA OF AZOV DESCRIBED IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF THIS NOTAM, MUST REVIEW CURRENT SECURITY/THREAT INFORMATION AND NOTAMS; COMPLY WITH ALL APPLICABLE FAA REGULATIONS, OPERATIONS SPECIFICATIONS, MANAGEMENT SPECIFICATIONS, AND LETTERS OF AUTHORIZATION, INCLUDING UPDATING B450; AND EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION DUE TO THE CONTINUING POTENTIAL FOR INSTABILITY. U.S. OPERATORS MUST REPORT SAFETY AND/OR SECURITY INCIDENTS TO THE FAA AT +1 202-267-3333.

THE SAFETY CONDITIONS IN AIRSPACE DESCRIBED IN THIS NOTAM AND THE NEED FOR THIS SPECIAL NOTICE WILL BE RE-EVALUATED BY 30 JUN 2014.

03 APR 06:00 2014 UNTIL 30 JUN 23:59 2014 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 03 APR 05:55 2014

[FIRS = flight information regions]

The Notam was good until 30 June 2014. I'm not sure whether there has been an extension to its time validity or a new Notam, but it seems the main concern in the above Notam had been the potential for air mishaps due to conflicting instructions from Russian and Ukrainian ATC's.

Today I read The Star Online and obtained the following chart which content, flying frequencies by airlines along the route taken by MH017, I had discussed previously, namely that MAS was not a reckless maverick which ignored air safety warnings and went about flying through a fire zone:

The numbers depicted alongside the named airlines indicated the number of times each had flown through Ukranian airspace along the same route as taken by MH017 in the preceding 7 days (prior to MH017 being shot down).

SIA and Lufthansa are both internationally renowned for their safety standards, and so are KLM (24 times), Emirates (23 times) and Etihad Airways (26 times).

But more importantly, ...

... note in particular the two last airlines on the right hand sidebar, United Airlines and FedEx. They are US registered airlines. Each flew the route 5 times which meant the FAA Notam above was no longer effective or had expired.

Despite the above facts, it's quite sad to know that some Malaysians still want to run down MAS, our own national airlines.

Malaysia's Annus Horribilis

Aviation-wise, 2014 has been a terrible year for Malaysia - in 1992 a foreign queen in a distant land once termed such a horrendous period as annus horribilis (horrible year).

Malaysia suffered two major and catastrophic aviation disasters, first with Flight MH370 and now with Flight MH017. Coincidentally, both flights had used the Boeing 777-200ER.

In the second and current case, MH017, it has unfortunately elicited quite unfair criticism from angry relatives of the first disaster. As reported by The Malay Mail Online, they said rather preposterously that the downing of a Malaysia Airlines jet in Ukraine was no mere coincidence, adding today that it lends weight to their harsh criticism of the carrier.

One commented that “it was only a matter of time that a new tragedy hit the struggling flag carrier because when symptoms of a disease are ignored, the disease festers”.

While I can understand and even accept such severe criticisms and condemnations from angry relatives, especially about the poor post-accident management of the MH370 disaster, I find the current allegations about the tragedy of MH017 rather nonsensical and unfair.

MH017 did not disappear into thin air but was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile over Ukraine. I suppose we could say, without disrespect to the victims' families, it was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time when it could have been an aircraft of another airline.

The route had been cleared by ICAO and flown by numerous airlines, such as Lufthansa, Thai Airways, SIA and Air India.

Malaysiakini reported that according to the flight tracking website Flightradar24, a Singapore Airlines and an Air India flight were about 25 km away from MH17 when contact with the Boeing 777 was lost – all in Ukrainian airspace east of Donetsk.

Thus, a la but-by-the-grace-of-god-there-goes-me, the aircraft downed by the missile could have been a SIA or Air India flight, but alas, karma being a bitch decided that MH017 was to be the ill fated choice.

Thus the nonsensical attempt to associate the MH017 tragedy with the MH370 disaster is ridiculous, unfair and emotionally non-objective.

But the far more troubling thing is domestic political exploitation of a national disaster. In the MH370 case, we saw how Pakatan turned the tragedy against Najib, at a time when Malaysians should be closing rank.

For someone to accuse Najib, during a foreign press interview, of a 'cover up' regarding the abysmal lack of information about the missing aircraft when the PM was obviously and actually f* clueless about MH370's whereabouts, was opportunistic politicizing of the worst kind.

Then dirty linen was not only washed in public which I opine impaired on the already questionable status of our national security, ...

... but also fairy tales grew out of poisonous seeds not unlike Jack's Beanstalk, entertainingly beguiling us with Malaysia's super-duper ATC radar which, perhaps possessing capabilities akin to or far more than Australia's Jindalee over-the-horizon-radar, could look far into the Southern Indian Ocean and see the Lost City of Atlantis (and where I suppose MH370 had landed), and of non-existent 3-minutes air defence standby which were not launched.

But this time I am comforted by the statesmanship of DAP Lim Kit Siang in supporting Najib in a bipartisan stand on MH017, a rightful posture in times of national disasters and national needs. This is the civilised 1st World standard of bipartisan politics I want to see during times of national exigencies. We can resume combative partisan politics on less nationally tragic issues.

But alas, I forgot it was not the month of February when Valentine's Day would have kept PAS Youth pretty occupied, so a PAS Youth with spare time on its hands thought it could swing this disaster into some form of political gain, yes, by condemning MAS for flying a route which ICAO had approved and European ATC had cleared, and which of course with the advantage of hindsight was 'so cleverly' deemed to be of high risk, ...

... not unlike kaytee telling you now to pun on 3023 on last Sunday's Magnum 4-D draw.

Ain't it always easy to be wiser after the event, even for the ignorant!

But let's remind ourselves that MH017 has been a horrible national tragedy and we should all grouped together, at least to deal with the feelings of the victims' families and the very difficult aftermath of this Malaysian catastrophe.

MAS plane (MH 17) shot down over Ukraine

From SMH:

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 shot down over Ukraine, 295 dead, 27 Australians on board

Date

July 18, 2014 - 7:26AM

• 1860 reading now

Nick Miller

Europe Correspondent

London: A Malaysia Airlines plane en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur has been shot down in separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine, claiming the lives of 295 passengers and crew. Malaysia Airlines told Fairfax Media that 27 Australians were on board.

Emergencies Ministry members work at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region. Photo: Reuters

The tragedy represents a serious escalation of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and comes only months after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 mysteriously disappeared somewhere over the Indian Ocean.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was investigating "a number" of Australians abroad the Boeing 777.

“We have grave concerns that a number of Australians may have been on board the flight," DFAT said in a statement. "Officials are urgently working to seek confirmation with relevant authorities."

A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200, similar to the one that was shot down, takes off from Los Angeles International Airport. Photo: AP

"If you have any concerns for the welfare of Australian family or friends, you should attempt to directly contact them."

DFAT urged family members "unable to contact" next of kin to call its 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 61 2 6261 3305 from overseas. Within Australia, the number is 1300 555 135.

Bodies and burning wreckage were scattered over the countryside near Donetsk.

An armed pro-Russian separatist stands at the site of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash. Photo: Reuters

There were also reports of 23 US and nine UK passengers. The flight carried a crew of 15.

US intelligence officials confirmed to American media that a surface-to-air missile brought down the airline. However, which side used the missile was less clear, officials said. 

Eastern Ukraine has been roiled for months by a violent pro-Russian separatist uprising in which a number of military aircraft have been downed. But this would be the first commercial airline disaster to result from the hostilities. Despite the turmoil in eastern Ukraine, the commercial airspace over that part of the country is a heavily trafficked route and has remained open.

The site of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region. Photo: Reuters

Malaysia Airlines, still reeling from the mysterious loss of another Boeing 777 flight in March, confirmed that Ukrainian air traffic control lost contact with flight MH17 at 1415 (GMT), approximately 50km from the Russia-Ukraine border.

Flight MH17 operated on a Boeing 777 left Amsterdam at 12.15pm (Amsterdam local time) and was estimated to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 6.10 am (Malaysia local time) the next day.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called the crash of Malaysia Airlines MH17 a 'terrorist act' and blamed pro-Russian rebels on shooting it down. Photo: Reuters

Online videos showed thick plumes of smoke coming from the crash site.

Ukraine officials and anti-Russian activists claimed it was shot down by a surface-to-air missile launched by pro-Russian separatists, with one media report blaming Russian-backed Cossack militants. Reports in Russian media pointed to the Ukrainian military.

Freelance journalist Noah Sneider, at the crash site, reported: "Locals say everything exploded in the air, fell in pieces, both bodies and plane itself. People thought they were being bombed."

Where the plane crashed. Photo: Washington Post

After the crash other airlines were rerouting flights around the conflict area in eastern Ukraine, where the country has been battling a violent uprising.

Russia’s Life News reported that Malaysian and Netherlands passports had been found at the crash site.

A New York Times reporter at the site said the plane came to rest in a wheatfield. Many of the passengers’ bodies were still belted in their seats and attached to pieces of the plane, she said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-shot-down-over-ukraine-295-dead-27-australians-on-board-20140718-zu9p2.html#ixzz37lXgDbaB

Kopitiam Kok-Tok (2) - No's & Yes's

(1) I wonder whether my post Führer der Bocorites, Sieg Heil just a mere 5 days ago might have triggered in UMNO a renewed interest in a topic requiring M-alliteration, to wit, Menstruations Mesmerize Mafulat-ish Moronic Mindless Motherless MPs in Monkey Mansion, or MPs Made Mad by Money, Moon, Menstruation & MB.

YES? NO? Wakakaka.

(2) Could it be true, oh those wild rumours that Malaysiakini's Nigel Aw may well received a royal award for his exceptional journalistic skills. But it might just be a case of building sand castles in the sky?

YES? NO? Wakakaka.

(3) Minister says YES to incinerator because safe enough to put one even in Putrajaya.

kaytee supports him and says: go ahead then, put it in Putrajaya, but NO thank you, not in Kepong. 

NO? YES? Wakakaka.

(4) Road-raged Peugeot driver says NO to Chinaman, and nice Ah Peh says NO to lodging police report against one woman.

But many say YES to police report against the NO woman. Wakakaka.

(5) Meanwhile, UMNO says NO to menses, KJ says NO to just one woman (different woman to Ah Peh's, wakakaka), but good olde PAS just says NO to woman, any woman - and did you expect otherwise?

NO? YES? Wakakaka.

(^) But kaytee and gang say YES YES YES to the following women:

YESSSSSSSSSSSsssssssss!

Wakakaka.

Related:

Talking Cock
(1) Kopitiam Kok-Tok (1)

The Snippets:
(1) Political snippets (1)
(2) Political snippets (2)
(3) Political snippets (3)
(4) Political snippets (4)
(5) Political snippets (5)
(6) Political snippets (6)
(7) Political snippets (7)
(8) Political snippets (8)
(9) Political snippets (9)
(10) Political snippets (10)
(11) Political snippets (11)
(12) Political snippets (12)
(13) Political snippets (13)
(14) Political snippets (14)
(15) Political snippets (15)
(16) Political snippets (16)
(17) Political snippets (17)
(18) Political snippets (18)
(19) Political snippets (19)
(20) Political snippets (20)
(21) Political snippets (21)

(22) Political snippets (22)

The Quickies:
(1) 3 quickies (1)
(2) 3 quickies (2)
(3) Monday quickies
(4) Sunday quickies
(5) Sunday quickies (2)


The Whereabouts:
(1) Wonder where they are now?
(2) Wonder where they are now? (2)
(3) Wonder where they are now? (3)

Black & White of Malaysian political thinking

When I read a published letter by Michael Chua to RPK at Malaysia-Today titled in elegant simplicity as Thank You (the latest in a brief series of published correspondence between Michael and RPK, wakakaka) I was tickled pink by one of Michaels' appeal, to wit, "RPK, please follow this up by writing some articles to pacify your readers concerning the issues that I mentioned above."

'Pacify readers?'

Wakakaka, my dear Michael, that would be akin to asking RPK to make the sun rise in the West.

Now, while I am not questioning RPK's ability to do so (that is, make the sun rise in the West), wakakaka, my expressed opinion above is not so much about RPK or Michael Chua; it's about Malaysians in general where most if not all have already taken up George Bush' position of "Either you're with us or against us!"

In other words, most Malaysians today cannot be 'pacified' by any article; they can only be for (thus happy with) or against (thus railing against) a viewpoint - I wouldn't say they are colour blind, which would incorrectly imply they are not racist, because some are, wakakaka, but alas, the sad reality is they can only see (discern, distinguish, differentiate) things in black or white, wakakaka.

Take for example, HM the Agong honouring Malaysia's most renowned actor, sweetie Michelle Yeoh in 2013.

Many pro Pakatan supporters somehow forgot their demand for 'freedom' of this and that, and went into berserk mode, whacking Michelle Yeoh for exercising her 'freedom of association' and 'freedom of expression'.

Hellooooo there, remember 'freedom of association' and 'freedom of expression', 'freedom' of ... whatever?

Their sheer hypocrisy and double-standards in their vile vitriolic vicious and vehement buses of her for her political affiliation and expression of support, her fundamental right to do so, spread even into the Hong Kong and China's entertainment net, and have been disgraceful, disappointing and (quite frankly) disturbing.

Michelle Yeoh is Malaysia's most globally recognized entertainment talent, and has been honoured twice by her home state of Perak with Datukship's, twice (within 5 years) by France with the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur and the Officier de la Légion d'honneur, and by HM the Agong with a Tan Sri-ship in 2013.

Yet from those unacceptable uncivilised and uncouth abuses by so-called Malaysians (the very people who clamour for 'freedom' of this and that, wakakaka) you might wonder whether she is notorious in her own nation, perhaps as a serial killer, child abuser or fratricidal or matricidal psychopath.

Because of such feral cyber-fascist attacks, I was wont to remark that some Malaysians couldn't and I suspect still can't handle democratic differences. I dread to think of these intolerant cyber-bullies ever coming into power.

Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur
established by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 May 1802

Read this to know of her achievements and if you're truly a Malaysian, you would be immensely proud of her, regardless of her or your political affiliation. I know I am, very!

Zaid Ibrahim, Chandra Muzaffar and even wakakaka RPK (just three examples) have also been similarly vilified when they started to say stuff that showed that 'white' isn't all that white after all. But their vilifiers forgot that when they had previously said 'black' is very black, they were ALSO (and already) vilified by the other side, wakakaka.

Whether you agree or disagree with them, and that's entirely within your right, as that's part of the democratic process. But disagreeing with them didn't and doesn't call for vile vitriolic vicious and vehement abuses of them.

And to those who have abused Michelle Yeoh, Zaid Ibrahim, Chandra Muzaffar, RPK, etc, for their views, would you be capable of discussing, debating and distinguishing issues in a civilised manner, like academician Joshua Neoh whose intellectual take on the 'Allah' word issue was reported in TMI's Courts do not have the final say on the Allah issue, says academic as follows:

Joshua Neoh
Lecturer in law at Australian National University
Master of Laws, Yale Law School (2011)
Bachelor of Laws, 1st Class Honours & the University Medal, ANU College of Law (2010)

... when the judges were rewriting the constitution through reinterpretation, they had at least tried to couch what they were doing in terms of constitutional law.

Neoh pointed out that the Malaysian post-colonial constitutional settlement was precarious – not only because the constitution is an incompletely theorised agreement, but because it presented two conflicting visions on issues of law, religion and state.

The effect of this, he added, was that there were two constitutions embedded in the one constitutional text which engages in double speak.

"This bifurcation in the constitutional text makes the post-colonial constitutional settlement a precarious arrangement because its meaning is internally incoherent and inherently unstable.

"While it may not have the benefit of stability, ironically, it may have the benefit of longevity," he said.

He added that this was the reason that enabled proponents of both sides of the ideological divide to find their voices and visions in the same constitutional context.

"They could both draw on the same document for support and could construct their own narratives and counter-narratives from the available constitutional materials," he added.

Neoh went on to explain that this was the reason why the contestation on the use of the word Allah will continue beyond the Federal Court, adding that it was a symptom of a larger contest about the meaning of the Constitution.

"It is a contest about the origin of our state and the future of Malaysia. The court does not have the final word, the courts never have the final word in any Constitutional matter," he said.

But alas, I think not, because there's the sheer toxicity of our socio-politico-cultural-religious landscape today, of which you have become a willing captive. It's poisonous and nothing thus far that I can see or predict will remedy it.

Now, you may not like this but I'm going to say it anyway: There are just too few Malaysians like Joshua Neoh, Neil Khor, Tunku Abidin Muhriz, Zaid Ibrahim, RPK (wakakaka) and many more.

On the sad current situation in Israel and Gaza, needless to say, we have in one way or other chosen sides. Again, it's your right to have different opinions from others as we are afterall humans.

We are individuals and thus entitled to our individual views and political affiliation, but there must be a civilised approach to expressing them, in the way Joshua Neoh has done. Thus I read to my utter shock and dismay one Malaysiakini reader (using the nick of preposterously 'msian1st') commenting on the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the MKINI article Cease trade with Israel, demands PAS Youth with an unbelievably cruel "I hope all Palestinian wiped out so that the Middle East will be at peace again. Palestinians are nuisance."

It's the exact mirror image to what some ultra pro Palestinian supporters have said of Hitler not doing a better job in eliminating all Jews.

Well, it's patently obvious that the only article that will 'pacify' this 'msian1st' will have to be the successful genocide of the Palestinian race including Muslims, Christians, Druze, Mandaeans, etc. Sieg Heil!

Palestinian babes killed in Israeli air attacks on Gaza in 2008/2009

I suppose 'msian1st' would be most happy with these killings

And to think, he or she must be one of those who has been hypocritically berating the BN government about human rights and the lack of freedom to do this and that.

Then there are those who have been so poisoned as to make, in my opinion, quite childish comments regarding their worldviews. Take for example Malaysiakini's reader 'Odin' who challenged Palestinian sympathizers not to use or enjoy the facilities offered by a number of items supposedly invented by Jews, for example, the nuclear reactor.

[Note: another childish one I have heard, rather frequently, has been about a Jew developing the Pentium chip and therefore whoever dislikes the Israel government should not use it. The Pentium chip was actually developed/invented by Vinod Dham, an Indian American, who was born in Pune, India but who migrated to and became an American citizen]

But does disliking or protesting against what the Israeli government is/has been doing akin to disliking all Jews? The fact is some Jews also don't like what the Israeli government has been doing.

ultra orthodox Jew in London
protests against Israel's air strike against Gaza

Leaving his infantile comment aside for a moment, 'Odin' had dishonestly ignored the fact that Italian (Catholic) Enrico Fermi was also co-designer/inventor of the nuclear reactor. 'Odin' wrote in a manner that appeared to assign all credits for the invention solely to a Jew. I presume the Jew must be Hungarian American Leó Szilárd - if Odin had also presumed so, then in this, by dismissing or masking Szilárd's Hungarian-American nationality, and highlighting only his Jewish origins, 'Odin' sounded in some ways like one of those shameless Australians who claimed Kiwi Russel Crowe as an Australian when the actor won an Oscar, wakakaka.

According to the asinine and callow logic (or lack of) of 'Odin', it's like saying that those who don't like or are anti Chinese government (eg. the US, Japanese, Australian governments) should not use paper of any kind (including toilet paper, wakakaka) as this material was invented by the Chinese. Likewise they should not read anything that's printed as the Chinese had also invented printing.

I will blog on this toxic socio-politico-cultural-religious Malaysian landscape later, in particular its impact on our fragmented Malaysian stand regarding the Middle-East conflicts.

However, not all is lost as I have been thrilled to read some intelligent comments on my last post Today's Neo Nazis which I believe have correctly analysed the probable/likely cause of non-Malay Malaysians' seeming lukewarmness towards the plight of the oppressed Palestinians, as that of the Malaysian Muslims' disservice in over-Islamizing the Gazans' strait when it should have been treated for what it actually is, a humanitarian issue and an ugly 50 years of Nazi-like oppression by covetous fascism.

Many of you may possibly not realize this, KTemoc Konsiders blog started in March 2005 as a result of my strong support for the oppressed Palestinians as well as my anti-US invasion of Iraq (Gulf War II, not I).

Prior to that I was blogging at BolehTalk, then owned and managed by Mr X. He was a very nice bloke who invested considerable efforts in introducing me to and in teaching me on how to blog, but alas to his shock he subsequently discovered that I was (to him) a loose cannon, wakakaka, because then I wanted to blog principally on my stand regarding the US invasion of Iraq and Israel's persecution of Palestinians. He had expected me to blog mainly on Malaysian affairs.

Perhaps I might have misled him into believing that because of my first post I Fear the Greeks Even When They Bring Gifts! which was drawn from my letter to him about the evils of smoking for Malaysia. That must have been the smoke that blurred his eyes, wakakaka.

Anyway, out of respect for him, shortly after I posted my BolehTalk post Farewell to 2004 - a KTemoc roundup (in this post you can gather what my socio-political attitude would be), I started my own blog KTemoc Konsiders so I could do what I personally wanted without upsetting him with my rants at BolehTalk. The rest as you may say is history, though as an afterword, Mr X grew tired of blogging per se and before abandoning blogging altogether, endowed me with ownership of BolehTalk.

But to end this, my rant, wakakaka, I need to say there are many shades in this world, even in Malaysia; it's not just black and white - for example, there's my wakakaka!