Friday, June 22, 2012

Malaysia's Papal 'Indulgences'


Prior to and up to the early 16th Century, people in Western Europe were amazed, annoyed and angry with the Pope and his Catholic Church for selling ‘indulgences’. But what was such an ‘indulgence’?

Apparently, the Catholic Church's ‘indulgence’ at that time was a religious pardon for the purchaser from all his sins.

Thus, an ‘indulgence’ released a sinner from bearing the spiritual burden of all his or her naughty thoughts and misdeeds. The more money one paid, the more sins were pardoned, until there was a belief that sinners could buy their way into becoming a saint and thus allowed automatic entry into heaven


Indulgences - what a convenient and marvellous thing – absolutely far far superior to our Malaysian mandi bunga, a ritual of washing one’s head with a mixture of perfumed water containing seven types of flowers, kaffir lime leaves and lime, so as to cleanse oneself (of sins?) and remove one’s bad luck wakakaka.

photo from An Undomesticated Blogspot

Pity we can’t enjoy that nowadays or kaytee will be the first to purchase a huge allocation of ‘indulgences’, wakakaka.

But wait ….. maybe there is still hope, the existence of such ‘indulgences’ in Malaysia, though alas, not for poor kaytee.

Free Malaysia Today (FMT)’s Anwar’s courtship with danger tells us about former MIC president Samy Vellu and his alleged acts of corruption. FMT argues that if Samy Vellu were to be found guilty of those accusations, then all those who stood alongside him and benefited from his patronage, namely MIC leaders, should be too, as they shared collective responsibility.


FMT then went on:

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is now purportedly in the midst of holding talks with several MIC national and division leaders, hoping to entice them to cross over.
With most, if not all, MIC leaders at various levels sagging under the weight of their baggage, is it wise for the PKR supremo to be courting them?
The opposition bloc’s main charge against BN is that the ruling coalition is corrupt to the core but does it mean that by joining PKR one is absolved of past sins?
Has it become the party of political absolution and redemption or a convenient option for those whose political fortunes have faded in their respective parties and are looking for a new lease of life?
Even MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek expressed puzzlement as to how the supposed sinners who leave BN and join the opposition can become overnight saints.

Overnight saints? Mucho ‘indulgences’ then, wakakaka.

I recall RPK once writing a piece that raised this same question about Chua Jui Meng, once one of MCA top leaders and now a PKR Vice President. In fact, Chua is PKR’s top bloke in Johor.

RPK has not only pointed out Chua’s ‘record’ as BN Health Minister  but also posted this.


But let’s ignore RPK lah. On the basis that Chua Jui Meng has been entrusted by none other than the Great One to spearhead PKR’s campaign in Johor, a state identified by Pakatan (not just PKR) as a vital election battle ground in GE-13, we have to accept that Chua JM, despite his not inconsiderable MCA background and what RPK has written about him, has no doubt been beatified and then canonized, and is now a saint, all thanks to the Great One who has already granted an ‘indulgence’ endorsement for lucky Chua, wakakaka.

On such political beatification or even canonization, wakakaka, I have read comments in my post The political assassination of Rafizi Ramli? at both my own blog and RPK’s Malaysia-Today, in which a certain party's supporters issued promise of overnight sainthood for Ong Tee Keat if he leaves MCA and joins Pakatan (presumably PKR) as per Chua Jui Meng’s example.

It’s wonderful that we have somehow inherited the legacy of ‘indulgences’ from Pope Leo X, the bloke who excommunicated Martin Luther because the latter condemned the Pope and his men for granting ‘indulgences’.

Pope Leo X

But as reported in FMT, some spoilt sports have the brazen nerve to doubt the wisdom of our own Pope, by questioning the questionable calibre of MIC leaders on a potential quest to PKR.

Naughtily or rather blasphemously they asked of MIC anehs and tambees:

… can they contribute the ingredients required for a better Malaysia?
This is doubtful since these leaders have been entrenched deep within the BN machine for years if not decades. […]
The opposition should be recruiting those who can raise the bar of the political standard in this nation and not those who are responsible for the benchmark being so low.
The logic is simple: one cannot improve the game when the same players are retained.

Aiyoyo, what do you know about the faultless Great One – please lah, read my previous post wakakaka.


Besides, didn't the Great One and his inner coterie also transmigrate from UMNO, bearing in mind of course that the Great One had luxuriated in UMNO for 16 years with nary a word on reforms or corruption or the evils of UMNO which he now broadcasts almost daily with great fervour.

But but but, those lesser mortals asked, what if there were to be a hung parliament after GE-13 and the former MIC but by then ‘beatified’ (wakakaka) PKR MPs do another leap, but back into BN in that amazing fashion of the Perak revolting revolving-door reprobate, Nasarudin Hashim, from UMNO to PKR and back to UMNO.

They also moaned that the Great One has not learned his lesson from the outrageous examples of those erstwhile PKR 2008 MPs. Naturally they cried out: "Shouldn't it be a case of once bitten, twice shy?"


Hmmm, I think not, not with an Immortal like manmanlai, who had shown us in more than one way that despite being bitten, he has never been shy, wakakaka.

Besides, I believe that if there were to be a hung parliament after GE-13, those former MIC by then beatified PKR MPs may be crushed in the frenzied stampede across to BN instead of being the first ones to jump, wakakaka.

Blessed be Papa Leo X and his ‘indulgences’ for inspiring our own Malaysian version.

Amen.

24 comments:

  1. Your analogy to essentially corrupt Medieval indulgence practices is inaccurate, I think deliberately so.
    A more accurate concept is redemption, which all major religions preach.
    No matter how dark a person's past has been, a person can begin to redeem his soul, his karma - whatever belief system you subscribe to - if he voluntarily eschews the forces of darkness and starts to work for the good.
    Of course, I don't expect an unbeliever to understand this, intellectually maybe, but not in the heart.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think you are indulging your readers, Malaysians don't have the need for knowing about those expensive pardons.

    Our kiasu cheapskates have all grabbed their free Monopoly "Get out of jail free cards", why pay?!

    The esteemed leader of Malaysia's kiasu church is one Martin Looter.

    Probably von Penang!

    Amen!

    Lord Jim

    ReplyDelete
  3. I visit here maybe a couple of times per week.
    Ktemoc's blog used to be interesting with a good mix of articles on the problems of (lack of) governance and ethics in the country, and of course, occasional attacks on ...wakakaka...

    I don't know if anyone else has noticed...the closer we get to GE13, this blog has almost entirely been given over to anti-Wakakaka... attacks..

    I know Ktemoc is going to say this is his blog and he writes what he wants....so I also write what I want, and I'm telling Ktemoc, to an outsider like me, he's lookin g like going way out into weirdo territory....

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  4. To add to Sometimelah 10.29am
    Deep inside KT's brain there is a trip switch that is marked "DSAI".

    The mere mention of this individual will cause excessive amps to flow and short the neurons.

    And spew those diatribes you mentioned.

    The trip switch was instal following some incident involving temple bells.

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  5. He has committed the cardinal sin with this post.

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  6. A sinner who swears at others should not use holy stuffs to bring down DSAI.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It is not the Malaysian culture to insult old folks and talk through his nose to entertain himself.
    It is his blog and he can do as he likes but responsibilities come with power not misusing the power to do as he likes.
    The punishment is slowing creeping in.

    ReplyDelete
  8. There is something really creepy about somebody who blogs attacking a particular person day after day after day.

    Many bloggers engage in attacking either the government or various opposition parties, depending on which side of the fence they are on. That's understandable.

    But being obsessed with one person, especially someone he doesn't even know personally (as far as I understand it) kind of makes my skin crawl....yuck...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Someone has, in the past, likened KT to Captain Ahab of Moby Dick

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  10. With regard to the writer's obsessive-compulsive paranoia with regard to DSAI's past misdeeds and his exact opposite "mhan mhan lai" approach of all the Umno leaders' blatant misgovernance (to the point that he seems scared and therefore has the need to suck them to them)the obvious parallel that I can draw is of an Australian writer condemning and blaming Tony Abbott, the Leader of the Opposition for all the misdeeds committed by him when he was a minister in the Howard government and turning a blind eye to the rubbish that the Labor government is currently committing.

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  11. Hiihiihii....all these anwaristas might just go commit group-seppuku if KT were to again feature their Great One in the next write up !

    The only way to guarantee a respite will be when Anwar stop coming out with further anouncement of more katak recruitment, heheheh

    Methinks PR ( or rather PKR )will put in into law the illegality of party hopping once they are in power, to prevent these new kataks they've recruited to hop back, heheheh.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Uh oh, KT, looks like you've hit a raw nerve with your blog visitors. Out of the 10 comments above, all ten of them express displeasure with your post.

    So, it's true - religion (indulgences) and politics are a dangerous and combustive mix.

    Hey, guys, chill lah!, this IS KT's blog and he has a right to write on anything he wants. He may be right or he may be wrong, but as long as he turns out interesting and provocative commentaries we all should be happy to come by and take a look. What's important is you keep your own counsel and form your own opinion, and don't let anyone influence you.

    Anyway, we all read blogs, not just KT's, mostly to pass time, to be entertained, to have some fun, and with some luck to be educated and informed. If we are not happy with the blog, any blog for that matter, just one click and we are gone - bye bye blog!

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  13. Fun blog does not mean KT has the right to keep making fun at others and now on holy matters.
    His blog, go head keep clicking. What's new?

    ReplyDelete
  14. "Fun blog does not mean KT has the right to keep making fun at others and now on holy matters"

    You forgot this is an atheist's blog ah ? what is holey to you might not be to him lah. Religion is just man-made lah. And what is 'making fun of others' to YOU might be serious comments to show up the hypocrisy and scoundrel-ness of leaders who are SUPPOSED to be sincere reformers, wakakaka.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Only politicians talk as they like.
    Is KT a politician?

    ReplyDelete
  16. One can eat anything he likes.
    But one cannot simply talk anything he likes, unless he is a politician with some ulterior motives.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anon 1:04 AM
    You are mistakenly tarring every Ktemoc critic as an Anwarista.

    My post 3:43 PM was about how I felt something deeply creepy about a blogger who is obsessed with attacking One person day in , day out.

    If you want to ask my political opinion, I'm no Anwar supporter, possibly a bit partial towards Najib hahaha...

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  18. "I'm no Anwar supporter, ..." ... which means you are, wakakaka

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  19. we criticise bn more simple bec their action have much bigger impact to our life.

    we, the people, are glad some crook politician choose to join us. they decide to stand along us doesn't mean they have no guilt, but we will question them as soon as they depart from us and stop to struggle for us. our intention is to change the system, we deal with individual later.

    blogger like kt, petra n the one that obsess hannah yeoh is with juvenile mind that are short sighted, but that is fine as we cant have a role to stop anyone from brandish their xxxx who shoot their urine the widest and farthest thinking that their brandishing skill is no agenda n balance, like kids always did. we shall treat kid as kid, that's all.

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  20. "I'm no Anwar supporter, ..." ... which means you are, wakakaka - Ktemoc

    That's also a sign of how far gone into Creepiness you have become.
    Anybody who critices your writing is an Anwarista....

    Puleeez....

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  21. "I'm no Anwar supporter..."

    Haha, don't THEY almost ALWAYS slip in that they are no-supporter of Anooowar ? But this particular Anon ( @1:54 PM) is even more deceitful than their usual bunch...his " possibly a bit partial towards Najib" cuts no ice with us lah, heheheh. Podah.

    Siapa makan cilli....as the saying goes, wakakakaka ? hehe

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  22. Wow...Creepy Ktemoc has resorted to commenting as an Anon on his own blog ?

    Creepy...really Creepy..

    ReplyDelete
  23. That creepy Ktemoc has no balls to show his face.
    He insults others as an Anon.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Dei Mr Creepy @ 2:41 PM,

    Just because I use KT's wakakaka ( imitation is the sincerest form of flattery lah ) does not make or turn me into KTemoc. If only....I could write and reason as well as this blogger lah. Fat hope.

    So podah lah with your wild accusation and just creep off somewhere, will ya ? heheheh


    Anon 2:28 PM

    ReplyDelete