Year of the Tiger

I’m fed up with the politics and fallout from the issue surrounding the use of the word ‘Allah’ by the Catholic Herald and the Anwar Ibrahim cringe in his reluctance, again, to decisively take action against an indiscipline and unrepentant Kulim Wonder, so tonight, for a break I’ll blog on a non-political matter.

On 14 February this year we usher in the year of the Tiger, one of the 12 animal symbols in the Chinese calendar. It’s a symbol which has never been popular with Chinese astrologists or feng shui masters. The Tiger year is likely to be volatile and fearsome. Not unexpectedly it is associated with wars, disasters and disputes. It is also said to be a year for massive change but which may bring out the best.


Apart from the 12 animal symbols in the Chinese calendar, there are also 5 elements to consider, namely, fire, earth, wood, water and metal.

This coming year (14 Feb 2010 to 2 Feb 2011) will be the turn of the Metal Tiger. People born in this year will be aggressive, attractive, diligent, but mainly motivated by self interest and thus selfish. I am reminded of a couple of sweeties ;-)

However, the worst of the Tigers is the Fire Tiger, which fortunately we only experience once every 60 years.

You’re safe for a while because the last two occurrences were in 1926 (13 Feb 1926 to 1 Feb 1927) and 1986 (9 Feb 1986 to 28 Jan 1987). It will come next in 2046, by which time I will be either too old to be bothered or safe in the happy hunting ground chasing after phoenixes and unicorns, and perhaps a few sweeties as well wakakaka.

While Tiger years in general are feared for their potential for violence or nastiness, the Fire Tiger year takes the cake for this notoriety.

In 1926 (Fire Tiger), a couple of hurricanes caused havoc in Miami and Cuba, and Mount Vesuvius erupted. The unfortunate item in 1926 was the beginning of the Japanese Showa era, where Emperor Hirohito reigned to give us WWII as well as the genocidal Rape of Nanking.

60 years later, in 1986, humongous hail stones, each around 1 kg, fell on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, killing 92 unfortunate people who weren’t exactly expecting ice. That same month (April) the Chernobyl disaster occurred. In Cameroon, a crater lake called Nyos suddenly emitted a large cloud of CO2 gas, suffocating 1700 people and 3500 heads of livestock. An earthquake in El Salvador killed 1,500 people.

I suppose we could say for Germany that year was also a monumental disaster when it was beaten by Argentina 3-2 in the FIFA World Cup in Mexico City.

However, it doesn’t explain why it was during the Wood (not Fire) Tiger year of 1914 when WWI happened.

Then in 1938 in the nasty prelude to WWII, when Japan was raping China and invading (or attempting to anyway) the USSR, it was an Earth Tiger year.

The Russian defeating the Japanese at the Battle of Lake Khasan and again in Mongolia was to have devastating fallout. With the Japanese Army in disgrace, Japan’s military dictatorship opted for the Navy’s plan of striking south against the Europeans’ colonies in SE Asia (instead of north to occupy Siberia and its natural resources), and consequentially at the Americans at Pearl Harbour.

Chinese Malaysians and no doubt overseas Chinese will be avoiding weddings in this coming feline year. Superstitious Chinese would also avoid marrying their sons to women born in the year of the Tiger.

Mind you, I had a (Hongkie) ex who is a Tiger sweetie, and she was sweet and rather fun to be around with, but too full of yang energy (bossy and domineering). Hardly surprising that the sweetie went on to become a millionaire in her own rights.

Though Tigers are believed to be highly compatible with Dogs, alas she married a Hongkie millionaire :( Each coming Chinese New Year I would receive an expensive looking greeting card from her, with an invitation to visit and stay with her (and hubby of course). Probably she wants to show me she has done bloody well without me wakakaka!

But jokes aside, if you want something very sad, please read my new post Dreaming of Tiger Lily over at my other blog, KTemoc Kongsamkok. It’s a true story.

Anwar man man lai with Kulim Wonder

Man man lai in Mandarin literally means ‘slowly slowly come’.

More correctly, it says ‘take it easy, don’t rush’ or even ‘we'll get there eventually’, etc.

It’s one of Anwar Ibrahim’s fave phrases to his Chinese audience. He would tease them with an introduction to a supposedly scandalous story, usually about Najib, the man he sees as blocking either his ascendancy to the PM position or his return to the chair of UMNO’s No 1, or both, ...

... and when his audience clamoured for more, for the entire story, Anwar would say ‘man man lai’ as an excuse for not completing the tale because he either didn’t have the goods or he dared not tread the libellous path.

We now come to the Kulim Wonder and his complete disrespect for the PKR gag order imposed on him which I posted yesterday in PKR heels-dragging over disciplining the Kulim Wonder. Bloke has virtually given Anwar and the PKR leadership the 'bird'.

Anwar’s glaring reluctance to take immediate disciplinary action against the Wonder (man man lai?), and this would be the second time he has allowed the Wonder to get away with ill discipline, has so disgusted Zaid Ibrahim who predicted that, unless PKR leadership sacks the Kulim Wonder, PKR could become a ‘poor man’s version of Umno’ that was incapable of defending its principles and bringing reform – see The Malaysian Insider’s Zaid slams PKR over Zul’s case.

In fact many has compared the gutless way PKR has been and is heels-dragging over disciplining the Kulim Wonder with that of UMNO’s immediate suspension of Ahmad Ismail for making racist comments against the Chinese.

What a shameful disgrace for Anwar when AAB, the Sultan of Somnambulance, is now seen as decisive while he, the so-called Renaissance Man, appears gutless and indecisive.

Man man lai!

Zaid Ibrahim has accused a minority of the leadership in PKR (only two out of 23, according to Terence Netto in his MKINI article Minority view prevails in PKR over Zulkifli) of fearing to take action against Zulkifli because these two felt the Kulim Wonder is popular among the Malays for his Islamic issues.

Those 2 leaders, and you can make an intelligent guess as to who they are, are obviously doing what the Chinese would say 'each leg (or foot) on a separate boat', meaning they want the multiracial votes but also want the exclusively Malay-Muslim votes, and are waiting to see which is more likely (or greater) before committing themselves to the majority side.

Zaid is correct – PKR under Anwar and his inner core group just want to be the 'new' UMNO.

And because of this, Zaid predicted: “Many feel that PKR is not serious in taking action. In fact, there those who predict it won’t take strict action within the time given.”

Yup, man man lai. I’ve to confess I am one of those who believe Anwar will close one eye to the Kulim Wonder’s nonsense again.

Then Farish Noor wrote in The Malaysian Insider’s The Maharaja wears no clothes:

Such positive developments, however, are set back by the lame and insipid developments on the political front; most notably the turgid pace of reform in some of the political parties of the country, including those parties that claim to be founded on the basis of reform itself.

Most recently we have witnessed the pathetic spectacle of political parties totally unable or unwilling to undertake the task of reform in their own ranks, and failing to admonish errant members whose actions and speech seem to contradict what the parties stand for. […]

… consider this: If there was a Capitalist party that discovered one of its members to be a Communist, the Capitalists in the party would simply lay down an ultimatum to the member and tell him/her to make one of two choices: Either conform to the ideology of the Capitalist party or leave and join a Communist party. So would it be with a Communist party that harboured an errant Capitalist member. So would it be with any other party on the planet, for heaven’s sake.

Yet the failure of PKR to deal with issues of ideological consistency and conformity with/to party principles leaves the mind boggling …

All of this points to the now evident weakness of the man who has become the emblematic leader of the PKR himself, and who was the icon and idol for so many. Not least an entire generation of first-time voters who saw in him a new hope for the future.

The ‘New Politics’ that was bandied about in March 2008 was meant to be a departure from the old mode of patronage-clientelist personalised politics and the ‘buddy-buddy’ network of the past.

However as some senior PKR leaders themselves have come to admit, it appears that not everyone is equal in PKR and that some are more valued and protected than others.

The damage that this has and will cause to PKR cannot be gauged at the moment, but the lustre has begun to wear off.

Perhaps the first blow came when the much-lauded and over-hyped ‘takeover’ of the country scheduled for September 2008 never materialised; akin to standing in the heat waiting for the space shuttle to take off and only to be told that the darned machine won’t fly because the astro-toilet system cannot flush.

A series of similar letdowns and non-shows have disappointed us all, and with that so have the admiration and respect waned.

I am not the first and only one to say this, but others have noted too that the party now seems to be a case of all ‘sound and fury, signifying nothing’ — to quote the leader’s favourite playwright. The Maharaja has lost his charm. The mojo has gone. And the party stands naked, exposed for what it is.

Man man lai?

PKR heels-dragging over disciplining the Kulim Wonder

Terence Netto has gone for the jugular, ….. yes, that of the Kulim Wonder.

In Malaysiakini’s Emboldened Zulkifli derails PKR Netto voiced his suspicion that the Kulim Wonder may be "acting from a script where he is not the sole author".

Netto asked us to recall what the Wonder had told the (so-called, wakakaka) PKR disciplinary committee when he was facing it the first time (for thuggishly barging into the Bar Council forum). Apparently the Wonder informed the (so-called, wakakaka) PKR disciplinary committee that he was the son of a policeman and has an elder brother in the Special Branch.

Whoaaaaaa.

Then Netto saw something that gave him (& me) goose bumps. He wrote:

Yesterday, Zulkifli was present at the national mosque to pay his respects to former minister Ghazali Shafie who died on Sunday. He was seen to be on amiable terms with a top-ranked police officer.

Now any attempt to impute guilt by association would be contemptible, more so when inferred from behavior at occasions when the requisite solemnities demand a general forgetting of political differences in the face of mortality.

But judging from his actions over the past year-and-a-half is it unreasonable to surmise that Zulkifli may be acting from a script where he is not the sole author?

F* whoaaaaaa again.

Netto lamented that PKR lacks the balls (my word, not Netto’s) to ever deal with the Wonder appropriately, because he was actually recommended to be sacked for the original behaviour of hooliganism, but PKR leadership kept silent.

But to be fair, I recall its deputy president Dr Syed Husin being very angry with the Wonder and asserted that he would be disciplined. Alas, the point remains tha the Wonder was never disciplined, with Azmin Ali declaring he was ‘satisfied’ with the Wonder’s explanation, whatever that f* means!

That’s right, he was allowed to get away scot free for his thuggish behavior, based on WTF he told Azmin Ali.

Netto wrote in utter disgust:

More urgent now is the case of the problematic Kulim Bandar Bharu MP Zulkifli. For the better part of a year and a half, Zulkifli has publicly lashed out at friends and foes alike.

We do not know what Zulkifli would have done in isolation if the PKR politburo had endorsed the decision of its disciplinary committee in 2008 that he be sacked for intruding on a Bar Council meeting called to discuss the question of religious conversions.

The sacking recommendation was instead held in abeyance, with no action taken so far.

There followed two events: one, Abdullah Yeop Sani, a former Malaysian ambassador to Spain, resigned his chairmanship of the PKR disciplinary committee; and two, Zulkifli went on to supply further proof that he is not restrained by the mores that govern the public deportment of elected representatives of PKR, or for that matter, Pakatan Rakyat.

I suppose we can safely assume that Abdullah Yeop Sani must have resigned his chairmanship of the PKR disciplinary committee in sheer disgust when the PKR leadership (Azmin Ali? With Anwar’s approval?) refused to sack the Wonder.

Today, when the latest case of his sheer inexcusable indiscipline demands swift action by PKR, what do we get?

The title of the Malaysian Insider news article is self explanatory - Zul’s fate to be known within a month

Again the PKR leadership is beating around the bush and avoiding the issue, hoping everything would be forgotten by then, or at least the sense of seriousness ameliorated by time.

Even as PKR put a gag order on him, the Wonder went public to accuse his critics as Little pharoahs calling for my head.

Obviously he doesn’t give a sh*t what PKR says.

You may wonder why, but remember Netto has said about him and the police: But judging from his actions over the past year-and-a-half is it unreasonable to surmise that Zulkifli may be acting from a script where he is not the sole author?

King Ghaz

In its news article No-nonsense Ghazali feared, respected The Malaysian Insider states:

Former Home Minister Tun Muhammad Ghazali Shafie who died at his home in Subang Jaya yesterday was known to be so strict in his work that it earned him the nickname, 'King Ghaz'.

Malaysiakini in its news article Former home minister Ghazali Shafie dies also states:

He was called 'King Ghaz' as he was very stern in carrying out his tasks.

While it’s true that Tan Sri had been very impatient with reporters who didn't do their homework before interviewing him, or asked silly/stupid question, it’s nonsense to aver that he was called 'King Ghaz' because he suffered no fools.

If Tan Sri was alive he would have lambasted the reporters of both the above online news portal (or could it be the same person?) for not doing their research properly.

Ironically, the much disregarded Star Online, which has been in the doldrums for the last number of years because of its meekness in reporting, carried more accurate information about the late Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie.

How do I know this wakakaka because my uncle who actually knows Tan Sri told me.

In its King Ghaz, 88, dies in his sleep the Star reporter Ng Cheng Yee wrote very correctly:

Ghazali, nicknamed ‘King Ghaz’ for his commanding personality, will be laid to rest at Masjid Negara after Zohor prayers today.

That’s right, he was called 'King Ghaz' because of his commanding personality and not because he was stern with reporters. In fact, it was an affectionate nickname, and according to my Unc, Tan Sri just loved being called 'King Ghaz'. He would beam benevolently from ear to ear when he heard that.

'King Ghaz' was a play on the name of 'King Guz' of the kingdom of Moo, a character in the comic strip of 'Alley Oop' which was very popular years ago.


In another Star Online news article The long and illustrious road of a no-nonsense minister reporter Paul Gabriel wrote, again very correctly:

He was an expert in international affairs, known for his flamboyance and dashing style. “Ghazali had style, verve, intellect and confidence verging on arrogance,” wrote one observer way back when Ghazali was at the peak of his life.

My Unc said that would be the correct descriptions of Tan Sri – flamboyance, dashing style, verve, intellect, confidence – but he said the observer was too kind with the phrase “… confidence verging on arrogance …” because the Tan Sri was actually very arrogant. but it was an arrogance that wasn’t in a sombong (haughty) sort of way. He was arrogant only because he knew he was damn bloody good, and he was right too ;-)

As for fashion style, Tan Sri and his wife, even when he was still in the Civil Service, set the trend with their dressing. Unc said one could be forgiven if one had mistaken the pair for models wearing the latest fashion right out of a Parisian modelling show.

This was the man that the late Tun Razak had plucked from the civil service to groom for higher political office. Tan Sri was selected by no less than the 2nd PM to be his successor.

But fate and his two faults prevented that from happening.

The fate was the sudden and early demise of Tun Razak.

His first fault was that he was too much an intellectual and too westernised for the conservatives in UMNO, which didn’t surprise political observers when, after the death of Tun Razak, he was bypassed by the new kids on the block, Dr Mahathir, Ku Li and Musa Hitam, who were more acceptable to UMNO conservatives.

His vision, ideas and style were too futuristic for the Malays to accept or tolerate.

His second fault came immediately after his plane crash. Probably because of his pride and no doubt arrogance, he overdid his survival story a wee too excessively (I won’t say anything more because my Unc doesn't want me to) but in doing so he alienated a large number of people, including many supporters.

But there’s no doubt he was truly a giant in foreign affairs with a powerful grasp of both the essence and subtle nuances of international relations. A truly Towering Melayu.

If Tun Razak didn’t die so early, and subsequently handed the reins over to 'King Ghaz', I wonder what sort of Malaysia we would have?

Memang gaya betul lah - stylish for sure ;-)

May Tan Sri rest in peace. Al Fatihah!

Former RMAF pilot, newscaster passed away

The Star Online reported sad news in its Ex-newscaster dies of cancer.

Robert Lam passed away early this morning at the University Malaya Medical Centre, after suffering from skin cancer for some time.

My uncle knows Robert Lam as a casual acquaintance, but has only very good words for the late Robert. He said Robert was an absolute gentleman, very soft spoken and in excellent English too. Unc told me the following:

Many didn’t realize that Robert was a RMAF pilot in the air force's early days. He flew an aeroplane called the Single Pioneer which apparently could land, as my uncle probably exaggerated, on a postage stamp. It was a short takeoff and landing aeroplane used by the RMAF during the Emergency period to fly into very short jungle airstrips, to supply jungle forts or transport personnel in and out of those forts.

It was just as well that Robert left the RMAF early, as the Single Pioneer eventually proved to be a flying coffin for the RMAF in the same manner that the jet fighter, the F-104 Starfigher, proved to be so for the Luftwaffe.

The Single Pioneer’s wing spar was breaking up in flight but unfortunately both the RMAF and RAF (which also used the same plane) weren't aware of the structural defect.

A number of RMAF pilots died when that happened. After flying out, those pilots didn’t return, ever.

Initially the crashes were unexplained, with planes disappearing while flying over deep almost impenetrable jungle. The air force could only classify the missing flights, which obviously had crashed somewhere along or nearby their routes, as accidents due to unknown causes. The term the air force couldn't used was 'missing due to mysterious circumstances'.

It was much later when a crash in a more accessible location showed that part of the aeroplane's wing was some distance behind the wreck that the RMAF realized the cause of the accident.

It's possible that Robert survived into his 60’s because he left the Single Pioneer squadron and the RMAF for good. But it’s sad that we have lost him now, though his suffering has finally ceased.

Vale Robert, requiescat in pace.

Anwar Ibrahim must expel the Kulim Wonder

Malaysiakini news article Zulkifli goes ballistics against Khalid, lodges police report informs us that the Kulim Wonder is pissed off with Khalid Samad for the latter’s support of the Catholic Herald in using the word 'Allah' in its Bahasa Malaysia section.

He accused Khalid for insulting both HRH Sultan Selangor and the National Fatwa Council.

The Kulim Wonder of course conveniently forgot that in a democracy and as a Pakatan-PKR member he himself insulted democratic principles and freedom of expression by barging, like a hooligan, into the Bar Council forum on inter-faith talks.

While he might have disagreed with Khalid Samad, as a member of the Pakatan he could and should have addressed his dissatisfaction within the Pakatan leadership circle. Instead the Kulim Wonder had to grandstand by making a police report against his Pakatan colleague.

He wants Khalid to be investigated under four laws, the 1988 Non-Islamic Religions Enactment, the Syariah Criminal Offences (Selangor) Enactment 1995, the Sedition Act and Section 298A of the Penal Code, and for the authority to take action against his bête noire. Additionaly he wants PAS to expel Khalid.

OK Kulim Wonder, we note (after your earlier thuggish barging in on a public forum) that you have once again in selfish grandstanding manner, totally against the discipline expected of a Pakatan member, demonstrated your Islamic credentials for all and sundry to see, by badmouthing a Pakatan colleague. Bravo!

But it goes to show that the Kulim Wonder has very little, if not zero, tolerance for any views that don't agree with his. I hate to be under the administration of such an ayatollah-ish person. WTF is he doing in Pakatan then when he could have joined up with the likes of the Perak Mufti to form another political party?

I know Anwar Ibrahim has a lot of things on his mind right now, apart from his notoriety for being reluctant to take disciplinary action against indiscipline mavericks in his PKR. But really, the Kulim Wonder has been given far too much space to wreck the reputation of, not just PKR, but Pakatan - not once but repetitively.

It’s high time to sort out the loose cannon once and for all. And since the Kulim Wonder isn’t one to be reined in, certainly not with his proclivity for big-headed grandstanding as he has demonstrated time and time again, there is only one course left for PKR.

Expel him!

Anwar Ibrahim, let’s see some backbone from you and quality control for your party. Besides, the Kulim Wonder won't be the Kulim Wonder anymore in the next election. We're going to make sure if he dares to stand in Kulim, that he loses.

Pakatan Rakyat's future - what if Anwar is jailed?

Much as I don't like him, kaytee has never deny* denied that Anwar Ibrahim is the glue holding the Pakatan Rakyat (very loose) coalition together.

* I need an editor lah

Mind you, being a 'loose coalition' is not necessarily a bad thing as it means there is no Tai-Koh factor which, alas, we see in the BN.

No one, not even Anwar Ibrahim, dares boss any component party around - any wannabe dictator acts tough and an unhappy but independent component party will go its individual way, and the coalition becomes no more ...

… which has been what UMNO and its sidekick parties have been trying to bring about for the Pakatan Rakyat.

But the BN hasn’t succeeded because each of the Pakatan component party knows 'the family that prays together (for victory in 2013) stays together'.

DAP needs PAS to win the Malay votes, PAS needs DAP to win the Chinese support, and even Pak Haji Hadi Awang has finally realized this.

And of course PKR needs both PAS and DAP to attain majority rule, and enable Anwar to become PM.

But Sodomy II looms near, and Anwar ending up again behind bars has been upgraded from a possibility to a probability.

So what will happen to Pakatan ... if its 'glue' is enjoying the government free 'rest house' inclusive of nasi kari lunch and dinner?

Assuming the evil Empire gets its way, and Anwar is jailed, I believe his replacement as Pakatan’s leader has to be someone acceptable to both PAS and DAP, and I can think of only Zaid Ibrahim of PKR.

malaysiakini photo

Read Zaid’s penetrating recommendation to support Lim Guan Eng’s plan to capture ‘Middle Malaysia’ in Malaysiakini’s Zaid fleshes out Guan Eng's idea. There's intellectual merit in Zaid's proposal without any pompous man man lai words.

In concert with Lim’s campaign, Zaid proposes a core curriculum in our national education system so that we can build common values, drawn from the great civilisations, to promote understanding of citizenship with corresponding rights and obligations, respect for civil and rational debate, and understanding to reject supremacist or exclusivist thinking.

I believe he has it in him to be a national leader. Thus we may be looking at a probable future PM, assuming there will be no ‘dirty works’ to also neutralise him.

Ironically, while he is likely to be accepted by PAS and DAP as Anwar's replacement, as leader of Pakatan, he may face problems from within his own PKR party. There is an ambitious man from Gombak who may not want to have Zaid Ibrahim as the new Pakatan supremo.

5 years jail for RM70 theft

The Star Online reported in its news Jobless man gets 5yrs for stealing some beer that an unemployed man Zulhaidi Hamzah was sentenced by the Magistrates Court in JB to 5 years jail for stealing 11 cans of beer worth RM70 from a mini mart in Pasir Gudang.

The loot apparently was 4 cans of Guinness Stout and 7 cans of Tiger Beer.

That’s an over-the-top heavy handed judgement by the Yang Ariff. It’s monstrously out of proportion to the seriousness of the crime, more so when you consider heavier shit being committed by 'heavy metal' ar$eh#les in this country, none of whom has thus far been found guilty.

But I suppose Zulhaidi ought to be at least grateful for not being slapped with a whipping sentence by the Syariah Court for the haram items.

I am not f* impressed by the justice system.

Aceh 'vice and virtue' police is more about their own vice

An article picked up by the Sydney Morning Herald about Aceh’s so-called ‘virtue police’.

******************

Aceh 'vice and virtue' police accused of raping student

January 16, 2010

JAKARTA: Three members of a newly formed civilian patrol to enforce sharia, or Islamic law, in Aceh province of Indonesia have been accused of gang-raping a 20-year-old university student.

The attack allegedly occurred this month at a police station after the patrol members, known as the sharia police, took the woman into custody. Two men, aged 27 and 29, have been arrested and one is still being sought, authorities said.

Activists say the accusation deals a blow to the credibility of the controversial sharia police patrols.

''They don't have the authority to detain people; their role is to give moral advice, that's it,'' said the director of Aceh's human rights coalition, Norma Manalu. ''They misused their power.''

Aceh recently created ''vice and virtue'' patrols to enforce religious codes across the only province in the nation to employ sharia for its criminal code. Sharia was introduced in 2002 after the province was granted autonomy as part of efforts to end a decades-long guerilla war. Supervisors say the sharia police consider themselves the community's public conscience.

In September, Aceh's parliament passed a law saying people who commit adultery can be sentenced to death by stoning.

The law, which must still be approved by the province's governor, has outraged human-rights groups, which say it will be used unfairly against women.

The suspects allegedly stopped a couple by a road. The victim's father said his daughter's friend was beaten by the suspects and the two were then taken to a nearby sharia police station.

The suspects later returned while off duty and raped the woman, investigators said.

''She was treated like an animal; they suffocated and raped her - it was inhumane,'' the victim's father said. ''She is in deep trauma.''

The head of the 1500- member sharia police force, Marzuki Abdullah, said the case was not linked to the patrols because any crime the officers committed was while they were off duty.

Activists say the case should bring a review of the patrols.

''Are they really needed to judge our morality?'' Ms Manalu asked.

''We don't have any guarantees that they have a higher moral standard than us.''

***********************

And it's bloody obvious they certainly don't.

No worries, Malaysians, we have our very own – see my earlier 2007 post What lies behind City Hall's brutalities? especially the yellow highlighted portions.

MACC intimidating Dr Pornthirp?

According to my uncle there was a time when people cringed in embarrassment, if not shame, when they were investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), then headed by a renowned judge. They knew they were in deep shit for their wrong doings.

Then they prayed that no one would know about it.

Today, when people are investigated by the MACC (the successor of the ACA) they are equally anxious though not cowering in embarrassment or shame, but instead fear. They also know they are in (a different kind of) deep shit though they haven’t done anything wrong.

Then they prayed that everyone would know about it, because they feel they would be miles safer in the public gaze.

Thanks to the press like Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider, we are all too well aware of the sad case of so-called MACC witness, Teoh Beng Hock, and his sad and untimely demise, but at least it was widely publicized, leading eventually to a second autopsy conducted by imported pathologists - such is the disdain, disregard and distrust for local government apparatus and officials.

Through the 'freer' press again we have also heard of the bizarre MACC actions against mainly DAP and in a few cases, PKR politicians, on dodgy 'allegations' of impropriety involving a couple of thousand ringgit – yes, sums not even exceeding RM3,000 (they have been scrapping the bottom of basically an empty barrell for hopeful dirt) - when in stark and shameful contrast, politicians on the other side of the political fence reside untouched in obscenely lavish ‘palaces’ which even the average public member knows are way beyond those politicians’ accountable means.

The MACC, through a regretful combination of its perceived political bias in its unwarranted actions against opposition members while at the same time closing one eye to the obvious unaccountable lifestyles of powerful people in the ruling party, is deemed by the general public as nothing more than a political apparatus, a weapon of the ruling party, not unlike the police and the civil service.

In those latter mentioned agencies, the glaring partial conduct of the Perak civil service and the local police in the Perak Dun case has been a shameful note of notoriety in Malaysian public service history. And may I ask (rhetorically of course): can we trust the judiciary?

But give an unworthy man enough rope and he’ll hang himself, as wise men advise us. So the former MACC chief resigned, or as suspected, was shoved out as his fumbling bumbling stumbling ways became an embarrassment to the government.

His successor emerged with some fanfare and a glimpse of hope for improved and impartial conduct.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa [hysterical fits of laughter at gross stupidity - our gross stupidity]

Yes, we were stupid to believe that the new MACC chief would do the right thing as PM Najib so grandiosely advised, that the public service officers should act impartially.

The following headlines explained our momentary belief in fair play to be plain naïve, nay, utterly idiotic.

(1) Malaysiakini’s MACC chief: Don't talk to media after lodging complaint

(2) Malaysiakini’s Now the MACC wants to muzzle the media

As for Teoh Beng Hock who died under mysterious circumstances while under the custody of the MACC (yes, the MACC said Teoh was only a ’witness’ yet the poor bloke was subjected to interrogation circumstances worse than that of a detainee) and in the premise of the MACC building, what of the coming verdict of the second autopsy conducted by two foreign pathologists?

The Malaysian Insider reported in Lawyers worry police probe on Pornthip may affect Teoh inquest that (extracts):

Two MACC officers have lodged two police reports – one against Dr Pornthip, and the other against PKR organ Suara KeAdilan – for allegedly leaking contents from the report of the second autopsy carried out last Nov 22.

Suara KeAdilan had published a report in its last issue quoting “sources from the Health Ministry” as saying that Dr Pornthip had concluded that Teoh’s death was homicide.

Gobind, speaking at press conference at his office here, said Dr Pornthip had denied leaking contents of the post-mortem report, which are confidential and can only be revealed in the inquest.

He also said it was absurd for the MACC officers to lodge a report against the forensic expert based on the article that quoted anonymous sources.

“I would like to know, who are these sources? And why is the police report lodged against Dr Pornthip when it quoted sources?” said an angry Gobind.

Gobind, who is also DAP Puchong MP, then explained that the police report may affect the ongoing inquest as Dr Pornthip may feel intimidated by the police probe and not turn up for the inquest.

This will stall the proceeding and deter efforts to uncover the truth behind the mystery surrounding Teoh’s death said Gobind further.

“We have fought hard to find and bring Dr Pornthip here ... I wonder if the witness (Dr Pornthip) will now turn up to aid the inquest,” blasted Gobind.

Asked if the report was a deliberate effort to intimidate their witness, Gobind refused to answer directly but remarked that “it was up to the public to decide,” saying the “evidence is everywhere.”

Malik [Imtiaz] said the two MACC officers’ action in equating the Suara KeAdilan report with Dr Pornthip was inaccurate and wrong.

He also stressed that the Thai expert’s opinion had been acknowledged by Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas, which led to his instruction that Teoh’s remains be exhumed for the second autopsy.

Well …..!

Some biblical names of God

Adonai-Jehovah - The Lord our Sovereign

El-Elyon -- The Lord Most High

El-Olam - The Everlasting God

El-Shaddai - The God Who is Sufficient for the Needs of His People

Jehovah-Elohim - The Eternal Creator

Jehovah-Jireh - The Lord our Provider

Jehovah-Nissi - The Lord our Banner

Jehovah-Ropheka - The Lord our Healer

Jehovah-Shalom - The Lord our Peace

Jehovah-Tsidkenu - The Lord our Righteousness

Jehovah-Mekaddishkem - The Lord our Sanctifier

Jehovah-Sabaoth - The Lord of Hosts

Jehovah-Shammah - The Lord is Present

Jehovah-Rohi - The Lord our Shepherd

Jehovah-Hoseenu - The Lord our Maker

Jehovah-Eloheenu - The Lord our God


Genesis 1:1

[Tanakh] "In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth ..."

[English Bible - King James Version] "In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth ... "

[Arabic transliteration] "Fee al-badi' khalaqa Allahu as-Samaawaat wa al-Ard ... "

Allah, Elohim or Yahweh?

I do not intend to discuss the legal, etymological or historical use of the ‘Allah’ word in the Catholic news letter, the Herald, which has led to the current ‘fiery’ brouhaha.

High Court Judge Lau Bee Lan has already ruled on the unconstitutional banning by the Malaysian government on the Herald’s use of the god-name. There is now an appeal to be heard. Let us wait for it.

On the etymological aspect, a number of academicians including Muslims have traced its usage to pre Islamic era, and explained that both Arab Muslims and Christians refer to their respective gods as ‘Allah’. Who are we to challenge their erudite clarifications?

Historically, it has been agreed that Dutch Christian missionaries sometime in the 16th Century translated the bible into the Malay-Indonesian language by using the word 'Allah' for God. Why those Dutch missionaries did so has not been questioned but that they had used ‘Allah’ has been deemed by the Catholic Herald as a precedent which must continue to be accepted even today.

Not unexpectedly, the High Court’s decision has brought about lamentable outcomes, from protests against the judicial judgement to reckless accusations that Judge Lau was biased because she is a Christian, to criminal arson attacks against churches, and to the inevitable political conspiracies. I do not also propose to discuss the behaviour or utterances on both sides of the political fence on this issue.

Given the experts’ etymological and historical clarifications on the ‘Allah’ word, I am in no doubt the editor of the Catholic Herald, Father Lawrence Andrew, is on strong legal grounds to use it ...

... but I have always believed that religion is about faith and morality and not legality or for that matter, political approval. Thus I find it unfortunate that the Catholic Herald had taken the issue to the courts. Surely on a matter of religious faith and knowledge, there are numerous other names of God it could have use beside ‘Allah’.

So why has Father Lawrence Andrew insisted on doing so?

Let me start off by quoting what he told AFP in April 2009 about the release of a new Malay language bible that does not use the word ‘Allah’. The news item was picked up by the Free Republic, a conservative American online news portal.

The new Malay-language Bible had referred to God as ‘Elohim’ rather than ‘Allah’. This displeased Father Lawrence Andrew who stated:

"The Catholic bible that the church uses has the word 'Allah' for God whereas in comparison, this one does not."

"The new Malay bible weakens the argument for using the word Allah because some groups are trying to substitute God with a foreign name, whereas Allah is the Malay word for God and has been the accepted translation for centuries."

I find it rather incomprehensible that Father Andrew would assert ‘Elohim’ to be a foreign name for God while in the same breath dare to claim ‘Allah’ is not. I wonder whether he would consider 'Yeshua', 'Isa' or even 'Jesus' as ‘foreign’ names? And as he is from the Catholic Church, may I ask him what he considers 'Mary' or 'Mariam', the name of the Holy Virgin Mother, to be?

Then one just has to ask: (a) why consider the new Malay-language bible as ‘weakening’ the use of ‘Allah’ when it has actually reinforced the original reference to God’s name as ‘Elohim’, and (b) who does the ‘accepting’ of the translation and what are the criteria for that process?

Now consider, hasn’t the Catholic Mass which was originally conducted only in Latin, since been changed to the language of the locals? So why can’t the use of ‘Allah’ in the Bible, as translated by Dutch missionaries hundreds of years ago, be changed to ‘Elohim’?

It seems that Father Andrew is dead set on using ‘Allah’ to refer to the Christian God, regardless of the superior pedigree (in the Christian context) of God’s other names as revealed in the Bible.

And on the pedigree of God’s names, the first revelation of God’s personal identity is in the Tanakh (Jewish Bible) Book of Genesis 1:1 which says: "In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth."

So, why did Father Andrew consider it a ‘foreign’ name? Aren’t we talking about the God of the Christian faith?

The second name of the Divine One as revealed to Moses was 'YHWH' or 'Yahweh' (later modified to 'Jehovah') which means ‘I AM WHO I AM’ or 'I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE'.

'Yahweh' is mentioned 6823 times in the Old Testament, while 'Elohim' scores 2570 times. How many times is ‘Allah’?

In fact 'Elohim' is used 66 times in a row at the beginning of the Bible before any other Hebrew word for the English word 'God'.

There are various other names besides ‘Elohim’ and ‘Yahweh’ to describe God and Jesus, with the latter being found in the New Testament.

Really, what is the morality or motivation behind Father Andrew’s rejection of ‘Elohim’, the original name of the Judaist-Christian God, and his insistence on the use of ‘Allah’ to refer to the Christian God when locally it has always been recognized that ‘Allah’ refers to the God of the Islamic faith.

Ultimately let us also not forget that both Islam and Christianity are evangelistic missionary religions with an obligation on the faithful to convert the so-called ’pagans’, for altruistic reasons of course. But the late A Powell Davies, a minister of the All Souls Church in Washington, advised us that “True religion, like our founding principles, requires that the rights of the disbeliever be equally acknowledged with those of the believer.”

Has Father Lawrence acknowledged the rights and sensitivities of the Malaysian Muslims?

Friedrich Nietzsche reminded us: “Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal.”

But I ask of Father Lawrence Andrew: “What is really your goal in obdurately pursuing the use of the word ‘Allah’ to refer to the Christian God in a Malay-language newsletter and Bible when so many other names of your Christian God, with even better biblical pedigree, remain available?”

Merry Foolproof Christmas

Dear Friends,

I heard on the grapevine, while imbibing the ‘nectar’ of its fruits wakakaka, that two F5E engines had been moved from Argentina to the Antarctic.

Apparently a fat bloke at the South Pole, who likes to dress in red, is in trouble with the RSPCA for alleged cruelty to some animals with antlers, one of which has a big red nose.

The RSPCA claimed Fattie had subjected those strange animals with enormous loads around this time of the year for the last several decades. They weren't able to nab him before because he has been changing address from South Pole to North Pole and then back, and to and fro, so on so forth.

They've finally succeeded, that is, in apprehending him. The animals have been taken away to a vet for examination, but Fattie is out on bail, claiming he has a vital ‘schedule’ to keep (it seems tonight) or he will suffer loss of reputation ... yadda yadda.

Anyway, being the innovative type, the impounding of his animals by RSPCA has not fazed him in the least. Bloke purchased the 2 F5E engines to fit on his sleigh.

However his missus told him it won’t be brilliant at all to visit Malaysia at this point in time with his reconfigured transportation. I heard he's likely to give the Peninsula a miss, but will still keep the date with Sabah and Sarawak.

So if Malaysian parents have a hard time tomorrow explaining to their lil’ sweet ones why their stockings aren’t filled, I suggest they dob in a local bloke by the name of Zahidi.

Wishing you all a happy and foolproof Christmas & a Safe New Year.

ho ho ho Wa ka ka ka ;-)

F5E engines theft - no traitor nor treason

First it happened.

Disbelief initially … no, surely there must be some mistake.

Then reality dawned.

Panic set in.

Cover up.

Attempts then made to trace the missing item … WTF … itemS?

You mean two of them?

No choice … have to report upwards.

WHAT?!!

Cover up again.

Wait … these are too f* big … no choice, report upwards.


WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You must be f* joking.

No, you’re not joking [sigh].

OK lah, sack them, but don’t break rice bowl of one-star. No no no, no criminal charges, we’d look bad too, just cover it up.

But even an egg will leak, what more with such a big organization with thousands of mouths and double that of ears.

And with that, agonising piece by piece, over a period of almost 3 years, the news leaked out, finally reaching the public ears.

Not that those top ar$eh%le$ were worried during that 3 years. Apa susah, we’ll sort it out when the peasants hear of it.

So now, cries of traitors, treachery, treason abound, just to protect the top ar$eh%le$’ ar$eh%le$ [note first ar$eh%le$ is in the possessive case].

What is treason?

Well, the good old dictionary tells us that treason is any attempt to overthrow the government or impair the well-being of a state to which one owes allegiance, or the crime of giving aid or comfort to the enemies of one's government.

Really, did any of that happen?

If you think the security of the nation depends on 2 mere engines, then we're in even deeper trouble than we realise.

An air force has spare engines, more than what would be required for the total number of aircraft of a certain type, because engines can go kaput or need to be periodically serviced, thus requiring timely replacements.

So don't give me the bullsh*t that by stealing the engines, those thieves had affected national security.There's no doubt they are thieves, but traitors who committed treason? Nonsense!

Bear in mind too that treason is a capital offence which carries the death penalty.

Even sedition, which is an act directed unlawfully against state authority, the government, or constitution, or calculated to bring it into contempt or to incite others to hostility, according to the dictionary, does not amount to treason and therefore is not a capital offense.

So how can plain old fashion theft amount to treason?

If fact, those gouging the public coffers, plundering the national wealth, allowing structures weakened by their policies and lack of due diligence to kill members of the public or lil' schoolgirls, complicit in enabling foreigners to assume roles as 1st class citizens which ought to be rightfully owned by those born here, have been far far more treasonous that some thieves of engines.

Those of us who criticise, condemn and crucify the PM (former Def Min), the current Def Min and the military No 1 chief must be careful not to let them avoid responsibilities by hiding behind the conjured-up traitors.

The consequences would be:

(a) ordinary thieves will unjustly receive the death sentences for treason, becoming sacrificial goats for the protection of the people at the top who have been also responsible, and

(b) those leaders evading their responsibility and accountability, and through (a) above, bizarrely become national heroes.

No, there are no traitors in the theft of the F5E engines, just avaricious staff who became thieves of public property, taking examples from above and exploiting a so-called foolproof system which had been abysmally lackadaisical in its structure, procedures, management and control.

The RMAF 'foolproof' logistic system

Yesterday I highlighted 2 characteristics of our world famous Malaysian malaise, namely:

(a) everyone wants to make a fast buck, more so after seeing their ‘leaders’ live in palatial mansion and having multi billion assets, despite the financial and mathematical improbabilities of such lifestyles given the leaders' earnings.

However, it so happens in Bolehland that there is in fact a way, and an easy way at that, by simply gouging the hapless Malaysian public and their collective property especially the tax money they pay, and

(b) when the sh*t hits the fan, only the ikan bilis get the rap on the knuckles. The favoured ones (those close to the political leadership) would be teflon-ised and even promoted.

I’m just about to tell you a third, which is quintessentially Malaysian. It has to do with the unpleasant reality that many of our political leaders don’t like to be questioned by the public, especially by their own supporters.

After bribing, bullsh*tting or begging the unsuspecting voters into electing them, once elected, suddenly these public representatives would forget how they become ministers but believe and act like they’ve been crowned Sultan Mansur Shah, he of the Hang Tuah infamy.

They'd look down patronising at their voters and expect the latter to toe the line silently like loyal subjects. After all, who are those voters to question 'royalty' - dei, siapa raja?

We get to see a glimpse of this in The Malaysian Insider’s Missing engines: Zahid confirms action against ‘traitors’ which reported:

Zahid warned bloggers not to sensationalise the incident, stressing that the government was committed to having a transparent investigation.

“For your information, those involved have been identified and we have taken action internally. They won't escape from legal action. I don't want bloggers who will twist facts with various analyses and speculation. I would like to inform that the Prime Minister and I will monitor the investigation. Further action will also be revealed to the public from time to time,” he told reporters.

My dear Minister, in a democracy the public (and would you believe bloggers are members of the public as well) have the right to talk about a major loss of public property, to blooming question the government especially you. It's our constitutional rights and your accountable responsibilities.

Besides, how can we twist facts when there have been a total absence of facts about the engines for 2 years since their ‘disappearance’ (now apparently two engines, and not one as earlier suspected)?

Zahid also reiterated his belief that the RMAF's logistics system was foolproof. “I stress that the record and inventory system of all national services is satisfactory including the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

“But no matter, a traitor will always find a way to find loopholes in the procedures. We have confidence in the police and marshals in the Royal Malaysian Air Force to take the necessary legal action in the near future,” he said.

My dear Minister, please stop using the word ‘foolproof’ if you do not understand what the word means. Don’t show your stupidity.

And would you believe, Dumbo again contradicted himself in a new Malaysiakini news GONE: Not just jet engines, other equipment too where he revealed that "…Besides the two Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) F-5E fighter jet engines reported missing, other related equipment is [sic] also gone …".

Foolproof eh? Or does the Minister think ‘foolproof’ means the RMAF logistic system is proofed against fools only?

Also, the Minister should stop using the word ‘traitor’ since he obviously couldn’t distinguish between a thief and a traitor. But I fear our dear Minister won’t be listening to me on the incorrect use of the ‘traitor’ word, since The Malaysian Insider reported his overly generous employment of that word, as in:

Zahid vowed that the ‘traitors’ would pay a heavy price for their treachery.

“Traitors, they are everywhere and any form of treachery must be paid with a high price. The Defence Ministry has not only conducted an internal investigation but we have given this case to the police.

“It must be open to the public through the court. Datuk Seri Najib (Razak) and I feel that these actions of treachery must be punished heavily and we are open in this matter,” he explained.

Omigosh, “Traitors, they are everywhere …”! Maybe even in the cabinet?

Or has it been just the standard UMNO-ish clarion call, when they’re in damage control, to the heartland to marshal around his banner against ‘traitors’?

But there is a bright side as Tay Tian Yan wrote tongue-in-cheek in Sin Chew (extracts):

The Royal Malaysia Air Force discovered the missing of the engine within a few months and they found the suspects in only two years. What an extremely high efficiency! […]

Of course, we must be pleased that Malaysia does not have any nuclear bombs. Otherwise, it will be very easy for our talents to steal that too. […]

Even it is no big deal to lose an engine, but I’m curious whether they will lose something else in the future?

As long as the don’t let anyone steal the Defense Minister which would be really embarrassing.

From now on, the Royal Malaysia Air Force must pull themselves together to protect the Defense Minister.

But have no fear, as the Chief of the Defence Force (the 2007 Chief of the Air Force) informed us, and the rest of the world including our potential enemies, the RMAF has 16 F5E's where only 7 are tactically operational.

We can now sleep at night in peace because our potential enemies would have laughed themselves to death.

F5E RM50 million engine - stealthy loss but supersonic bullsh*t

Malaysiakini’s headlines today blared Missing jet engine: PM promises no cover-up...!

Now, much as we Malaysians have been used to hearing of multi billion ringgit waste or going ‘David Copperfield’, RM50 mil most certainly isn’t small lollie.

How did it happen?

Two days ago in another Mkini headline Defence Ministry to probe missing RM50 mil jet engine the Defence Minister had the bloody cheek to state "The investigations revealed RMAF's logistics system was full-proof. However, the shady activity might have been carried out staff in the lower rungs in cahoots with outsiders."

*… full-proof? Steve Gan should check his sub-editors' spelling more – ‘foolproof’ lah!

There are 3 issues involved here which the public needs to know:

(1) OK, what foolproof RMAF logistic system? Mana ada when a RM50 million engine walked out of the RMAF logistic depot to go samba-ing in South America? It's supersonic bullsh*t.

Then our amazing Def Min (or Daft Mini) contradicted himself by saying the armed forces had also reorganised its systems since the loss and more frequent monitoring on procedures, inventory, and control of assets had been put in place.

If the logistic system was foolproof why then the re-organization and the new process? He's really breaking the bullsh*t barrier.

(2) A theft of public property worth RM50 million has occurred. A police report had been made. When (If) the police eventually completes its investigation, criminal charges must be laid.

Therefore PM Najib had been incorrect in stating once the police authority has finalised its investigative report, it would be up to the air force and armed force's council to decide what action should be taken and against whom - see Mkini’s Missing jet engine: PM promises no cover-up...!

That's like saying citizen Ahmad who was robbed will decide what criminal charges to press and against whom once the police has completed its investigation into the robbery. We are now in a spin, an aircraft spin!

In the final analysis, the theft is symptomatic of our Malaysian malaise – everyone wants to get rich, and very fast. When you see the Bali Mansion and the Klang (private, not royal) Palace, both in Selangor, and hundreds of millions if not billions ending up in individuals’ pockets, it's hardly surprising that the ordinary mata mata or the RMAF airmen also want to 'emulate' those notorious examples of fast-track to wealth?

My uncle told me that once there was a Malaysian leader who promoted the concept of ‘leadership by example’. I am sure the latter didn’t mean this, that we live in a totally corrupt regime where everyone has an opportunity to gouge the public, like their 'leaders'.

Ok, we read of news that that police had arrested four individuals, including RMAF officers. An air force brigadier-general had to resign but with full benefits.

But where is the top leader’s responsibility in this shameful loss by the RMAF, when the 2007 chief of the air force has recently been promoted to become the chief of the three services (army, navy, air force)?

This is another character of our society's illness where only the ikan bilis get the rap on the knuckles. The favoured ones (those close to the political leadership) would be teflon-ised and even promoted.

Now that same Malaysian leader also instructed us to 'Look East'. I'd certainly like to see the local leaders adopt the Japanese time-honoured ethics and etiquette of accepting responsibility for f*-ups in their organizations. Banzai!

Prediction for 2013

On Wednesday I posted Getting ready for next Perak State election? where I quoted Bernama’s report of the EC and Perak Pos’ joint effort to register people who are eligible to be voters.

I mentioned getting goose pimples (mor kooi ch’ang) all over.

Yesterday Malaysiakini published Umno to identify unregistered voters among members which said Umno vice-president Mohd Shafie Apdal said the records indicated that 661,231 Umno members had yet to register as voters and that Sabah had the highest number among the states, of 129,925 such members.

I would not be 'surprised' to see UMNO-BN easily wins back the states of Perak, Selangor, Kedah in 2013, and comfortably retains Sabah (Najib's safety deposit), Terengganu. Penang may be more challenging for UMNO-BN but hey, even that is do-able.

The Court of Repeal

Once again the Court of Appeal has, PREDICTABLY, ruled in favour of the government and its apparatus. It brushed aside the ruling of the High Court for MACC not to interrogate witness right round the clock; the Appellate Court has just said it’s okay for MACC to do so.

Mind you, none of us were surprised. As Foo Wy Len, a writer to Malaysiakini Vox Populi said [extract]: The same story has repeated once too often. Why bother to have the High Court when even the bookie will never take any bet on the verdict by the Court of Appeal!

The Straits Times reported: Counsel Karpal Singh, who appeared for Tan, argued that the Parliament could not have intended the phrase ’day to day’ to mean round the clock.

“That would be the literal approach which would lead to absurdity and investigations of poor quality.”

He submitted that if Rule 20 of the Lock-Up Rules 1953 had strict application in relation to suspects, it could not be fathomed how witnesses could be questioned after office hours when suspects were beyond reach of interrogation between 6.30pm and 6.30am (the rest time for suspects).

“Witnesses should be entitled to more protection than suspects.”

“It is the reliable evidence of witnesses which ultimately succeeds in the conviction of suspects.”

More Vox Populi comments follow:

Chipmunk: "Day to day" means 'Occurring or done each day'. So Court of Appeal, how do you interpret section 30 (3)(a)? Unless you guys work on rotating shifts or office hours running 24/7, I suggest you stick with what the High Court has ruled. [...]

Multi Racial: Just look back this year. We don't have to look too far. Every case decided by the High Court judges that is not in favour of the government or Umno, is overturned by the Court of Appeal.

Some of them were done so fast with very short notice like the MB vs MB case in Perak. But when it is the other way around and the opposition appeals, it takes months and years, and it will be complete waste of time as the conclusion is already decided.

KayKay: Somebody should compile all the High Court decisions which went against the government and later overturned by the Court of Appeal. In fact, all these Court of Appeal rulings, few were written judgments.

The Mazu case is a good example. This is how they jam the wheels of justice. Without a written judgment from the Court of Appeal, it's not possible to proceed to the Federal Court.

Police provoking the 'tiger' in Indians

One of my uncles’ friends told us a story of May 13. Like two of my Unc’s, he was in the Malaysian military. A few days after May 13 exploded, he asked his good mate in one of the Malay Regiment battalions (whose soldiers were enforcing the KL-PJ curfew) what the hell was going on, with so many people killed and houses razed to the ground.

After the usual discussion on irresponsible politicians and provocative civilians (they were both military and, despite some soldiers being unprofessionally and emotionally 'involved', took pride in standing aloof from what they saw as a civilian racial conflict) his matey said some Chinese shop houses were burnt for no other reason than the arsonists wanting to erase their record of debts held by the business Chinamen.

In those cases in general there was neither hatred nor real racial prejudice. It was no more than a convenient opportunity to wipe the debtor slate clean ..... a yeehaa rumble but where the unfortunate outcomes in many cases were not only properties destroyed but some lives as well.

But in others there were genuine ethnic hostilities. In this latter category, he commented that the viciousness and recklessness of the rioting were in large part due to the belief by the perpetrators (via 'instigations') that their lot were so bad there was nothing more to lose.

When one was at rock bottom, the only way further had to be upwards. Therefore the outcome of their rioting surely would be an improvement.

In other words, they were desperados!

When I read Malaysiakini’s Man cleared of charges, but is beaten nevertheless, I was not only outraged by the unmitigated police abuses against S Isaikumar, but told myself that thread holding the Indians back is being further stretched, strained and stressed to almost breaking point.

Isaikumar was arrested on suspicion of sexual harassment but when the police discovered that the allegations were false, they continued to detain him for a bout of torture and abuses. WTF!

According to MKINI, the innocent man – mind you, found innocent by the police themselves - was tortured and beaten, for nine f* days after he was informed the sexual harassment allegation against him was baseless.

His lawyer, Surendran, said: "Isaikumar was slapped, abused and beaten with PVC pipes by a group of police officers."

Surendran revealed that even a female police officer had sat on Isaikumar's chest and inserted a shoe she was wearing into his mouth.

So those police sadists were equal opportunity arseholes and not limited to men only.

I won’t go into any more details on the torture, humiliation and deprivation the police inflicted on this innocent man but suffice to say they sickened me.

Two things stood out:

(a) despite police knowing he was innocent of the fabricated allegations, he was detained for an extra 9 days to be tortured, abused and humiliated in the most dangerous place in Malaysia, ye olde police station.

(b) it’s no coincidence he is an Indian Malaysian, a member of an unfortunate community, the primary target of police brutality.

Perhaps the police must have felt that no one bothers a f* about poor Indians, or as Penangites would say "Boe larng ay ch'oot t'au hor ee larng" (nobody will take up their cause; no one wants to be their champion).

As I’ve said, there is a limit, a line drawn in the sand, which if crossed, will release the wolf, or rather, tiger in the Indians. As the May 13 example revealed sadly to us, there will come a stage when the Indian become desperados too, feeling there is no longer anything to lose.

Then they will become ‘Tigers’.

Wikipedia tells us that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam … who during the height of their power possessed a well-developed militia, were notorious for recruiting child soldiers, for carrying out civilian massacres, suicide bombings and various other high profile attacks, including the assassinations of several high-ranking Sri Lankan and Indian politicians like Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1993, and former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.



Worse …

They invented the suicide belt and pioneered the use of suicide bombing as a tactic. They also pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks, and used light aircraft in some of their attacks.

Just recall how long it took us to deal with the CTs, who were in reality just a small band.

If the CTs had China and Russia to support them, be mindful that the Sri Lanka Tamil Tigers were devotedly and fanatically supported by the rich Tamil diaspora in Europe and North America, and Tamils in India. In fact, Australia was until very recently very concerned with the activities of the Tamils in Australia.

I hate to see the Indian Malaysians so driven into angry desperation that they take to the hills and become our nightmare ‘Tigers’. Then the slander of the former Home Affairs Minister may become a self fulfilling prophecy.

The vicious brutality which the Malaysian Police have inflicted upon the unfortunate Indian Malaysians with arrogant impunity are legendary. The case concerning Isaikumar and the unmitigated ill treatment of him by police has not only been outrageously over the top and unforgiveable, but cannot be left unchallenged.

This ill treatment of the Indians must stop! Those police officers must be brought to justice and, if their thuggish brutalities confirmed, severely punished, meaning both jail sentences and dismissals from the police force. No half way measure should be accepted.

Getting ready for next Perak State election?

From Bernama:

500,000 Eligible Voters In Perak Not Registered

IPOH, Dec 16

About 500,000 out of the 2.37 million eligible voters in Perak have not registered with the Election Commission (EC) as at April this year.

Perak EC director Ahmad Adli Abdullah said many of them were still unaware that they could register as voters and could change their addresses at the post-offices.

"They don't have to return to their hometown to discharge their duties as responsible voters if they have moved to other places," he told reporters after presenting the EC promotional banners to Pos Malaysia, here on Wednesday.

He said those who were above the age of 21 and eligible to vote should register as voters to fulfill their responsibilities for the country.

"It is sad when the level of public awareness on the importance of voting is still low because one vote can make a big difference in any election," he said.

Meanwhile, Perak Pos Malaysia general manager Mohd Azizi Mohd Sanusi said Pos Malaysia had always wanted to assist the government in fulfilling its social responsibility.

"Today, for example, Perak Pos Malaysia will help the EC to achieve its objective by offering voters' registration service at 84 post offices statewide," he added.

Hmmm … wonder why I get goose pimples all over …?

Footsies

Extract from Bernama:

10 Naked Men, 15 China Dolls Nabbed At Foot Reflexology Centre

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16

Reflexology centre, my foot!

Foot massage was probably the last thing on the mind of 10 men who were caught with their pants down at a foot reflexology centre here early on Wednesday.

In a raid at the centre in Jalan Kepong Prima, a police team also nabbed 15 China dolls who were employed illegally as massesses [sic].

Initial police investigations revealed that the masseuses, who did not even have passports, were into 'multi-tasking' at the centre which was operating for the past three years.

Foot massage aside, they provided full body massage for RM60; oral sex (RM80) and sexual intercourse (RM150) […]

I wonder how much a toe-suck costs? ;-)

Putrajaya - ze dream!

The Malaysian Insider published Putrajaya: Good move or a waste of money? (credited to The Straits Times) 3 days ago.

What caught my eye were the last 2 paragraphs, which states:

Wan Esuriyanti pointed out another problem. She decided to move out of Putrajaya and buy a property in a nearby suburb because she wanted her children to grow up in a racially balanced neighbourhood.

“Putrajaya is almost 100 per cent Malay,” she said. “I don't want my children to grow up not knowing about other races and cultures.”

I applaud Wan Esuriyanti’s values in wanting her children to grow up in a truly Malaysian environment.

But I wonder at the centre of the Malaysian government, Putrajaya, being described as “… almost 100 per cent Malay”.

Ze dream haf komme true for zommeone! ;-)

Racism, our constant companion

Virtually every pollie is now talking about race and racism, whilst almost every journalist is not far behind them.

Is racism new to Malaysia or for that matter, Malaya?

We have had the tragedy of May 13, and some months after that, the Sentul racial attacks. While the Chinese managed to avoid another drastic experience (notwithstanding the Chinese school incident leading to Ops Lallang, thanks to a former Education Minister, wakakaka), with only Lee Kim Sai suffering his datukship being stripped off him, wakakaka (and I hope he had the dignity and pride to refuse its reinstatement), alas, the Indians experienced another just some years ago, also in KL.

But way before May 13, Penangites used to have what they joked as their 'annual' riots, ranging from minor skirmishes hardly worth reporting to a major one in 1953 during the coronation celebration for Queen Elizabeth II, then sovereign ruler of British crown colony Penang.

For the Island of 'annual' riots, it was strangely tranquil during the May 13 period.

Penangites like my mum, aunties and their pals have become experts at preparing the household needs for curfews (brought about by racial riots) - water, rice, matches, salt, salted fish, salted eggs, preserved/salted veg (Teochew specialities), oil, rock-hard biscuits, candles, kerosene, maybe some coffee, tea and sugar.

In 1950, Maria Bertha Hertogh, who was a Catholic Dutch girl brought up by a Malay Muslim family after her parents were imprisoned by the Japanese during the Occupation became the cause célèbre invoking a racial riot in Singapore, where 16 were killed with hundreds injured.

The story is so well known that I won’t bother to repeat it here, other than to say the Malays were pissed off with the court decision favouring the Dutch parents. Court decisions seen to be biased have never been popular, even and especially today.

Talking about today, post March 2008, there are forces in UMNO who still believe racial polemics remain the best formula to both intimidate their non-Malay opponents and marshal the heartland (including even part of PAS and no doubt PKR) to its banner.

Amidst this, Indian leaders are so selfishly and self-centredly split up that one can only cry for the marginalized poverty-stricken Indians. Those so-called leaders have been leading them to nowhere. But it hasn't stopped (sadly enough) some of these Indian leaders from promoting the racist line.

As for the Chinese, the MCA is now in a similar position to MIC, and the Gerakan is nothing more than more than a zombie under the voodoo control of UMNO. The dead don’t make very good racists, but no doubt would still try when the opportunity arises, unless of course it's against them like the recent resurrection of Ahmad Ismail of UMNO Penang. Poor Koh TK - it's like UMNO smacking him in his face.

DAP! ;-) They have been accused of being Chinese racists which must have deeply offended Karpal Singh and sons, Kula, Sivakumar and a host of Indian, Eurasian and even Malay leaders and members.

But nonetheless they need to keep one step ahead of the ‘label’ that UMNO has been desperately (and in some cases, successfully) attempting to pin on them. UMNO has been particular worried about the Malay support that DAP has slowly attracted, especially by Teresa Kok and Lim GE.

I won’t say a word about PKR because surely you can read today’s headlines yourselves.

Racism beats Communism hands down

My good blogger matey Dr Hsu Dar Ren (Darren Hsu) wrote a penetrating piece in The Malaysian Insider titled Isn’t racism as dangerous as communism?

He invited us to compare the double-standard absurdity of UMNO’s legal ostracization* of 80-year old Chin Peng (also known as Ong Boon Hwa) against UMNO's shameless political rehabilitation of Ahmad Ismail, by lifting his 3-year suspension from UMNO after just a year.

* despite an international treaty agreeing to his return to Malaysia which has been verified and supported by two former IGPs

Ahmad Ismail was merely suspended during PM AAB’s time for uttering BTN-ish racist remarks against Chinese Malaysians when he should have been expelled from his party. As if that cosmetic punishment was not light enough, UMNO has just removed his suspension.

Though Darren is a member of the Gerakan Party I applaud him for stating without fear and favour (extracts only): A top leader of Gerakan was quoted, according to a report in Malaysiakini’s Chinese website, as asking reporters when pressed about the lifting of Ahmad’s suspension: "Is this issue important?" […]

I would only say that in this issue, a few considerations are in order:

Firstly, anything or anyone who stirs racial emotion in a multiracial society is serious and important matter. Anyone doing so, just like anyone committing any crime big or small, must answer to the laws of the country no matter how high or low his position is in society. Under the law, every man is supposed to be equal.

Secondly, politics is about perception. If you are perceived to not even be able to stand up to a second-tier leader of the dominant party, then what would the people think of you and what would the voters think of you? Especially when this bully has uttered racially sensitive words that have hurt the feelings not only of a person but of an entire ethnic group?

Thirdly, to a political party, support from the people is everything. That is why it is important to fight for the interest of the people and with that, support shall come naturally. But what will happen when you are perceived to not even able to stand up to a person who has uttered words that hurt the very people who form your support base?

Lastly, as a result of the third consideration, how are the candidates from this party who have been so belittled going to face the voters come the next general election?

Without the support of the people and the voters, any political party will become irrelevant, and if this party becomes irrelevant, logic and past experience will tell us that the dominant party, Umno, will just chuck the party aside, no matter how subservient and how obedient this party is to Umno.

In politics, it is not about how subservient you are, but rather how useful you are to the dominant party. If you are of no more use (meaning, you no longer enjoy the support of the people), then no matter how diligent or obedient you are, you will be irrelevant.

The experience of PPP is a glaring example. This is a party which used to dominate the whole Kinta Valley, and had four MPs when it joined Barisan Nasional in 1974. What has become of it now? It has lost its relevance and hence it can only take the crumbs or leftovers at the pleasure of the master.

Well said, but when the leader of the Gerakan Party is like the Emperor of Manchukuo, what can we do?

Back to the double standards of UMNO in the Chin Peng vs Ahmad Ismail treatment, which was why Darren asked: Isn’t racism as dangerous as communism?

Apparently not, as in Malaysia, racism is equated to patriotism, 'social contract', ketuanan Melayu, and what have you. As a matter of fact the return to Malaysia of some Malay communists (Chin Peng’s colleagues), while Chin Peng remains barred from Malaysia, has amply demonstrated that difference.

And we also recall that the Home Affairs Minister lamented his missed opportunity to rehabilitate the most notorious killer Noordin Top, S.E. Asia’s most cold blooded indiscriminate mass murderer.

Hishamuddin can still enjoy the opportunity to rehabilitate Chin Peng … that is, if he wants to.