This refers to the plethora of articles on Lina Joy in malaysiakini.
The hadith of Islam says "Whosoever changes his religion, kill him."
Naturally some hardline Muslims embrace this rather harsh punishment, whilst on the other side of the fence, many non-Muslims in Malaysia have raised concerns for Lina Joy, as the Federal Court has just ruled (2 – 1) against her appeal to remove her religious status of Muslim from her IC. The Court wants her to get approval from the Syariah Court before she may have that done.
As she has already declared herself as a Christian, and she is now legally confirmed as still a Muslim, that makes her an apostate.
However, only a few Islamic nations like Saudi Arabia has the death penalty for apostasy, while according to Islamic scholars only male apostates would face capital punishment while females a life sentence.
Islamic scholars also remind us of the historical context of the hadith on apostasy. It was issued during a time when a new emerging Muslim community in Medina was fighting in perilous circumstances against its enemies.
Naturally they feared their enemies would entice their followers to jump ship. Thus the hadith was against political treason rather than a religious one.
The Qur'an (2:256) actually says: Let there be no compulsion in the religion: Clearly the Right Path (Islam) is distinct from the crooked path.
In a similar manner, the reason behind Article 121(1)(A) was political. The case of Abdul Rahim in the 1980’s was the galvanising force that developed the legal constraint on the civil court, for it not to make rulings on Muslim issues.
But cases like Abdul Rahim were rare – yes, not entirely absent but rare. There were also less polemics and aggravation as the ones we see today. It would be the rare Melayu who left his or her religion.
Why then does this current feeling of siege exist amongst many Muslims?
I suspect it all started when someone in Malaysia allowed millions of migrants to slip into our country, thinking, hey, it’s great the number of Malay Muslims would be increased. Little did they realise, or perhaps overlook, that it’s only in Malaysia that Malays must be and thus would be Muslims.
What had happened then was that among the millions of Muslim illegal migrants (who subsequently became legal residents) were some Christians and a smaller number of Hindus.
Now, get this whether you like it or not, but some religions are missionary, meaning their followers have an obligation to spread the good word. Whether the words of God are from the Muslim, Christian, Bahai God or or even the god of the Jehovah Witnesses, these must be spread.
So in KTemoc’s opinion, that’s where Christianity took hold in the Malay community and started to slowly spread among them. It hasn’t reached ‘critical mass’ yet, but there’s now real concerns among the Muslim leaders.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Lina Joy - a 'lose-lose' story
If you’re a subscriber to malaysiakini as I am, you can’t avoid reading about the Lina Joy case and sensing a range of emotions emanating from its pages.
Religion is such an emotive subject thus one shouldn’t be surprised to feel those human expressions of their inner feelings brought out to the public gaze – of frustration, elation, sadness, quiet lamentation and embarrassment, depending on which side you are on, and your personal values and conscience.
The story of apostasy is not a topic that can be discussed without heated arguments – note the use of the words ‘discussed’ and ‘heated arguments’, because that’s the inevitable progression of intellectual dissection of a situation where the sovereignty of religion is perceived to be threatened.
Though the Federal Court, as reported by malaysiakini, ruled by a 2-1 decision that jurisdiction of the Lina Joy case remains with the Syariah court, her avenue of appeal to be recognised as a non-Muslim is not yet closed as she still can appeal to the Syariah Court.
Of course non-Muslim supporters of Lina Joy baulked at the very thought of her going to the judgement of the Syariah Court, but as it is the only legal avenue left for her, I would urge her to consider it. What is there to lose anyway?
The current legal predicament confronting Lina stems back to some twenty years ago, when a Malaysian Muslim (or was one) by the name of Abdul Rahim, a teacher, challenged the syariah court’s power to prosecute him. He said he was no longer a Muslim as he was practising the teachings of Qadiani, a Muslim sect in Punjab, India, founded by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.
Now, the teachings of this sect had been declared as deviant by the Malaysian Fatwa Council, therefore Abdul Rahim argued in court that if he was following a deviant religion, surely he must no longer be a Muslim and not under the jurisdiction of the syariah court.
After hearing the teacher’s case, syariah court judge Sheikh Azmi Ahmad ruled that the syariah had jurisdiction over him as the fatwa (religious edict) alone did not necessarily render him an apostate. But Abdul Rahim took the matter to the civil High Court which granted him a decree that he was no longer a Muslim and therefore not bound under the syariah court.
Needless to say, the ruling caused a big panic among the Muslim community because it meant that any Malaysian Muslim could just leave Islam by looking for and then following a sect pronounced as deviant by the Malaysian Fatwa Council.
The Mahathir government had the Constitution amended to include an additional clause, namely Article 121(1)(A), which states that the civil court has no jurisdiction on syariah matters.
This has come to bear on Lina Joy’s case, though of course I am aware that in Lina’s case, she was challenging the NRD’s regulatory powers to denote in her IC that she is a Muslim and then refusing to remove that religious status when she demanded it. I would 't be surprised if that legal clause constraining the civil court from infringing into the jurisdiction of the syariah court had indirectly influenced the court's ruling.
There’s no point in cursing or blaming the court nor wringing our hands in sympathetic woe with Lina. The fact that it was a 2-1 decision of the Federal Court, which while not satisfactory to Lina’s supporters, nonetheless showed that the hearing was as best as one could obtain in the face of Article 121(1)(A).
While I am not always a supporter of PAS, I believe that Dr Siti Maria Mahmud who is PAS women’s wing leader, lamented the blunt truth when she said: “The damage is done. Ultimately, I don't think there was a victory for either side.”
Yusri Mohamad, the president of Abim actually provided some good advice that those who are “aggrieved in any way” with any part of the existing [Islamic/Muslim] arrangement should “choose other, less confrontational and controversial approach towards change and reform”.
He said: “We believe the court procedure is an unhealthy one because such issues should be avoided (at the courts) as all confrontational approaches should be shunned,” he said when contacted.”
“We also plead that those hoping for an opposite outcome to reconsider their position and to consider modifying their expectations to suit what is good and more sustainable considering our realities.”
He expressed what Dr Siti Maria Mahmud had expressed, that the decision should not be a perceived as a victory for Muslims and a loss for non-Muslims.
He concluded: “It is our belief that it is wrong for us as Muslims and Muslim associations to tolerate any injustice in the name of Islam.”
I did wonder whether Lina Joy could have resolved her predicament in another way. Once the case is taken to court, it's showdown at OK Corral with the inevitable win or lose outcome. Out in the open, in public gaze, there won't be any room for compromise or nifty manoeuvring by both sides.
Quiet negotiations or behind closed door appeals would be better. In this, I am also aware that the general Muslim community has an existing suspicion and rejection of multi-religious bodies or councils, So what would be the best forum or body for people like Lina Joy to lodge her personal difficulties, to seek a solution to her confusing religious status?
I would invite Abim to propose a solution if the courts are to be avoided. I agree the non-court avenue potentially has the most favourable outcome for people like Lina.
Notwithstanding the legality of her religious status, Lina Joy is in reality a person who no longer wishes to nor practises Islamic tenets. Nonetheless I hope she will lodge her appeal with the Syariah Court, and dare hope that the Islamic bench shares Yusri Mohamad’s personal conviction of a compassionate and just Islam.
Religion is such an emotive subject thus one shouldn’t be surprised to feel those human expressions of their inner feelings brought out to the public gaze – of frustration, elation, sadness, quiet lamentation and embarrassment, depending on which side you are on, and your personal values and conscience.
The story of apostasy is not a topic that can be discussed without heated arguments – note the use of the words ‘discussed’ and ‘heated arguments’, because that’s the inevitable progression of intellectual dissection of a situation where the sovereignty of religion is perceived to be threatened.
Though the Federal Court, as reported by malaysiakini, ruled by a 2-1 decision that jurisdiction of the Lina Joy case remains with the Syariah court, her avenue of appeal to be recognised as a non-Muslim is not yet closed as she still can appeal to the Syariah Court.
Of course non-Muslim supporters of Lina Joy baulked at the very thought of her going to the judgement of the Syariah Court, but as it is the only legal avenue left for her, I would urge her to consider it. What is there to lose anyway?
The current legal predicament confronting Lina stems back to some twenty years ago, when a Malaysian Muslim (or was one) by the name of Abdul Rahim, a teacher, challenged the syariah court’s power to prosecute him. He said he was no longer a Muslim as he was practising the teachings of Qadiani, a Muslim sect in Punjab, India, founded by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.
Now, the teachings of this sect had been declared as deviant by the Malaysian Fatwa Council, therefore Abdul Rahim argued in court that if he was following a deviant religion, surely he must no longer be a Muslim and not under the jurisdiction of the syariah court.
After hearing the teacher’s case, syariah court judge Sheikh Azmi Ahmad ruled that the syariah had jurisdiction over him as the fatwa (religious edict) alone did not necessarily render him an apostate. But Abdul Rahim took the matter to the civil High Court which granted him a decree that he was no longer a Muslim and therefore not bound under the syariah court.
Needless to say, the ruling caused a big panic among the Muslim community because it meant that any Malaysian Muslim could just leave Islam by looking for and then following a sect pronounced as deviant by the Malaysian Fatwa Council.
The Mahathir government had the Constitution amended to include an additional clause, namely Article 121(1)(A), which states that the civil court has no jurisdiction on syariah matters.
This has come to bear on Lina Joy’s case, though of course I am aware that in Lina’s case, she was challenging the NRD’s regulatory powers to denote in her IC that she is a Muslim and then refusing to remove that religious status when she demanded it. I would 't be surprised if that legal clause constraining the civil court from infringing into the jurisdiction of the syariah court had indirectly influenced the court's ruling.
There’s no point in cursing or blaming the court nor wringing our hands in sympathetic woe with Lina. The fact that it was a 2-1 decision of the Federal Court, which while not satisfactory to Lina’s supporters, nonetheless showed that the hearing was as best as one could obtain in the face of Article 121(1)(A).
While I am not always a supporter of PAS, I believe that Dr Siti Maria Mahmud who is PAS women’s wing leader, lamented the blunt truth when she said: “The damage is done. Ultimately, I don't think there was a victory for either side.”
Yusri Mohamad, the president of Abim actually provided some good advice that those who are “aggrieved in any way” with any part of the existing [Islamic/Muslim] arrangement should “choose other, less confrontational and controversial approach towards change and reform”.
He said: “We believe the court procedure is an unhealthy one because such issues should be avoided (at the courts) as all confrontational approaches should be shunned,” he said when contacted.”
“We also plead that those hoping for an opposite outcome to reconsider their position and to consider modifying their expectations to suit what is good and more sustainable considering our realities.”
He expressed what Dr Siti Maria Mahmud had expressed, that the decision should not be a perceived as a victory for Muslims and a loss for non-Muslims.
He concluded: “It is our belief that it is wrong for us as Muslims and Muslim associations to tolerate any injustice in the name of Islam.”
I did wonder whether Lina Joy could have resolved her predicament in another way. Once the case is taken to court, it's showdown at OK Corral with the inevitable win or lose outcome. Out in the open, in public gaze, there won't be any room for compromise or nifty manoeuvring by both sides.
Quiet negotiations or behind closed door appeals would be better. In this, I am also aware that the general Muslim community has an existing suspicion and rejection of multi-religious bodies or councils, So what would be the best forum or body for people like Lina Joy to lodge her personal difficulties, to seek a solution to her confusing religious status?
I would invite Abim to propose a solution if the courts are to be avoided. I agree the non-court avenue potentially has the most favourable outcome for people like Lina.
Notwithstanding the legality of her religious status, Lina Joy is in reality a person who no longer wishes to nor practises Islamic tenets. Nonetheless I hope she will lodge her appeal with the Syariah Court, and dare hope that the Islamic bench shares Yusri Mohamad’s personal conviction of a compassionate and just Islam.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Defending Dr Jamaludin Jarjis from California
Abd. Kadir Azhari from Anaheim, California has written to malaysiakini 3 times (so he claims) with a letter defending Dr Jamaludin Jarjis, the Minister who made the 'colour' remark against one sweet but highly stressed Indian Malaysian lady. He lamented that his letter wasn't published.
Mate, you just don't know how long you have to wait to get one published unless yours is very topical. For example, my letter on Ijok (thinking outside the Anwar-centric box) was written BEFORE the by-election and only published recently whilst the one on Zimbabwe took as many weeks.
Abd Kadir also copied his letter to opposition leaderLim Kit Siang and some bloggers including me. In the interest of fairness I am publishing his letter in full (without any editing or truncation) - after all I was one of those who hammered the Minister severely for his insensitive remarks. His letter follows:
***********************************************
I refer to the letter Apologies Demanded From Racist Minister by Dr. Sheela Moorthy.
I am surprised by the recent escalation of the situation revolving around the allegedly discriminated Sheena Moorthy and the Minister of Science, Dato’ Seri Dr. Jamaludin Jarjis (JJ). I have read Dr. Sheela Moorthy’s letter regarding JJ’s remarks and feel I should clarify the incident.
I believe Dr. Sheela Moorthy was exaggerating the facts; I was present at the dinner together with the Cal Poly Pomona, University of Southern California, Cal-Tech, International Islamic University of Malaysia students, and representatives of the Malaysia Students Department of Los Angeles. I would like to make it clear that Dr. Sheela Moorthy was not in attendance at the dinner. Though her action of sending the letter on behalf of her sister is under good intentions, I do not believe she could provide context to what had happened that night.
I have read Lim Kit Siang’s blog regarding the incident and find that he best summarizes Sheena’s grievances over JJ’s comments. His blog can be read here From this point and further, I will use his blog, as well as Dr Sheela’s letter to malaysiakini.com as my references.
Through Dr. Sheela Moorthy’s letter to all the bloggers Lim Kit Siang identified Sheena’s complaints into three incidents as listed below. I will describe each incident chronologically and provide an actual description of each incident within context.
“Incident 1 - Each student had to briefly introduce themselves. When it came to her turn, while speaking he interrupted her and asked if she knew Samy Vellu, because he knows him. She did not see any relevance in that and he mentioned it a few times for no apparent reason.
Incident 1: The only reason why I could see this as a discriminatory incident or why Sheena took offense was because of the reputation that Samy Vellu carries and the fact that their both are Indians, insinuating that because she is Indian she is like Samy Vellu. It’s true that he interrupted her and asked her if she know Samy Vellu, however, Sheela or Sheena failed to mention JJ’s comments on Samy Vellu’s importance in scholarship distribution. After asking if she knew him (Samy Vellu) and talked to him before, JJ said he knows him very well and would get Samy Vellu’s help in sorting out scholarships.
Samy Vellu is the president of the MIC, and therefore in charge of the distribution of scholarships and grants to Malaysian Indians. His assistance would be beneficial to the aid of Indian students, which perhaps Sheena failed to realize. As much as I hate to say this, Sheena failed to realize the relevance of Samy Vellu to her education.
Incident 2 – He gave a speech regarding how agriculture started in Malaysia. He mentioned how the British invested in Malaysia and made farmers work. Due to the lack of work force, “buruh India” was brought in. While mentioning this, he looked at her saying “that’s how we get Indians in Malaysia”.
Incident 2: JJ did not give a speech on how agriculture started in Malaysia, rather than a speech of the development of Malaysia’s biotech industry. He talked about our abundance in natural resources and its potential for utilization, and began his speech with Malaysia’s agricultural industry. He explained how Malaysia has progressed from an agricultural based economy to becoming a leader in the biotech industry. He wanted to stress the leap from an agricultural based economy to one that has taken a cutting-edge science into the forefront, and to further heighten that leap, he stressed the importance of having the Indians in the agriculture industry which contributed to the progression of our country.
During his speech he did not mention “buruh India” nor did he say “that’s how we got Indians in Malaysia.” But instead, he used the term “pekerja India.” If we take into consideration the circumstances on how this incident came into the news, it is understandable how a misconception such as this would occur. It was Dr. Sheela Moorthy who released this information to the public not Sheena; JJ said neither of those two statements during the dinner, so then, giving Dr. Moorthy and Sheena the benefit of a doubt, I will assume then there was a communication mix up. Dr. Sheela Moorthy’s letter to the malaysiakini.com community and the facts stated in it, we can assume came from the conversation between the two, and it is understandable to have a speech on the immigration of Indians be summarized as “how Indians came to Malaysia,” and from that get that JJ said “that’s how we get Indians in Malaysia.”
JJ was standing in the middle of the restaurant; it is almost impossible to say that JJ was directing the speech towards her because he was looking at all of us during it.
Incident 3 – After saying he is going to get MARA to help the Bumiputra students, he looked at her and asked “How many Indians are here?” Sheena did not keep track of number of Indian students so she mentioned that in the room there were two (pointing to another Malaysian Indian friend, who is fair skinned) and Jamaludin looked at him and asked “Oh. You are an Indian? Which means you are an upper class Indian and she is the lower class one” (pointing at her). Jamaludin went on to say that, “Oh, I am not going to help upper class Indians, I only help the lower class ones. They are the ones that need it’.”
Incident 3: Now I’d like you all to re-read this statement carefully; all that is written above is true, and I will not dispute that. However, I’d like to mention that there is no distinction between light-skinned and darker-skinned Indians. Can you say within our country that lighter-skinned Indians are more prosperous than darker-skinned Indians? No you cannot! If you believe so, then you are misleading your mind from the truth (for sake of a witch-hunt). Here in Malaysia we do not have that kind of distinction with the Indians. JJ did not make his statement based on their skin color but instead on the way they dressed and represent themselves. He neither gave any remarks based on their skin color, nor based on their race. He even has clarified it was meant to be a joke, though it may sound rude, but he has actually no intention to offend an! yone including Sheena. May I offer a crude analogy to describe the situation with no intention to offence anyone at all. As far as I am concerned, the student delegates are not surprised at all with his speech. You should see the significant differences between Sheena and the other Indian guy, both of them are equally fair.
And how is it possible if he could extend his remark based on their skin complexion? During the dinner, the Indian guy was wearing a very nice collared shirt, unlike Sheena who wore a simple and dull black shirt with a skirt, which I would say it doesn’t suit her at all.
Nonetheless, JJ had actually extended his deepest apologies to student Sheena Moorthy over remarks he made during a lunch with about 40 students, including Sheena, in Belacan Grill, Los Angeles. He told a gathering of a few hundreds students, witnessed by few Menteri Besar, and our Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak during his working visit at Boston. He clarified that he had said some things in jest; nonetheless, he wished to apologize to "the student in LA" if he had offended her. And that is a great and generous gesture from our honorable minister.
Abdul Kadir Azhari
Anaheim, California
Mate, you just don't know how long you have to wait to get one published unless yours is very topical. For example, my letter on Ijok (thinking outside the Anwar-centric box) was written BEFORE the by-election and only published recently whilst the one on Zimbabwe took as many weeks.
Abd Kadir also copied his letter to opposition leaderLim Kit Siang and some bloggers including me. In the interest of fairness I am publishing his letter in full (without any editing or truncation) - after all I was one of those who hammered the Minister severely for his insensitive remarks. His letter follows:
***********************************************
I refer to the letter Apologies Demanded From Racist Minister by Dr. Sheela Moorthy.
I am surprised by the recent escalation of the situation revolving around the allegedly discriminated Sheena Moorthy and the Minister of Science, Dato’ Seri Dr. Jamaludin Jarjis (JJ). I have read Dr. Sheela Moorthy’s letter regarding JJ’s remarks and feel I should clarify the incident.
I believe Dr. Sheela Moorthy was exaggerating the facts; I was present at the dinner together with the Cal Poly Pomona, University of Southern California, Cal-Tech, International Islamic University of Malaysia students, and representatives of the Malaysia Students Department of Los Angeles. I would like to make it clear that Dr. Sheela Moorthy was not in attendance at the dinner. Though her action of sending the letter on behalf of her sister is under good intentions, I do not believe she could provide context to what had happened that night.
I have read Lim Kit Siang’s blog regarding the incident and find that he best summarizes Sheena’s grievances over JJ’s comments. His blog can be read here From this point and further, I will use his blog, as well as Dr Sheela’s letter to malaysiakini.com as my references.
Through Dr. Sheela Moorthy’s letter to all the bloggers Lim Kit Siang identified Sheena’s complaints into three incidents as listed below. I will describe each incident chronologically and provide an actual description of each incident within context.
“Incident 1 - Each student had to briefly introduce themselves. When it came to her turn, while speaking he interrupted her and asked if she knew Samy Vellu, because he knows him. She did not see any relevance in that and he mentioned it a few times for no apparent reason.
Incident 1: The only reason why I could see this as a discriminatory incident or why Sheena took offense was because of the reputation that Samy Vellu carries and the fact that their both are Indians, insinuating that because she is Indian she is like Samy Vellu. It’s true that he interrupted her and asked her if she know Samy Vellu, however, Sheela or Sheena failed to mention JJ’s comments on Samy Vellu’s importance in scholarship distribution. After asking if she knew him (Samy Vellu) and talked to him before, JJ said he knows him very well and would get Samy Vellu’s help in sorting out scholarships.
Samy Vellu is the president of the MIC, and therefore in charge of the distribution of scholarships and grants to Malaysian Indians. His assistance would be beneficial to the aid of Indian students, which perhaps Sheena failed to realize. As much as I hate to say this, Sheena failed to realize the relevance of Samy Vellu to her education.
Incident 2 – He gave a speech regarding how agriculture started in Malaysia. He mentioned how the British invested in Malaysia and made farmers work. Due to the lack of work force, “buruh India” was brought in. While mentioning this, he looked at her saying “that’s how we get Indians in Malaysia”.
Incident 2: JJ did not give a speech on how agriculture started in Malaysia, rather than a speech of the development of Malaysia’s biotech industry. He talked about our abundance in natural resources and its potential for utilization, and began his speech with Malaysia’s agricultural industry. He explained how Malaysia has progressed from an agricultural based economy to becoming a leader in the biotech industry. He wanted to stress the leap from an agricultural based economy to one that has taken a cutting-edge science into the forefront, and to further heighten that leap, he stressed the importance of having the Indians in the agriculture industry which contributed to the progression of our country.
During his speech he did not mention “buruh India” nor did he say “that’s how we got Indians in Malaysia.” But instead, he used the term “pekerja India.” If we take into consideration the circumstances on how this incident came into the news, it is understandable how a misconception such as this would occur. It was Dr. Sheela Moorthy who released this information to the public not Sheena; JJ said neither of those two statements during the dinner, so then, giving Dr. Moorthy and Sheena the benefit of a doubt, I will assume then there was a communication mix up. Dr. Sheela Moorthy’s letter to the malaysiakini.com community and the facts stated in it, we can assume came from the conversation between the two, and it is understandable to have a speech on the immigration of Indians be summarized as “how Indians came to Malaysia,” and from that get that JJ said “that’s how we get Indians in Malaysia.”
JJ was standing in the middle of the restaurant; it is almost impossible to say that JJ was directing the speech towards her because he was looking at all of us during it.
Incident 3 – After saying he is going to get MARA to help the Bumiputra students, he looked at her and asked “How many Indians are here?” Sheena did not keep track of number of Indian students so she mentioned that in the room there were two (pointing to another Malaysian Indian friend, who is fair skinned) and Jamaludin looked at him and asked “Oh. You are an Indian? Which means you are an upper class Indian and she is the lower class one” (pointing at her). Jamaludin went on to say that, “Oh, I am not going to help upper class Indians, I only help the lower class ones. They are the ones that need it’.”
Incident 3: Now I’d like you all to re-read this statement carefully; all that is written above is true, and I will not dispute that. However, I’d like to mention that there is no distinction between light-skinned and darker-skinned Indians. Can you say within our country that lighter-skinned Indians are more prosperous than darker-skinned Indians? No you cannot! If you believe so, then you are misleading your mind from the truth (for sake of a witch-hunt). Here in Malaysia we do not have that kind of distinction with the Indians. JJ did not make his statement based on their skin color but instead on the way they dressed and represent themselves. He neither gave any remarks based on their skin color, nor based on their race. He even has clarified it was meant to be a joke, though it may sound rude, but he has actually no intention to offend an! yone including Sheena. May I offer a crude analogy to describe the situation with no intention to offence anyone at all. As far as I am concerned, the student delegates are not surprised at all with his speech. You should see the significant differences between Sheena and the other Indian guy, both of them are equally fair.
And how is it possible if he could extend his remark based on their skin complexion? During the dinner, the Indian guy was wearing a very nice collared shirt, unlike Sheena who wore a simple and dull black shirt with a skirt, which I would say it doesn’t suit her at all.
Nonetheless, JJ had actually extended his deepest apologies to student Sheena Moorthy over remarks he made during a lunch with about 40 students, including Sheena, in Belacan Grill, Los Angeles. He told a gathering of a few hundreds students, witnessed by few Menteri Besar, and our Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak during his working visit at Boston. He clarified that he had said some things in jest; nonetheless, he wished to apologize to "the student in LA" if he had offended her. And that is a great and generous gesture from our honorable minister.
Abdul Kadir Azhari
Anaheim, California
The 8 D's of DSAI
Susan Loone has put up a good analysis of the way PKR is going from the allegations and stories emerging from its party elections, and on why Anwar Ibrahim had initially ignored legality by putting himself as a candidate for the presidential post, and then withdrawing as if he was concerned about ROS deregistering PKR.
DSAI, as he is called, has many D’s to his demerit. Here some of them:
1) De facto in charge of PKR – I was shocked to read in malaysiakini that he would even say that, treating his wife like a puppet, and making a mockery of his party election process – democracy my foot! He has shown utter contempt even for his own party elections.
2) Democracy (or lack of) – see (1) above – additionally there was the Nalla’s scandal where Anwar told him to withdraw from contesting the VP’s position. How could he then expect us to believe that he didn’t interfere with the election of office holders for the Youth Section?
3) “Dermo’ – cracy – Indians knocked out, Chinese marginalised in PKR – not good for PKR Apparently those (Malays, PRM?) who were more for multi-ethnicity were knocked out.
4) Dodgy election – why was the ballot count delayed overnight for a mere few hundred ballots – and PKR had the nerve to criticise the Election Commission
5) Deals – the DAP has been utterly disappointed by him, their so-called ally – as I had warned the DAP several times over, PKR is its real enemy which it must defeat before it can tackle the BN
6) Drama king – Susan Loone’s excellent explanation of why Anwar stood for and then withdrew from the party election for the presidential post showed him to be a drama king – Anwar did that to elicit sympathy as a “victim” , maybe hoping to rekindle the unbridled support he had (undeservedly) enjoyed in 1998
7) Dynastic ambitions – wrote on this already, so let’s wait to see how Puteri Reformasi develops
8) Deals No 2 - just speculating – would Anwar be prepared to go the ultimate length, even to deal with the Devil (no, not the mythical one) but the earthly (his) Devil, if that means he could get back into UMNO?
DSAI, as he is called, has many D’s to his demerit. Here some of them:
1) De facto in charge of PKR – I was shocked to read in malaysiakini that he would even say that, treating his wife like a puppet, and making a mockery of his party election process – democracy my foot! He has shown utter contempt even for his own party elections.
2) Democracy (or lack of) – see (1) above – additionally there was the Nalla’s scandal where Anwar told him to withdraw from contesting the VP’s position. How could he then expect us to believe that he didn’t interfere with the election of office holders for the Youth Section?
3) “Dermo’ – cracy – Indians knocked out, Chinese marginalised in PKR – not good for PKR Apparently those (Malays, PRM?) who were more for multi-ethnicity were knocked out.
4) Dodgy election – why was the ballot count delayed overnight for a mere few hundred ballots – and PKR had the nerve to criticise the Election Commission
5) Deals – the DAP has been utterly disappointed by him, their so-called ally – as I had warned the DAP several times over, PKR is its real enemy which it must defeat before it can tackle the BN
6) Drama king – Susan Loone’s excellent explanation of why Anwar stood for and then withdrew from the party election for the presidential post showed him to be a drama king – Anwar did that to elicit sympathy as a “victim” , maybe hoping to rekindle the unbridled support he had (undeservedly) enjoyed in 1998
7) Dynastic ambitions – wrote on this already, so let’s wait to see how Puteri Reformasi develops
8) Deals No 2 - just speculating – would Anwar be prepared to go the ultimate length, even to deal with the Devil (no, not the mythical one) but the earthly (his) Devil, if that means he could get back into UMNO?
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Wanita MCA: "No, no, no to Suzie Wongs"
Initially I had a laugh when I read a malaysiakini report that Wanita MCA chief Dr Ng Yen Yen urged the government to put a hold to recruiting maids from China.
She said: “Following intensive discussions, Wanita MCA is appealing to the Home Affairs Ministry to halt this plan for the moment. We do not want the problem of these 'little dragon ladies' to escalate.”
Our MCA nyonyas are worried about those Suzie Wongs or Vampiras from China entering Malaysia as maids because their hubbies may not be able to resist those (imported) Chinese charms.
She declared: “These women are enticing local married men into having affairs with them and are causing family disharmony.”
Where’s the proof? Or just a pre-emptive strike?
She weaved around, saying she meant no disrespect to the lassies from China (she had just shown that), that unless clear guidelines on the recruitment are laid out and the interests of local women protected, the political party wing is against the move.
What guidelines did she have in mind? That they must be UGLY?
It's sad really, but it seems women themselves are the greatest sexists against other women.
Recall a case of a former Taiwan woman mayor who was to appear in a variety show in Malaysia a few years ago?
One Gerakan woman leader objected to that.
I can’t recall that Taiwanese lady’s name but she gained the wrong notoriety when she was videotaped secretly by a so-called close friend with a hidden video cam, while she was having a private tryst with her lover.
Her political opponents converted the secretly taken video into VCDs and gave them free to subscribers of a Taiwanese newspaper. The video was published on a website which hit an all time record as the world’s most visited website – imagine a billion plus Chinese rushing to see the two lovers having what they thought was a private sex session.
Apparently the Taiwanese court eventually penalized the newspaper for distributing porn, and invasion of privacy. But her career was destroyed and her financial situation somewhat in peril. That was why she took up the option to participate in a Chinese variety show, to earn a little something for herself after she resigned from her mayor's appointment.
How does this tie in with the Gerakan woman leader? I am not sure what was the name of the Gerakan Party senator but she was Indian.
What I recall though was when the variety show (in Malaysia) announced the former Taiwanese mayor would appear, the Gerakan female leader objected strongly to it and said what I thought was the strangest thing for a woman leader to say - that the Taiwanese former mayor was immoral or words to that effect.
Immoral?
That Taiwanese lady was a victim of a conspiracy. She had her privacy invaded. Her career was ruined. What was her crime? - wasn’t she allowed to have sex in private with her lover? All she wanted from the variety show was to earn some money for her retirement.
And we had a woman as a self-acclaimed voice on morality, not just any woman but a Malaysian woman political leader, condemning another woman who was a victim of the most savage invasion of her personal life. I believe this is the sort of woman leader who would probably blame society's rape victims for being itchy-fied.
The immorality, the sin, the shame must surely lie with the accuser. I felt utterly disgusted with her hypocrisy, her weird values, and her ironically anti-woman stand.
It’s small wonder that male MPs feel free to attack their female counterparts with sexist remarks.
She said: “Following intensive discussions, Wanita MCA is appealing to the Home Affairs Ministry to halt this plan for the moment. We do not want the problem of these 'little dragon ladies' to escalate.”
Our MCA nyonyas are worried about those Suzie Wongs or Vampiras from China entering Malaysia as maids because their hubbies may not be able to resist those (imported) Chinese charms.
She declared: “These women are enticing local married men into having affairs with them and are causing family disharmony.”
Where’s the proof? Or just a pre-emptive strike?
She weaved around, saying she meant no disrespect to the lassies from China (she had just shown that), that unless clear guidelines on the recruitment are laid out and the interests of local women protected, the political party wing is against the move.
What guidelines did she have in mind? That they must be UGLY?
It's sad really, but it seems women themselves are the greatest sexists against other women.
Recall a case of a former Taiwan woman mayor who was to appear in a variety show in Malaysia a few years ago?
One Gerakan woman leader objected to that.
I can’t recall that Taiwanese lady’s name but she gained the wrong notoriety when she was videotaped secretly by a so-called close friend with a hidden video cam, while she was having a private tryst with her lover.
Her political opponents converted the secretly taken video into VCDs and gave them free to subscribers of a Taiwanese newspaper. The video was published on a website which hit an all time record as the world’s most visited website – imagine a billion plus Chinese rushing to see the two lovers having what they thought was a private sex session.
Apparently the Taiwanese court eventually penalized the newspaper for distributing porn, and invasion of privacy. But her career was destroyed and her financial situation somewhat in peril. That was why she took up the option to participate in a Chinese variety show, to earn a little something for herself after she resigned from her mayor's appointment.
How does this tie in with the Gerakan woman leader? I am not sure what was the name of the Gerakan Party senator but she was Indian.
What I recall though was when the variety show (in Malaysia) announced the former Taiwanese mayor would appear, the Gerakan female leader objected strongly to it and said what I thought was the strangest thing for a woman leader to say - that the Taiwanese former mayor was immoral or words to that effect.
Immoral?
That Taiwanese lady was a victim of a conspiracy. She had her privacy invaded. Her career was ruined. What was her crime? - wasn’t she allowed to have sex in private with her lover? All she wanted from the variety show was to earn some money for her retirement.
And we had a woman as a self-acclaimed voice on morality, not just any woman but a Malaysian woman political leader, condemning another woman who was a victim of the most savage invasion of her personal life. I believe this is the sort of woman leader who would probably blame society's rape victims for being itchy-fied.
The immorality, the sin, the shame must surely lie with the accuser. I felt utterly disgusted with her hypocrisy, her weird values, and her ironically anti-woman stand.
It’s small wonder that male MPs feel free to attack their female counterparts with sexist remarks.
Monday, May 28, 2007
DAP & PKR - blood brothers? (2)
Three weeks ago I posted an unfinished DAP & PKR - blood brothers?
I hinted at the eventual bloodbath that will be the outcome of an unavoidable fight over seats between the DAP and its so-called ally, PKR.
As I had stated in post Ijok - Quo vadis DAP?, the DAP should carefully rethink whether it's in its own interest to be so close with the PKR. In the same way UMNO is the single greatest undermining factor and thus the real 'enemy' for the MCA, the PKR will be exactly that for the DAP, especially come the next election. There cannot be two tigers on one opposition mountain.
It appear that my fears may be realised sooner than later. Today malaysiakini reported incipient signs of the DAP versus PKR quarrel.
The booty to be fought over? Probably Penang and some parts of Perak. Sabah may also feature in the catty tiger fight.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has been annoyed with PKR vice-president and election bureau head Azmin Ali for announcing yesterday that PKR will be going for 60 parliamentary and 120 state seats in the next general election. Tough for the DAP (or the PKR), the majority of the seats are expected to be in Penang, Selangor and Sabah.
Lim told malaysiakini today, that PKR has made a request to seek a revision of the seat-distribution formula. Lim grumbled:
“There must be sincerity (in the talks), otherwise there won’t be an ideal outcome. I don’t want to engage in this media game, let us (both parties) meet in private. This is the game they (PKR) want to play but I am not interested.”
Actually Lim is correct, that PKR has a notorious track record of pre-empting talks with the DAP by releasing their views to the press rather than discussing those views or desired positions with the DAP in confidence. PKR did the same underhanded and undermining tactics in 2004.
malaysiakini reported Azmin as saying the party hopes to revise the seat-distribution formula which has been used in the past. He said PKR wanted to contest more Malay and Chinese-majority seats, which have been traditionally contested by PAS and DAP respectively.
Fair enough – there’s nothing wrong with a little assertion, for obvious party reasons.
But when none other than Anwar Ibrahim agreed with Azmin, in fact stressing that the previous formula should not be made a 'definite rule' during the seat negotiation, Lim nearly went ballistic. He claimed that Anwar said a different thing to the DAP in the past.
Lim said: “Anwar told DAP leaders several times that the Chinese-majority seats will be contested by the DAP. He said it not only to me, but to DAP leaders - for example, at the luncheon address (at the DAP retreat recently) and again, openly during the Machap by-election campaign.”
Lim, you believe him!?! – why then, I believe in the tooth fairy as well.
Lim was also upset that Azmin said the PKR-DAP seat talks were scheduled to start this week. He nearly blew his top, but being Lim KS’s son, he restrained himself, hanging on his whatever, while slowly releasing his breath. He said:
“That is news to me, so far I have not heard anything, nothing so far. If there is communication (with the DAP), it would have come from Anwar. I don’t think Azmin has ever communicated with any of the DAP leaders because they would have informed me.”
Lim, haven't you ever heard of being presented with a fait accompli? If the DAP doesn’t attend then your party would be the one not demonstrating cooperation or good faith. Your party becomes the culprit, but not PKR even though it elects to conduct inter-party talks in a pre-emptive manner and via the media.
But the two opposition tigers must now decide who rules the mountain.
I hinted at the eventual bloodbath that will be the outcome of an unavoidable fight over seats between the DAP and its so-called ally, PKR.
As I had stated in post Ijok - Quo vadis DAP?, the DAP should carefully rethink whether it's in its own interest to be so close with the PKR. In the same way UMNO is the single greatest undermining factor and thus the real 'enemy' for the MCA, the PKR will be exactly that for the DAP, especially come the next election. There cannot be two tigers on one opposition mountain.
It appear that my fears may be realised sooner than later. Today malaysiakini reported incipient signs of the DAP versus PKR quarrel.
The booty to be fought over? Probably Penang and some parts of Perak. Sabah may also feature in the catty tiger fight.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has been annoyed with PKR vice-president and election bureau head Azmin Ali for announcing yesterday that PKR will be going for 60 parliamentary and 120 state seats in the next general election. Tough for the DAP (or the PKR), the majority of the seats are expected to be in Penang, Selangor and Sabah.
Lim told malaysiakini today, that PKR has made a request to seek a revision of the seat-distribution formula. Lim grumbled:
“There must be sincerity (in the talks), otherwise there won’t be an ideal outcome. I don’t want to engage in this media game, let us (both parties) meet in private. This is the game they (PKR) want to play but I am not interested.”
Actually Lim is correct, that PKR has a notorious track record of pre-empting talks with the DAP by releasing their views to the press rather than discussing those views or desired positions with the DAP in confidence. PKR did the same underhanded and undermining tactics in 2004.
malaysiakini reported Azmin as saying the party hopes to revise the seat-distribution formula which has been used in the past. He said PKR wanted to contest more Malay and Chinese-majority seats, which have been traditionally contested by PAS and DAP respectively.
Fair enough – there’s nothing wrong with a little assertion, for obvious party reasons.
But when none other than Anwar Ibrahim agreed with Azmin, in fact stressing that the previous formula should not be made a 'definite rule' during the seat negotiation, Lim nearly went ballistic. He claimed that Anwar said a different thing to the DAP in the past.
Lim said: “Anwar told DAP leaders several times that the Chinese-majority seats will be contested by the DAP. He said it not only to me, but to DAP leaders - for example, at the luncheon address (at the DAP retreat recently) and again, openly during the Machap by-election campaign.”
Lim, you believe him!?! – why then, I believe in the tooth fairy as well.
Lim was also upset that Azmin said the PKR-DAP seat talks were scheduled to start this week. He nearly blew his top, but being Lim KS’s son, he restrained himself, hanging on his whatever, while slowly releasing his breath. He said:
“That is news to me, so far I have not heard anything, nothing so far. If there is communication (with the DAP), it would have come from Anwar. I don’t think Azmin has ever communicated with any of the DAP leaders because they would have informed me.”
Lim, haven't you ever heard of being presented with a fait accompli? If the DAP doesn’t attend then your party would be the one not demonstrating cooperation or good faith. Your party becomes the culprit, but not PKR even though it elects to conduct inter-party talks in a pre-emptive manner and via the media.
But the two opposition tigers must now decide who rules the mountain.
Tian Chua angry with Anwar Ibrahim?
Two months ago, a malaysiakini report asked whether Tian Chua was bold or reckless. Bloke had been water-cannoned, shoved, elbowed, dragged, bashed, arrested etc by the police, but he hasn’t given up his way ….. you decide whether he's bold or reckless, or just plain dedicated.
The malaysiakini article said Tian had lost count of the number of times he had been arrested, under various alleged crimes or acts, such as under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for two years for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government (Tian over throwing the government? hahaha) through militant means (hmmm), and even for an alleged attempted murder charge (that incident of driving thro' the blocked road at a kampong about to be demolished by authorities).
But one of my friends was less kind, saying Tian Chua was a hopeless bloke who might even be a closeted masochist, always putting himself into harm’s way with the police.
The malaysiakini article said Tian had lost count of the number of times he had been arrested, under various alleged crimes or acts, such as under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for two years for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government (Tian over throwing the government? hahaha) through militant means (hmmm), and even for an alleged attempted murder charge (that incident of driving thro' the blocked road at a kampong about to be demolished by authorities).
But one of my friends was less kind, saying Tian Chua was a hopeless bloke who might even be a closeted masochist, always putting himself into harm’s way with the police.
malaysiakini photo
Anyway, changing landscape for a wee moment, there’s some (internal) concerns over the outcome of the recently concluded PKR Congress when even a member of its Malay Youth section leapt up to complain that the party polls have resulted in a dearth of Chinese members in its top echelon.
Back to Tian - I suppose Tian still holds the publicity chief’s position, being the ‘most qualified and inclined’ person for the highly visible post, though of course he couldn’t be counted as an elected member to the supreme council. I heard he once held a VP position as well. What happened to him to be so demoted to a mere PR chief? Too much external activist campaigning and insufficient internal party politicking?
But his boldness (hmmm, 'bravery' if you are kind) or recklessness could be detected by his statement regarding Anwar’s withdrawal from competing for the presidential post because of ROS dire warning for the party regarding Anwar's non-qualification. Tian told malaysiakini:
“My argument is the election on the top post should be allowed to go on, those who want to take the risk can vote for Anwar, those who are not can go for Wan Azizah and for those who think Anwar shouldn’t even started all this havoc can go for Rahman.”
my underlining above
He was reported to be strongly against Anwar’s withdrawal, openly criticising the latter for going against the delegates’ wish in the meeting - I heard there were some mutterings among some members a la 1998. In fact Tian was seen to be highly emotional outside the hall after Anwar announced the decision.
A passionate person, Tian is usually emotional, if not anything.
malaysiakini reported him repeatedly saying “what is the meaning of the congress?” when he was then calmed down by a few other leaders like Dr Xavier Jeyakumar.
I wonder, apart from his passion, what makes him tick like so?
I heard (hearsay only, mind you) that Tian once told someone, who queried him about the legality of something that PKR was about to infringe, words to the effect, ‘since when has PKR obeyed the law?’
If that reported attitude was true, then we have caught a glimpse of this man, who has a reputation as a kamikaze (karm see tui) type of political activist.
He had obviously wanted to defy ROS, even to the extent of having PKR dissolved for contravening the law.
Could it be that Tian is a man who relishes confrontation with authorities? Maybe such confrontations provide him with a high?
I wonder whether he was so incensed by Anwar’s withdrawal as to shout “Hey, DSAI, you’ve no balls lah!”, and frankly, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he did.
That he is passionate, there is no shred of doubt. That he is committed to PKR and Anwar Ibrahim is for sure. But as I warned in an earlier post:
I have no doubt that he is sincere in a martyr-ish way. Actually I fear for Tian Chua that one day when he wakes up from his bruises and aches, he realises that all along he has been used by unscrupulous people. That realization, that it had been all for nothing, will be the biggest blow to this wannabe Saint activist or wanton S&M acolyte.
Related:
(1) Chief Martyr Minister Tian Chua?
(2) Saints galore in PKR
Saturday, May 26, 2007
The Rise & Fall & Fall of ........
The Rise
He parachuted into Mount Olympus. Maybe, after reviewing his activist records, the Grand Ole Man saw him as a potentially dangerous trouble-maker to be controlled, where indoctrinating with 'Olympic ideals’ would be the best approach.
His ministerial stint as Education Minister was the most stressful period for non-Muslim parents. Many to this day haven’t yet forgiven him.
He has a way about him, a charismatic personality gifted with oratorical prowess unmatched by others, with perhaps the exception of the late Soekarno, the first president of Indonesia. But he was far superior to Soekarno for he has the ability to change his apparel to suit the circumstances and reinvent himself as the situation requires. There’s no denying his intelligence.
He worked his way from parachute to pinnacle, shedding most of his earlier identity along the way – from an image of fierce rebelliousness to fine ‘Renaissance’.
He demolished many along his way upwards to the No 2 position, including a very senior member of the generasi pertama, who on the day of the ascendancy of the New Renaissance Man, was reported to be abandoned completely in the Great Hall of the UMNO building, wandering pitifully alone in lost confusion while clutching a plastic shopping bag. In that sorry tale, it was sad stark example of 'when you’re no longer in power, you’re useless'.
At the end of it, one asks: what has been his achievement when in power? What was his contribution to society? Where was he when the judiciary was raped?
Be that as it may, in life, as they say, there’s many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.
The Fall
What was the true reason, we may never know. That he was fixed real good has never been in doubt. But why was he fixed real good?
Many especially him blame the Grand Ole Man, but I ask why. He gave reason that Ole Man wanted to protect his son – maybe. But I have difficulty believing him because he hasn’t demonstrated he has accepted his draconian past nor shown remorse – always there is a reason and it would be someone else’s fault. And that's why I don't believe him.
That his faction frightened the other factions was known. Who knows – maybe the other factions, for their own survival, fixed him, and presented ‘evidence’ to the Grand Ole Man? The conspiracy permutations are limitless but require the navigational guidance of an insider to enlighten us, the affected outsiders with no say.
The Second Fall
It’s all becoming unstuck now.
Criticised by even the younger set of the Chosen for meddling in party polls, where once this would have been unimaginable and blasphemous, the reported internal schism of the inner core of his praetorian guards by malaysiakini presages the end of a hope for a viable party, an alternative choice for the public. Perhaps it may survive but I reckon in the mode of the pathetic pitiful PPP - which, incidentally it is already in right now, despite all the bravado, boast and braggadocio.
And talking about meddling in party polls, why was the man with the second highest number of nominations for a top echelon post told to withdraw. Requiring the person to withdraw from a virtually guaranteed win into that position could mean only one thing – the high post has already been pre-determined/allocated for another. Democracy at work?
Is it a multiethnic party as it claims? Well, his once-close friend, now disappointed, disenchanted and disgusted, doesn’t think so. The track record of by-elections, not the empty verbosity of declarations, assertions and promises, doesn’t say so too.
Talking about track record, another aspect showed a dismal campaign performance – perhaps the public think that the magic has diminished into mere David Copperfield-ish illusions? Mind you, there’s still entertainment value in both, except the ‘holy’ aspects has now become ‘ha ha’ items.
What about his dynastic ambitions? Has there been a careful building up of a cult personality for a progeny? Examples abound in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, North Korea. Also, in another area, the mix of candidates for the top position suggests that dynastic intention.
And we can even speculate as to why the most respected personality in the party has been requested not to retire.
Oh, malaysiakini has reported that he who is highly respected has warned the party of, what I would describe as, its atavistic* characteristics. He (the most respected one) warned: remember, this is not like your father’s house where monkey tricks abound.
* Characteristics pertaining to an ancestor – then ask: who was or has been the ancestor?
There is a saying that a leopard never changes its spots – a predatory carnivorous cat is always that, a meat eater. It would be sheer fantasy to imagine it can become a vegetarian.
Related:
PKR needs to think outside Anwar-centric box - my letter to malaysiakini
He parachuted into Mount Olympus. Maybe, after reviewing his activist records, the Grand Ole Man saw him as a potentially dangerous trouble-maker to be controlled, where indoctrinating with 'Olympic ideals’ would be the best approach.
His ministerial stint as Education Minister was the most stressful period for non-Muslim parents. Many to this day haven’t yet forgiven him.
He has a way about him, a charismatic personality gifted with oratorical prowess unmatched by others, with perhaps the exception of the late Soekarno, the first president of Indonesia. But he was far superior to Soekarno for he has the ability to change his apparel to suit the circumstances and reinvent himself as the situation requires. There’s no denying his intelligence.
He worked his way from parachute to pinnacle, shedding most of his earlier identity along the way – from an image of fierce rebelliousness to fine ‘Renaissance’.
He demolished many along his way upwards to the No 2 position, including a very senior member of the generasi pertama, who on the day of the ascendancy of the New Renaissance Man, was reported to be abandoned completely in the Great Hall of the UMNO building, wandering pitifully alone in lost confusion while clutching a plastic shopping bag. In that sorry tale, it was sad stark example of 'when you’re no longer in power, you’re useless'.
At the end of it, one asks: what has been his achievement when in power? What was his contribution to society? Where was he when the judiciary was raped?
Be that as it may, in life, as they say, there’s many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.
The Fall
What was the true reason, we may never know. That he was fixed real good has never been in doubt. But why was he fixed real good?
Many especially him blame the Grand Ole Man, but I ask why. He gave reason that Ole Man wanted to protect his son – maybe. But I have difficulty believing him because he hasn’t demonstrated he has accepted his draconian past nor shown remorse – always there is a reason and it would be someone else’s fault. And that's why I don't believe him.
That his faction frightened the other factions was known. Who knows – maybe the other factions, for their own survival, fixed him, and presented ‘evidence’ to the Grand Ole Man? The conspiracy permutations are limitless but require the navigational guidance of an insider to enlighten us, the affected outsiders with no say.
The Second Fall
It’s all becoming unstuck now.
Criticised by even the younger set of the Chosen for meddling in party polls, where once this would have been unimaginable and blasphemous, the reported internal schism of the inner core of his praetorian guards by malaysiakini presages the end of a hope for a viable party, an alternative choice for the public. Perhaps it may survive but I reckon in the mode of the pathetic pitiful PPP - which, incidentally it is already in right now, despite all the bravado, boast and braggadocio.
And talking about meddling in party polls, why was the man with the second highest number of nominations for a top echelon post told to withdraw. Requiring the person to withdraw from a virtually guaranteed win into that position could mean only one thing – the high post has already been pre-determined/allocated for another. Democracy at work?
Is it a multiethnic party as it claims? Well, his once-close friend, now disappointed, disenchanted and disgusted, doesn’t think so. The track record of by-elections, not the empty verbosity of declarations, assertions and promises, doesn’t say so too.
Talking about track record, another aspect showed a dismal campaign performance – perhaps the public think that the magic has diminished into mere David Copperfield-ish illusions? Mind you, there’s still entertainment value in both, except the ‘holy’ aspects has now become ‘ha ha’ items.
What about his dynastic ambitions? Has there been a careful building up of a cult personality for a progeny? Examples abound in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, North Korea. Also, in another area, the mix of candidates for the top position suggests that dynastic intention.
And we can even speculate as to why the most respected personality in the party has been requested not to retire.
Oh, malaysiakini has reported that he who is highly respected has warned the party of, what I would describe as, its atavistic* characteristics. He (the most respected one) warned: remember, this is not like your father’s house where monkey tricks abound.
* Characteristics pertaining to an ancestor – then ask: who was or has been the ancestor?
There is a saying that a leopard never changes its spots – a predatory carnivorous cat is always that, a meat eater. It would be sheer fantasy to imagine it can become a vegetarian.
Related:
PKR needs to think outside Anwar-centric box - my letter to malaysiakini
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Witch of Ijok
Burn her burn her, kill
The evil witch of ijok
Drown her in the pond
In the village in Ijok
She’s evil, evil, evil
Responsible for all
Bad happenings, yes
The damn witch of Ijok
Sun rises in east, sets
In west, thro' her spells
Tides and tidal waves
Are just her evil deeds
Bad news in Utusan?
Or the NST & The Star
Even in malaysiakini
May be attributed to her
Earth rotates anticlockwise
Is just work of her sorcery
But the Chilean says I see
Earth spinning clockwise
Precisely, she has placed
A hex on thee, all her fault
But her greatest sin was
To do the blasphemous
To question, blame, sneer
At the one & most holy Grail,
The one with the pious wail
Four face Almighty Brahma
Hi to my dear buddy Paul
Assalaimu Alaikum yaa akhi
wo men dou shi yi jia ren
demi bangsa, bangsa & bangsa
The evil witch of ijok
Drown her in the pond
In the village in Ijok
She’s evil, evil, evil
Responsible for all
Bad happenings, yes
The damn witch of Ijok
Sun rises in east, sets
In west, thro' her spells
Tides and tidal waves
Are just her evil deeds
Bad news in Utusan?
Or the NST & The Star
Even in malaysiakini
May be attributed to her
Earth rotates anticlockwise
Is just work of her sorcery
But the Chilean says I see
Earth spinning clockwise
Precisely, she has placed
A hex on thee, all her fault
But her greatest sin was
To do the blasphemous
To question, blame, sneer
At the one & most holy Grail,
The one with the pious wail
Four face Almighty Brahma
Hi to my dear buddy Paul
Assalaimu Alaikum yaa akhi
wo men dou shi yi jia ren
demi bangsa, bangsa & bangsa
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Pro-tem committee PABS formed
Sorry there was no new post yesterday. Busy with new proposed alliance (tentatively) titled PABS - monitor malaysiakini for more soon.
Pro-tem president is well known blogger Susan Loone, with myself as deputy. But I am prepared to vacate my place for anyone who may wish to be deputy president.
Susan will issue a statement soon on PABS and why we deem there is now an urgent necessity to form the organisation. Details of other committee members will be released by her.
Pro-tem president is well known blogger Susan Loone, with myself as deputy. But I am prepared to vacate my place for anyone who may wish to be deputy president.
Susan will issue a statement soon on PABS and why we deem there is now an urgent necessity to form the organisation. Details of other committee members will be released by her.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Drama queens & kings wanted
At the Dimsum's magnificent penthouse residence in Jalan Gurney, Pulau Pinang ........
Dodgee: Dodgier, take this advertisement to malaysiakini.
Dodgier: Papa, why malaysiakini one - you say you don't like what!
Dodgee: Aiyah son, leave politics to me lah - quick quick, make sure it's published tomorrow.
Dodgie sneaks a quick glance to see what his dad is so keen to advertise on malaysiakini. It reads:
A newly setup multimedia organisation is looking for talented and driven people to assume roles as drama queens and kings.
If you have a flair for random emotional outbursts, a fondness for irrational arguments, and a proclivity for passionate pandering to politicians, please send in your resumé together with at least 6 photos of youself in variouscompromising interesting positions postures. Graphic videos would be preferable and an advantage.
In this industry, age is never a factor, nor is experience. What we are looking for is a dedicated ability to adhere to director's instructions.
Successful candidates will be groomed to lead full-scale dramas on both the local and international stage. Our experiencedcommittee team will mold you to ensure you reach the pinnacle of your pushy pontifications or elegant silence.
Competitive salaries and benefits.
Onlythe chosen shortlisted candidates will be notified.
Email your application to: all-sods@dodgee.com.my
or mail to
All-Sods Studio
c/o Dodgee Enterprise
5, Jalan Bodek
Taman Kamunting
Pulau Pinang
Dodgee: Dodgier, take this advertisement to malaysiakini.
Dodgier: Papa, why malaysiakini one - you say you don't like what!
Dodgee: Aiyah son, leave politics to me lah - quick quick, make sure it's published tomorrow.
Dodgie sneaks a quick glance to see what his dad is so keen to advertise on malaysiakini. It reads:
A newly setup multimedia organisation is looking for talented and driven people to assume roles as drama queens and kings.
If you have a flair for random emotional outbursts, a fondness for irrational arguments, and a proclivity for passionate pandering to politicians, please send in your resumé together with at least 6 photos of youself in various
In this industry, age is never a factor, nor is experience. What we are looking for is a dedicated ability to adhere to director's instructions.
Successful candidates will be groomed to lead full-scale dramas on both the local and international stage. Our experienced
Competitive salaries and benefits.
Only
Email your application to: all-sods@dodgee.com.my
or mail to
All-Sods Studio
c/o Dodgee Enterprise
5, Jalan Bodek
Taman Kamunting
Pulau Pinang
Anwar Ibrahim, Paul Wolfowitz & Shaha Ali Reza
Remember my post How sweet is it (1) where I remarked that Anwar Ibrahim’s good friend, Paul Wolfowitz - ultra neocon Zionist (though minus the steroids), architect of the Iraqi invasion - has fallen on his own sword of an anti-corruption drive in the World Bank. He has been forced into resigning because of his cosy sweetheart deal for his sweetheart – a shameful case of cakap ta’serupa bikin (double standards), as might be expected of a neocon Zionist.
And not only that, but his war-mongering notoriety has been so repulsive that Europeans have told him he, the president of the World Bank would not be welcome at a World Bank forum (for Africa)!
I couldn’t help sticking it in further by saying what further insult could beat that, when the president of a World Bank has been snubbed and told not to appear at a forum for which his organisation has sponsored.
Then, perhaps out of compassion ;-) for Wolfowitz, now severely ostracized by most of the world, I suggested that perhaps Anwar Ibrahim could, if he becomes PM of Malaysia after the next general election (as he continues to aspire to), give his good friend a job, say, as an adviser on international finance.
Lo and behold, before I could complete spelling ‘ostracized’, malaysiakini reported that Anwar Ibrahim is in damage control over allegations that he, as chairperson of the Foundation of the Future, was involved in the appointment Shaha Ali Reza, the girlfriend of Wolfowitz. Reza is the woman at the centre of the dodgy controversy that has cost Wolfowitz his World Bank job.
malaysiakini reported that Anwar was alleged to have written to Robin Cleveland, Wolfowitz’s counselor at the World Bank, requesting for Reza to be transferred from the US State Department to the Foundation.
The transfer raised Reza’s salary by 36%, from US$133,000 (RM452,000) to US$193,590 (RM659,000). Lots of lollies!
On the domestic scene, the world’s most famous SIL is now tearing into the world’s most famous political reformer – god, aren’t we Malaysians just lucky when we have so many ‘world most famous personalities’ to help fill up our Book of Records.
Yes, KJ has demanded that Anwar clarify his relationship with Wolfowitz, and explain his motive in helming* the foundation.
* any statistician out there who can help me determine how many times malaysiakini has used this word (helm) instead of ‘head’, ‘lead’, chair’, command’, or even nautical ones like ‘skipper’, ‘captain’, etc
But Anwar has threatened to take action against anyone who persists in suggesting he had been responsible of Reza’s transfer to the Foundation, because he claimed that Reza was first assigned by the World Bank through the US State Department to the foundation in late 2005 before he became chairperson in mid 2006.
However, he added that the executive committee of the foundation then decided in mid-2006 to regularise the appointment so that Reza advises directly from the World Bank and not the US State Department.
Then Anwar said: “From the onset, the foundation obtained pledges of US$56 million, and thus far only received funds from Turkey, UK and Jordan, while the US has not disbursed any funds to the foundation.”
But according to the Washington Post, the US State Department contributed almost two-thirds of the foundation's $56 million budget.
Well …….. Anwar said the US hasn't but the US State Department declared it has, with 2/3 of the budget. I am not sure who is right, but never mind!
Now, this is another part that doesn’t jell with Anwar’s clarification, namely the date of appointment. The Washington Post (WP) has this to say:
“Riza moved to the foundation in December 2006 to become senior adviser to its executive committee and board of directors, according to documents released yesterday by the World Bank."
So, according to the WP, Reza moved to the Foundation in December 2006 but Anwar said it was late 2005. The WP quoted documents released by the World Bank. But hey, the World Bank's documents could be, must be wrong!
"A letter dated Oct. 1, 2006, from Anwar Ibrahim, the foundation's chairman, to Robin Cleveland, Wolfowitz's counselor, said that if Riza moved from State to the foundation, she would recruit staff, supervise the hiring and training of senior management in the Middle East, identify programs to receive grants and supervise the implementation of policies on programs, finances and administration. The Bank concurs with this proposal," Cleveland handwrote on Dec. 14, 2006."
Again, according to the WP, it was Anwar who wrote the letter requesting for Reza’s transfer to the Foundation on 01 Oct 2006, more than 2 months before Reza moved to the Foundation. Of course KTemoc prefers to believe our own Malaysian rather than foreigners (huh ... WHAT!!!).
Yahoo News quoting The Nation also supported the WP news, but it stated more than just the date of Reza’s appointment to the Foundation. It went on to describe the chummy relationship between neocon Zionist Wolfowitz and Anwar Ibrahim, as follows:
"Over a year later, on October 1, 2006, Anwar Ibrahim, chairman of the Foundation for the Future, wrote Robin Cleveland, a senior Wolfowitz aide at the Bank, and requested the transfer of Riza from the State Department to the Foundation for the Future. Two months later, after Cleveland instructed the Bank's vice president of human resources to approve the transfer, the Bank okayed the switch."
"The Anwar letter and other Bank documents related to this transfer did not mention that Anwar is a longtime friend of Wolfowitz. One of Asia's most prominent Muslim politicians, Anwar was a former deputy prime minister of Malaysia. He and Wolfowitz met and developed a friendship in the mid-1980s, when Wolfowitz was U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, according to Aasil Ahmad, an adviser to Anwar."
"In 1998, after addressing a rally protesting the government, Anwar was arrested and subsequently jailed on corruption and sodomy charges. During his years in jail, Wolfowitz was an outspoken champion of Anwar. Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Anwar, while still imprisoned, wrote an essay condemning the attacks and calling on the Muslim worked to address the suffering inflicted on the Muslim masses in Iraq by its dictator."
"... to address the suffering inflicted on the Muslim masses in Iraq by its dictator."
Hmmm, doesn't this smell a bit like 'regime change', an excuse that the Bush Administration, with its chief architect Wolfowitz, had cooked up as its casus belli for war against Iraq after the WMD scare (or lie) turned out to be a dud.
We know that since then hundreds of thousands of Iraqis had perished, and millions have been dislocated. The country is in an utter shamble, with civil war virtually now in place.
Now this is the confusing bit:
"While helping to establish the Foundation for the Future at the State Department, Riza had recruited Anwar to serve as its initial adviser, according to Ahmad. The two then went about selecting a board of directors and drawing up the mandate for the group, which calls on the foundation to "advance and strengthen freedom and democratic trends and practices" in Middle Eastern and North African nations by supporting reform, media, human rights, and women's groups in those countries."
So, according to The Nation, Reza recruited Anwar Ibrahim to serve as its adviser [I wonder where Wolfowitz was then], and subsequently Anwar …… you work it out.
My head is spinning at those western media reports. There are far too complicated for poor KTemoc.
And not only that, but his war-mongering notoriety has been so repulsive that Europeans have told him he, the president of the World Bank would not be welcome at a World Bank forum (for Africa)!
I couldn’t help sticking it in further by saying what further insult could beat that, when the president of a World Bank has been snubbed and told not to appear at a forum for which his organisation has sponsored.
Then, perhaps out of compassion ;-) for Wolfowitz, now severely ostracized by most of the world, I suggested that perhaps Anwar Ibrahim could, if he becomes PM of Malaysia after the next general election (as he continues to aspire to), give his good friend a job, say, as an adviser on international finance.
Lo and behold, before I could complete spelling ‘ostracized’, malaysiakini reported that Anwar Ibrahim is in damage control over allegations that he, as chairperson of the Foundation of the Future, was involved in the appointment Shaha Ali Reza, the girlfriend of Wolfowitz. Reza is the woman at the centre of the dodgy controversy that has cost Wolfowitz his World Bank job.
malaysiakini reported that Anwar was alleged to have written to Robin Cleveland, Wolfowitz’s counselor at the World Bank, requesting for Reza to be transferred from the US State Department to the Foundation.
The transfer raised Reza’s salary by 36%, from US$133,000 (RM452,000) to US$193,590 (RM659,000). Lots of lollies!
On the domestic scene, the world’s most famous SIL is now tearing into the world’s most famous political reformer – god, aren’t we Malaysians just lucky when we have so many ‘world most famous personalities’ to help fill up our Book of Records.
Yes, KJ has demanded that Anwar clarify his relationship with Wolfowitz, and explain his motive in helming* the foundation.
* any statistician out there who can help me determine how many times malaysiakini has used this word (helm) instead of ‘head’, ‘lead’, chair’, command’, or even nautical ones like ‘skipper’, ‘captain’, etc
But Anwar has threatened to take action against anyone who persists in suggesting he had been responsible of Reza’s transfer to the Foundation, because he claimed that Reza was first assigned by the World Bank through the US State Department to the foundation in late 2005 before he became chairperson in mid 2006.
However, he added that the executive committee of the foundation then decided in mid-2006 to regularise the appointment so that Reza advises directly from the World Bank and not the US State Department.
Then Anwar said: “From the onset, the foundation obtained pledges of US$56 million, and thus far only received funds from Turkey, UK and Jordan, while the US has not disbursed any funds to the foundation.”
But according to the Washington Post, the US State Department contributed almost two-thirds of the foundation's $56 million budget.
Well …….. Anwar said the US hasn't but the US State Department declared it has, with 2/3 of the budget. I am not sure who is right, but never mind!
Now, this is another part that doesn’t jell with Anwar’s clarification, namely the date of appointment. The Washington Post (WP) has this to say:
“Riza moved to the foundation in December 2006 to become senior adviser to its executive committee and board of directors, according to documents released yesterday by the World Bank."
So, according to the WP, Reza moved to the Foundation in December 2006 but Anwar said it was late 2005. The WP quoted documents released by the World Bank. But hey, the World Bank's documents could be, must be wrong!
"A letter dated Oct. 1, 2006, from Anwar Ibrahim, the foundation's chairman, to Robin Cleveland, Wolfowitz's counselor, said that if Riza moved from State to the foundation, she would recruit staff, supervise the hiring and training of senior management in the Middle East, identify programs to receive grants and supervise the implementation of policies on programs, finances and administration. The Bank concurs with this proposal," Cleveland handwrote on Dec. 14, 2006."
Again, according to the WP, it was Anwar who wrote the letter requesting for Reza’s transfer to the Foundation on 01 Oct 2006, more than 2 months before Reza moved to the Foundation. Of course KTemoc prefers to believe our own Malaysian rather than foreigners (huh ... WHAT!!!).
Yahoo News quoting The Nation also supported the WP news, but it stated more than just the date of Reza’s appointment to the Foundation. It went on to describe the chummy relationship between neocon Zionist Wolfowitz and Anwar Ibrahim, as follows:
"Over a year later, on October 1, 2006, Anwar Ibrahim, chairman of the Foundation for the Future, wrote Robin Cleveland, a senior Wolfowitz aide at the Bank, and requested the transfer of Riza from the State Department to the Foundation for the Future. Two months later, after Cleveland instructed the Bank's vice president of human resources to approve the transfer, the Bank okayed the switch."
"The Anwar letter and other Bank documents related to this transfer did not mention that Anwar is a longtime friend of Wolfowitz. One of Asia's most prominent Muslim politicians, Anwar was a former deputy prime minister of Malaysia. He and Wolfowitz met and developed a friendship in the mid-1980s, when Wolfowitz was U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, according to Aasil Ahmad, an adviser to Anwar."
"In 1998, after addressing a rally protesting the government, Anwar was arrested and subsequently jailed on corruption and sodomy charges. During his years in jail, Wolfowitz was an outspoken champion of Anwar. Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Anwar, while still imprisoned, wrote an essay condemning the attacks and calling on the Muslim worked to address the suffering inflicted on the Muslim masses in Iraq by its dictator."
"... to address the suffering inflicted on the Muslim masses in Iraq by its dictator."
Hmmm, doesn't this smell a bit like 'regime change', an excuse that the Bush Administration, with its chief architect Wolfowitz, had cooked up as its casus belli for war against Iraq after the WMD scare (or lie) turned out to be a dud.
We know that since then hundreds of thousands of Iraqis had perished, and millions have been dislocated. The country is in an utter shamble, with civil war virtually now in place.
Now this is the confusing bit:
"While helping to establish the Foundation for the Future at the State Department, Riza had recruited Anwar to serve as its initial adviser, according to Ahmad. The two then went about selecting a board of directors and drawing up the mandate for the group, which calls on the foundation to "advance and strengthen freedom and democratic trends and practices" in Middle Eastern and North African nations by supporting reform, media, human rights, and women's groups in those countries."
So, according to The Nation, Reza recruited Anwar Ibrahim to serve as its adviser [I wonder where Wolfowitz was then], and subsequently Anwar …… you work it out.
My head is spinning at those western media reports. There are far too complicated for poor KTemoc.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Anwar Ibrahim interferes with PKR polls?
Well, well, well. It seems the world’s greatest political reformer may require some reforming himself, if the words of a PKR member are valid.
In malaysiakini, we read of PKR Youth secretary SD Johari making an unusual accusation against party advisor, Anwar Ibrahim.
I deem it unusual because most PKR members, especially those of the younger set, have a fanatical devotion to Anwar. Some of them have displayed virtual kamikazi take-no-prisoner behaviour towards any critics of Anwar or PKR. I call those guys cyber-jihadists because most of their merciless mangling mauling vile, vitriol and venom were conducted on the web.
Therefore Johari’s accusation against a virtually sacred party icon is astonishing. He must have been pushed to the limits of his patience and tolerance.
According to Johari, Anwar has been meddling in the party elections which will be held later this week. He claimed that Anwar asked acting Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin to ‘find ways’ to ensure that Johari loses.
That could explain why Johari has spoken out. And if the allegations are at all true, then I do wonder about Anwar's constant bleating of democracy blah blah blah.
Johari said he had received 42 nominations - the highest for Youth deputy chief - while his nearest contender Feriz Musa received only 11 nominations. Despite the comfortable gulf between him and the next contender, Johari has decided not to contest for the wing deputy chief post as a mark of protest against Anwar's alleged interference.
He lamented: “I am disappointed with Anwar’s interference in the Youth elections which is supposed to be decided by the delegates from the 82 divisions around the country.”
Let’s dig in a bit deeper as to why Anwar allegedly wants Johari to lose. The latter claimed that Anwar is not happy with him because of his close ties with former Youth chief Ezam Mohd Noor and his open criticism against the PKR adviser during the recent Ijok by-election.
Hmmm, I thought Ezam was one of Anwar’s handpicked henchmen, at least before he left? I wonder what went wrong since?
Johari said that there is an attempt to sideline those close to Ezam in the Youth wing. Oh oh oh, this really bad.
He said several candidates for the Youth vice-chief post will also withdraw to protest against Anwar’s alleged interference as a protest.
Johari said Anwar cannot accept those with differing opinions and the courage to criticise him. Hey, this sounds like UMNO bickering.
Ooops!
However, Johari warns that no one’s going to shut him up. He vows to continue his criticisms against Anwar and other party leaders who err. He is prepared to face any form of action, including dismissal.
He said: “As for my future in the party, I will wait until after the (party) congress. I will work closer with the Movement for Democracy and Anti-Corruption (Gerak) set up by Ezam. I am not fighting for positions; my struggle started with the aim to uphold justice when Anwar was sacked from his deputy prime minister post on Sept 2, 1998.”
Anwar has of course denied meddling in the party polls.
Two questions … er … no, make that just one because I am inclined towards Johari’s allegation of Anwar being intolerant. After all he was an UMNO minister.
The question is: Why is (allegedly of course) Anwar so against Ezam?
In malaysiakini, we read of PKR Youth secretary SD Johari making an unusual accusation against party advisor, Anwar Ibrahim.
I deem it unusual because most PKR members, especially those of the younger set, have a fanatical devotion to Anwar. Some of them have displayed virtual kamikazi take-no-prisoner behaviour towards any critics of Anwar or PKR. I call those guys cyber-jihadists because most of their merciless mangling mauling vile, vitriol and venom were conducted on the web.
Therefore Johari’s accusation against a virtually sacred party icon is astonishing. He must have been pushed to the limits of his patience and tolerance.
According to Johari, Anwar has been meddling in the party elections which will be held later this week. He claimed that Anwar asked acting Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin to ‘find ways’ to ensure that Johari loses.
That could explain why Johari has spoken out. And if the allegations are at all true, then I do wonder about Anwar's constant bleating of democracy blah blah blah.
Johari said he had received 42 nominations - the highest for Youth deputy chief - while his nearest contender Feriz Musa received only 11 nominations. Despite the comfortable gulf between him and the next contender, Johari has decided not to contest for the wing deputy chief post as a mark of protest against Anwar's alleged interference.
He lamented: “I am disappointed with Anwar’s interference in the Youth elections which is supposed to be decided by the delegates from the 82 divisions around the country.”
Let’s dig in a bit deeper as to why Anwar allegedly wants Johari to lose. The latter claimed that Anwar is not happy with him because of his close ties with former Youth chief Ezam Mohd Noor and his open criticism against the PKR adviser during the recent Ijok by-election.
Hmmm, I thought Ezam was one of Anwar’s handpicked henchmen, at least before he left? I wonder what went wrong since?
Johari said that there is an attempt to sideline those close to Ezam in the Youth wing. Oh oh oh, this really bad.
He said several candidates for the Youth vice-chief post will also withdraw to protest against Anwar’s alleged interference as a protest.
Johari said Anwar cannot accept those with differing opinions and the courage to criticise him. Hey, this sounds like UMNO bickering.
Ooops!
However, Johari warns that no one’s going to shut him up. He vows to continue his criticisms against Anwar and other party leaders who err. He is prepared to face any form of action, including dismissal.
He said: “As for my future in the party, I will wait until after the (party) congress. I will work closer with the Movement for Democracy and Anti-Corruption (Gerak) set up by Ezam. I am not fighting for positions; my struggle started with the aim to uphold justice when Anwar was sacked from his deputy prime minister post on Sept 2, 1998.”
Anwar has of course denied meddling in the party polls.
Two questions … er … no, make that just one because I am inclined towards Johari’s allegation of Anwar being intolerant. After all he was an UMNO minister.
The question is: Why is (allegedly of course) Anwar so against Ezam?
Bloggers - A letter to the ministry
Dodgee Cyber Solutions
3, Jalan Bodek
Taman Kamunting
Pulau Pinang
Kepada:
Yang Berhormat
Datuk Yusuf Go-Bells
Kementerian Penerangan
Datuk
I refer to the timely and fatherly warning your ministry has issued to the press, advising them not to go beyond the time-tested social contract, that was agreed to by all parties in1969 1957. Once again, we are grateful for your benevolent and appropriate guidance.
I applaud such frank and fearless reminders by your ministry, though you are likely to hear the usual detractors making unhelpful comments like, you have nothing to fear when you are in the ruling government with the police and its Special Branch right behind you. Some people can be so negative.
I believe a term that was first used by Spiro Agnew, former Vice President of the USA would apply fittingly to them, to wit, nattering nabobs of negativism. Never mind that Mr Agnew had to resign from his vice presidential post because of dodgy tax returns.
He was just unfortunate that I have not then opened a branch of my Dodgee Accounting firm in the States. I could have saved him his job, and he could have then gone on to become the President of America instead of Mr Clumsy. Anyway, I digress.
I have been appalled by the unnecessary and subversive reporting of a semi-fictitious event (May 13), that that insidious online news portal called malaysiakini had scandalously run for several inflammatory days.
I can assure you, Datuk, I do not read the provocative malaysiakini at all.
It was one of my shop assistants who informed me of the news item. No doubt she was skiving from her duties to surf the Internet, again. I bet she is one of those lying female bloggers. Well, it will not be long before she acquires the third qualification – an unemployed one.
The blogging phenomenon is such a wretched irritant, a mote in our nation’s eyes, but thanks be to the grace of the Almighty that not many, especially those in the ‘heartland’, have a PC or Internet access. In this, we or rather those people are spared those bloggers’ lies and grubby politicking.
Nonetheless, we need to watch those free spirited individualistic soul, who believed they are unrestrained by the world-wide ether-ness of the Net. I must admit the difficulty lies in finding out who they are and their intentions.
Incidentally may I introduce my new company called Dodgee Cyber Solutions. I can assist the ministry formulate strategies to ‘contain’ those free-spirited individuals who currently answer to no one or any organisation (save those who are already affiliated politically).
Of course you would already know the details and whereabouts of the DAP, PAS, PKR and various other opposition websites, so I am not addressing those. But it would be the free and non-aligned bloggers that could be the nightmare for our beloved country, basically loose cannons – unless we come up with a cyber-solution.
One possible and very simple yet unthought of solution would be to encourage them to form an association or club. Human nature is such those bloggers would want to congregate in close proximity.
Then the birds would be in our hands instead of in the proverbial bush. This is because once they form an association or club, they would need to register. And when they register with the Register of Societies (ROS), well, Datuk you got them nicely where you want them, by theirgonads GB Ram.
There are some who operate under pseudonyms. But that in itself is not a problem. Many fear persecution* leading to prosecution so they could be motivated, yes, enticed to reveal themselves through registration. We could encourage them to do so with their true identity, with the threat that otherwise they will not be allowed to benefit from the association/club’s support.
* – my deepest apologies for using this nonsensical irrelevant word but that is what those bloggers say and we must play their game
How do we achieve this? Well, Datuk, one possible solution by Dodgee Cyber solution is quite straightforward. We send a few of our bloggers (trained, indoctrinated and sanitised by us of course) to infiltrate and eventually dominate the association. The optimised approach would be if we take the lead in forming the club. We put it that we want to protect them – the usual line of ‘unity is strength’.
It is a time honoured method and it works all the time. Before long, with some careful mental massaging, we could even get those bloggers to support the PPPA (I won’t use the full term as it may not be safe at this stage to do so, lest we scare the birds away).
Next step is to get our agents to play agent provocateurs. We could encourage them to be more political, like playing cosy politics with politically controversial personalities or lead them into political commitments, say for example, like making open statements as to who has been the better and more tolerant national leader.
Once they have involved themselves as a political bloc, we can either act against or better still, manipulate them to our political advantage, a situation which we currently have no control over. For example, when our man says 'Club Blogger ABC sokong Mat Kilau', the people would think every member of the club is of like mind, even though the declaration has been by one man only, but our man.
Those bloggers, many of whom are really sincere but naïve people but who require your firm but benevolent hands in guiding them into productive blogging (for the government of course), would not even know what hit them after they have registered.
They would be like the bumpkin farmer who traded his goose that lays the golden eggs for a luxurious jet plane, or was it a cornucopia of rice for a mere highly-depreciative Porsche – well, I am never good at those foreign sayings but I am sure you know what I mean, that superficially the tradeoff looks great but in reality the benefit is worse.
Imagine, trading their current individual freedom and no unreasonable restrain to become part of a mob, without any authority but all responsibilities and liabilities.
The solution to control the bloggers is so simple that I could cry at the anticipated outcome when we carry through the strategy.
I await Datuk’s kind evaluation of Dodgee Cyber Solutions proposal to configure your ministry’s strategy to control the loose cannon bloggers.
MalaysiaBlogger Boleh!
Yang benar
Dodgee Dimsum
p/s apart from my companies for books, pharmaceutical, tax and cyber solutions, my other company Dodgee Electronics carries an impressive range of items that can be useful to your ministry’s capacity to monitor, intervene, and control or limit the use of the Internet.
3, Jalan Bodek
Taman Kamunting
Pulau Pinang
Kepada:
Yang Berhormat
Datuk Yusuf Go-Bells
Kementerian Penerangan
Datuk
I refer to the timely and fatherly warning your ministry has issued to the press, advising them not to go beyond the time-tested social contract, that was agreed to by all parties in
I applaud such frank and fearless reminders by your ministry, though you are likely to hear the usual detractors making unhelpful comments like, you have nothing to fear when you are in the ruling government with the police and its Special Branch right behind you. Some people can be so negative.
I believe a term that was first used by Spiro Agnew, former Vice President of the USA would apply fittingly to them, to wit, nattering nabobs of negativism. Never mind that Mr Agnew had to resign from his vice presidential post because of dodgy tax returns.
He was just unfortunate that I have not then opened a branch of my Dodgee Accounting firm in the States. I could have saved him his job, and he could have then gone on to become the President of America instead of Mr Clumsy. Anyway, I digress.
I have been appalled by the unnecessary and subversive reporting of a semi-fictitious event (May 13), that that insidious online news portal called malaysiakini had scandalously run for several inflammatory days.
I can assure you, Datuk, I do not read the provocative malaysiakini at all.
It was one of my shop assistants who informed me of the news item. No doubt she was skiving from her duties to surf the Internet, again. I bet she is one of those lying female bloggers. Well, it will not be long before she acquires the third qualification – an unemployed one.
The blogging phenomenon is such a wretched irritant, a mote in our nation’s eyes, but thanks be to the grace of the Almighty that not many, especially those in the ‘heartland’, have a PC or Internet access. In this, we or rather those people are spared those bloggers’ lies and grubby politicking.
Nonetheless, we need to watch those free spirited individualistic soul, who believed they are unrestrained by the world-wide ether-ness of the Net. I must admit the difficulty lies in finding out who they are and their intentions.
Incidentally may I introduce my new company called Dodgee Cyber Solutions. I can assist the ministry formulate strategies to ‘contain’ those free-spirited individuals who currently answer to no one or any organisation (save those who are already affiliated politically).
Of course you would already know the details and whereabouts of the DAP, PAS, PKR and various other opposition websites, so I am not addressing those. But it would be the free and non-aligned bloggers that could be the nightmare for our beloved country, basically loose cannons – unless we come up with a cyber-solution.
One possible and very simple yet unthought of solution would be to encourage them to form an association or club. Human nature is such those bloggers would want to congregate in close proximity.
Then the birds would be in our hands instead of in the proverbial bush. This is because once they form an association or club, they would need to register. And when they register with the Register of Societies (ROS), well, Datuk you got them nicely where you want them, by their
There are some who operate under pseudonyms. But that in itself is not a problem. Many fear persecution* leading to prosecution so they could be motivated, yes, enticed to reveal themselves through registration. We could encourage them to do so with their true identity, with the threat that otherwise they will not be allowed to benefit from the association/club’s support.
* – my deepest apologies for using this nonsensical irrelevant word but that is what those bloggers say and we must play their game
How do we achieve this? Well, Datuk, one possible solution by Dodgee Cyber solution is quite straightforward. We send a few of our bloggers (trained, indoctrinated and sanitised by us of course) to infiltrate and eventually dominate the association. The optimised approach would be if we take the lead in forming the club. We put it that we want to protect them – the usual line of ‘unity is strength’.
It is a time honoured method and it works all the time. Before long, with some careful mental massaging, we could even get those bloggers to support the PPPA (I won’t use the full term as it may not be safe at this stage to do so, lest we scare the birds away).
Next step is to get our agents to play agent provocateurs. We could encourage them to be more political, like playing cosy politics with politically controversial personalities or lead them into political commitments, say for example, like making open statements as to who has been the better and more tolerant national leader.
Once they have involved themselves as a political bloc, we can either act against or better still, manipulate them to our political advantage, a situation which we currently have no control over. For example, when our man says 'Club Blogger ABC sokong Mat Kilau', the people would think every member of the club is of like mind, even though the declaration has been by one man only, but our man.
Those bloggers, many of whom are really sincere but naïve people but who require your firm but benevolent hands in guiding them into productive blogging (for the government of course), would not even know what hit them after they have registered.
They would be like the bumpkin farmer who traded his goose that lays the golden eggs for a luxurious jet plane, or was it a cornucopia of rice for a mere highly-depreciative Porsche – well, I am never good at those foreign sayings but I am sure you know what I mean, that superficially the tradeoff looks great but in reality the benefit is worse.
Imagine, trading their current individual freedom and no unreasonable restrain to become part of a mob, without any authority but all responsibilities and liabilities.
The solution to control the bloggers is so simple that I could cry at the anticipated outcome when we carry through the strategy.
I await Datuk’s kind evaluation of Dodgee Cyber Solutions proposal to configure your ministry’s strategy to control the loose cannon bloggers.
Malaysia
Yang benar
Dodgee Dimsum
p/s apart from my companies for books, pharmaceutical, tax and cyber solutions, my other company Dodgee Electronics carries an impressive range of items that can be useful to your ministry’s capacity to monitor, intervene, and control or limit the use of the Internet.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
PKR's Sepoy Mutiny?
Coincidentally it occurred in the month of May – I’ll come to this soon.
The Indians were discontented with British rule. The sepoys (soldiers) employed in the British military heard rumours that the cartridges for their new Enfield rifles were greased with pork and beef fat, which were haram (not kosher) to Muslims and Hindus respectively.
To load an Enfield rifle, the soldier had to bite the bullet off the cartridge before placing the gunpowder in the weapon.
The sepoys were right royally outraged at the prospect of biting into haram stuff, and thus mutinied.
The sepoys were right royally outraged at the prospect of biting into haram stuff, and thus mutinied.
They were cruelly executed by being strapped to cannons which were then fired.
 |
| the impertinence of these bounders, to ask for an exco position! we'll teach the cads a hard lesson |
Flash forward 150 years to May 2007.
The Star Online reported that “Trouble is brewing in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) again after Kepong division chairman Datuk K.S. Nallakaruppan withdrew from the contest for the vice-president’s post yesterday.”
 |
| we were best buddies; we did many things together, wakakaka because I was his buddy I faced a charged which carried capital punishment now I want to do just one thing to him, wakakaka |
“Several others, including Selangor deputy chief P. Krishnasamy, Lembah Pantai deputy head Mohd Sidek Mohd Ibrahim and M. Maniselvam have also withdrawn from the contest for the supreme council posts. It is learnt that Bera division deputy youth chief T. Sarawanan and Jempol division deputy youth chief M. Dhinesh have pulled out from the party’s youth exco contest.”
Incidentally Nallakaruppan, a personal buddy of Anwar Ibrahim, has received the second highest number of nominations for the vice-president’s post. Why would he want to pull out then?
Well, PKR youth vice-chief S. Manikavasagam gave us the low down. He claimed that Indians in the party had been ‘played out’, or in more common social language, 'marginalised' for a second time within a month by the leadership, and that more leaders were expected to withdraw in protest against the decision (or pressure) to sideline Nallakaruppan.
He cried out in anger: “We were denied a chance to field a candidate in the Ijok by-election and now, Nallakaruppan who is a leading contender, has been asked to withdraw from contesting the vice-president’s contest.”
Is this to be PKR's Sepoy Mutiny, where its Indian members rebel against being made to bite into something terrible (haram), like PKR’s leftovers (eg. good only as pet poodle food)?
The feeling among some PKR Indians is that they seems to be only useful as background party workers for the favoured ones, like Khalid Ibrahim.
Unfortunately it has been an inescapable fact that PKR Indians had been repetitively marginalised by PKR in some recent by-elections, very much to their chagrin because the BN had by contrast fielded Indian candidates.
Noted social activist Chandra Muzzafar, Dr Chandra Bose and malaysiakini editor Premesh Chandra have all commented, in one way or another, on PKR's 'cakap ta'serupa bikin' conduct (not walking its talk) in stark contrast to its claimed multi-ethnic credentials.
In the campaign leading up to the Ijok by-election, senior PKR Indian leaders had bravely attempted to spin away accusation of marginalisation of Indian members by hair-splitting sweet-nothing about the difference between BN ‘power sharing’ and PKR ‘multi-ethnic’ approach.
To the Indian members, they were all elusory, and the so-called superiority of PKR's approach was evidently not apparent to them, in fact far from it. At the end of the day, they asked: What’s the point of a so-called multi-ethnic approach when only one ethnic group gets the goodies.
It said that several Indian PKR leaders have denied The Star Online news report, and averred that Nallakarupan’s withdrawal from the vice-president race has no bearing on them whatsoever.
Manikavasagam who was reported by the mainstream media as condemning PKR for marginalising Indian members, hastily organised a press conference to repudiate the report of brewing mutinous tension among Indian members in PKR.
An observer, whom KTemoc persuaded to provide his take on what’s going on in PKR, suggested that the party is now in damage control and has probably leaned on the (friendship of?) senior Indian members to pull the Indian members together.
Some horse trading could also be in the making, which would then see the not-unusual back-pedalling. He advised me to look at the first report as the truer version - well, at least true 'originally'.
Hmmm. But effectively, at least for the time being, the Sepoy Mutiny has been suppressed. Oh, by the way, malaysiakini also reported that Manikavasagam has reaffirmed he would be moving up a notch by contesting for a supreme council seat.
Congratulations, Manikavasagam.
And isn't it wonderful that Sarawanan has also denied the news report and similarly reaffirmed he would accept the nominations for the Youth exco post.
Again, congratulations are in order.
- Lee Boon Chye (85 nominations)
- Nallakaruppan (57)
- Fuziah Salleh (42)
- Azmin Ali (34)
With Nallakaruppan’s unexplained withdrawal (I’m sure a ‘perfectly’ good explanation will be issued shortly, wakakaka), incumbent Azmin Ali, who is in last position on numbers of nominations, is now automatically in. I am of course assuming that there are only 3 VP slots.
Another incumbent R Sivarasa has also, most strangely, withdrawn (earlier). Good lord, does this mean there won't be any Indian among the VPs?
Oops, I have forgotten that PKR does not practise power sharing because it's a multi-ethnic party. Sorry.
I also recall that Dr Syed Husin, who had wanted to retire, was persuaded to stay on as Deputy President. Initially I had thought that PKR wanted to retain his prestige and appeal (to blokes like KTemoc) at a time when the general election is just around the corner.
Could it be he has been asked to occupy the seat, keeping it warm for a favoured person?
Nah, just suspicious KTemoc, that’s all ;-)
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Malaysian Bloggers Together - 19 May 2007
UPDATE: Good news - SoPo bloggers (that's SOcio-POlitical bloggers) will get together tonight (19 May 2007), to do what the government and ruling political parties won't - uniting Malaysia through truth, open information and friendship.
All bloggers are welcome. The Taikohs and TaiChehs of Malaysian blogosphere will be there.
kaytee sends his love to all, I mean ALL ;-) have a lovely evening and don't make it into too much of a busman holiday - cheers
kaytee sends his love to all, I mean ALL ;-) have a lovely evening and don't make it into too much of a busman holiday - cheers
poster credit to our artistic genius, mob1900
Apology - A letter to the minister
Dodgee Pharmaceuticals
2, Jalan Bodek
Taman Kamunting
Pulau Pinang
Kepada:
Yang Berhormat
Datuk Boh Bo Chor
Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga & Masyarakat
Datuk,
I refer to the magnificent resolution that Datuk's ministry has brought about, over an unnecessary polemical conflict regarding a minor issue of plumbing deficiency in our most august House of Parliament. Trust those DAP MPs to escalate a mere leak into a raging torrent of protests.
I was appalled by the DAP insensitivity for making mountains out of puddles.
In fact it was such a non issue that I would normally ignore it if I did not chance across a report of the DAP scandalous behaviour, that was overdone by that insidious subversive online news portal called malaysiakini which I assure you I do not read at all.
It was one of my shop assistants who informed me of the news item. No doubt he was skiving from his duties to surf the Internet, again. He is only employed on a monthly basis so I will have no difficulty in removing him.
malaysiakini should be officially chastised for even leaking jokes made in jest and which are protected by parliamentary privileges. How insensitive and tasteless of the online news outlet, undoubtedly plagued by mainly unemployed (male) blogger-liars masquerading as journalists.
May I once again congratulate Datuk's ministry for plugging up the opposition party's outrageous and subversive propaganda well before that disgraceful deplorable dribble develops any further. Indeed, thanks to your ministry's swift and prompt action, we have spared the two commendable Yang Berhormats from being unnecessarily and shamefully harassed and insulted with tasteless titillating titbits by those DAP feminine-Nazis.
Yet ungratefully, some citizens (I would not be surprise if their vociferous protests were created by phantom bloggers) still fail to see how your Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development has, as in this exemplary conflict resolution, firmly 'guided' Malaysian women including and especially that DAP Fong Po Kuan into their 'rightful positions', a correct and necessary action to ensure Malaysia has a fighting chance to develop 'traditional' family values.
China Press has reported the brilliant reply of a Yang Berhormat when he was again, alas, harassed for comment by journalists yesterday on whether he would apologise to Fong. He courageously stated: “I will apologise IF she is a woman!”
Articulate, pithy and straight right to the source of where all of us, I mean this, came from, the Yang Berhormat’s superb hard hitting response captured the worrying existence of what I had earlier described as the festering fermenting feminine-Nazi culture in the DAP.
Don’t they know their womenly place in our Malaysian society? My colleagues and I wish to reaffirm our appreciation for your Women Affairs Ministry in protecting men’s rights against such demonic Lilith’s.
Additionally, the Yang Berhormat has sublimely but succinctly drawn our attention to the importance of not messing and moaning around with leaks but instead, of seeking a plumber.
Incidentally, may I take this opportunity to advise that my pharmaceutical store has an impressive range of high quality female hygiene products available. We store both international and domestic products.
Out of a sense of good citizenship, if it helps those DAP feminine-Nazis manage their 'personal' problems better, I am prepared to extend a 10% discount for any product they purchase, assuming they can even afford them on their paltry monthly salaries.
For Barisan Nasional (BN) members, regardless of gender, the discount is 20%. And for BN parliamentarians, I am prepared, as a grateful citizen, to sacrifice good business sense by slashing 35% off. Be assured that my offer carries an unusual sacrificial rain check for your party members.
Please convey my appreciation to those two magnificent Yang Berhormats for their unruffled dignity in the face of vicious DAP provocative insensitive attacks.
If it can be any consolation to their selfless sacrifice of making an unnecessary apology, do advise them that the dictionary* also explains an ‘apology’ as a ‘poor example’. So we may take it that the apology was extended to an apology for a woman, that is, if at all she(?) is one, as the Yang Berhormat has stated.
I hope the divisive affair is finally and firmly plugged up.
Malaysia Bocorleh!
Yang benar
Dodgee Dimsum
p/s * apart from dictionaries, my other company Dodgee Book Store
(just next door to my Dodgee Pharmaceuticals) carries an impressive range of books, DVDs and stationery.
I am also expecting two new management books titled “Conflict Resolution: making apologies without being apologetic” and “Tapping into Malaysian Traditional Family Values: Resisting subversive neo-feminine culture”. The same respective discounts apply to Barisan Nasional members.
2, Jalan Bodek
Taman Kamunting
Pulau Pinang
Kepada:
Yang Berhormat
Datuk Boh Bo Chor
Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga & Masyarakat
Datuk,
I refer to the magnificent resolution that Datuk's ministry has brought about, over an unnecessary polemical conflict regarding a minor issue of plumbing deficiency in our most august House of Parliament. Trust those DAP MPs to escalate a mere leak into a raging torrent of protests.
I was appalled by the DAP insensitivity for making mountains out of puddles.
In fact it was such a non issue that I would normally ignore it if I did not chance across a report of the DAP scandalous behaviour, that was overdone by that insidious subversive online news portal called malaysiakini which I assure you I do not read at all.
It was one of my shop assistants who informed me of the news item. No doubt he was skiving from his duties to surf the Internet, again. He is only employed on a monthly basis so I will have no difficulty in removing him.
malaysiakini should be officially chastised for even leaking jokes made in jest and which are protected by parliamentary privileges. How insensitive and tasteless of the online news outlet, undoubtedly plagued by mainly unemployed (male) blogger-liars masquerading as journalists.
May I once again congratulate Datuk's ministry for plugging up the opposition party's outrageous and subversive propaganda well before that disgraceful deplorable dribble develops any further. Indeed, thanks to your ministry's swift and prompt action, we have spared the two commendable Yang Berhormats from being unnecessarily and shamefully harassed and insulted with tasteless titillating titbits by those DAP feminine-Nazis.
Yet ungratefully, some citizens (I would not be surprise if their vociferous protests were created by phantom bloggers) still fail to see how your Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development has, as in this exemplary conflict resolution, firmly 'guided' Malaysian women including and especially that DAP Fong Po Kuan into their 'rightful positions', a correct and necessary action to ensure Malaysia has a fighting chance to develop 'traditional' family values.
China Press has reported the brilliant reply of a Yang Berhormat when he was again, alas, harassed for comment by journalists yesterday on whether he would apologise to Fong. He courageously stated: “I will apologise IF she is a woman!”
Articulate, pithy and straight right to the source of where all of us, I mean this, came from, the Yang Berhormat’s superb hard hitting response captured the worrying existence of what I had earlier described as the festering fermenting feminine-Nazi culture in the DAP.
Don’t they know their womenly place in our Malaysian society? My colleagues and I wish to reaffirm our appreciation for your Women Affairs Ministry in protecting men’s rights against such demonic Lilith’s.
Additionally, the Yang Berhormat has sublimely but succinctly drawn our attention to the importance of not messing and moaning around with leaks but instead, of seeking a plumber.
Incidentally, may I take this opportunity to advise that my pharmaceutical store has an impressive range of high quality female hygiene products available. We store both international and domestic products.
Out of a sense of good citizenship, if it helps those DAP feminine-Nazis manage their 'personal' problems better, I am prepared to extend a 10% discount for any product they purchase, assuming they can even afford them on their paltry monthly salaries.
For Barisan Nasional (BN) members, regardless of gender, the discount is 20%. And for BN parliamentarians, I am prepared, as a grateful citizen, to sacrifice good business sense by slashing 35% off. Be assured that my offer carries an unusual sacrificial rain check for your party members.
Please convey my appreciation to those two magnificent Yang Berhormats for their unruffled dignity in the face of vicious DAP provocative insensitive attacks.
If it can be any consolation to their selfless sacrifice of making an unnecessary apology, do advise them that the dictionary* also explains an ‘apology’ as a ‘poor example’. So we may take it that the apology was extended to an apology for a woman, that is, if at all she(?) is one, as the Yang Berhormat has stated.
I hope the divisive affair is finally and firmly plugged up.
Malaysia Bo
Yang benar
Dodgee Dimsum
p/s * apart from dictionaries, my other company Dodgee Book Store
(just next door to my Dodgee Pharmaceuticals) carries an impressive range of books, DVDs and stationery.
I am also expecting two new management books titled “Conflict Resolution: making apologies without being apologetic” and “Tapping into Malaysian Traditional Family Values: Resisting subversive neo-feminine culture”. The same respective discounts apply to Barisan Nasional members.
Friday, May 18, 2007
How sweet is it (1)
Sent to coventry is neo-con Paul Wolfowitz, the architect of the 2nd Iraqi invasion and occupation, a way that has killed hundreds of thousands of innocents, displaced millions of Iraqis, and plummeted the Arab nation into civil war.
The head of the World Bank, who had thick-skin-wise been resisting calls for his resignation, has finally crumbled before evidence of his scandalous cosy deal for his sweetheart, unrelenting European pressure and the final straw, President Bush's withdrawal of his support for an indefensible case of blatant conflict of interest. He leaves his post end of next month.
It is sweet ironic justice that the cause of his downfall is an ethnic Arab woman.
President Bush's support for him dwindled as the Europeans refused to compromise. In fact they piled on the pressure, openly shunning him, with the latest show of their disdain for him being a statement by the German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul that Wolfowitz would not be welcome at an Africa forum the World Bank is holding in Berlin next week if he is still in his post at the time.
Imagine that - the president of the World Bank not welcome at a World Bank forum! What further insult could beat that. Even low brow Bush recognised the writing on the wall.
Hmmm, if Anwar Ibrahim becomes PM of Malaysia after the next general election, he could perhaps give his good friend a job as an adviser on international finance?
The head of the World Bank, who had thick-skin-wise been resisting calls for his resignation, has finally crumbled before evidence of his scandalous cosy deal for his sweetheart, unrelenting European pressure and the final straw, President Bush's withdrawal of his support for an indefensible case of blatant conflict of interest. He leaves his post end of next month.
It is sweet ironic justice that the cause of his downfall is an ethnic Arab woman.
President Bush's support for him dwindled as the Europeans refused to compromise. In fact they piled on the pressure, openly shunning him, with the latest show of their disdain for him being a statement by the German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul that Wolfowitz would not be welcome at an Africa forum the World Bank is holding in Berlin next week if he is still in his post at the time.
Imagine that - the president of the World Bank not welcome at a World Bank forum! What further insult could beat that. Even low brow Bush recognised the writing on the wall.
Hmmm, if Anwar Ibrahim becomes PM of Malaysia after the next general election, he could perhaps give his good friend a job as an adviser on international finance?