The politician & His Satan

There he sits, surrounded by strategists, pollsters …..

Look, one of them is saying, these are the facts of life ….. there are millions of voters, who will decide the outcome. These you must attract. So don't say anything unusual or radical.

You must tell them the things they want to hear, the second chimes in. …

Anything definite will push away votes, a third insists. Every principle will upset somebody, so please don't go into details. Just stick to vague generalities which appeal to everybody. […]

In Goethe’s great drama, Faust sells his soul to the devil for success in this world. Every politician has a Satan of his own, who offers power in exchange for his soul.

You have principles, this Satan whispers in his ear. They are very nice, but if you don't win the elections, they are good for nothing. You can realize them only if you come to power. So it's worth giving up some principles, making some compromises, in order to win. Afterwards you will be free to do whatever your heart desires.

The candidate knows that this is true. In order to fulfill his plans, he must first of all be elected. To get elected, he must also say things he doesn't believe in and give up things he does very much believe in.

And the question is again: Where is the limit? Which concessions are permissible on the way to the aim? Where are the red lines?

The Devil knows that the small compromises will lead to larger compromises, and so on, on the slippery slope to the loss of the soul. Without the candidate noticing, he is sliding downwards, and when he opens his eyes, he finds himself in the filthy political swamp.

This is the first big test for the aspiring leader: to know the difference between the permissible and the forbidden. Between the "art of the possible" and the "end justifies the means". Between the stubborn insistence on his principles and the total surrender to those experts, who turn every new program into a mishmash of empty phrases.

Since the beginnings of democracy in Greece, it has been bedeviled by a question: can the people, the demos, really be relied on to make the right choices? How can the public choose between different solutions for problems of which they have no real understanding? After all, the millions of voters lack even the most rudimentary knowledge about matters of the budget, the complexity of foreign relations, military strategy and the thousands of other matters that a head of state has to decide about.

Which leader is being discussed above?

********

UPDATE - 16 October 2008 @ 5:11 pm

Last night when I popped across to my fave Israeli website Gush Shalom – Israeli Peace Bloc I read an article titled Satan’s Counsel and was struck by how some of the paragraphs could gnam gnam be discussing the behaviour of a Malaysian politician.

;-) I am sure you know who I have in mind. So I extracted relevant paragraphs and edited out the ‘giveaways’ which would have indicated its non-Malaysian context.

Yes, I know I was being mischievously naughty wakakaka, and was waiting for the usual mob to lambast me for talking bad about our ‘Great Man’ again.

When that happened I would then reveal it was in fact Uri Avnery describing Barack Obama – with an innocent ‘what, me?’ - wakakaka.

Of course I had to present it in such a manner without giving the game away by the usual acknowledgement until at least this evening once I had ‘snared’ wakakaka a few ‘acolytes’.

I did it in a manner where there would be a demarcation between my sole question and the article. I even left standard markers as such [...] in the 4th paragraph which implies there were more to the 'extracts'.

And 'extracts' have to mean they were taken from a much longer essay, which therefore couldn’t have been mine (or the whole essay would be posted).

I usually used yellow or prominent coloured fonts for articles written by someone, though as kittykat asserted, those could be just any editor's way to highlight parts of a posting – (was it a Freudian slip on kittykat’s part to use the term ‘editor’ implying he agreed with me that - wakakaka).

Now, what he meant was it could be the blogger’s way to highlight parts ... (aiyoh, kittykat, the whole article was highlighted in yellow lah, not ‘parts’ – another Freudian slip – wakakaka).

My only input has been just one line in my standard white fonts "Which leader is being discussed above?"

But anon of 9:49 am gets 1st prize for preempting my evening revelation – kind of spoil my 'trap' - wakakaka.

I do not expect my detractors to accept my true fun-motive and I accept them to lay it on thick with their plagiarism accusation – aiyah, must let them have their occasional victory lah – wakakakakakakaka

Poor kaytee just has to wear it ;-)

Eurocopter Cougar deal - Malaysiakini's pre-emptive 'clawing'?

This evening Malaysiakini publishes Letter questions 'shady' chopper deal, with PKR and pro PKR bloggers happily swarming the blogosphere with accusations that Najib had signed a shady deal ... again?

Needless to say, G.A.N would be ecstatic!

And the chief accuser of the alleged 'shady' deal has been Capt (rtd) Zahar Hashim, chairperson of Mentari Services Sdn Bhd, the company which didn’t succeed in its bid to supply TUDM with the replacement aircraft for the Nuris.

Needless to say, as the loser in the bid, he has cause plus the legitimate reason to challenge the Defence Ministry’s decision to opt for the Eurocopter’s Cougar. In the USA and Europe, aircraft companies which lost aircraft bids would raise Cain because the loss would be quantified in terms of billions of dollars.

When South Korea selected the American F-15E, Dassault, the French company which had offered the ultra modern Rafale was livid with anger, and threatened to take the S Korean government to court for biased (politically influenced) preference.

Again, when the Singapore Air Force picked the same F-15E type (with rumours that the SAF actually preferred the new generation Rafale) the French hinted at possible court actions but the fuss fizzled out eventually.

I wonder whether it was because Dassault realized no one could successfully challenge the Singapore government in court, or the numbers of aircraft involved was too small to bother, or the French has other items to offer to the Singaporeans and wouldn't want to upset a potential customer?

When the USAF selected Airbus A-330 as its new air-to-air tanker, loser Boeing, which offered the B767 (which lost out because it has less fuel carrying capacity as well as less cargo payload) protested like blaze.

Reuters photo

It would have been a humongously profitable deal, amounting to some US$40 billion over two decades. Airbus in partnership with local US company, Northrop-Grumman, would supply the USAF with, as well as support the maintenance of 179 Airbus-330 tankers to replace the aging Boeing-built KC-135 aeroplanes.

The tanker is now re-tendered because the US General Accounting Office found some procedural errors in the process. But experts commented that the tender will be won again by Airbus as the USAF requirements would be best met by the more capable European tanker.

One of the considerations we need to bear in mind is that in such purchase, price is only one of several factors to be considered by the Defence Minsitry. A cheaper bid is not necessarily the best.

Some of the considerations should be the aircraft’s (i) ability to meet the TUDM’s operational requirement, (ii) technical reliability and maintenance costs, (iii) manufacturer’s reputation and reliability, (iv) political and strategic considerations, (v) number of countries buying the type (to ensure the availability of long term spare part supplies), (vi) of course price, (vii) TUDM’s familiarity with and acceptance of the manufacturing nation’s or company's aircraft development philosophy, etc etc etc.

wikipedia photo

The EC-725 is the long range multi-purpose version of the more well known Cougar AS 532, both of which are and will be operated by Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chile, China, Democratic Rep of Congo, Ecuador, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, UAE, Venezuela.

Now, how many countries were we informed that operate the Kelowna Kazan-M172?

The French aircraft industry has for many decades been foremost in helicopter technology, innovation and development. The TUDM can easily confirm this after having squeezed sterling services out of the vintage Sud-Aviation Alouette III helicopter since Day 1.

I believe the TUDM had once operated the Aérospatiale Puma which, though assembled by Indonesia for us, was of French design. The Puma and its more powerful civilian variant the Super Puma are renown for their effectiveness and reliability throughout the helicopter world. The Cougar is a modernised development of the Super Puma.

We need to ask, would one prefer to be flown by the Russian Kazan 172 or the Eurocopter Cougar?

While kaytee has his opinions, why don’t you guys ask the TUDM officers, not the chairperson of the company which has been unsuccessful in its bid, which is the better aircraft, and which do the TUDM pilots want?

I believe that Malaysiakini has been too quick to describe the purchase of the Eurocopter Cougar with words and phrases like ‘shady’ and ‘another scandal appears to be hovering over the Defence Ministry’, based on just the complaints of the chairperson of the losing company.

No doubt Mentari Services Sdn Bhd has a legitimate business reason to voice its grouses, but nonetheless they have been the complaints of an unsuccessful bidder to supply the TUDM with the Kazan 172, a Russian designed helicopter.

I believe Malaysiakini ought to have cross checked with (no, not the Malaysian Defence Ministry) but the winning company, Eurocopter, before it had published the news article Letter questions 'shady' chopper deal with pre-emptive accusatory words and phrases.

Insofar as the 'pre-emptive accusatory words and phrases' against Najib Razak need to be published, I am confident PKR could and would do that ;-)

Anwar Ibrahim and numbers

Malaysiakini tells us that good olde Anwar Ibrahim has demanded of the new Finance Minister, his arch Nemesis Najib, a fresh budget. This was reported in Anwar calls for a fresh budget.

However, in his eagerness to make a high profile mark as the new Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Anwar seems to have forgotten one small detail, something he promised us .....

..... no, no, not 916 because I read in the Star Online the news article Anwar not revealing new date, that Anwar has since changed tack (momentarily in KL) by not adopting his usual fondness for defining specific date(s) to take over the government.

When asked at his his Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at the Sultan Sulaiman Club in Kampung Baru he refused to offer his new deadline to become PM.

Mind you, on Friday in KB, he stated that the Pakatan Rakyat would set up a new federal government before Hari Raya Aidiladha on Dec 8 – so we have a new set of numbers, 128!

Hey, 128 is a very ‘ong’ number so the prospects may possibly be better. Maybe Anwar has consulted a (of course Islamic) ‘feng shui’ sinseh?

Maybe the sinseh must have said “Aiyah 916 velly sick one, yet yee part (128) velly ong one”.

OK, I read another Malaysiakini news titled Court dismisses Kulim petition, Zul keeps seat

Aiyoh, his name sounds familiar lah!

Hmmm, come to think of it, wasn’t he the PKR MP that Anwar Ibrahim promised he was going to discipline for behaving like a thug at the recent Bar Council forum?

But that was weeks and weeks ago. Maybe Anwar had man man lai, acting dunno on his Kulim Wonder because it could have something to do with a minor issue, namely, the figure 31 shouldn’t be disturbed by annoying the Kulim Wonder?

It seems that Zulkifli Noordin may defect to ... gasp, gawd, omigosh ... UMNO, as reported by The Politics Blog. Could this be the reason that Anwar has conveniently 'forgotten' his promise to deal with that bloke?

And dare we say that UMNO withdrew its court challenge against the Kulim Wonder because of this possibility?

But nonethless, Anwar should have realized that 31 wasn’t a good number – either 30 or 32 would have been better.

Besides, the Kulim Wonder insisted that his bad thuggish behaviour was his action as a Muslim and not as a Malay. Jeez, doesn't this bloke have any shame, invoking Islam to cover his hooliganism? It's precisely people like him who give compassionate Islam a bad name.

Anwar has an obligation ... er ... reformasi obligation to get stuck into the bloke! Such a shame he hasn't, won't, dare not!

But anyway, back to 'feng shui', nothing beats 8 for luck, because if you look at the minimum requirement for nominations to the UMNO presidency, it’s 58. Obviously someone has done his 'homework' wakakaka.

Actually I am being helpful to Anwar in pointing out this UMNO minimum requirement; after all he does aspire to the UMNO presidency.

128!

Keep that in mind. It’s Anwar’s new target date that he announced in KB. Who knows, it may graduate to 58.

Got it - his maths will see 128 graduating to 58 - it's about a new thesis on Humbug Mathematics wakakaka.

Another G.A.N attack against Najib?

Amazing!

The whole blogosphere has been buzzing with the mysteriously acquired transcript of a private SMS-ing between Najib and lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah over a period of nearly one month, starting from Nov 8 to Dec 2, 2006.

Malaysiakini headlined Altantuya-Najib allegations resurface in which it provides the transcript of a string of SMS messages purportedly exchanged (I see Malaysiakini used the tap dancing word ‘purported’) between the DPM and the lawyer of one of the accused in the Altantuyaa case, Abdul Razak Baginda.

The transcript came from Malaysia-Today blog, where its blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin is currently detained under they ISA.

Malaysia-Today has been the principal website which has introduced me (through its articles) to the very existence of G.A.N or Gerakan Anti-Najib.

The stories that G.A.N. had 'shared' with us about Najib (all against of course – you don’t expect a blog which is so pro Anwar to be anything other than anti Najib) have been many, ranging from the serious to the preposterous.

In the articles plus those from other pro PKR blogs, I am not too sure what role Najib has been alleged to play in the murder of Altantuyaa. They (all allegations like the puerile doctored French dinner photograph) ranged from:

(i) Najib being the murderer and lover of Altantuyaa as well as father of the unborn child (I was under the impression Razak Baginda was married to Altantuyaa? Kongsi bini?), to

(ii) Najib’s wife as the archfiend who ordered the murder of Alatntuyaa, to

(iii) Najib covering for his buddy, Razak Baginda, to

(iv) Statutory Declarations, all of which amounted to “I have been reliably informed …”, and “I was told this and that …”, certainly a new role for Stat Decs), to

(v) God knows what else

… but all aiming to draw (perhaps wishfully) a line through the randomly scattered dots/stories to lead to and point out the alleged 'guilt' of Najib Razak as the murderer (if not, then next best is his wife had been the murderer) and hopefully his immediate hanging from a mango tree – mango tree, got it? ;-)

The aim? Well, maybe the path to (originally) the DPM position (and soon to be, the PM position) must be cleared of inconvenient obstacles like Najib bin Razak.

If you read those G.A.N-ish articles you may be forgiven for thinking that no one has yet been arrested or officially charged with Altantuyaa’s murder, that the murder has been unsolved.

The propaganda has gone on to an extent that the poor father of Altantuyaa might have been misled into believing that his daughter's murder has been not looked into.

Yes, what remains ignored has been the fact that the police are holding 3 men charged for the murder. One of them is Razak Baginda, a former advisor and close friend of Najib.

The current indiscipline or G.A.N-ish projection is the accusation that Najib had interfered with the case with the aim to whitewash his mate, Razak Baginda – what! Not Najib himself?

Let’s reproduce the relevant transcript here (minus the warmup parts which showed nothing dodgy, but inclusive of the typos) and kaytee will attempt to analyse it. We start off with the known fact that Najib and Razak Baginda have been good mates. Here goes:

[key: S2N = Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to Najib, N2S = Najib to Shafee, RB = Razak Baginda]

Thursday 9/11/2006
N2S Date: 9/11/2006 12:45:30
--> If RB's remand is up to Sunday, does it mean that he has to be charged by Fri or be released? i hope it is looking better for him.

Here’s Najib, the man alleged to have interfered with the police investigations, asking the lawyer what’s going on! Wasn't he (Najib) supposed to control what was going on?

S2N Date: 9/11/2006 13:11:23
--> 3 things can happen. Firstly, they can ask for more time for detention. We will resist. Second,they have to release him by Friday or thirdly charge him by Friday. Police took him to his office for document search. Nothing incriminating found. Now they are recording stmt from him. Later search in house. Under control so far Dato Seri. Salam, shafee

Anything dodgy yet? No? Police still in control without DPM interfering? OK then, let’s continue.

S2N Date: 9/11/2006 14:09:03
--> Dato Seri, Re RB need to meet up with you today. shafee

N2S Date: 9/11/2006 14:17:47
--> 630 pm at my house in PJaya this evening.

S2N Date: 9/11/2006 14:18:21
--> Thank you

Friday 10/11/2006
N2S Date: 10/11/2006 15:14:31
--> Any news about RB ?

Alleged master of everything sinister asking the lawyer on latest about Razak Baginda? Master of everything sinister?

S2N Date: 10/11/2006 15:19:40
--> Dato Seri, Negotiating for conditional release. If not police need 2 or 3 more days extention. I suspect its an exercise in public relation as they do not want public to think a VIP was given an easier time. Being a vip under these conditions is a liability. Otherwise we are on track according to plan. Salam, Shafee

Lawyer negotiating with police for conditional release? Didn’t they (he and Najib) have everything under control? Why not just a call from the DPM?

N2S Date: 10/11/2006 15:27:01
--> Thanks, he is very stressful according to his wife n would be a huge help if he could get a conditional release latest by sun.

Alleged master of everything asking the lawyer to try for a conditional release from the police?

N2S Date: 10/11/2006 21:35:52
--> Saw the news on tv. RB was sent for DNA. Not sure it was neccessary.

Not sure? Should have asked ‘someone’ (we know who, don’t we?) who’d tell you DNA should never be given! wakakaka

S2N Date: 10/11/2006 21:40:19
--> Unnessasary. But I think its on his lung infection. He has just been sent again to HUKM. Will know more later from inside contacts.

Hey, anything dodgy yet? Is it criminal for DPM to find out from either police or hospital inside contacts whether Razak Baginda had lung infection?

Saturday 11/11/2006
S2N Date: 11/11/2006 03:17:56
--> Dato Seri, I was at ghkl ccu 4th floor. RB was admitted due to lung infection: mild pneumonia and asthmatic. This was the pain he was suffering in the chest and unexplained coughing for months. He is under an able physician Dato Dr Jeyaindran Sinnadurai (head of Dept of Medicine) Its good he is resting there than in the lockup. Dna was done to eliminate that he was at scene of crime(paternity can be ruled out as well).Need to see Dato Seri on some concerns. Salam. Shafee

N2S Date: 11/11/2006 08:54:17
--> ANy chance of a release by sun ?

This ‘powerful’ DPM is hopeless – couldn’t he order the release of his mate? Another DPM would have done better wakakaka.

S2N Date: 11/11/2006 08:58:14
--> Police should release him by then except that I think the police is disturbeb by Media and public pressure. Other factors need be coomunicated to Dato Seri in person. Investigation wise we are on track for release.

S2N Date: 11/11/2006 09:26:52
--> It is clear that the Police will ask for extention t'row. I will resist strongly in view of the fact that the last few days investigation on RB have completed investigations that require RB's presence in custody. Secondly, from yesterday the Police has done nothing much with him except to do the dna. Thirdly, I am concerned with the Police carelessness yesterday in allowing the 3 other suspects to be freely mixing and therefore tainting their subsequent stmnts as they could be 'group coached'. But it also show Police no longer need to isolate the suspects. Even RB was handcuffed to the C/I. Salam . Shafee

I really hate to disappoint those hopeful of the smoking gun but up to this stage I haven’t come across anything sinister yet.

N2S Date: 11/11/2006 11:46:48
--> I Can see u today at my Taman duta hse at 6 pm.

S2N Date: 11/11/2006 11:59:08
--> OK Dato Seri.Insyaallah I will be there.

Sunday 12/11/2006
S2N Date: 12/11/2006 13:53:41
--> 2 days extention to Tuesday. They must release him by then maybe conditionally. Police asked for full 14 days. He has message.

This lawyer bloke sure didn’t know how to spell ‘extension’ ;-)

S2N Date: 12/11/2006 14:06:23
--> Will give Dato Seri in a while

S2N Date: 12/11/2006 15:10:17
--> 0320949418

Monday 13/11/2006
S2N Date: 13/11/2006 15:53:36
--> Am in his office now. Another search. AG will be unwilling to charge and lose a case yet again. It is a good idea to suggest to AG to hood on and let investigtion proceed with Razak Released on Bond.

N2S Tel: 60122143177 Date: 13/11/2006 16:23:29
--> How was the search ?

S2N Date: 13/11/2006 16:25:56
--> We provided them everything, including old pda and note books and a couple of bills. Nothing incriminating.

Wednesday 15/11/2006
S2N Date: 15/11/2006 13:21:32
--> Things going as expected. 2 male officer charged for murder in common intention. Razak's name not in. Lady officer released but rearrested under Emergency Ordinance to be used as Crown witness(exactly as predicted). I am expecting RB to be released on Bond. 4 of my lawyers are watching brief the proceedings in the murder case. Rb matter prob t'row. Pl call. Shafee Ps coming back now from Taipei.

N2S Date: 15/11/2006 23:31:09
--> So hopefully he will be released tmrw?

‘Hopefully’? Alamak, what a wimp of a DPM?

S2N Date: 15/11/2006 23:34:38
--> Dato Seri, I am driving up from S'pore ,no more flight to KL tonight. Hope for th best. Any indication? Shafee

N2S Date: 15/11/2006 23:36:52
--> Not heard anything untoward yet.

Thursday 16/11/2006
S2N Date: 16/11/2006 10:52:43
--> Anything Dato Seri? I am already in Court.

N2S Date: 16/11/2006 10:53:50
--> Pls do not say anything to the press today. i will explain later. RB will have to face a tentative charge but all is not lost.

Now, this is supposed to be the smoking gun?

Given the context of the ‘conversation’ thus far, would it be possible to speculate (no more speculative than those who claimed it's the smoking gun) that Najib was providing morale support, after hearing advice from the legal people.

But then that’s not convenient, isn’t it. We must ‘FIX’ Najib up good and proper, so we must put the worst possible light on that “… have to face a tentative charge but all is not lost”.

S2N Date: 16/11/2006 10:54:30
--> OK, TQ

Friday 17/11/2006
S2N Date: 17/11/2006 10:50:30
--> Dato Seri, Its important you speak to Yusoff Zainal Abidin as he knows the law a lot better in the Chambers. I am confident he is concerned with the negligible evidence agst Razak. The Raja Mahani and Tengku Ariston cases ought to be the guiding critera for AG. They cannot afford another scandallous loss by the Prosecution as in Norita, Ariston, Dato Balwant etc.

Woi, I thought all kow tim already? Why seek clarification from the DPP? So what if the DPP knows the law a lot better? Hasn't the DPM kow tim everything already?

N2S Date: 17/11/2006 11:39:46
--> OK will try. Meanwhile try to console the wife. She is hysterical.

S2N Date: 17/11/2006 11:41:29
--> I know Dato Seri. I will do everything I can.Salam, Shafee

S2N Date: 17/11/2006 12:57:49
--> Dato Seri, Razak has not been sent to Hospital. He is clearly not well. He is refusing to take Prison's medicine for fear of sabourtage. The chief Physician of GHKL Dato Dr Jaya Sinnadurai is shocked that they have not brought Razak back to GHKL. I have spoken to Haji Darussalam, Sg Buloh's Prison Director. Can You sound this to Dato Radzi Shek Ahmad? Need to see you of s'thing that I think had happened that led to her death. Utterly shocking if I am right. Shafee

“Need to see you of s'thing that I think had happened that led to her death. Utterly shocking if I am right.”

But I thought Najib had been the murderer? Why should he be shocked? Was the lawyer so dumbo that he was going to inform the DPM that he was right ("... if I am right") in suspecting the DPM’s wife ordered the murder?

S2N Date: 17/11/2006 15:45:34
--> Dato Seri, I am at Sg Buloh Prison. I have organised Razak to be in HUKL, He is on his way there now. The Pengarah Hj Darussallam and deputy Supt Gunasegaran very helpful. Shafee

N2S Date: 17/11/2006 21:27:02
--> My regards to him. He Is always in my thought.

S2N Date: 17/11/2006 21:34:44
--> Will tell him

Sunday 19/11/2006
S2N Date: 19/11/2006 16:25:08
--> Dato Seri, I need Dsp Musa ,your ADc to call me to clarify a point. He is not answering Shafee

Monday 20/11/2006
S2N Date: 20/11/2006 13:02:33
--> Any developement Dato Seri? Shafee

N2S Date: 20/11/2006 14:30:20
--> Not yet.

S2N Date: 20/11/2006 14:30:38
--> Thank you

S2N Date: 20/11/2006 21:05:17
--> Dato Seri.Razak is being transfered to Sg. Buloh t'row. Can Dr. Jaya do anything?

N2S Date: 20/11/2006 23:04:50
--> When is he being transffered?

S2N Date: 20/11/2006 23:05:48
--> T'row

N2S Date: 20/11/2006 23:07:01
--> What time?

S2N Date: 20/11/2006 23:08:01
--> Probably late morning

Thursday 23/11/2006
N2S Tel: 60122143177 Date: 23/11/2006 13:46:51
--> Your message read" Najib released on personal bond!".

S2N Date: 23/11/2006 13:50:00
--> Razak released on Bail of 1 million. On personal bond undertaking. Shafee? I am terribly sorry for that mistake. Whole night tak tidur preparing. My profuse apologies Sir. salam. shafee

N2S Date: 23/11/2006 14:00:25
--> ALhamdullillah , at least he is on bail. Big relief for him n family.

S2N Date: 23/11/2006 14:02:02
--> Dato, I need to brief you urgently b4 you speak to him. Shafee

N2S Date: 23/11/2006 14:12:32
--> OK but not intending to speak to him as yet.

Saturday 2/12/2006
S2N Date: 2/12/2006 18:59:15
--> Dato Seri, Got some info that are troubling. Quite serious. Are you in Taman Duta? Can we meet? Salam, Shafee

And then the author of the post at Malayia-Today added: ... those who know more, please come forward!

What? I thought the above transcript was definitive? Najib should have been hung by now, surely? Aha, I see, only a fishing trip eh?

With a few exceptions (eg. my blogging mate, Susan Loone), zillions of crocodile tears have been shed for Altantuyaa Shariibuu which I penned in a second Altantuyaa poem titled Murdering Altantuyaa Shaariibuu Again. Below are extracts from this poem (where Altantuyaa Shariibuu 'speaks' to us):

But the loudest noises are they calling for ‘justice’
Though, I smile cynically, ‘twas not meant for me
Their shrill proclamations & belated outrage (sigh)
Startled even great Gujir Tngri and the 77 siqar

Grandstanding acrobatics, their excuse to dispense
With all norms, purportedly all for me (wry smile)
I must confess I view with scepticism and distaste
As I would professional chest-pounding mourners

Gnashing Colgate mint-flavoured peroxide-d teeth
Wretchedly wringing manicured Ulan oiled hands
Shedding date-expired plastic bags of lo-salt tears
Proclaiming to be 11th hour paragons of ‘justice’

Even Ataya Tngri rolled his ancient eyes upwards
While Emegelji Eji cackled with caustic laughter
The ancient pair could see abacus shaped hearts
Clicking furiously and shaming Casio calculators

By sheer speed of their computation of advantage
What to extract, exploit, extricate from my name
Squeezing the very last speck of desiccated blood
From my hyper cold shattered fragments of bones

Eager hands raided the ossuary for me to be laid
As stepping stones for the progress of a demigod
On Ardha-Matanga, 4 tasks & seven white trunks
Saluting Brahma, walking to Amarawati by a lake

As the pseudo-pious pirouetting pachyderm crushes
What little good left of my name, what trust exists
In my family’s hope for requital of my cruel murder
I realize those raucous battle cries were not for me

Summoned by conjured justice to now serve Fenrir
To break asunder Gleipnir but only with my death
Re-evoked, for my soul to be murdered a 2nd time
To satiate the burning thirst of Angrboda’s 1st child

One also wonders what Telecommunication Act would have been violated by producing the transcript of the SMS-ing, unless of course it dropped off the back of a police truck?

Monster children of the Holocaust

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets - Matthew 7:12


Extracts from al Jazeera:

Richard Falk, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories, recently delivered his report to the General Assembly.

He cited continued "abuse of international humanitarian law" associated with the "separation wall", "children fatalities due to Israeli use of excessive force" to quell nonviolent demonstrations, and abuses at border crossings.

Despite the details and warnings in the report, Israel's policy of incarceration, targeted assassinations, and near starvation of millions of Palestinians has gone unabated for too long under the eyes of the international community.

This is the longest occupation (and refugee problem) since the establishment of the UN itself; four decades old … and counting. [...]

Israel has disregarded with total impunity dozens of UN resolutions "censuring", "calling", "urging", "recommending", or "condemning" its attacks, settlements, deportations, and occupation. Unfortunately, all pleas and demands for humanitarian and political interventions have fallen on deaf ears. [...]

Since the early 1970s, Washington has vetoed 42 UN Security Council resolutions critical of Israeli policies, some of which were drafted by its European allies.

If one accepts the claim that Cold War rivalries had contributed to UN paralysis with respect to the Israeli Palestinian-Arab conflict, (all 690 Soviet-Arab resolutions adopted from 1947-1990 have been ignored by the West), then how can one justify sidelining the UN since the fall of the Soviet Union?

After all, most major post-Cold War conflicts have seen direct UN involvement: Bosnia, Kosovo, Somalia, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria and of late, Lebanon and Sudan.

But the UN, it seems, cannot deal with the occupation and suffering of Palestine.

Following the end of the Cold War, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was removed from the halls of the world body and entrusted to Israel's allies in Washington. [...]

The special rapporteur also emphasised the humanitarian and health crisis in Gaza after more than a year of an Israeli siege.

He said that it should be the UN's highest priority to resume economic assistance to the people of Gaza.

He said: "In the face of an impending humanitarian catastrophe, the responsibility to do what is possible to mitigate human suffering is serious."

"This is a responsibility toward the civilian population of Gaza, and is not dependent on whether Hamas satisfies the political conditions set by Israel or whether the ceasefire holds."

Gerakan & DAP - the missing songkok factor!

Today Malaysiakini reported No Malay veep for Gerakan.

What a shame!

It doesn’t matter that Dr Arsharuddin Ahmad, the sole Malay candidate bidding to be an office bearer in the Gerakan Party’s election, has not proven himself at state level, or that he has never held any junior national post before standing as a VP candidate.

Why?

... because AAB officiating the annual Gerakan congress in Kuala Lumpur this morning informed Gerakan Party members that there have been Malays who prefer a multi-racial party and do not want to join Umno or its rival PAS, both Malay-based party.

Then why don't they join the Gerakan?

Turning to Gerakan president by his side, AAB chided Koh: “Gerakan wants to be multi-racial but it has not become what it should be. You have not achieved the purpose of why the party was founded.”

The point is the Gerakan Party’s claim as a multi-ethnic party is now even more dodgy than ever. It will remain, and be seen mainly as a Chinese-based party with a sprinkling of Indians given the odd senatorial posts.

The natural party for Indian Malaysians is the DAP ;-). Its founder was an Indian and its current national Chairperson is an Indian. The party has an Indian VP (& 1 Malay and 3 Chinese VP), a deputy sec-gen (& 2 Chinese dep-sec gen), and 2 other Indian national committee members. Professor Rama is the deputy CM of Penang.

Just beat that degree of representation for Indians.

Thus it has been such a pity to hear 5,000 Penang MIC members declaring their intentions to over switch to the PKR. Alas!

But my lamentation for the Gerakan’s inability to vote in a Malay VP also applies in another manner to the DAP, where currently there is no DAP Malay MP!

What ever happened to Zulkifli Mohd Noor who stood as DAP’s candidate in Bukit Bendera in 2004 and won a credible 18,000 votes out of 47,000?

As I had blogged previously, the DAP may have partial claim to their avowed multi-ethnic credentials – for example, they have put up many Indian candidates who have been voted successfully into both federal Parliament and State Assemblies.

Unfortunately none of its Malay candidates were ever successful, especially if and when they stood in Malay majority constituencies.

It was in a Chinese majority Bukit Bendera (Penang) that Zulkifli Mohd Noor made a decent mark, by winning nearly 18000 of the 47000 votes, and that’s no mean feat if we look at the ethnic breakdown. The Chinese majority federal seat had 13.82% Malays, 73.97% Chinese and 11.07% Indians plus a sprinkling of 1.14% Thais, Eurasian, etc.

Even if all 14% Malays in that constituency had turned up to cast their ballots for Zulkifli (which was absolutely unlikely), he wouldn’t get more than 5000 votes. This meant that there was a whole lot of Chinese votes for Zul.

I wrote on the possible reasons why Zul didn’t make it in 2004. That could have been due to three factors:

(1) he was exposed/introduced to the locals in Bukit Bendera a wee too late in the game (in 2004). Though the DAP is a powerful brand the party must not assume that is the magic key to winning.

(2) the Gerakan wasn’t exactly sleeping in Bukit Bendera. Though tarnished in recent years (prior to 2004) by Raja Bodek, the Gerakan was (in 2004) still a reasonably popular brand, especially with the middle age population.

(3) then (in 2004), there was that freshly minted ‘Mr Clean’ or Bao Gong.

The sum of it was that Zulkifli did well in a Chinese majority, and that's because of the DAP brand. Under a program of continuous political investments (and not just campaigning on the eve of the election) Zulkifli could be a winning candidate.

Thus I was deeply disappointed to see Zulkifli completely missing from the recent March 2008 general election, when without doubt he would have won and made history as the first DAP Malay MP, giving the DAP its multi-ethnic credentials and legitimacy.

I also note that he has disappeared from the list of DAP national office bearers where he was once a VP. Has he retired or left in fustration?

As a DAP supporter (but not member) I have urged the DAP to rethink its Malaysian Malaysia ideology, which is afterall a policy that had originated from Lee Kuan Yew’s PAP when Singapore was part of Malaysia, and to also reconsider its campaign to abolish bumiputra privileges.

I suggest that the DAP looks at three issues:

(1) develop a new political vision to replace its Malaysian Malaysia that will ameliorate the fears of the Malay.

(2) develop a fresh strategic policy to accept the NEP but one that will be managed fairly and exclusively for bumiputera interest. This does not in any way disregard the currently marginalized Indians or the less fortunate Chinese. Preserve the NEP exclusively for the needy Melayu and other bumis.

Forget about Anwar Ibrahim’s claim that he would get rid of the NEP or that the policy has outlived its usefulness. As has been said, Anwar would speak in human language to humans, and spirit language to spirits. Yes, he’ll say anything to climb up the ladder of power, from 916 to half past six.

I personally believe that the NEP still has use for a large segment of the Malay and Sarawak/Sabah bumis. It’s the misuse of this apparatus for affirmative action that’s the problem, not the NEP per se.

(3) get rid of its socialist label – most Malays don’t understand what it stands for, other than it must be a part of the Satanic communist diabolical plot.

However, I do note that sweetie Teresa Kok has made great progress in winning direct Malay support which has been why she is currently being demonized by UMNO Selamgor who’s sh*t scared of her popularitry.

But once again I lament that the DAP had missed a wonderful to present Zulkifli Mohd Noor as a federal candidate in March 2008.

Anwar sodomy trial - witness dobbed AG Gani Patail

On Wednesday, in the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial, the KL session court was told by an ex police officer, Mat Zain Ibrahim, that the actions of Abdul Gani, then a senior deputy public prosecutor, had delayed the investigation process and concealed facts from the (then) AG, the late Mohtar Abdullah.

The court had earlier barred the media from reporting this until it was satisfied the information could be released to the public without jeopardising the case. Today the court lifted its media block on the news about Abdul Gani Patail's alleged involvement.

So we get to know of the AG’s alleged naughtiness through Malaysiakini news article titled Ex-cop: How AG interfered in 'black eye' case.

But first the personalities involved then were:

(i) The late Mohtar Abdullah - then AG

(ii) Abdul Gani Patail – then only senior DPP but today the AG

(iii) Dr Abdul Rahman Yusof, doctor assigned by Abdul Gani.

(iv) Mat Zain Ibrahim – investigating officer and currently witness telling the court of Gani Patail’s naughtiness

(v) Dr Mahathir Mohamad – if you do not know him, don’t bother to read this post wakakaka

(vi) Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor – then IGP and the bloke who gave Anwar the black eye

This was what Mat Zain reported to the court, regarding the circumstances at the time of the black eye:

After he was appointed by the IGP, that same night the IGP (who bashed Anwar in the eye) met him privately and instructed him to conduct an in-depth investigation and “to leave no stone unturned” in order to uphold the image of the police force.

The IGP also told him that no other senior police officer would be allowed to disrupt him in the investigation.

Then Dr M also sent a similar message to him to do a good job. He stated:

“During that meeting, I explained [to the PM] what actually happened to Anwar and identified the person who hurt him”

… which we all know was the (then) IGP, the man who also told Mat Zain to conduct an in-depth investigation and “to leave no stone unturned” in order to uphold the image of the police force.

“The prime minister advised me that there should be no cover-up in the probe and stated that the government may set up an independent commission to investigate the case if there is any attempt to cover up the incident; (and if a commission had to be appointed) would tarnish not only the credibility of the police force but also mine.”

The above were the nobler parts; now for the grubby component …

He provided 2 two investigation reports to Abdul Gani on Oct 26 and 30 respectively, but the AG, Mohtar Abdullah, was quoted in the media on Nov 7 as saying that his chambers had not received any such report.

According to the Malaysiakini report: “It was only on Nov 20 that Mohtar reportedly said he had received the report. Mat Zain said he believed Mohtar’s statement was made after he (Mat Zain) had ‘pressured’ Abdul Gani a day earlier to confirm the status of his two reports."

So Gani was holding Mat Zain’s reports back from the AG’s eyes.

Then a week later he found out to his amazement that he was reported in Dr Abdul Rahman’s second medical report that he (Mat Zain) had visited the lock-up (where Anwar was held) to ‘reconstruct’ the incidence.

Mat Zain said there was no such ‘reconstruction’, meaning (from his statement to the court) the part on the 'reconstruction' of the 'black eye' incident in the 2nd medical report was sheer bullsh*t.

And Mat Zain revealed further lies being fed to the unsuspecting (the late) AG, who said (incorrectly) that the perpetrator of the black eye was unknown.

According to Malaysiakini, Mat Zain said he “believed Abdul Gani concealed important facts from Mohtar’s knowledge” and had personally appointed Abdul Rahman as the medical officer to prepare the report in October 1998."

It was left to the former IGP, Abdul Rahman to admit to the royal commission on the ‘black eye’ incident that he had been the one who caused the injury to Anwar.

So, more interestingly than the allegations by Mat Zain that AG Gani Patail had been an a$$h*le (which we all know already), his report to the court on Wednesday had absolved Dr Mahathir of having any finger in the pie - au contraire, Dr M had insisted on a fair and impartial investigation.

The witness' report also showed the former IGP in far more noble light.

What we now have a glimpse is that of an IGP who lost his temper with Anwar (allegedly calling the IGP by an insulting word – I heard it was ‘dog’), bashed the former DPM in the eye, then repentantly insisted on the investigating officer (his subordinate) to do a thorough in-depth investigation (“to leave no stone unturned”) and not to be influenced by anyone, and in the absence of any identification of the perpetrator by the (then) AG, who was allegedly kept in the dark by Gani Patail, admitted to the royal commission he was the person who had whacked Anwar.

The (then) IGP lost his job and went to jail for a spell for assault.

And as a last question – what about Zulkifli Noordin, the PKR MP from Kulim, who stormed the Bar Council forum?

Will he be ever disciplined by PKR? Why is Anwar Ibrahim acting dunno after he promised more than a month ago to discipline the hoodlum?

Man man lai bull again?

See also:
(1) We're a 'clean' nation
(2) Corruption allegations - AG more like Defence Attorney?
(3) AG - millstone around government's neck in election?

Priority 1 - free RPK & Hindraf 5

I learned the term ‘sacred cow’ when I was in English class in secondary school. We were then discussing or rather comparing the social-cultural-political-religious backdrops of Indians (in India) and Chinese (in China).

Naturally the term ‘sacred cow’ popped up, with kind Mr Koh explaining its place in the English lexicon to his inattentive students.

Dear elderly Mr Koh – I remember him berating me “kaytee how many times have I told you not to use the word ‘get’. 'Obtain! Obtain! Obtain'”, and with each utterance of ‘obtain’ he would jab his finger in the air for emphasis, though at that time I felt as if he was trying to drill a hole in my poor skull so that he could insert the ‘obtain’ word into it (while no doubt removing the 'get' word).

The dictionary defines sacred cow as “one that is immune from criticism, often unreasonably so” as in the example (in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists): "The need for widespread secrecy has become a sacred cow".

I learn through observations that in Australia there are 3 ‘sacred cows’, namely the veterans of Gallipoli and WWI, the farmers, and sports people.

Sorry to say that the first have become extinct, with the Aussie affection now directed towards WWII veterans and even Korean and the once much despised Vietnam veterans.

The second, the farmers – well, Aussies don’t hear much from them when they are doing well such as when the crops are bountiful and fetching high prices, and Japanese and Koreans are buying Aussie beef and mutton by the mega tonnes.

But when floods and drought play havoc Downunder, oh oh oh, those national icons must be supported (through government funds of course), succoured and suckled, and don’t you dare say anything nasty about them at all, like, "Hey, what happened to those big bucks you guys earned during those 7 years of plenty?"

They sure won't appreciate you narrating to them the story of Joseph son of Jacob and his interpretation of the Pharoah's dreams.

But if you were to, say, open a sandwich shop at the airport and the airline pilots or maintenance engineers go on strike, and bugger your business into bankruptcy, or there have been 40 days and 40 nights of wild raging seas screwing the fishermen and fishmongers real good, you non-farming lot are likely to get a "Tough luck, matey, t’is the hard cruel world of commerce".

The Japs pampered their farmers (and yes, blooming whale hunters too), the Yanks subsidized their farmers heavily, the French try to beat the Yanks in the subsidization game, the Aussies, as mentioned, treat them like ‘sacred cows’.

Given this universal trend, I wonder how we Malaysians treat our farmers.

But please don’t bring up the pig farmers and the episode of the Nipah virus outbreak some years back.

As for the 3rd Aussie ‘sacred cow’ most of them are a bunch of over pampered overpaid oversexed prima donnas who won’t hesitate to bonk their mate’s wife, have ‘quiet drinks’ in a room with Indian bookies (and claimed innocence), or bash up their girlfriends – but nonetheless, at the end of the day, will still be treated by sport fans as heroes.

It's not only some Malaysians who are 'blind' - wakakaka.

So there we are – perhaps now we have an idea of what a ‘sacred cow’ is.

So … who is Malaysia's ‘sacred cow’?

I believe now it has to be Raja Petra Kamarudin or as he is popularly known, RPK. He was once also called Peter, a reference perhaps to his Malaysian-Welsh upbringing.

Leaving aside his UMNO (and perhaps some police) enemies, who would dare say anything bad about him?

Even those who wish to criticize him do so in the most oblique manner, knowing any adverse comments against RPK would be akin to stirring a hornet’s nest. ‘Stirring a hornet’s nest’? wakakaka!

Quite frankly if RPK were to stand for election today, he would probably win with a majority that would make Teresa Kok’s winning margin seem paltry. If Malaysia is a republic with a direct presidential voting system, he could easily become President of Malaysia, winning enough votes to carry over to the next five year term - such is his popularity!

But of course, RPK is under ISA detention now.

Malaysiakini columnist sweetie Helen Ang wrote in Keeping up RPK's spirit:

Whether one believes in RPK’s exposes and statutory declarations, the fact of the matter is that he has successfully provided an alternative reading diet, both in politics and philosophy, and weaned a multitude away from the official-line info sources.

RPK had been a one-man media industry, single-handedly exposing the shenanigans in the corridors of power. More than that, his writings tackled the practice of Islam here, which few dare. The fact that he is a Malay-Muslim pushing the envelope is what makes him a serious threat to the Umno hegemony, rather than if a ‘non’ were to rant and rave.

While there is a lot of truth in what sweetie has written, I beg to differ slightly (just slightly) with her second paragraph.

I reckon the issue of RPK ‘pushing the envelope’ in his exposé of UMNO or even the practice of Islam, rather than being the serious threat to the UMNO hegemony, has been the excuse to detain him under the ISA.

It has been his series of anti Najib articles culminating in the Statutory Declaration of “I have been reliably informed …” which was the last straw for the authorities, particularly RPK's target, the DPM and now PM designate.

And who knows what or who had put private investigator Balasubramaniam to follow up RPK’s Stat Dec with another almost similar anti-Najib Stat Dec, which included a ‘revelation’ of a sexual manoeuvre ‘coincidentally' similar to the one Najib's political Nemesis had been accused of.

Strangely, the principal beneficiary of RPK’s campaign and general thrust of his folk-popular articles has been relatively silent about RPK’s present predicament.

Yes, he has made the odd "free all under ISA" statements, which have been no diffferent to what other PR leaders have done.

Surely we should expect more from Anwar for RPK - like, has Anwar visited RPK in Kamunting? Maybe leaving a copy of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' for good olde Peter to read?

Or perhaps Shakespeare's other book, 'The Twelfth Night' which tells us that Viola declared:

I hate ingratitude more in a man
Than lying, vainness, babbling, drunkenness,
Or any taint of vie whose strong corruption
Inhabits our frail blood.

But alas, we witness Anwar's greater keenness in attacking the new PM designate.

I applaud sweetie Helen Ang’s timely article where, as she so sweetly wrote, ‘Whether one believes in RPK’s exposes and statutory declarations’ or not, we must punch home the message to the government that RPK and the Hindraf leaders must be freed a.s.a.p!

Unlike Anwar Ibrahim, I am more worried about RPK’s and the Hindraf leaders’ continuing detention than Najib’s political ascendancy.

Please join me in getting our political priorities right!

Goodbye to an unrealized Bao Gong redux

“Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg.”

That’s the story of AAB.

Today he announced his intention not to contest UMNO party’s presidency, effectively announcing his stepping down from the premiership in March 2009, but he couldn’t resist taunting Najib with a taste of the latter’s medicine, that it’s up to the party members to elect the next party president.

In Malaysiakini PM not contesting, to quit in March AAB was reported to have remarked:

"At some point I will have to hand over to my successor. Why do I say 'at some point'? It is because Najib will have to win the party election first. Once he has won, then we can discuss (the transition)."

Wakakaka!

AAB came with a lot of promise but alas, as CS Lewis said about the eggy thing: “It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”

Yes, unless one produces results, as a PM should for the people, he would be out pretty pronto. The late Tunku suffered that fate (though he was ‘helped’ along the way out by his deputy).

AAB won the general election in 2004 by a landslide, and almost wiped out PKR but for a mere hundred votes or so. But 4 years later, his BN lost 4 States and its two-thirds majority in federal Parliament.

Strangely he achieved the above BN disasters while being, by comparison to his predecessor, a reasonably liberal PM.

His critics see him as indecisive, and his enemies propagated his image as one not unlike two of Snow White’s dwarves, namely Dopey and Sleepy.

There’s no doubt he had leaned too heavily on his children’s advice which might have been devious but lacked the strength, subtlety, and slyness of the politically crafty, a hallmark of earlier UMNO leaders (except for Hussein Onn).

In the end he paid the ultimate price for accepting those bad advice.

Additionally he had the bad luck to earn Dr M’s wrath, in major part because of his children.

He also had the equally bad luck to lead Malaysia into an unstable world’s economic situation.

He might have survived all these if he hadn’t suffered the ignominy of losing 4 States and the BN 2/3 parliamentary majority. Whatever support he had enjoyed within UMNO was eroded overnight when the grand olde party went into shock, with its members realizing the once unthinkable, the prospect of spending a few many years in opposition politics.

Dr M, once-marginalized by UMNO, began to regain his influence as frantic, panicky and hysterical UMNO members look around for a saviour to save them from what they believe to be their impending political doom.

Poor Anwar, how he must have loved to take charge, but apart from UMNO's old factional interests, there were far too many new interests in the party. Thousands of bridges had been crossed in the last ten years, bringing about new landscapes, new alliances and new party factions, and very very few UMNO members wanted Anwar back for a variety of reasons.

But AAB had not only allowed the March 2008 tsunamic disaster to occur on his beat, he had been in large part responsible for it. As one silly example, he had permitted the overly ambitious ones in his party to publicly rail bigotry against his BN partners and their supporters.

That might have been good for gaining internal party support but defintely a strange way of expecting the same 2004 Malaysian support, particularly from the Chinese and Indians.

Sadly, he didn’t have the character, personality nor the inclination to slap those bigots down. But apart from his personality, how could he do so when his own SIL had resorted to badmouthing the Chinese to divert attention from his (SIL’s) unusual and fortuitous but unexplained investment.

Then he overreacted (no doubt through bad advice) against the Hindraf rally, and for what?

Those people were marching towards the British High Commission to lodge a grandstanding and symbolic claim against the British colonial government (not Malaysian government!) for the former's shameful neglect of the Indians and their descent into the community's current woeful economic predicament.

What would have happened if the rally had been permitted to continue untouched, unmolested and unhindered?

We would never know because, but I personally believe this, the unnecessary heavy-handed brutalities against Hindraf protestors had been the last straw on the Malaysian camel’s back. It wasn’t just the Indians who were outraged – most Malaysians (save the most dedicated BN supporters) made a firm and committed political decision to vote against the BN.

We could tear him apart in our analysis but suffice to say, he didn’t become the PM we had expected him to be, the Bao Gong redux.

To end this post I present two more egg quotations:

"Love and eggs are best when they are fresh" - Russian proverb, to which I say 'in 2004 the AAB egg was still fresh, but now it’s 2008!', and ...

"An egg is always an adventure; the next one may be different" - Oscar Wilde

Wakakaka!

Colossus, Kim Il Wah or Brahma?

Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves

- W Shakespeare

According to the Star Online, this 12.2 metre high cutout positioned in front of Wisma Keringat at Batu Caves costs the taxpayers RM5,000.

And a sweetie secretly confided to me she though Malaysia had gone the way of North Korea with a Soviet style Kim Il Wah-ish iconic monument.

But Perlis Mufti Dr Asri Zainul Abidin told cult supporters to cease and desist in such extreme extent of 'idol-ising' their leader.

He warned them: “The action should be stopped immediately for fear that it would become a practise within the society. It can deviate the Muslim’s faith."

I wonder what the Kulim Wonder, Zulkifli Noordin would say?

Brahma at Batu Caves?

But the greatest sin would be
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

Maybe kaytee can offer yet another poem?


I was Darth Vader yesterday
But now I am Luke Skywalker
Tho’ tomorrow, you’ll see me
As I ought to be, the Emperor

Activist in a forgotten history
Then Minister of Parachuting
Yes, I can metamaphose easily
From black, white to anything

Catch me if you can, I am the
Entertainer of the salacious,
Then like a flash of lightning
Becoming Mufti of all pious

My syrupy honey tongue, ten
Metres long – all the better
To catch you common lalat’s
With words sweet and tender

Of many hue, size and shape
Yes, I am indeed a chameleon
Breaking bread with an Islamist
Or bosom buddy of a neocon

Once I wallowed in a cesspool
'ere I was driven out by a tiger
Now I am your white Paladin
Not many can detect my odour

Like a mischievous Eris I flung
Into the anagrammatic KOJI
A Mongolian apple of discord
Which says Altan .. Kallisti

A word meaning ‘to the fairest’
Why, that’s me, aku, I, wah
Sweet words, all ye lemmings,
For your Most Majesty, Moi

MCA - still relevant in Malaysian politics?

Today let’s discuss the dilemma facing MCA. Does it have any more relevance in Malaysian politics now that the DAP, and to a smaller extent PKR, has won the Chinese Malaysian community’s political support (except for the State of Johore)?

The other (majority) Chinese based party in the BN, Gerakan had been totally wiped out in the north by the DAP as it had once wiped out the MCA from Penang in 1969.

In yesterday’s Malaysiakini article MCA a 'penumpang' in BN author Foong Wai Fong believed that Ahmad Ismail had been right in his controversial ‘squatter’ comment.

She reckoned Ahmad was “… not targeting the Chinese population at large, but the Chinese-based parties within Barisan Nasional as they are ‘squatting’ in BN and rely on Malay votes and Umno's influence to stay in power.”

How true – it has been said that MCA rode on UMNO’s sarong or coattails to Parliament and most DUNs.

Foong detailed why she made that claim: “The majority of the 20 seats belonging to MCA (15), MIC (3) and Gerakan (2) were elected primarily by Malays and were considered Umno territories. The non-Umno 14 ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries were given these positions not because they have won the seats on their right, but were simply riding on Barisan's ticket.”

She reckoned that “… Umno has been kind to them; these parties' electoral performance in no way deserves the number of cabinet positions now bestowed on them.”

But I believe that’s precisely the way UMNO wanted it, a weak and compliant MCA (and Gerakan) to comply with its (UMNO’s) dictates while presenting a façade of multi-ethnic politics.

Many were the times UMNO had undermined MCA or made the Chinese based party lose face with the Chinese community. I had blogged on this several times, and here’s one Stung by hornet, mute as only MCA can be over at my other blog BolehTalk to exemplify the perennial dilemma for MCA.

Every time UMNO humiliated MCA, the beneficiary has been the DAP. It’s little wonder that the Chinese community had overwhelmingly supported the DAP in the last election as they had once abandoned the MCA for Lim Chong Eu’s Gerakan in 1969.

One wonders whether UMNO had aped Israel’s covert creation and financial support of Hamas to weaken al Fatah in its undermining of MCA to DAP’s windfall. But just as Hamas proves to be a thorn in Israel side, now the DAP is a thorn in UMNO's side too.

It has come to such a stage that UMNO Selangor feels it necessary to demon-ize Teresa Kok in the worst sinister ways, because to UMNO she has been making frightening inroads into the Malay constituency.

Should the MCA then leave the BN?

Foong in Malaysiakini MCA 2.0 doesn't need bravery, it needs strategy advised against that.

She warned that it’s dangerous to drive a besieged UMNO into the pan-Malay corner, and consequently cursing Malaysia with a political divide along very distinct ethnic lines.

At a time of UMNO’s greatest need, MCA can play a constructive and meaningful role to elevate its status within the BN by helping UMNO a la 1999. But the MCA must convince UMNO that a strong MCA with a meaningful political role (rather than that of a subservient subordinate) can help restore the BN and thus UMNO to its former glory.

Foong wrote: “The demise of MCA will also bring an end to Umno’s or BN's reach to the Chinese community; throwing all the Chinese votes into the welcoming arms of PKR and DAP. MCA has inherent strengths which can be put to effective use; it has a very broad-based membership, over 1.3 million members, a matured organisation and network throughout the country.”

“The Chinese-based party has over RM1 billion in party assets and a long history - many Chinese in Malaysia still would like to see the MCA return to play an effective political role to advance the national agenda.”

Foong advised MCA against the temptation to demonstrate to the Chinese community its bravery by "dare to get angry and dare to speak up” (gan nu gan yan) and in the process rile UMNO.

A tough talking tough acting MCA would be too bitter a pill for UMNO to swallow and thus counterproductive for the MCA.

She said at a time when UMNO is feeling besieged, the MCA behaving excessively assertive would be the wrong medicine to treat the terrible disease the BN is currently suffering from, namely the detested UMNO hegemonic uni-ethnic politics, policies and polemics, and all its attendant ills, corruption and cronyism.

Related: MCA at a crossroad

UMNO 4-Ekor?

Malaysiakini in In for a hectic week as PM decides poses a lot of questions on UMNO’s coming party election.

First and foremost is whether AAB will go, though the majority of political pundits think he will. But Dr M reckons he will not.

Second and more interesting than the above is whether Muhyiddin Yassin will go for broke and contest the No 1 position rather than the deputy president post as 'shotgun' to Najib, which many have already accepted as a virtual fait accompli in the same manner as they've reckoned AAB will step down for good.

Thirdly, as a bit of a sideshow but nonetheless quite intriguing is whether Ku Li will face a déjà vu by leaving UMNO to join PKR, as is now rumoured.

Let’s discuss the third case first. With the current belief that AAB will go in favour of a Najib-Muhyiddin leadership, Ku Li knows his last stab at UMNO No 1 post is virtually as good as lost, sadly forever.

With AAB now touted as the sacrificial goat to be sembelih (ritual slaughter) at the altar to appease the Ketuanan Melayu ideology for his unforgiveable leadership responsibility for the last general election ‘disaster’*, the UMNO caucus and membership may be mollified enough to grant Najib a honeymoon period to show his leadership mettle.

* in arrogant avaricious assessment, still considered a ‘disaster’ despite the BN coming out with 140 seats in a 222 seat parliament

And Dr M may be expected to stop his undermining campaign once his blue-eyed boy is PM. So, where does that leave Ku Li?

Both Star Online and Malaysiakini have told us that Ku Li just had a tête-à-tête with Pakatan Rakyat leaders, including Anwar Ibrahim, Abdul Hadi Awang and Lim Kit Siang. Where Anwar Ibrahim is concerned, UMNO smells froggie danger.

Ku Li he said the meeting had been 'in the context of old friends meeting up', and that he had met the Opposition leaders in his capacity as a statesman – wow!

This has been the part which made a sweetie laugh rather sweetly, when Ku Li claimed the PR leaders had ‘sought appointments to see him for discussions over the country’s future’.

Ku Li did a man man lai stating: “As a statesman, I am open to meeting all politicians, regardless if they are from Barisan Nasional or Pakatan. This is especially crucial when we have to steer in a storm of political and economic uncertainties, made worse with global issues such as the US financial meltdown.”

I wonder whether Anwar had offered him the No 1 spot if he crosses over, with Anwar accepting the No 2 spot in a new PR government ….. well at least for a short while ;-)

Theoretically it’ll be a coup of sorts for PR if Ku Li walks across. Maybe some UMNO MPs may follow, though of course Anwar will be hoping for a tsunami.

The argument for Ku Li walking across will depend on his presidential prospects within the old party, but once he senses he has been left by the wayside he may feel, at his age of 70, he has nothing more to lose if he joins PR.

What about Muhyiddin? With a far younger Najib holding UMNO’s No 1 position he won’t have a chance in hell of ever ascending to that post and the PM-ship, save if Najib stumbles or the BN loses badly in 2013.

If he challenges Najib and loses, the consequences will be fatal for his political career a la Ku Li.

No doubt Dr M had earlier encouraged him to ‘go for it’ but I suspect that was within the context of his (Dr M’s) frustration with Najib for not being assertive enough to openly challenge AAB. Perhaps Dr M had believed that a wee nudging by ostentatiously switching his backing (temporarily) to Muhyiddin might give Najib a scary shove to his backside.

Najib is just not that sort of person to 'openly' challenge someone (unless he is a Chinese wakakaka), but that doesn't mean he hasn't been manoeuvring, manipulating and machinating Machiavellian-ly within his party.

Now that it appears Najib will be taking over shortly (though Dr M still suspects AAB may yet have something up his sleeves to stall that), I reckon Dr M’s provisional support of Muhyiddin has passed its ‘use-by’ date.

Anyway, does Muhyiddin have the numbers? Or, as has been suggested, will he team up with Ku Li to challenge Najib? Ku Li at 70 gives a far brighter career prospect for 61 year old Muhyiddin.

Perhaps Ahmad Zahid’s surprising announcement of his candidature for the No 2 job has been a warning shot across Muhyiddin’s bow, that he (Muhyiddin) will be better off by remaining as Najib's partner?

There is of course a new bizarre conspiracy theory, that Zahid, once a very close political colleague of you-know-who, and who was detained under the ISA for speaking out for that person, could well be a ‘sleeper’ wakakaka. Da? Nyet?

Zahid's rapid ascendancy in UMNO from political pariah to political power within 10 years surely must be a testimony to his political ability, manoeuvrings and connections.

If in that remote possibility of him becoming the new No 2 in UMNO, and assuming he has been indeed a ‘sleeper’, will he bring back you-know-who?

kaytee believes that even if the preposterous conspiracy theory of Zahid being a 'sleeper' has some substance, the overriding reality is that there’s no long term loyalty in UMNO or for that matter, any political party.

Just ask Dr M, Ku Li, Ling L.S and they would tell you that such is the nature of the political beast where it’s every man for himself (sorry if I leave out the ladies but look upon it as a compliment rather than an insult).

Thus if Zahid becomes the new UMNO No 2 by one shot in a million, he’ll be definitely preparing, promoting and presenting himself for the No 1 position rather than worrying about an old association which in the last 10 years had already crossed far too many bridges.

Racist states and racist States

Sadly, it’s not just an individual’s angry but stupid and unacceptable racist outburst which I posted in Racist Malaysians based on a Malaysiakini article Blogger apologises over controversial remarks.

Much earlier we had learnt of a school teacher shockingly deriding her Indian students for their ethnic origins.

Both were pathetic exhibitions of unmitigated racism, deformed states of mind, where the former suffered a theft of her personal belonging to bring to the surface her latent prejudices, whilst the later was raw hatred or/and scorn for another race poured out in arrogant surety that she would be, by virtue of her superior position, immune from punishment.

The former apologized, no doubt in fearful realization of the enormity of her shameful act, whilst the latter (I heard) was posted to a far superior position. Maybe the latter had been correct in her arrogant confidence?

I have personally witnessed the most shameful exhibitions of racism by people I know, Chinese, Malays, Indians and strangely Eurasians, whilst I have been the victim of overt racism which fortunately for me didn’t end in violence.

Oh racism, even the Indians practice racism among themselves as I posted in Malaysia's Economic Pariahs?

I am going to quote something that I once wrote to Malaysiakini, which we should be mindful of when discussing or judging anyone of racism:

I recall one of the characters in the Akira Kurosawa classic ‘Rashomon’, narrating his grievances according to his perception, and undoubtedly self interest.

Kurosawa's great tale had intended to show, a narration of either a crime, or a grievance would be seen differently by each individual party. We may confidently assume all would be generally unreliable, with a mixture of those dangerous half-truths.

How much spice each would have added on, no one knows. As Kurosawa's film had moralised, there is no such thing as an objective truth, which is also a timely reminder when we talk about racism.

On the other side of the coin, I also have among my closest friends blokes and lassies from the Malay, Indian (including Punjabi), Eurasian, Kadazan, Iban, Singhalese, Thai, Ang Mor communities.

We can be friends, in fact close friends ….. provided of course we learn to understand, appreciate, respect, tolerate and accept one another’s customs, cultures, mores, practices, beliefs, etc.

But the most insidious form of racism (bearing in mind of course that all forms of racism is evil) would be politically instigated or sanctioned racism. Take the example of the former South African Apartheid regime or the current Israeli State. Some countries are less obvious, nations like Japan where even Korean Japanese domiciled for several generations are still regarded as ‘lesser’ citizens.

Where does Malaysia stand in this regard?

Some say we are like the former SA Apartheid regime, but I disagree because those who said that have no idea of what the blacks in SA had undergone – yes sir, no idea at all of the degrading humiliating abuses the coloured people had suffered under the (Dutch Reformed) Church sanctioned Apartheid.

What about Israel? Now, that’s food for thoughts!

Related: Malaysian Racism & The 3 Baskets of Crabs

Steering thro' troubled waters?

I have just posted Malaysiakini's Great Helmsman over at my other blog BolehTalk, which takes a light hearted look at a word frequently used by Malaysiakini wakakaka.

Hope you'll take a break from the more serious stuff here to visit BolehTalk.

Racist Malaysians

When I read Malaysiakini Furore over racist blog posting I thought to myself, f*, this is just the sort of stuff someone will seize on to divert attention from Ahmad Ismail … or the Kulim Wonder.

Another version of Namawee, so to speak, though the offending issue is different.

Mind you, not that it didn’t happen. Blogger Sammy, alas a sweetie, of Life is a Drama is certainly living up to her motto of ‘A life without a dash of conflict and colour will not be a complete one’, except she chose the theme of colour a wee too literally, and consequentially is now reaping the ugly conflict.

According to Athi Verenggan of Malaysiakini, Sammy went ballistic when two alleged Indian youths snatched her mobile phone left on a table while she was having lunch.

She did the silly thing by resorting to cynical stereotyping of Indians in the worst ways, and then made things worse for herself by posting the entire racist raving rant on her blog.

I don’t intend to repeat her words here for two reasons: (1) they are all available on Malaysiakini and (2) they have been most hurtful. I am truly disappointed by such racism and worse, sheer stupidity.

After she had ‘woken’ up from her rage she realized the enormity of what she had done and apologized, but when I read her blog this afternoon I thought she could have closed the whole issue (or at least most of it) by making an unreserved apology, instead of qualifying it by stating she apologized to ‘educated’ Indians, whatever that meant.

Much later in another post she admitted being told that her apology had been ‘grudging’.

She posted:

I realised this is getting way out of hand. I was also dubbed as 'grudgingly apologised' in my later post. Since text has no tone and emotions, I don't know how to make it sound sincere but I do hope to get this out as sincere as I can. Again, I will apologise and say sorry to those I've offended, Indian or no Indian. I hope this official apology does not sound 'grudgy' again.

I was not racist and was acting out of my anger the last few days. If i've to face the police, then yes i will to explain the whole situation. If i were to hate indians, I would not wear saree on my Indian friend's birthday party because that would be ridiculous. Whatever I said earlier, I have no intention to hurt any Malaysians. It was merely out of anger so I did not construct my sentences properly. Maybe it was my bad English

Once again, I'm sorry for what I did and I will face the consequences.

(Update): I might be constructing sentences quite badly now. I do not know what sentence is right or wrong anymore.

Here, I offer an unconditional apology to every single person out there who I've offended. I'll not be unfair to other races again and I'll learn to only get angry at those who really hurt me instead of generalising them according to race.

Well Sammy, if you apologised only to ‘educated Indians’, then one wonders whether you are saying ‘uneducated Indians’ aren’t worthy of your apology?

Then that’s not an apology. You shouldn't have tried to be a smartie cat and hold back for a bit of 'face'. You were not and should not be in any position to merit and enjoy 'face' as you did something very very evil.

But I am glad you've the commonsense to upgrade your apology to one that's unconditional. But more important than your unconditional apology, you must never ever make any racist remarks, or better still, don't entertain racist thoughts.

kaytee sees Sammy as a young (still immature) person who has not given real thoughts to what she had published in ‘black & white’, but look, there’s no excuse for venting one’s anger by badmouthing an entire ethnic group.

But should she be forgiven?

While I am glad Hindraf had raised the issue, I think we all should forgive her because she has apologized, though we shouldn’t forget the incident, as a reminder to all of us to be careful of reckless remarks against anyone’s ethnic belongings.

Unfortunately, while I believe Hindraf and Indians in general may bring themselves to forgive her, the authorities may not for the reason I stated at the very start of this post.

In the end, we need to remind ourselves too that the majority of Malaysians have prejudices because of our upbringing, cultural indoctrination and environment.

Some of us have managed to rein in those prejudices but we should not yet congratulate ourselves until we have eliminated the evil lying dormant within us.

More than 2 years ago, I posted All types of racism to show that racism lies within most of us.

Related:
Beautiful rojak rejected as Malaysians


UPDATE: RS Thanenthiran of Hindraf said they would accept Sammy Chan’s apology.

“We understand now that it was a ‘spur of the moment’ outburst. We sympathise with her loss of her phone. We hope that the lesson learnt from the controversy will help her to be more careful in future."

Good on you matey.