Loh Gwo Burne a frog? I disagree with RPK

I have to admit that in this post I'm working on logic and recall of past incidents rather than the most recent of political information or intelligence that RPK seems to have in abundance. Nonetheless I have to disagree with his take in his post Frog hunting season that Loh Gwo Burne is a tadpole unable to metamorphose into a slimy frog only because of the lack of 'incentive' a la the Jelapang model.

If we were to stroll back in time, we would easily recall Loh was Anwar Ibrahim's personal, yes, very personal 'last minute' choice as a PKR candidate for the federal constituency of Kelana Jaya in the 2008 general election.

On 01 March 2008, just 7 days before the general election, sweetie Helen Ang wrote Kelana Jaya: Compromise and keeping to convictions in the People's Parliament blog (headed by Brother Haris Ibrahim) on Loh's nomination for Kelana Jaya by Anwar Ibrahim:

Elections and electoral politics are about expediency, and politics is the art of compromise? We grant that Opposition politicians may have to compromise somewhere along the line. The People’s Parliament, on the other hand, was born of idealism and built on the same. Principles matter. 

Some of you may not see the point of why I’m talking in the abstract when the rest of you are intent on denying BN its two-thirds. You’d rather all these considerations be put on the backburner until after March 8. 

Well, compromise is a slippery slope and this is very early in the game to be already backsliding. From the discussions in the Kelana Jaya threads, I see that some commentators have come to believe what is convenient is also what is acceptable. 

On Loh Gwo-Burne’s shortcomings as a speaker and deficient in Bahasa Malaysia, there are excuses made: Not all MPs speak in Parliament; for the hot-button issues, BN could create a ‘no quorum’ precluding any chance for the Opposition even to speak; or this — MPs don’t need really to speak well lah (c.f. the BN ones). Will you allow this much leeway for lack of professional competence if you’re talking about your doctor? [...] 

To return to Gwo-Burne, this unproven chap is not winnable. His candidacy is premised on too many structural weaknesses, and depriving Kelana Jayans of viable choice. There are certainly more qualified people in PKR. Or the seat could have been yielded to DAP to contest or an independent who can give Lee a run for his money. 

The duty of People’s Parliament to me is to take a broader perspective on this issue. I cannot agree that we must go to the extent of doing ‘anything’ to deprive BN of votes. This forum was not established to canvass for the Opposition. We have our own rhyme and reason.

Though sweetie Helen Ang has since changed (political) horses, her words then were spot on. Anyway, she discovered to her surprise, and indeed to everyone's surprise as well, that she was so wrong in her belief the unproven Loh Gwo Burne was not winnable wakakaka.

As the post tsunamic March 2008 fave saying went, even a monkey would have won. But then, it was a piece of wisdom only with the advantage of hindsight.

The reality was that prior to the election, no one, not even Anwar, expected Loh to emerge as a giant killer wakakaka, which might possibly explain why the Great Leader had so generously nominated young Loh to the Kelana Jaya federal seat.

Even so, why then did Anwar select Loh to be PKR's candidate for a federal seat, and at that, just a mere two weeks before the election? Loh wasn't even a PKR member when Anwar invited him to stand in Kelana Jaya.

I suspect that the answer must surely be Loh's father rather than Loh's famous video clip. Could it be that Loh Senior made a very very handsome contribution to the PKR's election campaign fund? It's not illegal to make a political contribution you know, so possibly explaining Anwar's most strange last minute choice for Kelana Jaya which led to excoriations from Brother Haris Ibrahim in his post PKR, why, why, why?

Incidentally I had actually preceded sweetie Helen Ang in questioning Anwar's personal choice of Loh in my February post 2008 titled PKR's Kelana Jaya sweetheart deal? where I wrote:

Here’s a person, who until the Lingam tape, was a PKR nobody but now suddenly being rewarded with the party's nomination for a parliamentary seat while hardworking, dedicated PKR member and a human rights lawyer, Elizabeth Wong, gets a state seat.

Anyway, Loh won wakakaka, and I cheekily penned another post dedicated solely to him titled Bahasa Mělayu - a letter to Yang Běrhormat wakakaka.

Okay, I have in fact in passing already provided (above) the reason for my disagreement with RPK's assertion that Loh Gwo Burne was a tadpole who didn't become a frog only because of inadequate 'incentives', and that is my belief Loh's father, Loh Mui Fah, had probably contributed generously to PKR election funds to the extent Anwar had personally invited young Loh to stand as a PKR candidate in a federal seat, where we may then assume Loh Gwo Burne isn't exactly a person in need of money.

Born in UK, Loh Gwo Burne holds a British law degree and also a Masters in law from China, but doesn't intend to practice law - a typical picture of a scion of a rich family who wasn't exactly driven to earn money a.s.a.p like poor kaytee was wakakaka. However, we may safely assume he likes video-photography wakakaka. 

wakakaka

Incidentally Loh Mui Fah's family had or still has a multi-million ringgit business empire which landed in court some years back because of internal family disputed claims to that business empire.

Loh Mui Fah

And guess who acted for Loh Mui Fah in court? None other than Mr Americk Sidhu, the lawyer for Malaysia's most famous private investigator, Balasubramaniam who together with Anwar Ibrahim (all three of them) were at the press conference when the world was told by Bala that he was told by Razak Baginda who was told by Najib who was told by Altantuuyaa that she 'liked it in the back'.

Back to topic - If Loh is not, IMHO, a potential frog (for reasons he is unlikely to be attracted by mere financial rewards like someone in Perak wakakaka) then why is there sounding from PKR that he will be discarded in the coming election?

Well, in the brouhaha connected with the messy PKR party presidential polls, Loh made the mistake of writing a personal letter to PKR party president Dr Wan Azizah to complain about what he believed to be dodgy party polling process, and worse, criticizing the most scared cow in PKR, namely Azmin Ali, Anwar Ibrahim's blue-eyed boy - see my post The Poison Within PKR.

Then Loh burned his final bridges when he wrote a very public letter to Malaysiakini to lambaste Azmin Ali. Loh was a supporter of Zaid Ibrahim and probably must have been so nauseated by the injustice done to Zaid in PKR where he saw nothing (including his complaint to Dr Wan) would be dealt with, for him to write such a public letter in angry frustration to condemn the party's deputy president. From that moment, Loh sealed his fate as a member of PKR.

I invite you to read my post of 19 November 2010 titled Loh Gwo Burne & Gobala - one-term MPs?

Even though Loh had supported Zaid Ibrahim, when Zaid criticised Anwar Ibrahim on exiting from PKR, Loh attempted to make a distinction between his earlier condemnation of Azmin Ali and his extant support for Anwar by voicing his regrets over Zaid's actions - see Malaysiakini's Gwo Burne, Gobi not following Zaid.

But alas for Loh, I wonder whether that would be enough to save his skin in PKR, for as I had previously written, in PKR there's virtually little separation of identities between the symbiotic Anwar-Azmin. 

Because of this or rather, his offending Azmin Ali, I have forecast that it'll be most unlikely Loh would be re-nominated by PKR ...

... unless, IMHO and the most remote of possibilities, his father Loh Mui Fah makes such a substantial contribution to PKR's election fund that even Anwar Ibrahim will find it hard to refuse, Azmin Ali's objection not withstanding. But it won't be easy.

Bits & pieces (1)

News No 1

The Malaysian Insider's Muslim scholar: ‘Haram’ to vote DAP but not MCA, MIC  reported that Abdullah Sa’amah, an Islamic scholar,  told Utusan Malaysia that it's haram for Muslims to vote for DAP and its two allies PAS and PKR in the coming general election, because DAP has refused to accept hudud. The DAP also has the bloody nerve to demand equality for Islam and non-Islam, and equality for temples and mosques.

OTOH, Abdullah told Muslims it will be halal to vote for MCA and MIC because these two BN branches are prepared to accept Islamic rule.

kaytee has 3 questions, namely:

• what about poor Gerakan? wakakaka
• does his assertion mean MCA and MIC have accepted hudud?
• equality only for temples; what about churches? wakakaka

News No 2

Free Malaysia Today - GE 13: What would Jesus do?

Yesterday evening, there was a public forum in PJ, Section 8, at the Dignity International, A-2-7 Pusat Perdagangan, on the upcoming general election from a Christian perspective.

And the topic of discussion: What will Jesus be doing in Malaysia today?

The speakers were Rev Dr Hermen Shastri and Paul Sinnappan.

FMT reported:

A media statement on the forum explained that the cowardly fence-sitters are the sole obstacle in preventing political change in Malaysia. 

“As the winds of change blow in this most exciting times of political change in Malaysia, the only obstacle that is preventing the change from actually taking place is the Malaysian ‘fence-sitters’ who for the last 54 years have been afraid to make that choice for change. 

“Many among this also reside in our Churches and sit glued to benches and pews during Sunday service without fail, listening fervently to what Jesus may be saying to them,” it read. 

The statement added that there is a growing awakening among all Malaysians on the need for real change – a reform of the political landscape for Malaysians. 

“Yet there seems to be a disjoint of the faith growth within the Churches and the growth without among all Malaysians. This seemingly two worlds of faith and politics are a challenge to all Christians. Are there two lives or only one life, [which] we live according to the will of God?,” it said. 

The speakers, read the statement, will take the audience through the Bible to study the political implications and experiences of being a Christian. 

“This is to help us enter into present-day reality of the Malaysian political context, and answer the perennial thought: what would Jesus do in Malaysia Today?” it added

Just as Islam in Malaysia has been highly politicized, so it seems too now with the Christian church.

As an atheist, may I humbly draw  the attention of Rev Dr Hermen Shastri and Paul Sinnappan to what Jesus told us in Matthew 22:21, which was:

"Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."

That's what Jesus would have done and said if he was here today.

Isn't it troubling enough that we already have so many Islamic clerics politicizing their religion for political gains? We certainly don't need any more clerics of other religious denomination interfering in politics. We need a clear separation between State and Church.

News No 3

The Star Online - Woman has blisters on private parts after hair removal sessions

Isn't it wonderful we can rely on The Star to entertain us with such earth-shaking news. But at least, if I may say so, it's an improvement on clerics attempting to interfere with our political choices.

On a separate consideration, I thought of recommending it to one particular pest who is easily titillated with such salacious stuff, but I am concerned he may accidentally swallow his mouldy dentures out of excitement, wakakaka.

Crisis on critical thinking

Two and a half years ago I posted Mean-spirited Malaysians in which where I criticised both sides of Malaysian politics, with some individual exceptions (eg. Ku Li, Zaid Ibrahim, Lim KS, Dr Jeya),  for their lack of civility, mean-spiritedness and politicization of even the most trivial and non-political issues.

On the BN side, we witnessed how the UMNO-led federal government shamefully and illegally withheld financial allocations to Pakatan MPs while providing handsome sums to their BN counterparts. Such public funded allocations are part and parcel of a MP’s local budget to spend for his/her constituency’s requirements and benefits, and not from the personal kitty of UMNO, PM or Finance Minister.

I remarked:

The irony is there are actually BN supporters in those electorates represented by non-BN MPs and ADUNs. Such is the BN's spite that they would punish their own supporters as well. Perhaps those BN supporters should wake up and rethink who they ought to support the next time around.

I also wrote on:

… BN's denial of oil royalties to then PAS-ruled Terengganu and now PAS-ruled Kelantan. 

The States’ right to oil royalties has been enshrined as a legal Federal-State contract but the BN government has arrogantly ignored that, and is spitefully frustrating the PAS State government (then and now) in a disgraceful mean-spirited manner. 

We have also read with disgust how the current federal government is channeling financial allocations for maintaining Penang’s heritage listings through Khazanah Nasional rather than the Pakatan government in Penang. 

Just WTF has the investment holding arm of the government, roled as its strategic investor in new industries and markets, got to do with maintenance of the heritage buildings etc?

Not sparing Pakatan, I commented that:

… DAP people stepped on the photos/posters of the Perak frogs as they entered the venue. Totally unpleasant, and I’m glad Lim GE took avoiding steps. […] 

PAS of course has been known to issue a couple of death (or tummy upset) curses wakakaka at their opponents in the BN - c'mon lah, Pak Haji!

And of course I didn’t omit that political pygmy, that Chief Dökkálfar troll (how could I, wakakaka) for his self-promotion via his unjustifiably pompous ‘thunderous applause’ on his pitiful pathetic pariah 'success' in having Rosmah Mansor removed as chancellor of Universiti Industri Selangor (Unisel) before her term expired. Pray tell me, what earth-shaking PKR public policy was this?

I wrote in another post that:

I presume after that fantastic Azmin Ali’s achievement, there was better food on the tables of Malaysians, rental costs became more affordable, fuel prices dropped, school education standards improved, streets became cleaner, sand mining in Selangor was better controlled, birds sang cheerily and rainbows span the Selangor sky every day, etc.

It’s not just the poverty of standard of Malaysian politicians that I opined but that there’s a lamentable mean-spiritedness in Malaysian politics ... […] … I hope DAP will never descend to such petty bickering.

Alas, my hopes have been dashed by M Manoharan, DAP’s Kota Alam Shah ADUN, who has been foolish enough to make snide remarks on Twitter against one of Malaysia’s two globally eminent sportspersons, Lee Chong Wei (the other being world squash champion, Nicole Ann David) - see Malaysiakini's Manoharan gets brickbats over tweets on Chong Wei.

Regrettably Manoharan has politicized Malaysian sports in his twittering, and diminishes DAP's standing with the public, especially sports fans. I'd be surprised if BN pollies don't make hay out of this.

I am doubly disappointed because I was one of the few DAP supporters who defended him on the flag issue, in my post Flagging DAP's political cringe.

I castigated the DAP party disciplinary board for its decision to whack Manoharan with a 6 month suspension for what was Manoharan's very legitimate opinion (expressed on his Facebook page).

I wrote in that post:

Manoharan wanted the Jalur Gemilang redesigned because it shows too much of a resemblance to the national flag of the USA - incidentally an undeniable and, to many, embarrassing fact - an association that today is a not only a stigma, but a dangerous stigma, given the hatred for the USA throughout a large portion of our globe. 

Now, on what grounds did the DAP disciplinary board find Manoharan’s comments ‘serious’? That DAP MPs, ADUNs and members must not express their own and legitimate opinions? Sheeesh! 

The truth, I believe, is that the DAP has demonstrated it suffers from political cringe, afraid of UMNO’s racist attacks on Manoharan’s alleged unpatriotic call. 

I reckon DAP must have felt that in the wake of Mat Sabu’s opinion on a piece of Malaya’s colonial history, it may be too much against the party’s endeavour to win Malay confidence in the party’s Malaysian-ness. So, Manoharan has to be sembileh (sacrificed as an offering) to the Trimurti (gods) of racism, bigotry and intolerance. 

I am truly disappointed, but I want Manoharan to know there are DAP supporters and members who believe he has been perfectly within his rights as a Malaysian citizen to propose a redesign of Jalur Gemilang, which by the way, belongs to every Malaysian and not just UMNO members.

But Manoharan has proven to be a bit of a loose cannon, this time putting his big foot in his even bigger mouth by his unnecessary unjustified and indefensible tweet against Lee Chong Wei.

It’s not unlike the unnecessary, cruel and highly politicized bashing of our Malaysian astronaut or space tourist, yes, you could class him as you saw fit, but was there any need to attack him personally, just because he was under contract with the government and made to travel around the country with Najib?

Not unlike the astronaut, Lee Chong Wei has been perceived by some quarters of having 'sinned' by not making the required ritual of bashing Rosmah Mansor.

RPK commented in his latest post The problem is you, Rosmah on this Malaysian political mean-spiritedness with regards to (BAM Patron) Rosmah Mansor’ trip to London to support Lee in the Olympics, as follows:

People hate her so they need to whack her. And her trip to London is a good issue to bring up. Even if Lee Chong Wei had won gold she would still have been whacked, mainly because she is Rosmah. It makes it even better when Lee Chong Wei did not win gold. 

If Dr Siti Hasmah had remained the Patron of BAM then no one would have been angry about her going to London. Some still would, of course, mainly because she is Dr Mahathir’s wife. But most wouldn’t. 

If someone other than Rosmah or Dr Siti Hasmah were the Patron of BAM then the trip to London would have been a non-issue. 

Pro-PKR portals like Malaysia Chronicle attribute Lee Chong Wei’s failure to win gold as Rosmah’s failure. “TOP CHEERLEADER ROSMAH FAILS! Olympic dream eludes Chong Wei,” screamed Malaysia Chronicle. 

I suppose if Lee Chong Wei had won gold then the headline would have been … hmm … I wonder what the headline would have been. Got to find out from Tian Chua.

RPK had in an earlier post Critical thinking to change the government made the sarcastic comments that:

...  to demonstrate that I am a loyal opposition supporter and have not sold out, I shall now oppose the plan to introduce critical thinking into Malaysia’s education system. 

Critical thinking is an idea that comes from the government and anything that comes from the government is either bad or, even if it is good, cannot be sincere. 

But I will need to support my stand of opposing critical thinking with a valid argument. Well, there may be one good argument I can use, an issue that is currently being hotly debated. And that issue is the Islamic law of Hudud. 

If we allow critical thinking, Malays would question the practicalities and viability of introducing Hudud in Malaysia. They would look into the history of the Sharia and analyse the reasons why the Sharia exists and so on. And, by applying critical thinking, many Malays may come to the conclusion that Hudud is no longer practical or applicable to modern-day Malaysia. 

Critical thinking allows the Malays to think. But thinking Malays may not be beneficial to the opposition’s aspiration of forming the new federal government. 

So, if we want to see Umno defeated and also see Pakatan Rakyat form the next federal government, we will need to ensure that PAS wins a large portion of the 70 seats it is going to contest. Only then can Umno be brought down and Pakatan Rakyat get to form the new federal government. 

Hence the Malays must be made to believe that Hudud is compulsory and that Malaysia must implement the Islamic laws of Hudud. And the Malays must also be made to believe that it is their religious duty to vote for PAS and not for Umno. And this will also mean that the Malays must not be allowed critical thinking or else they may reject Hudud and PAS would not get their votes. 

But PAS cannot do this alone. The Malays are of the opinion that the non-Muslims are opposed to Hudud. And Umno is capitalising on this and is playing up the issue. In fact, today, the Umno Blogs are even saying that DAP has a secret plan to turn Malaysia into a Christian state. 

Hence the non-Muslims must openly declare that they support not only Hudud but also PAS’s aspiration of turning Malaysia into an Islamic State. Only then will PAS have a chance of winning the 70 seats it is going to contest. 

And only then will ABU succeed and Pakatan Rakyat get to form the next federal government. 

And please do not apply critical thinking to what I just said. Critical thinking is what the government is proposing and anything that the government proposes we must oppose if we are loyal opposition supporters.

Wakakaka!

I dream of good politics, but I see nightmares ahead

Hasn't it been thrilling to read Malaysiakini's Anwar hints at more 'good news' from Sabah which reported:

In what seems like a flashback to the Sept 16 episode, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim today hinted at more “good news” to come from Sabah soon. 

This follows the defection of Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing and and Beaufort MP Lajim Ukin from BN last weekend. 

“I will be back in Sabah on Aug 12, with some more possible good news... We will have to be prepared,” he told reporters with a grin.

Hope you guys have been grinning together with Anwar and are prepared for his 'possible good news', which incidentally reeks of 916 odour. As usual, his 'good news' is about political defections - of course, what else did or do you expect, 'good' policies, 'good' candidates, 'good' governance?

And if indeed his standard shortcut stab at gaining majority rule in GE-13 via such wheeling and dealing proves to be successful, I wonder whether Anwar Ibrahim as the next PM will be a dream or another déjà vu nightmare, or perhaps both?


Both a dream and a nightmare? Can ah?

Yes, it'll a dream for the manmanlai gang (PKR's inner leadership core) and blind supporters who will no doubt exalt, acclaim and revel at Anwar's ascendancy to majority rule via such dealing and wheeling, rather than through 1st class democratic process, policies and governance.


And I am suddenly reminded of journalist Terence Netto's erudite political advice that: '... politics is also about providing opportunities, rewarding loyalties and managing expectations of the party faithful [...] … sections of the party - mainly ex-Umno members - whose 10 years (1998-2008) in the political wilderness … has had them ravening for whatever rewards were to be had.' Hallelujah!


Thus, it's little wonder PKR had rejected the Haris-RPK's MCLM's offer of 30 candidates of exceptional credentials with quality provenance to PKR.

How in the world did Brother Haris and RPK ever imagine highly and thoroughly vetted good quality candidates would be welcomed by PKR?


And it'll prove to be a terrible nightmare for not only true democracy but the rakyat as well because with such low class politics, consisting of cross-party wheeling and dealings, and 'those people' involved in cross-party wheeling and dealings, our future lies not in the hands of our elected representatives who will develop and implement good policies and programs for the rakyat's interests, but rather from the accidental crumbs that may fall from the grubby grabbing greedy hands of those merchants of self interests, sales to highest bidder and snake-oil cure-all.

snake oil salesman

Sure, no politician or political party is perfect, but it seems Anwar cannot stop himself in his love for manipulation of political affiliations specifically political defections as if there is no other aspects of politics to focus his principal attention, time and efforts on.


Anwar as de facto leader of PKR doesn't interest me and I couldn't care too hoots about what he does, but alas, he is also the selected leader for Pakatan. It annoys, nay, offends me greatly that he continues to indulge in, in my humble opinion, shallow, sleazy and short term allegiances with odds of commitments to good governance not dissimilar to speculations on margin trading.


That's a standard of politics which slumbers shamefully and sleazily at the extreme low rating end on the Good Politics scale, a mere menial miserable 1 where 10 would be perfect and 5 just tolerable in a democracy.

And it seems now that his pitiful political proclivity has come full circle, coincidentally in the very state he did his (black) 'magic' in 1994. Then, he had, with sleigh of hands and support from frogs turned into (bumi) princes, shape-changed Pairin Kitingan from CM-elect into Opposition Leader, or from prince into a frog.


Thus, we learn from the Anwar 1994 magic-show that Sabah is not only the 'Land below the winds' but the land where the Malaysian political word katak came into prominence.


Should we not expect better from this self proclaimed political reformer? So do excuse me when (not if) I repetitively exclaim 'Reformasi my bloody foot!'

As a DAP supporter, naturally I want a Pakatan victory, but do we need Anwar and his Dökkálfar trolls to achieve that?

Dökkálfar - Dwarfs in Norse mythology wakakaka

I personally do not believe we do, for if we leave aside the separate tragic issue following the general and state elections of 1969, the success of the rakyat's voice manifested in that election outcome convincingly demonstrated we then didn't require any false idol, nor will we for GE-13.


But lamentably, I realize I'm banging my head against a wall, one built of invincible hatred for BN, a humongous hatred so blinding that its advocates cannot see the woods (of the need for an incorruptible true democracy) for the trees (to blindly ABU).

Anyway, be that as it may, will the Great Man repeat the dubious success of his 1994 ambitious amphibious attempt at power grab? Free Malaysia Today hinted at that in its Sabah defections: All eyes on Ghapur saying that:

Even as Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has promised to deliver “more positive news” from Sabah, escalating rumours from Kota Kinabalu have named former Sabah deputy chief minister Ghapur Salleh as the next Umno MP likely to defect. 

Speculations are rife that Ghapur will be among others whom Anwar will meet when he travels to Sabah on Aug 12.

If we recall that the Beaufort MP (also an ADUN), Lajim Ukin, together with Kemabong ADUN, Rubin Balang were the super-frogs in 1994, seduced by the UMNO DPM Anwar Ibrahim into jumping from PBS over to UMNO-BN, I suppose we could say it's a Machiavellian reunion of sorts between Anwar and Lajim, on two counts, firstly of the 1994 conspirators, and secondly, wakakaka, that of former UMNO-ites.

A few days back, Anwar had generously and most imperiously ‘granted’ Lajim and the other BN defector, Bumburing, a carte blanche imprimatur to nominate their own party candidates (respectively from Pakatan Perubahan Sabah and Sabah Reform Movement) for the Sabah state elections, promising unilaterally and preemptively, as per PKR SOP (standard operating procedure), that Pakatan (not just PKR) will withdraw from any seats that PPS and SRM candidates stand in (which will likely be all in Sabah, wakakaka). For more, read The Malaysian Insider's Anwar: Pakatan willing to cede Sabah seats to local parties.

Imperiously? Unilaterally? Preemptively? 'Twas a Malaysian Caesar who came, saw and granted!

I’m sure the other 'supposed' members of Pakatan, DAP and PAS, must be rapt and ecstatic on hearing Anwar grandiloquent offer to local parties (which seemingly in the eyes of the Great One don't include the local DAP with Sabahan leadership and Sabahan membership, or PAS), ...

... and which if accepted by DAP and PAS, will initiate the withdrawal of all DAP Sabahan candidates and PAS's ones from the coming Sabah state elections and virtually the consequential disappearance of DAP and PAS from Sabah. But then, that's Anwar, that's PKR, that's manmanlai unilateral policy.

WTF, after all, this man and his party leaders can and have promised 20% oil royalties (an increase from 5%), continuing if not increase in fuel subsidies, removal of this and that tax/excise duties, no requirement to pay back study loans (new meaning of 'loans'?) and god-knows-what-else.

To get into Putrajaya, he sure as hell can promise any damn thing, including I suppose, Chinese needn't balik Tiongsun, Christmas carols can be sung at shopping mall, Hudud as Malaysia's legal system, discrimination against LGBT (reformasi discriminatory? wakakaka), school year-end holidays will stay as they are, non-Muslim school children needn't pray again at school to Islamic doa, and the bells of the Hindu Temple in Kampung Rawa may ring, assuming there is still a temple there, wakakaka.

But let’s examine Anwar’s generosity to Lajim and Bumburing a bit more. Perhaps we might have unfairly faulted the Great Leader who may yet prove to be indeed generous to a fault wakakaka, and also sensitive to Sabahan needs, INDEED INDEED INDEED, which succinctly explains why he appointed his beloved Azmin Ali, a Selangorean, as head of Sabah PKR wakakaka.

Or, on the other hand, perhaps he doesn’t give a sh*t about winning rule in a mere state like Sabah, thus demystifying his seeming generosity to Lajim and Bumburing, but is only interested in federal seats (of course including Lajim's and Bumburing's), for it will be the latter which in adequate numbers will see him into Putrajaya as the next PM. So in the final analysis, it's still wheeling and dealing.

Indeed, Anwar Ibrahim has been, is and will be always about Anwar Ibrahim.

…. Hmmm, perhaps with possibly only one exception, Azmin Ali wakakaka!

But ultimately we must ask ourselves the question, will Anwar and his PKR (former UMNO) colleagues  provide for us a truly democratic Malaysia with all the attendant transparency, accountability, competency and good public governance, expected in a true democracy?

Apart from the vexing question on the quality of PKR's inner core leadership, there is also the question of super-frogs like Lajim with a less than admirable political track record since 1994. Will he and other fellow cold-blood political amphibians prove to be a  déjà vu nightmare for Pakatan, like the remarkable revolting revolving-door frog, Nasarudin Hashim, ADUN for Bota, who showed his amazing chameleon-like nature, being initially an UMNO ADUN, then metamorphosing into a PKR one before regressing into an UMNO ADUN.

And recall how the Great One acclaimed the Nasaruddin’s defection “... reflected the sentiments of his voters, namely the Malays in his constituency ... as the beginning of a new wave”, but alas, do also recall how the lompat sini sana sini political acrobatics of Nasarudin Hashim initiated the defections of erstwhile PKR Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Osman Jailu, and that remarkable capsicum-spray-loving Mrs Hee.

Do we wish for this sort of politics, of voting for Party A only to find we have unknowingly voted in Party B? Are we going to accept continuous arrogant betrayals of our rights and gross insults to our choices? Are we mere tools or serfs to such pollies?

'Don't cry for me Perak' may also become 'Don't cry for me Malaysia'.

If we wish for manmanlai politics, then why even bother to have elections every five years? Why don't we have a far more economical election system, with savings to the tax payers, where we vote only once every 50 years, a system in which we accept within that 50 years political defections as a constant and legitimate process, where both states and federal governments change every now and then in our Banana Repub Kingdom in accordance to the tide and direction of defections ..... well, at least until Malaysia's secular governments become subordinate to a clerical council.

We can even reap additional gambling tax as we our political lords can then grant gambling licence to gambling tycoons like Vincent Tan, for their companies to introduce gambling bets on likely political defections. Instead of giving gaming odds like 1, 2 or half a goal, the game may involve odds of plus-minus 2 (or x) weeks or days for a punt on the likely date of the defection of a particular MP or ADUN, so on so forth. Such a political system will ensure there is an energetic ongoing free flowing movement of pollies between parties through defections, and thus keep the gambling system viable.

Am I being too naïve to demand an exceptional if not ideal state of politics, for a score of 8 on the Good Politics scale, at least on the side opposite to BN?

Okay, why don't we hear what Adelyn Yeoh, a 20-year old sweetie, an undergraduate student in Mount Holyoke College, USA, and also a contributor to the blog at CEKU (UK & Eire Council for Malaysian Students), has to say in an article titled In defence of idealism (in politics) in The Malaysian Insider (extracts): 

… the world has potential to be better than it is because humanity has a knack of coming together in times of desperation and great need. The way I see things there is great hope for great change. This is what gives me my belief that idealism is the main driver for substantial change. All this I have observed in my short 20 years of existence.

Having said that, idealism is commonly misunderstood to be synonymous with naïvety, that an idealistic person lacks a keen sense of reality when that may not even be the case. 

Idealism is not an illusion, it is a goal. It is a point of perfection that we are all aiming for. In some ways all of us have romantic idealism. The difference is that it is more pronounced in some than others. This is not to say that idealists are unaware of the harsh realities that are present, more often than not they are keenly aware of them.

Idealists are the movers and changers of society. Instead of whining about situations they realise the severity of their situation and strive to get out of it. They focus on the end point and realise that there is a possibility of actually reaching that point. And for that they keep dreaming.

The Malaysian political arena as we know is experiencing an extremely volatile period. With GE13 looming, tensions are high everywhere. Many are caught up in the PR-BN tussle. With this, ideals are extremely necessary for politics.

Ideals should take priority over political affiliation simply because ideals are constant but political parties are not. If you have ideals you know what you want and you can always choose to vote for a party based on what you want or need. As voters, this is how we can move above and beyond partisanship. We should champion values and ideas instead of political parties.

Indeed, sweetie, I’m 100% with you that ‘Ideals should take priority over political affiliation simply because ideals are constant but political parties are not’, and on which I have regularly remind readers that while I am currently a DAP supporter, my vote shouldn’t be taken for granted by DAP. In short, I’m not a mindless moronic Myrmidon wakakaka.

Myrmidons wakakaka

Read also: The 2 dreams of Lim Kit Siang

Siapa Raja?

News of MIC president G Palanivel possibly standing as the candidate for the Cameron Highlight federal seat in GE-13 has caused much unhappiness in the local party membership.


Pissed off local members criticised his move as marginalising (and ousting) the incumbent, SK Devamany, who by the way is a deputy minister. They want Palanivel to contest elsewhere. For more, see Free Malaysia Today's Palanivel for Cameron Highlands?


It would appear that those MIC members have taken a leaf out of Azmin Ali's book of the Inner Core's Mafulat Machiavellian Manual, where on page 26, paragraph 13, it states:

When the party president wishes to contest, he or she is required by the deputy president to seek his grassroots' consent. However, this requirement is not applicable to party de facto leader, party advisor and deputy party president.

Dr Wan Azizah had stated her wish to stand in a Selangor State seat in the next state elections, which prompted her deputy Azmin Ali to say she, the party president, must obtain Selangor PKR grassroot (meaning his) support before she may do so.


'Twas just as well for Dr Wan that the PKR members in the state Sementa constituency said she would be welcomed to stand as a candidate there.


Just imagine her embarrassment if the 'grassroots' had kept quiet. But there's nothing to worry about, because it's quite normal for a party's president to request a party's deputy president his permission to stand in what he perceives as his fiefdom.


I hope G Palanivel  is as popular as Dr Wan and that there may be a MIC branch that has the same respect and generosity for the party's president as PKR Sementa.