Over at BolehTalk I posted AAB ignores concept of 'Standing Aside'.
It’s an indictment of either AAB’s ignorance or deliberate ignoring of public service propriety, where he, the PM, allows, even condones his minister and his Head of the Anti-Corruption Agency to continue in their respective positions, even after each has been accused of alleged corruption.
No one is asking for those two to be sacked or to resign. But until they are cleared of the accusations, they may not continue in their appointments. They must STAND ASIDE.
AAB is an utter disgrace as a PM. Why does he condone those two? He gives the impression of a weak PM where he seems scared of them, just as he had demonstrated in the case of Cyclops in Monkey House.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Mr Mysterious
This was what the Star Online published (source Bernama) yesterday. The title of the strange article read PAS told to stay out of polls if it’s no longer relevant, with the contents saying:
“If elections are no longer relevant to PAS, there is no need for it to be holding ceramah here and there,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after a dinner here organised by the Peninsular Malaysia Students Association (GPMS) here on Saturday.
He said PAS boycotted the Batu Talam state by-election in Pahang recently but continued to hold “ceramah” in the constituency.
He added that Terengganu had experienced rapid development since the Barisan Nasional took over the state from PAS in the last general election.
Who is the ‘he’?
Bill Clinton? Lee Kuan Yew? President SBY? Lim Kit Siang? Hmmm, perhaps Johari Baharum?
It’s a strange one indeed. Will the Star give a prize to the correct guess?
“If elections are no longer relevant to PAS, there is no need for it to be holding ceramah here and there,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after a dinner here organised by the Peninsular Malaysia Students Association (GPMS) here on Saturday.
He said PAS boycotted the Batu Talam state by-election in Pahang recently but continued to hold “ceramah” in the constituency.
He added that Terengganu had experienced rapid development since the Barisan Nasional took over the state from PAS in the last general election.
Who is the ‘he’?
Bill Clinton? Lee Kuan Yew? President SBY? Lim Kit Siang? Hmmm, perhaps Johari Baharum?
It’s a strange one indeed. Will the Star give a prize to the correct guess?
Monday, March 05, 2007
Brutusaharom received SMS: "PM & DPM doing immoral things?"
OK, we have all (I hope all readers do read the papers) heard of allegations pertaining to a minister who allegedly released three criminals held under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) for humongous ang pows, running into millions of ringgit.
The police are investigating, the DPM and PM (in that order) have both made motherhood statements about corruption, crime and the law … yawnnn.
The concerned minister’s first counter-attack was against the police. He accused the police of not following standard operating procedures when carrying out investigations on EO cases. Those mata-mata had failed to investigate the cases properly. Thus, there was lack of evidence to detain the prisoners, forcing the dear law-abiding democratic-loving minister to release the detainees.
This means that he acknowledges releasing some prisoners held under the EO, but of course it was the police shonky procedures that had 'compelled' him to do so. Indeed he went as far as to aver that the police of late have been found not to be following the 'standard operating procedure' in carrying out investigations on EO cases.
But Federal CID director Christopher Wan Soo Kee riposted: “What weaknesses do we have? If there is anything (weaknesses), the (internal security) ministry will get back to us [...] We (the police) are under the ministry, so if there is anything, we shall wait for the ministry to inform us.”
1st round: minister – 0 : police - 1
Ho hum, all that’s pretty lame stuff …….. but but BUT
… this was what malaysiakini reported that minister being toasted as saying:
... that he too received numerous SMS containing allegations and defamatory claims against other leaders - including the prime minister and deputy premier - of doing ‘immoral things’ .....
What! ... noooOOOOO! It can’t be …
I wonder …….. nah, KTemoc is being silly imaging that he’s … nah … it can’t be … er ... he wouldn’t dare … nah … they are No 1 and 2 … er … would he? Nah, he’s very loyal …
Don’t worry about the above short snippet of no major consequence from malaysiakini – I am sure it’s all rumours – why don’t you read some of my old postings of loyalty etc instead:
(1) Et Tu Baharom
(2) The UMNO Interdiction of Dr Mahathir
and a very special one for lovers of Shakespeare, or those who like to peep into - A page from a woman's diary (3) ;-)
The police are investigating, the DPM and PM (in that order) have both made motherhood statements about corruption, crime and the law … yawnnn.
The concerned minister’s first counter-attack was against the police. He accused the police of not following standard operating procedures when carrying out investigations on EO cases. Those mata-mata had failed to investigate the cases properly. Thus, there was lack of evidence to detain the prisoners, forcing the dear law-abiding democratic-loving minister to release the detainees.
This means that he acknowledges releasing some prisoners held under the EO, but of course it was the police shonky procedures that had 'compelled' him to do so. Indeed he went as far as to aver that the police of late have been found not to be following the 'standard operating procedure' in carrying out investigations on EO cases.
But Federal CID director Christopher Wan Soo Kee riposted: “What weaknesses do we have? If there is anything (weaknesses), the (internal security) ministry will get back to us [...] We (the police) are under the ministry, so if there is anything, we shall wait for the ministry to inform us.”
1st round: minister – 0 : police - 1
Ho hum, all that’s pretty lame stuff …….. but but BUT
… this was what malaysiakini reported that minister being toasted as saying:
... that he too received numerous SMS containing allegations and defamatory claims against other leaders - including the prime minister and deputy premier - of doing ‘immoral things’ .....
What! ... noooOOOOO! It can’t be …
I wonder …….. nah, KTemoc is being silly imaging that he’s … nah … it can’t be … er ... he wouldn’t dare … nah … they are No 1 and 2 … er … would he? Nah, he’s very loyal …
Don’t worry about the above short snippet of no major consequence from malaysiakini – I am sure it’s all rumours – why don’t you read some of my old postings of loyalty etc instead:
(1) Et Tu Baharom
(2) The UMNO Interdiction of Dr Mahathir
and a very special one for lovers of Shakespeare, or those who like to peep into - A page from a woman's diary (3) ;-)
Sayonara to the Last King of Ipoh?
You have seen or at least heard about the movie ‘The Last King of Scotland’. Well, read about the The Last of King of Ipoh Impetuosity? over at BolehTalk.
It’s a sayonara story, though there won't be any tears, at least from us.
It’s a sayonara story, though there won't be any tears, at least from us.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Throwing mandarin oranges to wolves in Penang
I posted Chap Goh Meh - Night of the Werewolves last year. It applies again night.
To accompany it I also posted a poem about this auspicious night over at KTemoc Komposes. KT's amateurish ode to Chap Goh Meh goes like this:
Arising from the distant sea,
She casts her silvery beams
on us all below, and the sea
smiles back at her, it seems;
one bright eye, high above,
with her glow bathing us all,
the other eye floating on the
sea as the waves rise and fall;
the girl casts a golden orange,
to the moon goddess in the sea;
praying for Her kind blessing
to grant her blessed matrimony.
Tonight is when yin and yang
are in perfect sweet harmony,
to bring a good man and good
woman together in joyous unity.
Good luck, you werewolves and throwers of mandarin oranges ;-) - see if you can spot me, the one with the longest tongue hanging out, dribbling saliva all over, yeah, the Big Bad Wolf ;-)
To accompany it I also posted a poem about this auspicious night over at KTemoc Komposes. KT's amateurish ode to Chap Goh Meh goes like this:
Arising from the distant sea,
She casts her silvery beams
on us all below, and the sea
smiles back at her, it seems;
one bright eye, high above,
with her glow bathing us all,
the other eye floating on the
sea as the waves rise and fall;
the girl casts a golden orange,
to the moon goddess in the sea;
praying for Her kind blessing
to grant her blessed matrimony.
Tonight is when yin and yang
are in perfect sweet harmony,
to bring a good man and good
woman together in joyous unity.
Good luck, you werewolves and throwers of mandarin oranges ;-) - see if you can spot me, the one with the longest tongue hanging out, dribbling saliva all over, yeah, the Big Bad Wolf ;-)
AAB has a lot to answer for!
Read AAB's anti-corruption drive or anti-corrupttion nose-dive at BolehTalk.
Title says it all. 'Nuff said here!
Title says it all. 'Nuff said here!
SIL's moderate Islam
Here’s a ‘breathtaking’ article in the NST by its favourite pinup idol, the world’s most famous SIL.
As I had discussed the term 'moderate Islam' in Unforgiven, daringly if I may say against the wishes of Dr Mahathir ;-), SIL has now extolled FIL’s moderate Islam Hadhari. His exact words in the article’s opening paragraph said:
“Thank heavens for moderation. Just when it appeared as though the prime minister’s progressive Islam Hadhari philosophy was once again being hijacked by over-enthusiastic elements, good sense prevailed.”
He was talking about the Terengganu’s snoop squad, the notorious Mat Skoding, those officially authorised bounty hunters for gatal females. Yes, the state-sanctioned sinister snooping scheme was thrown out of the window.
As an aside, I recall reading something on Malaysia-Today blog that SIL isn’t exactly the favourite buddy of the Terengganu MB, so it’s little wonder SIL is twisting the verbal stiletto in. And of course, we mustn’t forget that the title of Mat this-and-that (eg. Mat Cemerlang) is bloody copyright reserve, intellectual property of Malaysia’s only ‘intellectual’.
He also lambasted the idiotic Langkawi khalwat raid that sent the anxiety (or ‘fear’) meter of an elderly American couple through the roof. Does wonders for VMY 2007 and sent the Tourism Minister cuckoo!
To be fair to SIL on the issue of Mat Skoding, I did also support AAB’s ‘good sense’ in FINALLY (OK, mob1900 mate, note capitalised ‘FINALLY - I read your ire at the inelegant heel-dragging) putting a stop to lusty lascivious leering lewd lecherous puerile pervert prurient predatory prying eyes in my posting KTemoc apologises to AAB. I had criticised AAB prior to him FINALLY waking up to some decent action.
But read on, ‘cause when I mentioned ‘lusty lascivious leering lewd lecherous puerile pervert prurient predatory prying eyes’, SIL brought out a number of points, one of which was: “… by encouraging snoop squads, we are inadvertently creating a group of quasi-voyeurs who become obsessed with uncovering sexual trysts while hiding behind a cloak of moral purity.”
Why euphemised the characteristics of sinister state sanctioned peeping toms as of ‘quasi’ status? They are bloody … er … lusty lascivious leering lewd lecherous puerile pervert prurient predatory prying pundee!
He continued: “It seems we can’t get enough of moral policing, and more specifically invading and violating people’s privacy, in order to exterminate social ills and make this a better Islamic country.”
Say we leave aside the ‘specific’ issue of the (hopefully) moribund* snoop squad, and talk about something more contemporary, for example, the Rosnah Mat (oops, 'Mat' copyright reserve 'kan?) Aris case?
* moribund and not dead yet because we know it can be revived at moment's notice
Well, his article didn’t contain any reference to Rosnah but he did warn about zealots (Yusuf Goat-balls?) misusing FIL’s Islam Hadhari to set moral standards for political reasons. He wrote in his favourite newspaper:
“The prime minister has himself warned against those who use Islam Hadhari as a ‘blank cheque’ to promote their orthodox and conservative views.”
“It is, therefore, so crucial that when we are confronted with small instances of these ‘blank cheques’ being filled in by those who believe that either this is the right thing to do (when it isn’t) or that this will win votes in the Malay heartland (when it doesn’t), there must be courage to take these issues on before people really think that Islam Hadhari is a throwback to literal puritanism.”
Now, I understand why my blogging mate Howsy gave a puke warning for those intending to read SIL’s article.
Here’s a bloke who won’t apologise for badmouthing the Chinese Malaysian community, and who resorted to FIL’s (or rather, UMNO’s) ‘blank cheque’ of agama and bangsa (don’t worry about the unimportant negara), and he’s in thick skin mode, sermonising so in his article.
Read my earlier post on SIL’s racist comments against the Chinese Malaysians:
(1) MCA's "WTF?" to Khairy Jamaluddin
(2) Khairy pulled emergency 'religious' handle
(3) "No sorry please, we're UMNO Youth leaders"
(4) A Malaysian Fairy Tale - Princess & The Frog
Yes, Howsy mate, it’s truly pukish, which was why I had described his article as ‘breathtaking’ – one would be stunned by his sheer hypocrisy that one might not remember to even breath.
But I am a bloke who sees a glass of water as half full rather half empty. Can SIL with his 4th Floor influence get Rosnah Mat (oopsy again, but can’t help it lah when that’s her name) Aris off the hook. Surely, moderate Islam Hadhari has more than enough compassion to accomodate a human error of judgement.
Go on, SIL, be a boy scout for a day and do your good heroic deed instead of pontificating prattlingly on poppycock pharisaist pseudo-poo.
As I had discussed the term 'moderate Islam' in Unforgiven, daringly if I may say against the wishes of Dr Mahathir ;-), SIL has now extolled FIL’s moderate Islam Hadhari. His exact words in the article’s opening paragraph said:
“Thank heavens for moderation. Just when it appeared as though the prime minister’s progressive Islam Hadhari philosophy was once again being hijacked by over-enthusiastic elements, good sense prevailed.”
He was talking about the Terengganu’s snoop squad, the notorious Mat Skoding, those officially authorised bounty hunters for gatal females. Yes, the state-sanctioned sinister snooping scheme was thrown out of the window.
As an aside, I recall reading something on Malaysia-Today blog that SIL isn’t exactly the favourite buddy of the Terengganu MB, so it’s little wonder SIL is twisting the verbal stiletto in. And of course, we mustn’t forget that the title of Mat this-and-that (eg. Mat Cemerlang) is bloody copyright reserve, intellectual property of Malaysia’s only ‘intellectual’.
He also lambasted the idiotic Langkawi khalwat raid that sent the anxiety (or ‘fear’) meter of an elderly American couple through the roof. Does wonders for VMY 2007 and sent the Tourism Minister cuckoo!
To be fair to SIL on the issue of Mat Skoding, I did also support AAB’s ‘good sense’ in FINALLY (OK, mob1900 mate, note capitalised ‘FINALLY - I read your ire at the inelegant heel-dragging) putting a stop to lusty lascivious leering lewd lecherous puerile pervert prurient predatory prying eyes in my posting KTemoc apologises to AAB. I had criticised AAB prior to him FINALLY waking up to some decent action.
But read on, ‘cause when I mentioned ‘lusty lascivious leering lewd lecherous puerile pervert prurient predatory prying eyes’, SIL brought out a number of points, one of which was: “… by encouraging snoop squads, we are inadvertently creating a group of quasi-voyeurs who become obsessed with uncovering sexual trysts while hiding behind a cloak of moral purity.”
Why euphemised the characteristics of sinister state sanctioned peeping toms as of ‘quasi’ status? They are bloody … er … lusty lascivious leering lewd lecherous puerile pervert prurient predatory prying pundee!
He continued: “It seems we can’t get enough of moral policing, and more specifically invading and violating people’s privacy, in order to exterminate social ills and make this a better Islamic country.”
Say we leave aside the ‘specific’ issue of the (hopefully) moribund* snoop squad, and talk about something more contemporary, for example, the Rosnah Mat (oops, 'Mat' copyright reserve 'kan?) Aris case?
* moribund and not dead yet because we know it can be revived at moment's notice
Well, his article didn’t contain any reference to Rosnah but he did warn about zealots (Yusuf Goat-balls?) misusing FIL’s Islam Hadhari to set moral standards for political reasons. He wrote in his favourite newspaper:
“The prime minister has himself warned against those who use Islam Hadhari as a ‘blank cheque’ to promote their orthodox and conservative views.”
“It is, therefore, so crucial that when we are confronted with small instances of these ‘blank cheques’ being filled in by those who believe that either this is the right thing to do (when it isn’t) or that this will win votes in the Malay heartland (when it doesn’t), there must be courage to take these issues on before people really think that Islam Hadhari is a throwback to literal puritanism.”
Now, I understand why my blogging mate Howsy gave a puke warning for those intending to read SIL’s article.
Here’s a bloke who won’t apologise for badmouthing the Chinese Malaysian community, and who resorted to FIL’s (or rather, UMNO’s) ‘blank cheque’ of agama and bangsa (don’t worry about the unimportant negara), and he’s in thick skin mode, sermonising so in his article.
Read my earlier post on SIL’s racist comments against the Chinese Malaysians:
(1) MCA's "WTF?" to Khairy Jamaluddin
(2) Khairy pulled emergency 'religious' handle
(3) "No sorry please, we're UMNO Youth leaders"
(4) A Malaysian Fairy Tale - Princess & The Frog
Yes, Howsy mate, it’s truly pukish, which was why I had described his article as ‘breathtaking’ – one would be stunned by his sheer hypocrisy that one might not remember to even breath.
But I am a bloke who sees a glass of water as half full rather half empty. Can SIL with his 4th Floor influence get Rosnah Mat (oopsy again, but can’t help it lah when that’s her name) Aris off the hook. Surely, moderate Islam Hadhari has more than enough compassion to accomodate a human error of judgement.
Go on, SIL, be a boy scout for a day and do your good heroic deed instead of pontificating prattlingly on poppycock pharisaist pseudo-poo.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Unforgiven
Regrettably, for the Malaysian government which keeps professing it rules a ‘moderate’ Islamic nation, its has come down terribly hard on actress Rosnah Mat Aris on a religious issue.
Incidentally, the term ‘moderate’ to describe Islam has been had scorned and rejected by Dr Mahathir – see Dr Mahathir: "No such thing as moderate Muslim".
Rosnah had on Sensasi, a TV3 entertainment programme, responded to a query (or was it criticism) of her association with younger men by comparing herself to Siti Khadijah, wife of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Prior to becoming a prophet, a 25-year old Mohamad (pbuh) married the 40-year old Siti Khadijah.
For that comparison, Rosnah has been suspended from appearing in any radio or television shows over Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) for a year with immediate effect.
One year ban, but what about her ‘pot of rice’ then?
The TV3 show has since been banned even though government spinmeisters said it’s only the live broadcast being changed to one that’s pre-recorded (to enable timely judicious editing of Rosnah-like statements).
Let’s examine the facts of her costly faux pas.
Indeed, in the marriage of Prophet Mohamad (pbuh) there was an age difference, but so what? According to the Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History (2005), via Wikipedia:
“Muhammad became a merchant. He was involved in trade between the Indian ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. He gained a reputation for reliability and honesty that attracted a proposal from Khadijah, a forty-year-old widow in 595 CE. Muhammad consented to the marriage, which by all accounts was a happy one.”
So what was Rosnah attempting to do by quoting the above fact? I believe she was under pressure to respond to a query, live on TV, why she preferred young men (or words to that effect).
So, she chose to refer to Siti Khadijah as a role model, believing that she could cling to a highly Islamic personality as a defence against, what she saw as, an attack on her character.
I do not believe she was disrespectful but au contraire, she hope that by referring to the wife of the Prophet (pbuh) as a role model she too could slide up the scale of respectability.
But regardless, does the great religion of Islam feel threatened by such a woman’s remarks?
I don’t believe so. I believe it has nothing to do with the sanctity of Islam but the nasty grubby sensationalising exploitative holier-than-thou politics, either to out-PAS PAS or assume the holiest Islamic credentials in time for the general election. Haven’t we just witness the idiotic Mat Skoding gambit which flopped miserably?
The timing was just bloody rotten for Rosnah. Her innocent (or even defensive) comment was sensationalised as a disrespectful remark against Islam, when I can still remember some worse, indeed blasphemous remarks made by both UMNO and PAS politicians.
One particularly notorious claim was that voters for a certain party could ascend to Heaven - a remark that dared even to usurp the sole prerogative of Allah swt.
I think it’s high time moderate (there, I’ve gone and used that word) Malaysian Muslims should tell the hypocritical government that they don’t need such official persecution or punishment of Muslims on questionable grounds or even momentary errors of judgement, when the religion is strong enough to accommodate and forgive human errors.
It’s an issue that could have been, at most, easily solved by an official repudiation of her remarks. And surely with her public declaration of remorse, if need be, she should only merit an official ‘naughty, naughty, don’t do it again’.
Instead, Yusuf Goat-balls claimed he was shocked by poor Rosnah’s words when he viewed the recorded version of Sensasi, beat up the holier-than-thou drums and then issued that ban. For him, the Islamic heartland is now secured - Alhamdulillah.
But what about poor Rosnah? Do Muslims believe that's what Islam deem appropriate for her? Or, has it been only Yusuf Goat-balls exploiting the issue for Islamic brownie points?
Of course in deciding on the ban, he said there was a lengthy discussion on Rosnah’s words, but may I ask whether Rosnah was allowed to present her case, or apologies, again!
Rosnah was accused and ‘found guilty’ of hurting the feelings of the Muslim community. SIL was also accused and 'found guilty' of hurting the feelings of the Chinese Malaysian community.
The difference? One strayed onto politically holier-than-thou grounds in a period when the UMNO government is about to announce a general election, while one has the protective tangkal (amulet) of periuk emas (golden pot).
But Yusuf Goat-balls sermonised that the move was also the government obligation to educate and inculcate good values among the people.
What hypocrisy when his government is rife with pissed poor pathetic conduct, conniving and corruption. Why doesn’t he educate ministers and government officials on transparency, accountability and due process in accordance with the tenets of Islam Hadhari?
Incidentally, the term ‘moderate’ to describe Islam has been had scorned and rejected by Dr Mahathir – see Dr Mahathir: "No such thing as moderate Muslim".
Rosnah had on Sensasi, a TV3 entertainment programme, responded to a query (or was it criticism) of her association with younger men by comparing herself to Siti Khadijah, wife of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Prior to becoming a prophet, a 25-year old Mohamad (pbuh) married the 40-year old Siti Khadijah.
For that comparison, Rosnah has been suspended from appearing in any radio or television shows over Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) for a year with immediate effect.
One year ban, but what about her ‘pot of rice’ then?
The TV3 show has since been banned even though government spinmeisters said it’s only the live broadcast being changed to one that’s pre-recorded (to enable timely judicious editing of Rosnah-like statements).
Let’s examine the facts of her costly faux pas.
Indeed, in the marriage of Prophet Mohamad (pbuh) there was an age difference, but so what? According to the Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History (2005), via Wikipedia:
“Muhammad became a merchant. He was involved in trade between the Indian ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. He gained a reputation for reliability and honesty that attracted a proposal from Khadijah, a forty-year-old widow in 595 CE. Muhammad consented to the marriage, which by all accounts was a happy one.”
So what was Rosnah attempting to do by quoting the above fact? I believe she was under pressure to respond to a query, live on TV, why she preferred young men (or words to that effect).
So, she chose to refer to Siti Khadijah as a role model, believing that she could cling to a highly Islamic personality as a defence against, what she saw as, an attack on her character.
I do not believe she was disrespectful but au contraire, she hope that by referring to the wife of the Prophet (pbuh) as a role model she too could slide up the scale of respectability.
But regardless, does the great religion of Islam feel threatened by such a woman’s remarks?
I don’t believe so. I believe it has nothing to do with the sanctity of Islam but the nasty grubby sensationalising exploitative holier-than-thou politics, either to out-PAS PAS or assume the holiest Islamic credentials in time for the general election. Haven’t we just witness the idiotic Mat Skoding gambit which flopped miserably?
The timing was just bloody rotten for Rosnah. Her innocent (or even defensive) comment was sensationalised as a disrespectful remark against Islam, when I can still remember some worse, indeed blasphemous remarks made by both UMNO and PAS politicians.
One particularly notorious claim was that voters for a certain party could ascend to Heaven - a remark that dared even to usurp the sole prerogative of Allah swt.
I think it’s high time moderate (there, I’ve gone and used that word) Malaysian Muslims should tell the hypocritical government that they don’t need such official persecution or punishment of Muslims on questionable grounds or even momentary errors of judgement, when the religion is strong enough to accommodate and forgive human errors.
It’s an issue that could have been, at most, easily solved by an official repudiation of her remarks. And surely with her public declaration of remorse, if need be, she should only merit an official ‘naughty, naughty, don’t do it again’.
Instead, Yusuf Goat-balls claimed he was shocked by poor Rosnah’s words when he viewed the recorded version of Sensasi, beat up the holier-than-thou drums and then issued that ban. For him, the Islamic heartland is now secured - Alhamdulillah.
But what about poor Rosnah? Do Muslims believe that's what Islam deem appropriate for her? Or, has it been only Yusuf Goat-balls exploiting the issue for Islamic brownie points?
Of course in deciding on the ban, he said there was a lengthy discussion on Rosnah’s words, but may I ask whether Rosnah was allowed to present her case, or apologies, again!
Rosnah was accused and ‘found guilty’ of hurting the feelings of the Muslim community. SIL was also accused and 'found guilty' of hurting the feelings of the Chinese Malaysian community.
The difference? One strayed onto politically holier-than-thou grounds in a period when the UMNO government is about to announce a general election, while one has the protective tangkal (amulet) of periuk emas (golden pot).
But Yusuf Goat-balls sermonised that the move was also the government obligation to educate and inculcate good values among the people.
What hypocrisy when his government is rife with pissed poor pathetic conduct, conniving and corruption. Why doesn’t he educate ministers and government officials on transparency, accountability and due process in accordance with the tenets of Islam Hadhari?
Lucia Lai & the P-7
My good blogging mate, Lucia Lai, is a strong civic activist who has, as I have mentioned before, impressed me with her contribution in Penang in the aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami disaster.
But this time she has been a victim of hopeless bureacracy and government non-action. Yes, she has been a long suffering bus commuter on an Island where once the Green, Blue, Yellow and Beige ran smoothly. For explanation of Penang’s once technicoloured bus services (not the non-service it is today), read Raja Bodek of Manchuko takes bus ride.
I have posted The Cry of Lucia Lai over at BolehTalk, where she expressed her frustration of the current bus non-service and hope the announced RapidKL service may solve her commuting woes.
But she also expressed her indignation that the P-7, no, not Italy’s secret society, but the current bus non-service will be allowed to continue their predatory penurious piracy.
I also highlighted a Ong Boon Keong's succinct explanation why we should not allow Raja Bodek to wash his hands a la Pontious Pilate off the sorry state of Penang Pirates affair.
But this time she has been a victim of hopeless bureacracy and government non-action. Yes, she has been a long suffering bus commuter on an Island where once the Green, Blue, Yellow and Beige ran smoothly. For explanation of Penang’s once technicoloured bus services (not the non-service it is today), read Raja Bodek of Manchuko takes bus ride.
I have posted The Cry of Lucia Lai over at BolehTalk, where she expressed her frustration of the current bus non-service and hope the announced RapidKL service may solve her commuting woes.
But she also expressed her indignation that the P-7, no, not Italy’s secret society, but the current bus non-service will be allowed to continue their predatory penurious piracy.
I also highlighted a Ong Boon Keong's succinct explanation why we should not allow Raja Bodek to wash his hands a la Pontious Pilate off the sorry state of Penang Pirates affair.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Selling off Johor?
Mr ‘Pivotal Race’ (P-Race) had during the Great Deluge of his State accused the Kiasu government of being responsible for the disaster.
Mr ‘P-Race’ had claimed poor Kota Tinggi was hit not just by heavy rainfall but by the ‘release’ of large quantities of water from a ‘catchment area’ in the surrounding reserve forest. He said that the disposition of the ‘catchment area’ turned Kota Tinggi into a ‘flood trap’ which explains why the whole town was submerged.
Apparently, according to new pivotal information, we have sold off a humongous chunk of real estate to the foreign country, namely the Linggiu reservoir, comprising an area that’s one-third the size of a certain Island, and. located 40 km north of Kota Tinggi.
Could there be another ‘catchment area’ besides Linggiu reservoir? If not, then it’s ... er ...'conclusive', according to the worldviews of someone.
Local activist Zaaba Abdul Samad revealed that Linggiu Reservoi r is completely under the control of a foreign country He also claimed that this 'secret reservoir' played avital pivotal role in the floods which devastated Kota Tinggi.
Zaaba asked: “In the first place, the location of the reservoir itself is wrong. It poses a danger for the towns and villages along the foot of the area. What I want to know is why the Johor government agreed to build this reservoir here?”
malaysiakini saw some locals fishing in the area, who said that security was tight at the reservoir. They added that the security personnel and people working in the reservoir complex are not locals, but from a certain country.
We learnt that some RM320 million changed hands.
malaysiakini probed around and found that last year, questions were raised at the state assembly meeting about the matter but in Boleh manner, no satisfactory answers were given by the state government. Apparently the towkay had asked for more time to answer questions as he needed information from the relevant state agencies. The towkay’s office made no comment to malaysiakini on the matter.
What else have we sold off?
Mr ‘P-Race’ had claimed poor Kota Tinggi was hit not just by heavy rainfall but by the ‘release’ of large quantities of water from a ‘catchment area’ in the surrounding reserve forest. He said that the disposition of the ‘catchment area’ turned Kota Tinggi into a ‘flood trap’ which explains why the whole town was submerged.
Apparently, according to new pivotal information, we have sold off a humongous chunk of real estate to the foreign country, namely the Linggiu reservoir, comprising an area that’s one-third the size of a certain Island, and. located 40 km north of Kota Tinggi.
Could there be another ‘catchment area’ besides Linggiu reservoir? If not, then it’s ... er ...'conclusive', according to the worldviews of someone.
Local activist Zaaba Abdul Samad revealed that Linggiu Reservoi r is completely under the control of a foreign country He also claimed that this 'secret reservoir' played a
Zaaba asked: “In the first place, the location of the reservoir itself is wrong. It poses a danger for the towns and villages along the foot of the area. What I want to know is why the Johor government agreed to build this reservoir here?”
malaysiakini saw some locals fishing in the area, who said that security was tight at the reservoir. They added that the security personnel and people working in the reservoir complex are not locals, but from a certain country.
We learnt that some RM320 million changed hands.
malaysiakini probed around and found that last year, questions were raised at the state assembly meeting about the matter but in Boleh manner, no satisfactory answers were given by the state government. Apparently the towkay had asked for more time to answer questions as he needed information from the relevant state agencies. The towkay’s office made no comment to malaysiakini on the matter.
What else have we sold off?
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Faith - O ye ...
In my posting Bones of Jesus & Mary Magdalene found! reader mich said “As much as I feel ‘hurt’ when KTemoc has his strong opinion on Christianity …”
Well, I would be lying if I were to bull that I didn’t know what I was getting into, because religion is always a very sensitive subject, with individuals handling it in various manner.
Yes, I didn’t help much by being irrelevant in my comments when it comes to religion, any religion. But why do I pick on poor Christianity?
To be honest I didn’t, but because I was educated in a Methodist school I have a little (not much, mind you, just a wee iota) knowledge of the Bible, and in that I feel a little comfortable talking about its contents.
If you look at my posting again, you’d find I didn’t question the Resurrection. I wrote what newspapers in the Western world had written, with of course a bit of the usual KTemoc-ish irrelevance to spice up the posting.
I challenge anyone - now’s my turn to challenge you guys ;-) – to point out where I had questioned the Resurrection, other than to report what the media had reported.
But there were three reasons why I posted the subject two days after it appeared in the press when I could have done it immediately I read that article.
One – I waited for Malaysian newspapers to report that, but alas, there’s tight-assed self censorship. Is it healthy for our society?
Two – Malaysian Christians [some of whom are my friends – I hope they still are] feel pissed off with bloody blasphemous biased(?) KTemoc. But that’s precisely how Muslims or Hindus would feel too if the very foundation of their religions were challenged. For example, when I questioned Buddhism once, my mum slapped me, so yes, I am aware that some people like my mum couldn’t handle it.
Three – Malaysian Muslims may wish to know that the news of the bones of Jesus and family have been and are openly discussed in the West, without Christians rushing out to burn anything or kill anyone - of course we get the usual suspects lambasting James Cameron and gang.
Compare this issue with ‘One’ above and also the terrible pressure one local actress must have felt when she made a fairly innocuous remark about the wife of the Prophet (pbuh) in the (no longer live) TV show Sensani.
Basically if your faith is strong and resilient - and all religions (even Buddhism) are based on faith - you don’t worry about others questioning your beliefs. So I hope mich and Y1 and indeed Ranger (I think I know who you are) won’t be demoralised or too upset.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen – Hebrews 11:1
then good ole Luke had this to say:
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
If then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? - Luke 12:27-28
Well, I would be lying if I were to bull that I didn’t know what I was getting into, because religion is always a very sensitive subject, with individuals handling it in various manner.
Yes, I didn’t help much by being irrelevant in my comments when it comes to religion, any religion. But why do I pick on poor Christianity?
To be honest I didn’t, but because I was educated in a Methodist school I have a little (not much, mind you, just a wee iota) knowledge of the Bible, and in that I feel a little comfortable talking about its contents.
If you look at my posting again, you’d find I didn’t question the Resurrection. I wrote what newspapers in the Western world had written, with of course a bit of the usual KTemoc-ish irrelevance to spice up the posting.
I challenge anyone - now’s my turn to challenge you guys ;-) – to point out where I had questioned the Resurrection, other than to report what the media had reported.
But there were three reasons why I posted the subject two days after it appeared in the press when I could have done it immediately I read that article.
One – I waited for Malaysian newspapers to report that, but alas, there’s tight-assed self censorship. Is it healthy for our society?
Two – Malaysian Christians [some of whom are my friends – I hope they still are] feel pissed off with bloody blasphemous biased(?) KTemoc. But that’s precisely how Muslims or Hindus would feel too if the very foundation of their religions were challenged. For example, when I questioned Buddhism once, my mum slapped me, so yes, I am aware that some people like my mum couldn’t handle it.
Three – Malaysian Muslims may wish to know that the news of the bones of Jesus and family have been and are openly discussed in the West, without Christians rushing out to burn anything or kill anyone - of course we get the usual suspects lambasting James Cameron and gang.
Compare this issue with ‘One’ above and also the terrible pressure one local actress must have felt when she made a fairly innocuous remark about the wife of the Prophet (pbuh) in the (no longer live) TV show Sensani.
Basically if your faith is strong and resilient - and all religions (even Buddhism) are based on faith - you don’t worry about others questioning your beliefs. So I hope mich and Y1 and indeed Ranger (I think I know who you are) won’t be demoralised or too upset.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen – Hebrews 11:1
then good ole Luke had this to say:
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
If then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? - Luke 12:27-28
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Bones of Jesus & Mary Magdalene found!
According to Christian teachings, after Jesus was resurrected he ascended to heaven.
Referring to Luke (what do you expect from a former Methodist-educated bloke like me), after the crucifixion the women close to Jesus carried spices to the sepulchre before dawn.
The Good Book also said prior to their arrival an angel frightened the guards at the sepulchre away by demonstrating frightening light display (neon or strobe lights?), and then rolled away the stone that sealed the tomb, and waited for Jesus’ womenfolk to arrive.
I wonder, while waiting for the girls, he/she (angels were supposed to be androgynous) crossed his/her legs and rested his/her elbows on the knees while cupping the chin in his/her hands a la Rodin's Thinker?
There is a book called “Who moved the stone?” or words to that effect. It was written by a lawyer who ‘saw the light’ (not the angel’s but in a religious sense). I was informed he wrote that book to argue the case for the Resurrection along legal lines.
A young Chinese preacher offered me that book when he was trying (initially most enthusiastically) to convert me. We had a chit-chat about the Bible. Let’s just say by the end of that day, he was pissed off with me and gave up on my salvation.
When one of his flock asked him about my views (that person was present when I was debating with the dear Reverend, and later related to me what the pastor said) the preacher replied: “the Devil speaks through him”, the ‘him’ being me – kid you not!
Anyway, Mary Magdalene, Mary mum of Jesus, and Salome (Jesus sis – I read a book by an historian-archaeologist who said Mary had three hubbies and several children) approached the sepulchre and saw, goodness, the stone was rolled back. BTW, 'twas Mark who said this, because the ladies that good old Luke wrote as going to the tomb numbered 12, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna.
OK, without getting bogged down by apostolic differences the ladies saw the angel at the sepulchre, who waved grandly towards the empty tomb and flamboyantly proclaimed to them the obvious, the Resurrection.
He/she told them to go forth and … no, not multiply but ... spread the good word to Peter - the one who thrice denied Christ 'ere the cock crowed – yea and all that stuff, including a promise that they would see Jesus again in Galilee.
OK, there were also other incidents that convinced the disciples that Jesus had arisen. In those days, angels weren’t so shy and appeared a number of times to the disciples.
The Man himself appeared to Peter so the latter couldn’t possibly deny the Resurrection. In fact Jesus was said to appear to all the apostles with the sole exception of KTe … er … I mean … doubting Thomas. In fact Jesus even ate a fish and some honeycomb in their company.
I remember this because my school principal ‘helped’ me (ouch, yes sir) not to forget Luke 24:36-43.
But the above belief is now threatened by a recent claim that in a 2000-year old cave (burial chamber) found 26 years ago in Jerusalem's Talpiyot neighbourhood, there were 10 stone coffins containing the remains (bones) of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and their son Judah.
Referring to Luke (what do you expect from a former Methodist-educated bloke like me), after the crucifixion the women close to Jesus carried spices to the sepulchre before dawn.
The Good Book also said prior to their arrival an angel frightened the guards at the sepulchre away by demonstrating frightening light display (neon or strobe lights?), and then rolled away the stone that sealed the tomb, and waited for Jesus’ womenfolk to arrive.
I wonder, while waiting for the girls, he/she (angels were supposed to be androgynous) crossed his/her legs and rested his/her elbows on the knees while cupping the chin in his/her hands a la Rodin's Thinker?
There is a book called “Who moved the stone?” or words to that effect. It was written by a lawyer who ‘saw the light’ (not the angel’s but in a religious sense). I was informed he wrote that book to argue the case for the Resurrection along legal lines.
A young Chinese preacher offered me that book when he was trying (initially most enthusiastically) to convert me. We had a chit-chat about the Bible. Let’s just say by the end of that day, he was pissed off with me and gave up on my salvation.
When one of his flock asked him about my views (that person was present when I was debating with the dear Reverend, and later related to me what the pastor said) the preacher replied: “the Devil speaks through him”, the ‘him’ being me – kid you not!
Anyway, Mary Magdalene, Mary mum of Jesus, and Salome (Jesus sis – I read a book by an historian-archaeologist who said Mary had three hubbies and several children) approached the sepulchre and saw, goodness, the stone was rolled back. BTW, 'twas Mark who said this, because the ladies that good old Luke wrote as going to the tomb numbered 12, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna.
OK, without getting bogged down by apostolic differences the ladies saw the angel at the sepulchre, who waved grandly towards the empty tomb and flamboyantly proclaimed to them the obvious, the Resurrection.
He/she told them to go forth and … no, not multiply but ... spread the good word to Peter - the one who thrice denied Christ 'ere the cock crowed – yea and all that stuff, including a promise that they would see Jesus again in Galilee.
OK, there were also other incidents that convinced the disciples that Jesus had arisen. In those days, angels weren’t so shy and appeared a number of times to the disciples.
The Man himself appeared to Peter so the latter couldn’t possibly deny the Resurrection. In fact Jesus was said to appear to all the apostles with the sole exception of KTe … er … I mean … doubting Thomas. In fact Jesus even ate a fish and some honeycomb in their company.
I remember this because my school principal ‘helped’ me (ouch, yes sir) not to forget Luke 24:36-43.
But the above belief is now threatened by a recent claim that in a 2000-year old cave (burial chamber) found 26 years ago in Jerusalem's Talpiyot neighbourhood, there were 10 stone coffins containing the remains (bones) of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and their son Judah.
one of the coffins
That Jesus and Mary Magdalene were an item has been debated regularly and openly for the last several decades in countless documentaries and non-fiction books (eg. Holy Blood & Holy Grail), with the best known book being, unfortunately, a work of fiction (I won’t name it ‘cause if you don’t know what I am referring to, you must have been sleeping for the last twenty years).
Of the 10 ossuaries, six have inscriptions which carry the names ‘Jesus son of Joseph’,’Mara’ (Maria Magdalene) and ‘Judah son of Jesus’. Of course, these are translations.OK, here’s where the mystery deepens. One of the ossuaries went missing. The human remains inside were destroyed before any DNA testing could be carried out.
This is not the first time such a naughty thing had happened. The historian-archaeologist that I mentioned earlier also related another incident where bones that could have reveal interesting stuff disappeared inexplicably.
Most people who follow this sort of incidents suspect Israeli officials had intervened to prevent any incriminating evidence from coming out that would threaten Christian beliefs.
Now, you may think it strange that rightwing Israelis and Jews who dislike (even hate) the Christians immensely would bother to protect Christian beliefs, a religion founded on the teachings of what followers of Judaism consider to be an apostate heretic.
It’s all about politics, where the survival and viability of Israel depend on the support of the American Christian Right. And the beliefs of the American Christian Right, which motivate them to support the ‘Land where Hebrews walk again for the Second Coming’ of Christ, must be protected.
Perhaps that’s why it took years before the discovered ancient scrolls were released to international scholars. The Israelis and Catholic Church had first stab at the research and translation, working together in secrecy prior to the release, who knows, maybe to ‘vet’ those scrolls.
The new discovery of the Jesus' bones is being made into a document called The Burial Cave of Jesus by James Cameron, the director of Titanic, while a book on its discovery is about to be published. Look out for The Jesus Tomb by Simcha Jacobovici and Charles Pellegrino in Singapore or Haadyai because our wonderful government would probably ‘protect’ us from it.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
PKR - once bitten, twice gatal
Looks like PKR hasn’t learnt its disastrous 2004 lesson. Read Another crack in captain-less PKR sampan at BolehTalk to see why.
Raja Bodek of Manchuko takes bus ride
A few days ago, my Penang kinfolk, Akhbar (no last name please) wrote to me – yes lau peng yu, I haven’t forgotten nor ignored you – I had a bit too much on my hands then.
Akhbar questioned Raja Bodek’s too-ready acquiescence to AAB’s awarding of the Penang non-transport system to RapidKL - sheesh, he virtually stumbled forward to kiss the hands of the Sleeping Non-Beauty, as Akhbar named the later.
It seems that Raja Bodek abdicated his authority as well as abandoned his promise to representatives from Citizens for Public Transport (Cepat) at a meeting last year that the new tender for bus operations in the state would be opened to local operators.
Hardly surprising for a tok ampu like Raja Bodek, but blame Penangites for being idiots in voting for him - BTW, I'm a Penangite too and very ashamed of my Island kinfolks for supporting Raja Bodek - but if they come to their senses, they may yet have a second chance, pretty soon.
He was said to have requested for RapidKL to take over the bus services. As Chubby Checker said: "How low can you go!"
Akhbar has been pissed off because Raja Bodek had acted as if Penang does not have the expertise to run the bus business profitably.
Once upon a dignified time, long before Raja Bodek appeared on the scene (of course), Penangites ran four bus services that served the Island effectively. Many old-timers mourned the disappearance of the Green, Blue, Yellow and even the plodding Beige.
Save OurSelves (SOS) secretary Ong Boon Keong said RapidKL’s entrance exposed the weakness and cringe of the Raja Bodek's party in the state government, whom most Penangites know to be nothing more than just a puppet administration dancing to the UMNO strings.
Ong said sadly what Akhbar had lamented: "When the state government can't do its job, it gives up its control to the federal government. It's a total surrender of the Penang people's right to control and operate their own transport system."
Ong "We have given up state control over the sewage system, water supply and now buses" while of course, Raja had long given up control of his ... er ... dhoti (cawat).
But Akhbar smelled a rat besides a cringing giant-keris-waving Raja. He even paraphrased Shakespeare’s Hamlet by stating: “Hey, I smell something rotten in the state of Penang.”
He asked some pertinent questions:
1. Who will they be buying the buses from? Would it be, for example, M-trans, a Scomi subsidiary?
2. If so, is the Raja Bodek’s ‘request’ for RapidKL to take over a ‘bunga emas’* set-up?
* a traditional tribute by a subordinate ruler to a superior ruler
In other words, was Raja Bodek trying to please ‘someone’ to protect as well as consolidate his iffy position in view of the coming elections?
Could it have been a trade-off with Taikoh* to preserve his Manchuko-ish throne?
you tell me if it's not Raja Bodek minus glasses
Akhbar questioned Raja Bodek’s too-ready acquiescence to AAB’s awarding of the Penang non-transport system to RapidKL - sheesh, he virtually stumbled forward to kiss the hands of the Sleeping Non-Beauty, as Akhbar named the later.
It seems that Raja Bodek abdicated his authority as well as abandoned his promise to representatives from Citizens for Public Transport (Cepat) at a meeting last year that the new tender for bus operations in the state would be opened to local operators.
Hardly surprising for a tok ampu like Raja Bodek, but blame Penangites for being idiots in voting for him - BTW, I'm a Penangite too and very ashamed of my Island kinfolks for supporting Raja Bodek - but if they come to their senses, they may yet have a second chance, pretty soon.
He was said to have requested for RapidKL to take over the bus services. As Chubby Checker said: "How low can you go!"
Akhbar has been pissed off because Raja Bodek had acted as if Penang does not have the expertise to run the bus business profitably.
Once upon a dignified time, long before Raja Bodek appeared on the scene (of course), Penangites ran four bus services that served the Island effectively. Many old-timers mourned the disappearance of the Green, Blue, Yellow and even the plodding Beige.
Save OurSelves (SOS) secretary Ong Boon Keong said RapidKL’s entrance exposed the weakness and cringe of the Raja Bodek's party in the state government, whom most Penangites know to be nothing more than just a puppet administration dancing to the UMNO strings.
Ong said sadly what Akhbar had lamented: "When the state government can't do its job, it gives up its control to the federal government. It's a total surrender of the Penang people's right to control and operate their own transport system."
Ong "We have given up state control over the sewage system, water supply and now buses" while of course, Raja had long given up control of his ... er ... dhoti (cawat).
But Akhbar smelled a rat besides a cringing giant-keris-waving Raja. He even paraphrased Shakespeare’s Hamlet by stating: “Hey, I smell something rotten in the state of Penang.”
He asked some pertinent questions:
1. Who will they be buying the buses from? Would it be, for example, M-trans, a Scomi subsidiary?
2. If so, is the Raja Bodek’s ‘request’ for RapidKL to take over a ‘bunga emas’* set-up?
* a traditional tribute by a subordinate ruler to a superior ruler
In other words, was Raja Bodek trying to please ‘someone’ to protect as well as consolidate his iffy position in view of the coming elections?
Could it have been a trade-off with Taikoh* to preserve his Manchuko-ish throne?
you tell me if it's not Raja Bodek minus glassesWiki photo of ruler of Manchuko
Akhbar also wondered about the federal financing of RM50 million for the RapidKL takeover including the monorail project? Bruder, don’t forget the beneficiary of PORR as well?
Since Akhbar had paraphrased Shakespeare's Hamlet, let me paraphrase King Henry II's words: "Who will for me vote out this obsequious puppet?"
Monday, February 26, 2007
UMNO surat layang = early elections
If I am forced ;-) to point out an UMNO person that I can respect for doing his parliamentary job reasonably well, I would pick Johor Baru MP Shahrir Abdul Samad.
He was the bloke who had the decency, guts and conscientious parliamentary responsibility to stand up and be counted against the notorious Cyclops in the Monkey House of Malaysia. The Cyclops was the man who told Malaysian Customs to ‘close one eye’ to one of his import ‘activities’.
Cyclops was also the so-called parliamentarian who shamelessly made a shocking stupid scandalous shameless sickening scuzzy sexist sexual innuendo to a lady (DAP) parliamentarian, but then, he showed he's a sick sleazy scumbag. I also posted that in Monkey Business in Big Monkey House, in which I wrote:
I also discussed that Cyclops averred many of our local performers and dancers of the National Culture and Heritage Academy were ‘soft’, and demanded the academy address the issue.
A Rocket lady then objected: “No matter if the performers are hard or soft, fat or slim, pretty or ugly, they deserve basic respect.”
In an unmitigated sexual innuendo, Cyclops asked the lady: “I understand what you mean, but you like hard or soft?”
Just to remind everyone, Cyclops' obscene allusion was stated in the Big Monkey House. Look, I couldn't possibly use another term to describe the place, given Cyclops' unruly behaviour.
Most senior Rocket Man said Cyclops had no moral authority to be in the so-called august place as he had brought shame to that place. But the one-eye simian is still allowed to continue his monkey business, hence it's only appropriate I refer to his antics as monkeying in the Big Monkey House.
So until the Big Monkey House purges itself of monkeys, apes, gorillas and baboons, especially the one-eyed specie, it shall have to accept it's one Big Monkey House.
But in truth, even real monkeys know about shame, hence I apologise to the real monkeys.
Well, now you know where the Monkey House was/is. It’s where the ruling pack of apes makes monkeys either out of the hallowed institution or of us (the gullible masochistic voters), by their monkey business including their shameless tribal protection of Cyclops.
As a result of Shahrir Abdul Samad admirable stand for parliamentary propriety, in supporting Lim Kit Siang’s motion to refer Cyclops to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges, he was slapped down by his own party and lost his appointment as the chairman of the parliamentary backbenchers club (yes, he resigned, but his resignation was accepted by UMNO leaders with disgraceful alacrity).
So what’s the latest on Shahrir Abdul Samad?
Well, it seems ‘someone’ (singular or plural) whispered he was married to Robert Kuok’s daughter. Shahrir believed that nonsense could have been passed around because he (Shahrir) was outspoken on controversial issues.
He said Kuok has no daughter (what? blast!) and that should hopefully dispel the rumours his wife is related to Malaysia's richest man Tan Sri Robert Kuok.
He spoke at a Johor Baru Umno forum on education: "Many people think that a politician who makes a lot of noise must be very rich, and that I, because I may have about 10 per cent of the Kuok fortune which is about RM2 billion to RM3 billion, I can afford to say anything that I like."
"I have a Chinese wife but she is from Ipoh, not from Johor. I am not at all related to him (Robert Kuok). I didn't marry his daughter, I didn't marry his niece and I didn't marry any Kuok. These are all rumours."
Looks like the infamous UMNO’s surat layang (political poison pen) has taken off again – election must be very near and party pre-selection is approaching.
He was the bloke who had the decency, guts and conscientious parliamentary responsibility to stand up and be counted against the notorious Cyclops in the Monkey House of Malaysia. The Cyclops was the man who told Malaysian Customs to ‘close one eye’ to one of his import ‘activities’.
Cyclops was also the so-called parliamentarian who shamelessly made a shocking stupid scandalous shameless sickening scuzzy sexist sexual innuendo to a lady (DAP) parliamentarian, but then, he showed he's a sick sleazy scumbag. I also posted that in Monkey Business in Big Monkey House, in which I wrote:
I also discussed that Cyclops averred many of our local performers and dancers of the National Culture and Heritage Academy were ‘soft’, and demanded the academy address the issue.
A Rocket lady then objected: “No matter if the performers are hard or soft, fat or slim, pretty or ugly, they deserve basic respect.”
In an unmitigated sexual innuendo, Cyclops asked the lady: “I understand what you mean, but you like hard or soft?”
Just to remind everyone, Cyclops' obscene allusion was stated in the Big Monkey House. Look, I couldn't possibly use another term to describe the place, given Cyclops' unruly behaviour.
Most senior Rocket Man said Cyclops had no moral authority to be in the so-called august place as he had brought shame to that place. But the one-eye simian is still allowed to continue his monkey business, hence it's only appropriate I refer to his antics as monkeying in the Big Monkey House.
So until the Big Monkey House purges itself of monkeys, apes, gorillas and baboons, especially the one-eyed specie, it shall have to accept it's one Big Monkey House.
But in truth, even real monkeys know about shame, hence I apologise to the real monkeys.
Well, now you know where the Monkey House was/is. It’s where the ruling pack of apes makes monkeys either out of the hallowed institution or of us (the gullible masochistic voters), by their monkey business including their shameless tribal protection of Cyclops.
As a result of Shahrir Abdul Samad admirable stand for parliamentary propriety, in supporting Lim Kit Siang’s motion to refer Cyclops to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges, he was slapped down by his own party and lost his appointment as the chairman of the parliamentary backbenchers club (yes, he resigned, but his resignation was accepted by UMNO leaders with disgraceful alacrity).
So what’s the latest on Shahrir Abdul Samad?
Well, it seems ‘someone’ (singular or plural) whispered he was married to Robert Kuok’s daughter. Shahrir believed that nonsense could have been passed around because he (Shahrir) was outspoken on controversial issues.
He said Kuok has no daughter (what? blast!) and that should hopefully dispel the rumours his wife is related to Malaysia's richest man Tan Sri Robert Kuok.
He spoke at a Johor Baru Umno forum on education: "Many people think that a politician who makes a lot of noise must be very rich, and that I, because I may have about 10 per cent of the Kuok fortune which is about RM2 billion to RM3 billion, I can afford to say anything that I like."
"I have a Chinese wife but she is from Ipoh, not from Johor. I am not at all related to him (Robert Kuok). I didn't marry his daughter, I didn't marry his niece and I didn't marry any Kuok. These are all rumours."
Looks like the infamous UMNO’s surat layang (political poison pen) has taken off again – election must be very near and party pre-selection is approaching.
Sugar Canes & Hokkiens
Read on why Penang Hokkiens (or Hokkiens in general) consider the 9th day of the Chinese new year as their MOST auspicious day of the year, and why they celebrate it more importantly than the 1st day, and the significance of sugar cane on this very special day - over at BolehTalk's posting Hokkien Chinese New Year
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Way of the Penang water babies
Last year in September I posted The Penang Straits Swim.
It was about a Bernama report that 16-year-old Ahmad Shauqie Abdul Aziz, a student from Sekolah Menengah Abdul Aziz in Perak, swam 10 km across the Penang Strait in three hours 10 minutes.
Ahmad Shauqie did it all in the spirit of Malaysia Boleh, and to get into the Malaysia Book of Records for being the youngest person to swim across the Straits solo without using a cage. His brother and personal trainer, Azmin, accompanied him in a boat to ensure his safety.
I commented that Penangites would be proud to know that Ahmad Shauqie was born in Penang. Shauqie said that he was proud for having succeeded in setting a record as the youngest swimmer to have swim across the Straits.
While I congratulated Ahmad Shauqie for his feat, I also pointed out that many others had done it eons before. I didn’t want to disappoint him about his claim to being the first youngest to swim that leg, though he could make a claim for a place in the Malaysia Book of Records, because in those days no record was taken for the following reason.
Then, I brought out what most Penangites know, about the swimming prowess of the boys in a Penang school called the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS), subsequently becoming the Methodist Boys’ School after Merdeka. I wrote:
It was about a Bernama report that 16-year-old Ahmad Shauqie Abdul Aziz, a student from Sekolah Menengah Abdul Aziz in Perak, swam 10 km across the Penang Strait in three hours 10 minutes.
Ahmad Shauqie did it all in the spirit of Malaysia Boleh, and to get into the Malaysia Book of Records for being the youngest person to swim across the Straits solo without using a cage. His brother and personal trainer, Azmin, accompanied him in a boat to ensure his safety.
I commented that Penangites would be proud to know that Ahmad Shauqie was born in Penang. Shauqie said that he was proud for having succeeded in setting a record as the youngest swimmer to have swim across the Straits.
While I congratulated Ahmad Shauqie for his feat, I also pointed out that many others had done it eons before. I didn’t want to disappoint him about his claim to being the first youngest to swim that leg, though he could make a claim for a place in the Malaysia Book of Records, because in those days no record was taken for the following reason.
Then, I brought out what most Penangites know, about the swimming prowess of the boys in a Penang school called the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS), subsequently becoming the Methodist Boys’ School after Merdeka. I wrote:
Those newspapers reports should be able to show that the ACS had annual cross-Penang Straits swim where several dozens, if not hundreds of their students and teachers took the plunge from Butterworth and swam across to, I was told by an old timer, the Chinese Swimming Club in Tanjung Tokong.
Then no sophisticated cage existed, nor bananas eaten. It was just an annual school swim by ACS students with strong encouragement from and training by teachers who themselves were powerful swimming instructors - most instructed at the Chinese Swimming Club.
Some of the students were very very young, studying in the old Form III's to Form V's. Using my own age just as a rouge gauge, I was in the equivalent of Form V at 16, so I would surmise those swimmers must have been very young.
Well, the Star Online indicated that in 1957, 12-year old Kuan Guat Choo swam the Penang Channel, though she drifted down south to Pulau Jerejak, a fact making her swim distance even longer. In subsequent years, there could well be even younger kids (especially from ACS/MBS) taking the plunge during the school annual swim to cross the Penang Channel. So she might well not even be the youngest - aiyah, we Penangites were and, I suppose, still are extraordinary people, Raja Bodek notwithstanding.
Then no sophisticated cage existed, nor bananas eaten. It was just an annual school swim by ACS students with strong encouragement from and training by teachers who themselves were powerful swimming instructors - most instructed at the Chinese Swimming Club.
Some of the students were very very young, studying in the old Form III's to Form V's. Using my own age just as a rouge gauge, I was in the equivalent of Form V at 16, so I would surmise those swimmers must have been very young.
Well, the Star Online indicated that in 1957, 12-year old Kuan Guat Choo swam the Penang Channel, though she drifted down south to Pulau Jerejak, a fact making her swim distance even longer. In subsequent years, there could well be even younger kids (especially from ACS/MBS) taking the plunge during the school annual swim to cross the Penang Channel. So she might well not even be the youngest - aiyah, we Penangites were and, I suppose, still are extraordinary people, Raja Bodek notwithstanding.
12-year old Guat Choo and dad
I reproduce the Star Online article (plus all 3 photos) in full, starting with a letter by Guat Choo and then the article titled 'Hats off to the Water Baby':
To every child, their father is the best and likewise for me though I am no child but a very senior citizen. My father, Mr Kuan Huah Oong, is an unforgettable character. He was in the swimming team that went to the China Olympics in Shanghai in 1948. He was the Secretary of the Penang Chinese Swimming Club for many years, and only relinquished the post when he went to work in Brunei in 1968. He used to raise funds to send teams down to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to compete. He is now 85 and declining. It breaks my heart each time I look at him – a dashing young man reduced to this weak shell. If a feature on him were published, it would bring back many memories for his contemporaries.
– Kuan Guat Choo
It should have been his moment of glory! He was the first to complete the race in the inaugural Penang cross-channel swimming competition, which was held in 1957, and should have been basking in media attention and showers of congratulatory wishes.
Instead, Kuan Huah Oong got on a boat and went in search of his daughter who was among 200 swimmers still bobbing in the sea along the 4 km swim route.
“He found me way off course near Pulau Jerejak. Despite being dead tired and suffering from muscle cramps, he got out from the boat and swam with me,” recalls Kuan’s daughter Guat Choo.
“He would not let me hold on to him as that would be cheating. He told me to always finish what I've started despite the odds. He was 35 and I was 12, the youngest participant.”
Everyone has a hero and Guat Choo’s is clearly her father.
Thus, it pains her to see how a man who had embraced life with such zest is now vegetating after suffering a series of strokes.
“My father can't talk and I'm not even sure if he recognises me nowadays,” says the 62-year-old grandmother.
Before the stroke, he was never the type who could sit at home and do nothing, she says. “Swimming was his life.”
Kuan was in the Malayan team that competed in the Seventh National Shanghai Games in 1948.
They emerged second in the team relay and he won third and fifth respectively in the individual 400m and 1,500m.
“The cold weather adversely affected their performance,” says Guat Choo, who has a photo of her father shivering by the pool in Shanghai.
She describes him as an unorthodox person who believes that accomplishments don't have to come with monetary rewards.
Kuan was working in the state immigration department before becoming a volunteer with the St John’s Ambulance during World War II in 1941.
As a volunteer, he brought the injured to the hospital, the dead to the mortuary and any jewellery he found on these persons to the hospital supervisor.
“It was at a dispersal camp for war refugees in Thean Teik Estate (now Bandar Baru Air Itam) that he met my mum and romance blossomed between them,” says Guat Choo, smiling.
Her mother Lim Pek Hock, 83, adds: “It amused me to hear him singing O Sole Mio and Serenade at the top of his lungs when he bathed in the public shower cubicles.
“During our courtship, he would climb coconut trees like a monkey to get the fruit for me because I like to drink coconut water.”
After the war, he joined the state information department but he resigned soon after because his superiors wanted to transfer him to Kelantan. He then opened a bicycle shop at his house in York Road.
“He seemed to have a knack for anything he set his mind to,” Guat Choo relates.
“He would not let me hold on to him as that would be cheating. He told me to always finish what I've started despite the odds. He was 35 and I was 12, the youngest participant.”
Everyone has a hero and Guat Choo’s is clearly her father.
Thus, it pains her to see how a man who had embraced life with such zest is now vegetating after suffering a series of strokes.
“My father can't talk and I'm not even sure if he recognises me nowadays,” says the 62-year-old grandmother.
Before the stroke, he was never the type who could sit at home and do nothing, she says. “Swimming was his life.”
Kuan was in the Malayan team that competed in the Seventh National Shanghai Games in 1948.
They emerged second in the team relay and he won third and fifth respectively in the individual 400m and 1,500m.
“The cold weather adversely affected their performance,” says Guat Choo, who has a photo of her father shivering by the pool in Shanghai.
She describes him as an unorthodox person who believes that accomplishments don't have to come with monetary rewards.
Kuan was working in the state immigration department before becoming a volunteer with the St John’s Ambulance during World War II in 1941.
As a volunteer, he brought the injured to the hospital, the dead to the mortuary and any jewellery he found on these persons to the hospital supervisor.
“It was at a dispersal camp for war refugees in Thean Teik Estate (now Bandar Baru Air Itam) that he met my mum and romance blossomed between them,” says Guat Choo, smiling.
Her mother Lim Pek Hock, 83, adds: “It amused me to hear him singing O Sole Mio and Serenade at the top of his lungs when he bathed in the public shower cubicles.
“During our courtship, he would climb coconut trees like a monkey to get the fruit for me because I like to drink coconut water.”
After the war, he joined the state information department but he resigned soon after because his superiors wanted to transfer him to Kelantan. He then opened a bicycle shop at his house in York Road.
“He seemed to have a knack for anything he set his mind to,” Guat Choo relates.
“During a family vacation in Cameron Highlands, his old Renault overheated and broke down. He hiked to the nearest stream to get water for the car.
“And when the car stalled, he fixed it with only one tool – my mother's hair pin!” she laughs, adding that he had bought the car from the Thai consulate for RM700.
Kuan learnt to swim by dog paddling at the age of 12 in a stream near his house.
Fearing that he would drown, his family forbade him to go out swimming. So, when he returned home each day, one of his older brothers would touch his belly button to see if it was cold. This was to test if he had been in the water.
Each time he failed the test, his brother would whack him, but Kuan was undeterred.
When he was studying at the Anglo Chinese School (now Methodist Boys’ School), he joined its swimming class in 1938. However, he turned out to be the worst student there and was expelled as a result.
This further fuelled his resolve to succeed, and he began to watch national swimming champ Kee Soon Bee practise at the Chinese Swimming Club.
He was elated when Kee offered to teach him. In his first swimming competition under the club in the same year, he came out third.
Soon, he went on to win in other meets. In 1959, Kuan was elected as the club's captain and after two years, became its secretary.
According to Guat Choo, he often took his students to Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore for swimming events.
“He raised funds for these low-budget trips by publishing souvenir programme books and seeking sponsors. They would travel third class by train and only ate at coffeeshops.
“Sleeping arrangements were usually in a club where they slept on camp beds. He once told me how they ordered a bowl of bah kut teh to be shared among 10 people. Glory was only in the participation,” she says.
In 1966, Kuan represented Malaysia in the Royal Life Saving Society in London where he attended a dinner at the Buckingham Palace and was presented to Queen Elizabeth II.
“And when the car stalled, he fixed it with only one tool – my mother's hair pin!” she laughs, adding that he had bought the car from the Thai consulate for RM700.
Kuan learnt to swim by dog paddling at the age of 12 in a stream near his house.
Fearing that he would drown, his family forbade him to go out swimming. So, when he returned home each day, one of his older brothers would touch his belly button to see if it was cold. This was to test if he had been in the water.
Each time he failed the test, his brother would whack him, but Kuan was undeterred.
When he was studying at the Anglo Chinese School (now Methodist Boys’ School), he joined its swimming class in 1938. However, he turned out to be the worst student there and was expelled as a result.
This further fuelled his resolve to succeed, and he began to watch national swimming champ Kee Soon Bee practise at the Chinese Swimming Club.
He was elated when Kee offered to teach him. In his first swimming competition under the club in the same year, he came out third.
Soon, he went on to win in other meets. In 1959, Kuan was elected as the club's captain and after two years, became its secretary.
According to Guat Choo, he often took his students to Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore for swimming events.
“He raised funds for these low-budget trips by publishing souvenir programme books and seeking sponsors. They would travel third class by train and only ate at coffeeshops.
“Sleeping arrangements were usually in a club where they slept on camp beds. He once told me how they ordered a bowl of bah kut teh to be shared among 10 people. Glory was only in the participation,” she says.
In 1966, Kuan represented Malaysia in the Royal Life Saving Society in London where he attended a dinner at the Buckingham Palace and was presented to Queen Elizabeth II.
Kuan with the late Princess Margaret
“During the toast, he raised his glass of water while everyone else had wine,” Lim relates.
“Curious, Princess Margaret asked him about his action. He told her that he had promised his wife that he would not drink.”
Two years later, Kuan, fondly referred to by his friends as the “water baby,” was offered a job as superintendent in Brunei’s first swimming pool. He served for the next 15 years, and among his students were members of the Brunei Royal family, the Royal Brunei Police Force and the Women Police swimming and life saving team.
After retiring at the age of 62, her father would hike up Trail 84, which is the halfway mark to Penang Hill, daily at 2pm, says Guat Choo.
At the rest point, he built a shelter where he brewed tea for hikers. This was his daily routine until he suffered the first of three strokes in 1992. However, hikers can still enjoy tea at the shelter as his friends have continued the practice.
formidable Penang water-baby dad and daughter 50 years later
I salute these Boleh Malaysians.
Dr Mahathir: "No such thing as moderate Muslim"
Now, here’s a man who doesn’t believe in conventional play-safe behaviour. If he were a chess player, I dare say his opening would be, if playing white, f2-f4 (or in older English notation P-Q4 – I think?) – aggressive and seeking to dominate the board.
Yes, our Grand Ole Man (GOM), Dr Mahathir Mohamad, disabused us of notions that there need to be ‘moderate’ Muslims. In fact, he told Muslims to cease and desist from declaring themselves as 'moderate' or 'liberal' followers of Islam.
Why - one may ask of such a radical breath-stealing ‘opening’. Well, the GOM said that’s because the religion is indeed moderate, so why the need for tautological cringing* (or, cringing tautology).
* well, actually he didn't use these 2 words, but KTemoc availed hinself of blogger's licence ;-)
Indeed, the GOM advised Muslims to stop being so defensive by labelling themselves with an unnecessary adjective that would only encourage a false impression where ‘moderate’ or ‘liberal’ Muslims were only part of the followers of Islamic teachings, while the rest were ‘inmoderates’ and the ‘illiberals’, in other words bloody ‘extremists’.
How about that for ‘assertiveness’! But that’s vintage GOM, and that’s why the Western and Jewish worlds dislike him – how dare this brown skinned Asian talk so impertinently - how dare this 3rd World leader not cringe and submittingly accept the West's labelling, definition and classification of his ilk.
GOM as Perkim president advised delegates at the opening ceremony of the 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Muslim Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Perkim):
"Islam is already a moderate religion ... there is no need for us to show that are more liberal Muslims than others. We are Muslims ... period."
That’s confidence with a capital-C.
Then, what about blokes like Osama bin Laden and gang, and Noordin Top or the late Dr Azahari?
Dr Mahathir explained that if some Muslims were labelled extremists, it was not because of the teachings of Islam. Basically those misfits lack understanding of the teachings or were manipulating the religion for their own agenda
This was a re-iteration of his previous argument that 'funndamentalist Islam' is actually the correct Islam and not the racidal extremist version that has been incorrectly labelled by so-called (mostly Western) experts who don't understand Islamic teachings.
I believe those Western writers used the word 'fundamentalist' in relation to the Christian fundamentalists, who believe in each and every word in the Bible as literally true. Well, trust GOM not to accept Western-centric nor Biblical-centric labelling.
Then he said something that would be more relevant to today’s Islamic movement (including PAS') - that "no one would be interested to join a religion whose followers are seen as losers".
"People will only be attracted when there is a successful track record...as such only when Muslims become successful in all spheres or better than others in them can we successfully carry out effective missionary activities."
"We must encourage followers who want to be successful and competitive. We should show that Islam does not stand in the way of followers who want to attain great achievements."
He also demolished a few folkflore still upheld by local Malay Muslims. He commented that there were certain locals who claimed Malays had converted to Islam during the time of Prophet Mohamad, some 1400 years ago when in fact they only did so about 600 to 700 years back.
See my previous postings:
(1) ‘bin Abdullahs’ celebrating Chinese New Year!
(2) Being ‘bin Abdullahs’ is not enough
It’s a bit like the attitude of some Chinese (and Japanese) martial art practitioners, who want (and invent) a lineage that traces the origin of their martial art to an old Taoist sage-hermit that sat on Emei or Kunlun Mountains some thousand of years ago, and probably surviving on only kua-chee* and organic mountain-grown tea.
* water-melon seeds
He also wandered into the international arena where he attributed the conflict between the Jews and Muslims in Palestine to the Israelis confiscating Palestinian lands rather than religions.
He said: "That is the main reason, not because Muslims and Jews cannot live together. History has proven that ... this conflict is because Muslims lost their homes and lands."
I believe his advice in this respect is more likely to encourage non-Muslim Malaysians to be more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, as they would then see it for what it is, a cause for justice rather than one with an Islamic jihad-ist motive, and thus UMNO's interest.
Some non-Muslim Malaysians are even quietly supporting Israel for no other reason than wanting to poke UMNO (and to a lesser extent, PAS) in their noses - a case of hitting out at surrogate targets.
See my posting on Malaysians Split over Palestine & Lebanon
Yes, our Grand Ole Man (GOM), Dr Mahathir Mohamad, disabused us of notions that there need to be ‘moderate’ Muslims. In fact, he told Muslims to cease and desist from declaring themselves as 'moderate' or 'liberal' followers of Islam.
Why - one may ask of such a radical breath-stealing ‘opening’. Well, the GOM said that’s because the religion is indeed moderate, so why the need for tautological cringing* (or, cringing tautology).
* well, actually he didn't use these 2 words, but KTemoc availed hinself of blogger's licence ;-)
Indeed, the GOM advised Muslims to stop being so defensive by labelling themselves with an unnecessary adjective that would only encourage a false impression where ‘moderate’ or ‘liberal’ Muslims were only part of the followers of Islamic teachings, while the rest were ‘inmoderates’ and the ‘illiberals’, in other words bloody ‘extremists’.
How about that for ‘assertiveness’! But that’s vintage GOM, and that’s why the Western and Jewish worlds dislike him – how dare this brown skinned Asian talk so impertinently - how dare this 3rd World leader not cringe and submittingly accept the West's labelling, definition and classification of his ilk.
GOM as Perkim president advised delegates at the opening ceremony of the 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Muslim Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Perkim):
"Islam is already a moderate religion ... there is no need for us to show that are more liberal Muslims than others. We are Muslims ... period."
That’s confidence with a capital-C.
Then, what about blokes like Osama bin Laden and gang, and Noordin Top or the late Dr Azahari?
Dr Mahathir explained that if some Muslims were labelled extremists, it was not because of the teachings of Islam. Basically those misfits lack understanding of the teachings or were manipulating the religion for their own agenda
This was a re-iteration of his previous argument that 'funndamentalist Islam' is actually the correct Islam and not the racidal extremist version that has been incorrectly labelled by so-called (mostly Western) experts who don't understand Islamic teachings.
I believe those Western writers used the word 'fundamentalist' in relation to the Christian fundamentalists, who believe in each and every word in the Bible as literally true. Well, trust GOM not to accept Western-centric nor Biblical-centric labelling.
Then he said something that would be more relevant to today’s Islamic movement (including PAS') - that "no one would be interested to join a religion whose followers are seen as losers".
"People will only be attracted when there is a successful track record...as such only when Muslims become successful in all spheres or better than others in them can we successfully carry out effective missionary activities."
"We must encourage followers who want to be successful and competitive. We should show that Islam does not stand in the way of followers who want to attain great achievements."
He also demolished a few folkflore still upheld by local Malay Muslims. He commented that there were certain locals who claimed Malays had converted to Islam during the time of Prophet Mohamad, some 1400 years ago when in fact they only did so about 600 to 700 years back.
See my previous postings:
(1) ‘bin Abdullahs’ celebrating Chinese New Year!
(2) Being ‘bin Abdullahs’ is not enough
It’s a bit like the attitude of some Chinese (and Japanese) martial art practitioners, who want (and invent) a lineage that traces the origin of their martial art to an old Taoist sage-hermit that sat on Emei or Kunlun Mountains some thousand of years ago, and probably surviving on only kua-chee* and organic mountain-grown tea.
* water-melon seeds
He also wandered into the international arena where he attributed the conflict between the Jews and Muslims in Palestine to the Israelis confiscating Palestinian lands rather than religions.
He said: "That is the main reason, not because Muslims and Jews cannot live together. History has proven that ... this conflict is because Muslims lost their homes and lands."
I believe his advice in this respect is more likely to encourage non-Muslim Malaysians to be more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, as they would then see it for what it is, a cause for justice rather than one with an Islamic jihad-ist motive, and thus UMNO's interest.
Some non-Muslim Malaysians are even quietly supporting Israel for no other reason than wanting to poke UMNO (and to a lesser extent, PAS) in their noses - a case of hitting out at surrogate targets.
See my posting on Malaysians Split over Palestine & Lebanon
Saturday, February 24, 2007
A rose by any other name …
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet
I’ve posted May the Dude Bless You at BolehTalk.
It’s a rather cleverly written letter to malaysiakini that I want to share with you. It's all about the saying "A rose by any other name …”
By any other word would smell as sweet
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)
I’ve posted May the Dude Bless You at BolehTalk.
It’s a rather cleverly written letter to malaysiakini that I want to share with you. It's all about the saying "A rose by any other name …”
Let there by Darkness & Ignorance!
"Where they burn books, they will end in burning human beings"
But probably the notoriety for most prolific book burning, short of the blasphemous desecration of valuable tomes in ancient Alexandria, has to be awarded to the Catholic Church - sorry Lucia, but you’re a sterling Penang nona*, you can take it ;-).
* KTemoc is showing off his Indon ;-) where 'nyonya' is a Mrs, while 'nona' is still a Miss
In the 13th century, the Catholic Church destroyed every Cathar textbook. Two centuries later, the fearsome Torquemada (if you don't who he is, you are lucky) ordered the burning of non-Catholic literature, especially Jewish Talmuds and Arabic books.
In Spain, the Archbishop of Granada, Cisneros, was responsible for the destruction of over one million Arabic and Hebrew books from (stating the bloody burning obvious) one of the richest collections in history, virtually another Alexandria.
Much earlier, in 367 CE, Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, revered/respected by the three Christian churches (Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant) instructed the destruction of all ‘non-conforming’ texts from the Christian monasteries of Egypt.
Now, we come to the Muslims. Around 650 CE, Uthman ibn Affan, the 3rd Caliph of Islam ensured that there was only one authoritative written version of the Quran, by ordering the destruction of competing versions. At that time, there were three versions including the codices of Abdullah ibn Masud and Ubayy ibn Kab (I think?).
The burning and banning of books (no difference) has always been conducted by authorities to suppress dissenting (secular) or heretical (religious) views that could present a threat to them.
The saddest example of Heinrich Heine’s saying occurred in 1553, when Michael Servetius, a Spanish intellect, was burned as an heretic at the order of the city council of Geneva on a remark in his translation of Ptolemy's Geography. When they toasted him (literally) at the stake, one of his books, Christianismi Restitutio, was tied to his waist.
John Calvin, a French protestant and one of the founding fathers of Calvinism (hey, can’t blame Catholics all the time) who was in many ways responsible for Servetus execution by fire, said in fanatical tones:
Whoever shall maintain that wrong is done to heretics and blasphemers in punishing them makes himself an accomplice in their crime and guilty as they are.
- Christian Johann Heinrich Heine from his play Almansor (1821)
Henrich Heine was a German Jew (Jewish dad, Prussian mum) who converted to Christianity. His famous quote on the burning of books actually referred to the burning of the Quran by the Catholic Church during the terrible Spanish Inquisition.
As if he foresaw the fate of his books, Heine’s literary work was burnt by the Nazis. But sadly for a Jew, just because he converted to Christianity, his name was shunned by Israelis for a while until very recent times. The more religious Israelis considered him a traitor, though the Jewish secularists looked upon him as one of the most prominent figures of Jewish history.
The most nototrious burnings of books were (1) at the original Library of Alexandria (I believe there is a new one sponsored by the UN), (2) during the Chinese Qin dynasty where true to Heine’s words, the Emperor had the scholars buried alive (variation of being burnt), and (3) the Church’s burning of 'non-compliant' books throughout the centuries.
As mentioned in the Heine’s case, the Nazis had more than a few manuscript-fed bonfires as well. Then in an ironic twist to the Naziism’s book burning, we have today’s Europeans playing double standards in their 'book burning'.
On one hypocritical hand, the Europeans insist on non-negotiable freedom of expression as in the case of the caricature insults of Prophet Mohamad (pbuh), while on the other, in shameless loss of memory of their declaration of free expression, they prohibit works of Holocaust deniers such as David Irving and other loonies, and even jailed Irving in recent times for merely questioning the actual use of the concentration camps crematorium where the bodies of murdered Jews were burnt.
As if he foresaw the fate of his books, Heine’s literary work was burnt by the Nazis. But sadly for a Jew, just because he converted to Christianity, his name was shunned by Israelis for a while until very recent times. The more religious Israelis considered him a traitor, though the Jewish secularists looked upon him as one of the most prominent figures of Jewish history.
The most nototrious burnings of books were (1) at the original Library of Alexandria (I believe there is a new one sponsored by the UN), (2) during the Chinese Qin dynasty where true to Heine’s words, the Emperor had the scholars buried alive (variation of being burnt), and (3) the Church’s burning of 'non-compliant' books throughout the centuries.
As mentioned in the Heine’s case, the Nazis had more than a few manuscript-fed bonfires as well. Then in an ironic twist to the Naziism’s book burning, we have today’s Europeans playing double standards in their 'book burning'.
On one hypocritical hand, the Europeans insist on non-negotiable freedom of expression as in the case of the caricature insults of Prophet Mohamad (pbuh), while on the other, in shameless loss of memory of their declaration of free expression, they prohibit works of Holocaust deniers such as David Irving and other loonies, and even jailed Irving in recent times for merely questioning the actual use of the concentration camps crematorium where the bodies of murdered Jews were burnt.
Read Europe's Dilemma - Holocaust Denial vs Caricatures which I should have titled 'Europe's Hypocrisy - Holocaust Denial vs Caricatures'.
You can’t have it both ways or it's blatant double standards. The Europeans must adopt one (freedom of expression for everyone) or the other (ban works insensitive to religions, culture and ethnicity). I hope there's a lesson here for the AAB government, particularly on its media policy.
Oops, I spoke too soon. Not to be out-Boleh, we Malaysians should be 'proud'(?) we have our annual ‘book burning’ in the form of the government's ban of books, the latest being a list of 50 over books including March 8, a book on the 2001 Kampung Medan conflict.
The human rights groups are crying foul - fundamental rights to freedom of expression and information, blah blah blah - but does the government care, knowing the majority of the voters wouldn’t have the faintest.
The statement of ‘the majority of the voters not having the faintest’ is not unique to Malaysia because we see the same characteristic in the USA, where most Americans haven't a clue as to what their goverment and military and industry have been and are doing to the rest of the world, even re-electing a moronic warmonger like the current President Bush.
In Australia, I dare say 95% of Australians haven't a bloody clue about the difference between the Taliban and al Qaeda, a distinction that’s important to the current case of Guantanamo Bay detainee, Australian David Hicks who fought with the Taliban (then US' buddy, now US' enemy) against the Soviet-backed Northern Alliance (then US' enemy, now US' buddy).
But let's not be too narrow when we take about books. We should also include films.
But let's not be too narrow when we take about books. We should also include films.
Poor Amir Muhammad is suffering a déjà vu frustration with his latest film Apa Khabar Orang Kampung. Like his previous film, The Last Communist, Apa Khabar Orang Kampung is also banned.
For more on Amir’s original film, please read:
(1) Why isn't 'Last Communist' a Malay?
(2) Tremble - Last Communist Cometh!
(3) The Last Communist or Communalist?
(1) Why isn't 'Last Communist' a Malay?
(2) Tremble - Last Communist Cometh!
(3) The Last Communist or Communalist?
But probably the notoriety for most prolific book burning, short of the blasphemous desecration of valuable tomes in ancient Alexandria, has to be awarded to the Catholic Church - sorry Lucia, but you’re a sterling Penang nona*, you can take it ;-).
* KTemoc is showing off his Indon ;-) where 'nyonya' is a Mrs, while 'nona' is still a Miss
In the 13th century, the Catholic Church destroyed every Cathar textbook. Two centuries later, the fearsome Torquemada (if you don't who he is, you are lucky) ordered the burning of non-Catholic literature, especially Jewish Talmuds and Arabic books.
In Spain, the Archbishop of Granada, Cisneros, was responsible for the destruction of over one million Arabic and Hebrew books from (stating the bloody burning obvious) one of the richest collections in history, virtually another Alexandria.
Much earlier, in 367 CE, Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, revered/respected by the three Christian churches (Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant) instructed the destruction of all ‘non-conforming’ texts from the Christian monasteries of Egypt.
Now, we come to the Muslims. Around 650 CE, Uthman ibn Affan, the 3rd Caliph of Islam ensured that there was only one authoritative written version of the Quran, by ordering the destruction of competing versions. At that time, there were three versions including the codices of Abdullah ibn Masud and Ubayy ibn Kab (I think?).
The burning and banning of books (no difference) has always been conducted by authorities to suppress dissenting (secular) or heretical (religious) views that could present a threat to them.
The saddest example of Heinrich Heine’s saying occurred in 1553, when Michael Servetius, a Spanish intellect, was burned as an heretic at the order of the city council of Geneva on a remark in his translation of Ptolemy's Geography. When they toasted him (literally) at the stake, one of his books, Christianismi Restitutio, was tied to his waist.
John Calvin, a French protestant and one of the founding fathers of Calvinism (hey, can’t blame Catholics all the time) who was in many ways responsible for Servetus execution by fire, said in fanatical tones:
Whoever shall maintain that wrong is done to heretics and blasphemers in punishing them makes himself an accomplice in their crime and guilty as they are.
There is no question here of man's authority; it is God who speaks, and clear it is what law he will have kept in the church, even to the end of the world.
Wherefore does he demand of us a so extreme severity, if not to show us that due honor is not paid him, so long as we set not his service above every human consideration, so that we spare not kin, nor blood of any, and forget all humanity when the matter is to combat for His glory.
Oh, don’t forget to include the banning of newspapers and harrassment/persecution of bloggers ;-) as among the sins of book burning and banning. It’s the sin of denying people the right to know, the right to information, the right to think, the right to freedom of expression.
Wasn’t it Siddharta Gautama (Buddha) who said: “The greatest gift is the gift of Truth”.
Oh, don’t forget to include the banning of newspapers and harrassment/persecution of bloggers ;-) as among the sins of book burning and banning. It’s the sin of denying people the right to know, the right to information, the right to think, the right to freedom of expression.
Wasn’t it Siddharta Gautama (Buddha) who said: “The greatest gift is the gift of Truth”.
But the Malaysian government’s version is probably “The greatest gift is the gift of the citizens’ Ignorance”, probably borrowed from the three leaders of the Collusion of the Swindling.
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